[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Theatre West is holding a very special event on the evenings of September 20 and 21-The Age of Aquarius ’67 to ’72: The Songs of Rock N’ Soul.
This is a brand new show created by Victoria Lavan and John A. Goux, produced and directed by Victoria Lavan with music supervision by John A. Goux.
I was born in 1967…the summer of love! So other than old photos of my mum in her maternity flower power smock and cool hair, I missed it all. But the echo of this extraordinary time of peace and love still resonates. And we all need a reminder that we can change the world if we stand up to ‘the man’ more than ever right now.
But these two nights are all about celebrating the incredible music of the time. Music from Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Aretha Franklin, Simon and Garfunkel, Roberta Flack and The Beatles…and the list goes on!
We wanted to get the word out about this wonderful event, which is also lovingly dedicated to Theatre West band member Mara Wells, who passed away in July. A musician whose incredible talents would have been right at home in any one of these iconic bands.
We had some questions about the hows and whys of The Age of Aquarius ’67 to ’72: The Songs of Rock N’ Soul, so we asked Victoria Lavan, the director and creator of the show.
Hi Victoria and thank you for giving us some insight into this amazing creation of yours! This is, of course, an iconic era in America, not just musically.
What inspired you to choose this particular time in our collective history?
The concept of this show evolved over several months. I am the moderator for Theatre West’s Music Workshop. We meet every Wednesday and members bring in material they are working on for a variety of reasons. On the Wednesday following the general election last year, one of our members brought in “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” from Cabaret. His performance stunned and stirred our workshop and members began to bring in similar songs. After a month or so someone suggested we mount a workshop performance evening of protest songs, which led to everyone focusing on songs of the late 1960s. After a few weeks of song exploration and discussion in the workshop we made a collective decision to focus on songs from 1967 to 1972. After we decided to get serious about creating a show performing music from this era as a fundraising event for our music programs, I involved John A. Goux as music supervisor.
From all this incredible music, how did you choose what to include?
This was a tough job!! Especially because we knew we would not be able to include everyone’s favorite artists, including our own!! The decisions came down to the level of impact the artist or band had on that moment in time in terms of the evolution of the genre. Remember, it was a time of musical experimentation and exploration like no other. Some of the artists and songs in our show virtually changed the genre of rock n roll! This is a show that begs for a sequel, so we ask audiences to forgive us if their favorite song or artist is not in this show! Perhaps it will be in the next one!
We are highlighting artists like Tina Turner, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, The Mamas & the Papas, The Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin, Simon & Garfunkel, Roberta Flack, Carole King, The Beatles, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and more! Songs being performed include California Dreamin’, San Francisco, Good Vibrations, The Sound of Silence, Happy Together, Proud Mary, Respect, Pinball Wizard, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Hey Jude, Born to Be Wild, Foxy Lady, and Take It Easy to name just a few. We hope audience members will be dancing in the aisles and singing out loud as they leave the theatre!
Do you have personal connections to this time and these songs?
Yes – those five years, the music, the art, the evolution of pop culture, were deeply instrumental in forming the lens through which I view the world – even now. I think I reach back for that time which, although tumultuous, also fostered peace and created a space for people to live life beyond what was expected or prescribed by society. Yes, with a sense of nostalgia, but also with a desire to embody what was best about those ideals in a time when ideals of human behavior and choices are held in a different mindset. I am a native Angelino but spent those formative years in Chicago, one of the epicenters of that time. The sounds and lyrics of Mowtown, blues and soul were all around me as well as folk and rock n roll.
How did you find your performers and your team?
The cast is fantastic!! Our music performances are created from our music workshop so half of this cast are regular members of Theatre West’s music workshop. They include: Constance Mellors, Melodee Fernandez, Meg Lin, Michael Van Duzer, Donald Moore, Paul Cady and David Mingrino. The other half are young professional and emerging professional artists I have worked with at AMDA College for the Performing Arts where I am Director of Vocal Health. They include: Harleigh Ford, Jana Souza, Cody Kelepolo, Auriana Chisholm, Aaron Gillis, Roni Williams, Preston Simon and Vertreace Sanders. They are all going to sing the building down!!
One of the interesting things about the cast is that half literally came of age during this time period, and the other half did not, but this is the music they ALL love and want to sing. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of performers and what each group brings to the music is rich and beautiful.
We have assembled a wonderful band that includes Tom Griep (MD/keyboard), Bill Von Ravensburg (bass), James Varley (drums), Steve Gregory (guitar), Ellen Engelke (saxophone/flute) and Tom Cunningham (trumpet). I have worked with most of them many times. This will be our first show without our beloved harmonica player Mara Wells who passed away in July. Her absence is deeply felt.
This must have been a labor of love…what does it mean to you?
This concert event is very special as it is dedicated in loving memory of Theatre West band member Mara Wells, who passed away on July 12, 2025. The loss of Mara Wells is incalculable. She was an incredible musician with harmonica as her primary instrument. Mara had the unique ability to intuit exactly where a song would be more emotional by adding harmonica. She used her instrument like singers use their voices. She elevated every song through love and joy. That is the core of The Age of Aquarius and dedicated to her memory: Love, Joy, Beauty and Fun!
What would you like your audience to experience and to take away from this show?
I’d like our audiences to experience what our cast, band and crew are experiencing as we rehearse and craft this show: JOY! The Age of Aquarius is pure JOY! Our goal as a Company is to bring joy and uplift our audiences through the magic of music and singing. Audiences will sing along during the show and walk out of the theatre singing as well. I hope they take the joy they experience at The Age of Aquarius and share it with everyone in their lives! Joy is contagious and I ultimately hope to create an ocean of joy!!!
Please add anything else you would like to say about The Age of Aquarius ’67 to ’72: The Songs of Rock N’ Soul or Theatre West.
The arts have suffered severe cuts in funding in recent months even though interest in attending and participating in arts events remains high. Broadway had its most successful financial year ever in 2024 and concerts in the Los Angeles area continue to sell out.
Theatre West is dedicated to bringing professional level events to our stage for our patrons and the public at large. As a small professional theatre, we must fundraise to continue to bring the quality and variety of shows we have always produced to patrons and the public.
Proceeds from this event will support the Betty Garrett Musical Theatre Workshop productions in 2025, which includes a holiday show this December and plans for 2026.
Theatre West is a living gem in the arts community of Los Angeles. To have survived and continuously developed and produced high quality live theatre and music in a town that is all about film and television for 63 years is no small achievement. We invite all Angelinos to experience the wonder and magic of live theatre by joining us at THE AGE OF AQUARIUS for an evening that we promise will be BEAUTIFUL, FUN AND COOL!!!
Thank you, Victoria. Well, I am definitely looking forward to this! I have been lucky enough to attend a few of Theatre West’s musical evenings and they are always absolutely wonderful! This is highly recommended!!
Where:
Theatre West
3333 Cahuenga Boulevard West Los Angeles, CA 90068
When:
Saturday, September 20 at 7:30PM
Sunday, September 21 at 3PM
Tickets:
https://nohoartsdistrict.com/noho-theatres/the-age-of-aquarius-67-to-72-the-songs-of-rock-n-soul
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