Get ready to sing along, dance in your seat and relive the soundtrack of a generation when The Big Chillout: Motown Spectacular comes to Ballina RSL next month.
Inspired by the legendary soundtrack from the 1983 film The Big Chill, the show is far more than a concert. It’s a celebration of the unforgettable songs that defined an era, performed live by an outstanding ten-piece band, led by The Voice Australia winner Judah Kelly, acclaimed performer Asabi Goodman and powerhouse vocalist Bec Muino.
Audiences across Australia have been attending theatres on their feet, clapping, singing and dancing through the encore, as hit after hit fills the room with nostalgia and infectious energy.
The production features classics including ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’, ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’, ‘Dancing in the Street’, ‘Natural Woman’, ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’, ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and ‘Higher and Higher’, alongside favourites from Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, The Band, Procol Harum, and more.
Released in 1983, The Big Chill became a box-office success, while its soundtrack spent 161 weeks on the Billboard charts and achieved six-times platinum status, introducing a new generation to the timeless music of Motown.
‘I grew up listening to a lot of the music coming out of Motown Records’ Judah said. ‘When I was 12, I fell in love with country music, and that’s what I mostly perform now. But when the opportunity came to sing the songs I grew up with, I had to be part of it.’
Although he hadn’t seen the film before joining the production, Judah quickly discovered why it has become such a cultural touchstone. ‘When they told me this was the soundtrack that helped save Motown Records, I loved that. The songs already stood on their own, but the movie introduced them to a whole new generation.’
For Asabi Goodman, the music has always been part of family life. ‘I was too young to see The Big Chill when it came out, but I remember my parents loving the movie and singing these songs,’ she said. ‘Then they started appearing in commercials and other films, and my friends and I fell in love with them too.’
A veteran of productions including Chicago and Hairspray, Asabi says Motown remains one of her favourite styles to perform. ‘I love the smoothness, the emotion, the nostalgia – they’re just fantastic songs to sing. I love seeing audiences smiling, singing along and leaving with so much joy.’
Presented in two acts, the first celebrates the iconic original soundtrack, while the second expands into the deluxe edition with more Motown favourites. Whether you remember these songs from the first time around or you’re discovering them for the first time, The Big Chillout: Motown Spectacular promises an uplifting night filled with timeless music, world-class performances and the kind of feel-good energy that has audiences dancing long after the final encore.
The Big Chillout: Motown Spectacular, Saturday, 10 October, at 8pm at the Ballina RSL
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