New Kinks musical lights up Chicago Shakespeare stage
Chicago Shakespeare Theater's new show strays a bit from what theatergoers may expect.
The big picture: "Sunny Afternoon" tells the story of The Kinks, from brothers Ray and Dave Davies working class roots in England to the toll fame took on them and their band.
At two hours and 40 minutes, the ensemble, donning English mod costumes and treating the entire theater as a dance hall as they move throughout the audience, belt out more than 25 songs from The Kinks' deep catalog.
Zoom in: Ray Davies was very involved in the U.K. premiere of "Sunny Afternoon" in 2014.
"He would speak about the character of Ray in the third person, I think, to help him deal with the emotional experience of dramatizing some of the harder moments in his life," director Edward Hall tells Axios.
"He also worked to help us ensure that all the instruments and equipment used in the production are authentic and exactly what they used at the time."
Fun fact: The Kinks' music stands out from some of their fellow British Invasion peers for a harder, louder sound, but also their musical influence on a range of artists.
"I was stunned by the musicians who came to see the show in London because of their love and admiration for The Kinks — Brian May from Queen, the Gallagher brothers from Oasis, Brian Johnson from AC/DC, and all the members of Fleetwood Mac. They all spoke about the influence of The Kinks on their own work," Hall says.
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