The ’70s Are Back, Baby!

After a sold out 19-week run, plus an additional 4-week limited return engagement, The ’70s: More Than a Decade has officially become the biggest hit in FST Cabaret history. With 21,000 tickets sold, The ’70s: More Than a Decade has outstripped previous record-breaking Cabarets, including Unchained Melodies, Blue Suede Shoes, and Guitar Girls. Now, FST is thrilled to share this beloved revue with you in a strictly limited return engagement on FST’s Keating Theatre stage.

“The ’70s: More Than a Decade will always hold a special place in my heart,” said Lead Developer Rebecca Hopkins. “As a child of the ’70s, myself, this show was especially meaningful for me to write. We’ve been overwhelmed by the audience’s response since the revue opened in October of 2022. I couldn’t be more pleased that so many people have shared a special connection with this cabaret and music as I have.”

“I smiled throughout the show and the whole way home!,” said audience member Ruth H. “It was a lovely trip down memory lane. I’m always impressed with the level of talent at FST, and this show was what I’ve come to expect at this theatre.”

“This was one of the best shows we have seen at FST over the years,” said Marie K. “The music selection and how it was arranged got the audience clapping their hands, singing along, and at the end, we gave the performance a standing ovation.”

Just as Sarasota audiences are excited for the return of The ’70s, so too are our returning cast members Jannie Jones (Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Guitar Girls, Blue Suede Shoes) and Eddie Weaver (Cinderella).

“These songs and ballads we hear are these artists interpreting their everyday lives through their music,” said Weaver. “The music from this era was literally the voice of the people!”

Called “Rip-Roaring” and “Sizzling” by The Observer and “A treat as much for the eyes as for the ears” by Total Theater, The ’70s: More Than a Decade celebrates the musical hit parade that was the 1970s with songs like “Joy to the World,” “Let it Be,” “Stayin’ Alive,” and more.

In the 1970s, change was everywhere. The Vietnam War finally ended and the technology revolution was just starting to take off.

“It was the decade of Watergate and the breakdown of a lot of our trust in institutions,” shared Hopkins. “But it was also a time for great innovation and creativity. Home computers, VCRs, mobile phones, and video games (for better or worse) all came on the scene during the ’70s. Music reflected the changing times.”

Suddenly, pop and rock & roll were no longer the only musical genres that dominated the charts. New forms like soul, R&B, and punk rock exploded onto the scene.

“Like Rebecca, I also grew up in the 1970s, and my first memory of music is Disco,” said Director Catherine Randazzo. “Disco influenced my ‘going out clothes.’ The goal of shopping was to find platform shoes and clothes I could do ‘The Hustle’ in.”

Familiar faces join Jones and Weaver on stage for this special, limited return engagement. FST veterans Nick Anastasia (Unchained Melodies, Laughing Matters, Burt & Me) and Stacey Harris (The Wonder Years, Burt & Me, I Love You, You’re Perfect…) round out the cast to bring hits like “Listen to the Music,” “Shake Your Grove Thing,” and “Lean on Me,” to life on stage.

“I’m always astonished at how FST continues to out-do itself,” said Nick Anastasia. “Just when you think you’ve seen and heard the best, they come out with more. It feels like just yesterday we were breaking records with FST’s hit production of Unchained Melodies. Now, I’ve been invited to be part of yet another hit show with The ’70s: More Than a Decade? What could be better?!”

We look forward to having you join artists Anastasia, Harris, Jones, and Weaver to “Listen to the Music” with us with FST’s latest hit Cabaret with us very soon.

The limited return engagement of The 70s: More Than A Decade played in FST’s Keating Theatre through April 9, 2023.