SDCS to present ‘Opening Night on Broadway’

Throughout the cold, snowy winter, 65 members of the Southern Delaware Choral Society took on a new and challenging series of weekly rehearsals in anticipation of their spring concert, “Opening Night on Broadway.” The concert will feature songs from Broadway musicals including: “Guys & Dolls,” “Chicago,” “Oklahoma,” “The Lion King,” “Avenue Q,” “Spamalot,” “Les Miserables,” “Phantom of the Opera” and more.

“Our members are excited about the opportunity to sing contemporary music,” said Gail Launay, executive director of the organization. “This concert is quite different from our recent concerts.”

Joining the SDCS will be local musicians Barry Eli on piano, Bruce Chappelle on bass and Ken Schleifer playing percussion. Much of the music is fast paced and the melodies familiar.

John Ranney, SDCS conductor, said, “The audience will love the vast scope of this Broadway review, from classic American shows to new and less familiar shows. It will encourage them to hum and sing along, tap their feet and, of course, applaud the wonderful musical genre of the Broadway musical theater.”

While the members of the SDCS were excited about the program, they certainly have been challenged throughout the rehearsals. Early on, auditions were held from among the membership for solo parts to be sung during the program. In all, 16 members will have an opportunity to sing a solo during the concerts. The audition process, too, was different from typical choral auditions.

“The quality of a Broadway program is dependent upon picking the best voice for each part. Some of the selections require a character voice, others a more classical voice. Our auditions allowed me to hear individual voices which I don’t usually get to hear. The challenge became one of placing the right voice with the right part,” Ranney shared about the selection process.

In keeping pace with the quality of the music, the members have also been challenged to create a new, professional, look for the chorus. Wardrobe Mistress Marsha Shull has created a policy for uniform concert attire and embellished the attire with glittery scarves for the women and pocket hankies for the men, giving an overall appearance that reflects the razzle-dazzle of Broadway.

The concerts will be held Saturday, April 17, at 7 p.m., at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach and Sunday, April 18, at 3 p.m., at Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church in Ocean View. Concert tickets cost $20 for adults and $8 for students with valid ID and are available by calling (302) 645-2013, on-line at www.southerndelawarechoralsociety.org, and at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach and Puzzles in Lewes. For further information, call SDCS at (302) 226-5231.