about the show

Songs written for movies have a distinctive quality– you might even call it an ‘essential’ one– in that they’re often created to summarize the essence of the film itself, via their lyrical, harmonic, and melodic content. They’re also, like movies, made to evoke emotion. Raw, visceral, unfiltered emotion. A lot of these songs became hits – some much bigger than the movies they came from! – and are familiar to most of us. Others, while just as good and strong and worthwhile, drifted into obscurity over the years.

IMITATION OF LIFE : MUSICAL TREASURES FROM THE SILVER SCREEN highlights some of both. The show is about film history, discovery and juxtaposition – of sounds and melodies and images and shared memories. It creates a new context for some familiar songs and movies, and makes some unknown ones feel intimate and immediate. And maybe a little surprising.

The show focuses on songs from non-musical films, mostly from the mid to late 20th century. While it’s designed to have a loose narrative / conceptual arc, it is modular in structure. Its various chapters can be arranged according to the specific parameters of a space or event. Another way to say this might be: it can function as a sort of appetizer, or a full course, or an epic banquet of a show. It’s also designed to accommodate talent that is local to wherever it’s being performed, via duets and songs geared toward other singers. We seek to maximize engagement with local audiences and performers.

The show is designed to take advantage of a stage with a full-sized movie screen, as the footage is projected over the players during the course of the performance. Using disparate narrative and musical elements, David Driver and his colleagues create a hybrid musical / visual experience that is both informative and emotionally engaging.