Playing Dress Up – June 4

A Closet of Dreams and a Pocketful of Rock-n-Roll Come Alive for One Night Show

The Bo Bartlett Center is about to undergo a transformation, morphing from a serene art gallery into a vibrant, intimate closet of dreams. “Playing Dress Up,” a one-night-only musical spectacle on June 4, promises to be an experience unlike any other, a fusion of rock-n-roll energy, childhood nostalgia, and the raw talent of singer Lucy Werner.

At the heart of this event are two friends, Lucy Werner and Ben Redding, whose creative synergy is set to ignite the gallery. Ben, a local art and theater luminary, described the event as a “70s Narnia,” a place where the audience can step into a world of whimsy and uninhibited self-expression.

“It’s about how, as we grow up, our identities shift,” Ben explained, his voice filled with enthusiasm. “We change the way we see ourselves, we change the way we dress. What if we allowed ourselves to be truly authentically who we are?”

Lucy, a New York-based singer with an eclectic musical background, is the star of this immersive experience. Ben, who went to college with Lucy, has always wanted to showcase her immense talent. He described Lucy as “enigmatic and a true star,” noting her extensive experience on cruise lines, where she even cultivated her own show. These days, you might find her and her partner, Hunter, touring in their vintage Chevrolet Astro Van, the inspiration for their band, The Astro Band.

Lucy’s musical taste is as diverse as her personality. “Her music knowledge is expansive,” Ben said, “From the Beatles to your standard pop girlies, to folk, to avant-garde weird stuff.” She’s not just a singer; she’s a multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, guitar, and ukulele. She even creates vocal loops, layering her voice to create rich, textured soundscapes.

When I spoke with Lucy, she described her musical origins as deeply rooted in her childhood. “I feel for some people, it’s very clear what they’re going to do with their lives early on, and that is very much how I was,” she recalled. “As soon as I could speak, or maybe even before, I was singing.”

Her early experiences in church and school plays laid the foundation for her musical journey. “They would put me right in front of the whole congregation, and I would sing songs,” she said. “And we had a lot of kids programs at my church. And then at my elementary school, it was really centered around music.”

“Playing Dress Up” is more than just a concert; it’s a visual and emotional journey. Ben and Lucy are transforming the back of the Bo Bartlett Center into a “closet,” an intimate space where the audience can feel close to the performance. “It will be a rock concert, right in your face,” Ben promised. “We want people to be really close together, we want them to feel they could reach out and touch Lucy.”

Adding to the immersive experience, Lucy will be wearing costumes her own mother stitched from her childhood, and home videos will play between songs, creating a nostalgic backdrop. “My childhood is where this all stemmed from and is really a lot of what the show is about,” Lucy explained. “It’s about all of our childhoods and about the connection to that part of us that a lot of us feel we’ve somehow had to leave behind as we’ve grown.”

The musical selections are a mix of familiar and obscure, ranging from Donna Summer and Annie Lennox to David Bowie and Tom Petty, with a touch of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” thrown in for good measure. “There will be things people recognize, and there will be some things that are like, what is this song?” Ben teased.

“And her voice!” Ben interjected, his eyes lighting up, “It’s like a time machine itself. Lucy has this incredible ability to channel the essence of a song, making it feel both familiar and brand new – at times ethereal, at others with a guttural power.”

“It’s a dynamic show,” he said, “and we’re going to have a full band, so it’s gonna be loud, we might even give out earplugs just in case.”

The event is designed to evoke a sense of childlike wonder and uninhibited self-expression. “Dress for the amplified version of your truest self,” Ben encouraged. “That one thing you’re like, ‘I don’t have any reason to wear this, but I still love it.’ That’s what we want you to wear.”

“We’ll have options for you there where you can maybe amp up your outfit or whatever,” he added. “And we’ll have photo ops.”

The show is also a heartfelt tribute to the power of music to connect generations and to our own evolving selves. “In crafting this performance, we were particularly mindful of those who might not always feel immediately connected to their own youthful joy,” Ben said. “We want to create a show for them, where they feel that cherished part of themselves, and perhaps even the soundtrack of their own formative years, is deeply honored.”

While “Playing Dress Up” is a passion project for Lucy and Ben, with significant in-kind support from the Bo Bartlett Center, a suggested donation of $40 per ticket will be gratefully accepted at the door via cash or mobile payment apps (CashApp/Venmo) to help cover the costs of bringing this unique experience to life.

For those eager to experience Lucy’s music before the show, her work is available on Spotify and SoundCloud under “Lucy Werner” and “The Astro Band.”

“It’s an open bar,” Ben added, “So we want people to come, feel free, feel loose, and enjoy themselves.”

“Playing Dress Up” at the Bo Bartlett Center is poised to be an unforgettable evening, to transport us, to connect us, and to remind us of the beauty of shared experiences. Make sure to visit the Bo Bartlett Center’s website for the latest details and any updates.

This is your exclusive invitation to step into a closet of dreams, music, memory and imagination, where the costumes are wild, and our inner child is celebrated—a world where we can all, for a little while, play dress up.