From Arts of the Pamlico

Arts of the Pamlico, in association with EbzB Productions, will present the musical theatre production “’69 Seasons” this Saturday at the Turnage Theatre in downtown Washington. Curtain time is 8 p.m.

According to AOP executive director Joey Toler, the production can best be characterized as a “jukebox” musical, because it employs music from the era instead of original tunes.

“For those who lived through the late ’60s, particularly 1969, the show will be nostalgic. For those who didn’t, it will be a history lesson worth learning,” Toler said. A partial song list from the show includes such titles as “Dizzy,” “Proud Mary,” “Spinning Wheel,” “Major Tom,” “2525,” “Both Sides Now,” “Give Peace A Chance” and many more. The production contains close to 20 different musical numbers.

Beginning with Nixon’s inauguration, the show takes you through a turbulent year filled with war, protests, senseless violence and radical movements. These events are counterpoised with incredible music, avant-garde art and scientific achievements that literally took us to the moon and back.

The writer of the show is Durham native Howard L. Craft, author of a book of poems titled “Across The Blue Chasm” and many plays, including “The House of George,” “The Wise Ones,” “Tunnels,” and “Stealing Clouds,” to name just a few.

Kevin Wilson is the musical director and an internationally recognized guitarist and music educator. He has shared the stage and toured with music legends such as Stevie Wonder, Lou Rawls, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Isley Brothers, Ohio Players, Jon B, Tower of Power and gospel music’s queen, the legendary Shirley Caesar.

Leading the cast are Serena Ebhardt and husband, David zum Brunnen, co-founders of EbzB Productions.

David zum Brunnen has appeared in a variety of roles on stage, in films, commercials and videos — coast to coast — in the U.S. and Canada. Under the auspices of EbzB Productions, he has toured nationally with several projects and continues to do so. His portrayal of Charles Dickens in “The Night Before Christmas Carol” has now been seen by millions nationally and internationally on public television.

Serena Ebhardt is an award-winning actress, director, playwright and teaching artist. She holds her B.A. in dramatic art from the University of North Carolina, where she was a Paul and Elizabeth Green Scholarship recipient. Serena has received training as a teaching artist from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Lincoln Center Institute and The National Center for Creative Aging. She is the recipient of “The Cantey” award, and The International Television and Video Association’s “Silver Reel” award. Additionally, Serena is a charter inductee of the YWCA’s Academy of Women and a member of Actors’ Equity Association and Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

Rounding out the three-person cast is Rasool Jahan. Rasool has appeared in numerous films and worked with such luminaries as John Ritter, Andy Griffith, Vanessa Redgrave and Brock Peters. She has also had the pleasure of working with director Phil Alden Robinson in “Freedom Song” (starring Danny Glover), as well as Academy Award-winning director Anthony Minghella in “Cold Mountain” (alongside Jude Law and Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman). Rasool is currently working on a play about Ida B. Wells who is a key figure in American history.

Tickets for ’69 Seasons are $25 and can be purchased in advance by phone at 252-946-2504, at the AOP box office, or at the door the night of the production beginning at 6:30 p.m. For more information about this production and other AOP events, visit www.artsofthepamlico.org.