Under the Streetlamp radiates a crisp, clean retro sound that recalls street-corner harmonies of yesteryear.
The young vocal quartet plays Merrillville’s Star Plaza Theatre at 8 p.m. March 26 and 3 and 7 p.m. shows May 7 in the Belushi Performance Hall at McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn.
The concert will be taped for a pledge-drive special that is scheduled to be televised on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).
Two members of Under the Streetlamp — Michael Ingersoll and Christopher Kale Jones — performed in the national touring company of “Jersey Boys” — the smash musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Under the Streetlamp dishes plenty of flashback tunes from not only the likes of Valli, but also from Bobby Darin, the Drifters, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, the Beach Boys, the Beatles and Sam Cooke.
Their cocktail-time swagger and attitude has the feel of a legendary social group from decades ago that featured Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. as its key members.
“It’s modern-day Rat Pack singing the hits of the American radio songbook,” said Charlie Blum, president and chief executive officer of the Star Plaza Theatre/Star Productions.
Having built a reputation for presenting shows outside of the Star Plaza Theatre, the entertainment brand known as Star Productions is serving as the management body for Under the Streetlamp.
The group — which will be backed by a seven-piece band at the Merrillville show — already has two public TV specials under its belt, and a growing appeal with more than one type of demographic.
“We’ve been quite pleased, to say the least,” said Blum, manager of Under the Streetlamp. “These guys have so much personality and charisma that it’s become multigenerational.”
Besides airing on Lakeshore Public Television in Northwest Indiana and on WTTW-Channel 11 in Chicago, there will be more wide-ranging exposure for the taped Merrillville concert over public TV stations.
“This will air all over the United States,” said Blum, a Dyer resident. The special is scheduled to hit PBS before the summer ends.
Dishing music that covers doo-wop and Motown, Under the Streetlamp relies on a time-tested repertoire. “It’s timeless,” said group member Shonn Wiley. “Even nowadays this music holds up to any contemporary music, and even surpasses it in melody and sentiment.” A tenor from Tucson, Ariz., Wiley brings a set of skills to concerts that extends beyond vocal prowess.
“I have been tap dancing since I was a kid,” he noted.
Performances by Under the Boardwalk even serve up a sliver of stand-up comedy. “Our concert has the flavor of a variety show,” Wiley said.
Promotional material states “slick dance moves” help transport audiences back “to an era of sharkskin suits, flashy cars and martini shakers.”
Wiley’s Broadway debut came in the Tony Award-winning revival of “42nd Street.” His onstage comrades include Brandon Wardell, who has appeared on Broadway in productions that starred Christopher Walken and Neil Patrick Harris.
All four members of Under the Streetlamp boast major theater experience and stellar vocal talent. Their tight harmonies that dispense well known pop fare from the 1950s-1970s has helped turn Under the Streetlamp into a well-traveled, in-demand act.
“We’ve been to Mexico; we’ve been to Canada,” Wiley said. “We’ve played the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.”
Bookings have likewise brought Wiley and his mates to Belgium, the Netherlands and Maui. Later this year, Las Vegas beckons.
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Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer.
Under the Streetlamp
Where: Star Plaza Theatre, 8001 Delaware Place, Merrillville
When: 8 p.m. March 26
Tickets: $49
Information: starplazatheatre.com
Where: McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn
When: 3 and 7 p.m. May 7
Tickets: $46-$65
Information: atthemac.org