Spring for Music Festival prepares for Cabaret Night, Pops Showcase concerts
Sophomore Alexis White reviews a part of one of her group’s acapella songs in a practice room during seminar.
The first annual Spring for Music Festival is officially in full swing. Refreshments will be provided along with the option of a freewill donation to the music department.
Here’s what you need to know for the next two concerts:
Cabaret – 7 p.m. on May 2 at Hays Community Theatre (new location at 121 E. 8th St.)
The Cabaret Night will feature the Chamber Singers bringing to life an array of musical theater numbers. Although the songs come from vastly different shows, vocal director Alex Underwood has formulated a storyline to tie them all together.
“I think programs full of random music can be very boring for audiences to sit through, so I always try to design something that makes a little more sense,” Underwood said. “After looking at the music the students chose, I thought through each of the pieces and found ways to make them motivate one another from a dramatic perspective.”
Because of this, the program will begin with the song “Statues and Stories” from The Light in the Piazza.
“Essentially, each character from the cabaret will be a statue representing a story at the very beginning of the show,” Underwood said. “Then, each singer will begin their number from their statue position which will come to life and share a snippet of their own life story.”
Pops Showcase – 7 p.m. on May 4 at 12th Street Auditorium
The acts in the Pops Showcase will be Full Chord Press, the Chamber Singers’ acapella competition, and Jazz Band.
The Chamber Singers’ teams will be rated on Energy/Movement/Presentation, Intonation/Ensemble, Style/Technique, and Teamwork. The panel of judges will include 25-year Musical Choreographer Tawnita Augustine, former collegiate acapella star Micah Laird, and Chamber Singers alumna Monica Rome.
Underwood said that his biggest goal for the Chamber Singers is to “show off their radically diverse talents.”
“Considering that they went from singing a super artsy, Pulitzer Prize-winning work to singing pop acapella songs and going from communicating the world’s most significant opera arias to belting musical theatre numbers, I’d say that flexing their muscles in every possible way is what I hope they embrace this upcoming week,” Underwood said. “I also hope that they’ll feel that all of their hard work was worthwhile. As always, I hope they inspire joy and meaning into their audience’s lives.”
21cleiker@usd489.com
Caitlin Leiker is a senior, and this is her third year in newspaper. She is involved in Chamber Singers, Musical, Spring Play, National Honor Society,...
Alicia Feyerherm is a senior, and this is her fourth year in Newspaper. She is very honored and excited to be in the role of Editor-in-Chief this year....
