Hip-hop may be all the rage, but doo-wop endures thanks to the spirited stewardship of the Alley Cats, a men's vocal harmony group that performs Friday nights at the Welk Resort Theatre in Escondido.
For 20 years the Fullerton-based a cappella quartet has been celebrating the oldies with tight, four-part harmonies and a lighthearted, interactive stage show that has produced five CDs and has taken the group to 40 states and 1,500 schools around the country.
Now they've settled into a weekly gig at the Welk and they're winning a new legion of local fans who clap and sing along with the group and shout out their favorite requests each week.
Over the years, the Alley Cats' lineup has changed. Founder Mando Fonseca and bass Royce Reynolds are original members. In 2003, they were joined by the angelic-voiced tenor Juan Del Castillo, and baritone David Thiele completed the ensemble in 2006.
With so much combined experience, the Alley Cats put on a show that's both tight and loose -- the harmonies are superb but their comfort level with the material allows for ample improvisation. Requests are always welcomed (if they don't already know it in four-part harmony, they can probably figure it out on the spot), the group always works without a set list or script, and the audience is strongly encouraged to get in on the act.
At last Friday's show, the Alley Cats were in top form, entertaining an enthusiastic crowd of more than 100 with harmonized rock, pop and holiday numbers. A tambourine is the only musical accompaniment the quartet needs to fill the theater with ear-pleasing music as they glide smoothly through a 20-song set (split by an intermission for a 1 hour, 45 minute show).
The songs range from '50s classics ("Little Darlin'," "Under the Boardwalk") to Elvis ("Blue Christmas"), Dion ("Runaround Sue"), and the Beach Boys ("Barbara Ann").
Comedy and audience involvement are a big part of the Alley Cats' show, so expect group cutup Reynolds to don his Elvis sunglasses (complete with black porkchop sideburns) for a hip-swiveling number, and be prepared to sing along and perform choreographed hand claps and arm movements. Don't expect the ordinary for the group's most-requested song -- "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" -- which involves strange animal noises and the macarena. And be prepared for some funny, if somewhat politically incorrect, immigration-themed humor from the band's two Latino members, Fonseca and Del Castillo.
Vocally, each member of the group is given a chance to shine. Del Castillo has a large, beautifully controlled tenor voice shown best on "Only You" and "Please Come Home for Christmas"; Fonseca shines in "Sh-Boom" and "La Bamba"; Reynolds owns "Book of Love" and "White Christmas"; and Thiele heads up "Let's Go to the Hop" and "Come Go With Me."
While the music is what you'll remember about an Alley Cats show, you're guaranteed a good time, thanks to the showmanship of this talented quartet. If you haven't caught the Alley Cats yet, give them a try. Theyíll be performing a holiday-themed show for the next two Fridays, then theyíll take a week off and return with their regular show on Jan. 11.
The Alley Cats
When: 8 p.m. Fridays (no show Jan. 4); runs indefinitely
Where; Welk Resort Theatre, 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido
Tickets: $20, adults; $10, children ages 3 to 15
Info: (888) 802-7469
