Open the suitcase. Unlock seventy years of memories.

Wambui Bahati walks onstage carrying a small vintage suitcase — and inside it is more than seventy years of memories. A No. 2 pencil. A rotary telephone. A 45 record. Each object opens the door to another character, another era, another burst of "Oh, I remember that!"

Check availability → See what's inside →

✓ 45–75 min · Highly interactive · Ideal for senior & intergenerational audiences

The show

A Fun, Nostalgic Trip from the 1950s to Today

This is not a lecture. It's a warm, funny, highly interactive theatrical experience — and the audience doesn't simply watch the journey. They help unpack the suitcase.

Wambui Bahati walks onstage carrying a small vintage suitcase — and inside it is more than seventy years of memories. One by one, familiar objects emerge: a No. 2 pencil, a report card, white gloves, a recipe card, a rotary telephone, a 45 record, and even the television remote control children once had to become. Each object opens the door to another lively scene as Wambui transforms into the teachers, mothers, teenagers, gas-station attendants, television announcers, and unforgettable characters who helped shape everyday life from the 1950s to today.

The audience becomes part of the show — calling out favorite songs, remembering family cars, comparing Sunday dinners, revisiting television programs, and sharing ordinary childhood memories that should never be forgotten. With humor, music, storytelling, character work, and audience participation, Broadway veteran Wambui Bahati celebrates how much the world has changed without pretending everything was better in the past. The result is an experience filled with laughter, recognition, conversation, and connection across generations.

45 min

Compact format

60 min

Standard format

75 min

Extended format

What comes out of the suitcase

A No. 2 pencil A report card White gloves A recipe card A rotary telephone A 45 record The remote control kids once had to become

Program topics include

School days Sunday dinners Cars Telephones Music Television What we carry forward

Perfect for

Conference keynotes & speaker series Featured programs & luncheons Cultural, historical & community events Libraries, museums & historical societies Churches, faith groups & women's groups Active adult & senior living communities

Audience sharing and Q&A available on request.

About Wambui

I don't just give speeches. I bring stories to life.

Wambui Bahati has spent more than 55 years as an actress, singer, writer, speaker, and storyteller — from the original Washington, D.C. company of Godspell at Ford's Theatre, to Broadway productions of Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar, to theatres, conferences, universities, and community stages across the United States, Canada, and Australia.

She doesn't stand behind a podium and tell you what happened — she becomes the people. Using characters, music, movement, humor, props, and honest storytelling, she turns a shared memory into a room full of laughter and recognition. Some things were not better in the past — nostalgia should never erase the truth. But progress shouldn't erase the memory, either. That's the heart of 70 Years and Beyond.

Author: You Don't Know Crazy Ford's Theatre, Washington D.C. Broadway: Godspell & Jesus Christ Superstar

What audiences can expect

✓ Character work & theatrical storytelling
✓ Warm, natural humor
✓ Music and movement
✓ Meaningful audience participation
✓ Programs tailored to your occasion
✓ A balance of entertainment, education & connection

Bring this suitcase to your stage.

Fun, nostalgic, and deeply interactive — perfect for the audience that remembers, and the one that wants to.

Check Availability & Pricing

70 Years and Beyond is booked through GigSalad — secure booking, a real contract, and a personal reply from Wambui.

✓ No obligation — tell her about your event
✓ Secure payment & contract through GigSalad
✓ Typical reply within 24 hours

Check Availability on GigSalad →