From the last day of April, 2012 we have Radio Free Charleston 157, “The Mighty Thor Shirt” On this week’s show we are brought you three songs from the then-upcoming production of The Color Purple by the Charleston Light Opera Guild, plus we had some new music from Godmode Broadway, and a heartfelt plea from The Tom McGees. Host segments were shot around The Charleston Civic Center, a good six and a half years before the current remodeling job.

Director Nina Denton Pasinetti invited us into the Guild workshop so we could take in an early run-through of The Color Purple. Melanie and I were mightily impressed. A week out from opening night, the cast had already gelled into a finely-tuned vocal ensemble. Even without the benefit of an orchestra, set or full costumes, they put on a compelling evening of theater. The entire cast was just amazing and the music was incredible.

The Charleston Civic Center Little Theater was the site of the Charleston Light Opera Guild production of the musical version of The Color Purple. The beloved novel by Alice Walker was turned into a Broadway musical a few years ago by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, with a book by Marsha Norman, and it was the spring offering from Charleston’s Light Opera Guild in 2012. The Guild was chosen to be the first community theater troupe to perform the show, following it’s Broadway run and national tour.

Also appearing on this episode of RFC was Godmode Broadway, the greatly-missed progressive hybrid band. We bring you their song, “Arson Wells (The Misadventures of Ray Von Siskle),” which we recorded at their rehearsal space, the same day we recorded “Surfboards and Broadswords,” which you saw on RFC a few weeks ago.