Open Stage unleashes a hauntingly familiar Mac attack with “Go Your Own Way: A Celebration of Fleetwood Mac,” paying tribute to a band that, since 1967, has regaled audiences with their stormy soap opera within their mystical hookah den.
Unlike the often-warring original band, the Open Stage cast has adorable onstage chemistry, with genuine affection for one another. They make performing fun.
Producer Wayne Landon, Music Director Brad Barkdoll and Music Arranger/Band Rehearsal Director Anthony Pieruccini selected almost 30 hits representative of Fleetwood Mac’s evolving sound over the decades—folk, blues, pop, soft rock, arena rock and power ballads. There are even nods to band members’ works pre-1974, before the most recognized lineup cemented itself.
The set feels hazy and magical, like walking into a fortune teller’s train car after the rain wa-SHEZ you clean. The stage looked as if Stevie Nicks herself had draped her laundry everywhere, with loosely strewn scarves, handkerchiefs, tablecloths and doilies accenting. The costumes (Brock Viering) simultaneously stood out and blended in, with their flowy fabrics and showy patterns and belly-unbuttoned shirts with chunky lapels pointing far east and west.
Although this show is not meant to be a tribute band in which the performers impersonate the artists note for note, many of the show’s elements come close. For example, Barkdoll’s guitar riffs and vocals impress throughout, plus his blue eyes that can be seen from space conjure Lindsey Buckingham’s originals. Madison Eppley’s witchy countenance resembles a young Stevie Nicks, but with Eppley’s vocal range decidedly more flexible than Nicks’ alto. When the cast launched into “I Don’t Want to Know,” I thought for a split second someone had cranked up my old hi-fi.
The cast plays many of the songs just as I remember them, minus the skips and scratches on my vinyls and the ka-chunks between songs on my 8-tracks. Many of the arrangements held little surprise Easter eggs, making second-hand news of the original recordings. Some of the nicest surprises were the acoustic arrangements for songs I expected to be larger, like “Big Love,” (TJ Creedon) and a little gender-bending when Creedon nailed “You Make Loving Fun” in the key of Christine McVie.
With all the bravado of arena rock, tambourine man Creedon belts his songs with energy and humor, especially in his interpretation of “Second-Hand News” (imagine the twangy bridge “bow bow bow bow buh-bow” with dancing). He just as easily shows his versatility with the Latin rhythm-laced “Black Magic Woman” and some haunting harmonies as he swaggers through “Dreams.”
Showing range and style variety, Jasmine Graham delivers the rollicking “The Chain,” followed by the more lilting “As Long as You Follow,” “Say You Love Me” and “Over My Head,” the latter of which is Graham’s natural key. She eases her way through the subdued “Gypsy,” getting stronger and more self-assured with the (no spoilers) encore song—an anthem that every older woman I know has felt dirty about crooning behind tinted car windows rolled all the way up.
Eppley slips slowly into the Stevie Nicks persona, almost shyly, as if trying it on in the dressing room. Eppley’s voice is soft and pretty, subtle almost. With “Sara,” she had me transported—easily one of the best performances of the evening. By the end of the set, she is swaying and twirling more confidently, beautifully bringing the more introverted Christine McVie’s “Everywhere” and “Little Lies.”
With strong vocals, funny banter and confident stage presence, Rachel Landon powerhouses the hard blues songs, her greatest hits being the obscure “Oh Well,” followed by “World Turning” and the thoughtful ballad “Landslide.” Landon is also a standout as a backup vocalist, easily picked out for pinpointing just the right harmony with any lead singer—not an amateur-level skill.
Much like Christine McVie, Jess Logan provides a solid keyboard backdrop, although her vocals lie more in the alto range, throaty and flinty, delivering sensually sentimental performances with “Silver Springs,” “Rhiannon,” “Gold Dust Woman” and the nowhere-to-hide acoustic “Never Going Back Again.” And extra points to Logan for donning the short-lived snood associated with Nicks’ fashion sense. “Rhiannon” was my favorite song of the evening, with every element tight and perfectly on-point.
Jeremy Blouch/Alexander Dalious on bass guitar and Dani Fiore on drums lay a cohesive foundation, driving and pulsating in the backdrop. In Mick Fleetwood and John McVie style, the drums and bass set the mood without overpowering, allowing the vocalists to shine.
Inspired by the Landon family, I brought my dad as my plus-one. Dad has been a Fleetwood Mac super-fan since Bob Welch and Peter Green were members. Whether your own plus-one is a gold dust gypsy named Jewel-Eyed Judy or someone younger from the Rhiannon era, at intermission, be sure to go back again to Open Stage’s lobby bar for a Fleetwood Mac-inspired cocktail. No spoilers, but the wordplay will not go over your head. Oh, and don’t leave too early. If you yell “Encore” at the end, you’ll hear a secret song not listed in the program.
“Go Your Own Way: A Celebration of Fleetwood Mac” runs through Sept. 21 at Open Stage, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.openstagehbg.com/shows/fleetwoodmac.
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