San Diego Reader

In no time, you knew everyone in the cast and looked forward to Roger Varmer’s bottom-line bass, Aaron Holland and Roosevelt Carter’s leads, and Gary Martin’s renditions of the Drifters’ great Ben E. King. Echo had an authenticity and a rare spirit and offered one of theater’s greatest gifts: you went home wide awake.

For one night only, Manson’s reprising the musical revue at the Lyceum Theatre on January 8. In belt-tightening times like these, we must narrow our wishes, yadda yadda. That said, I wish this group had a semiregular gig — at the Lyceum? — where they perform until the crowds stop coming. That could be some while.

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