“Songs of Broadway”
Written by admin, Apr 28, 2009, 0 Comments
Tomorrow, Wednesday April 29, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. the TAMIU Center for the Fine and Performing Arts’ Recital Hall will ring to the sound of Broadway hits, old and new. Admission is free of charge and open to the public.
The Laredo Philharmonic Chorale and TAMIU Chamber singers present “Song of Broadway,” celebrating the wonderful music that has entertained audiences around the world for generations.
“These are songs and tunes that are familiar to everyone,” said conductor Brendan Townsend. “Who has not heard that wonderful “Tonight” duet from West Side Story, or Disney’s hit Beauty & the Beast?”
This is the central theme of this choral spectacular on Wednesday evening.
Included in the concert are songs from musicals which also were recently made as movies such as “Beauty & the Beast”, “Sweeney Todd”, “Chicago” and “West Side Story.” Other movie musicals from previous generations included in the concert are “My Fair Lady,” “Camelot”, “Paint Your Wagon” and “Oklahoma.”
When the recent blockbuster Tim Burton version of “Sweeney Todd” hit the screen in 2007, it followed a long tradition of turning successful Broadway musicals into movies. In many cases the release of such a movie can breathe new life into musicals which had lain dormant for years, as was the case with the Johnny Depp movie.
Sometimes, the movie comes first and is then turned into a stage musical, as in “Beauty & the Beast.”
“Many of these musicals are already familiar to many generations of Laredoans,” said veteran chorister Sam Johnson who has been with the Laredo Philharmonic Chorale throughout its’ 27-year history. Johnson too has been involved with many productions of these musicals both at Laredo Little Theater and more recently Laredo Musical Theatre International.
“LMTI in just the last few years produced both “West Side Story” and “Beauty & the Beast,” said Townsend, “I was just too far along in rehearsals to add in a piece from “The Wiz” when LMTI chose that for this year’s production.”
The Laredo Philharmonic Chorale has been producing choral concerts in Laredo for approximately 27 years. They collaborate annually with the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, most recently performing Handel’s “Messiah” at Christmas.
Future projects for the LPC include performing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in December and a collaboration with the LPO in May 2010.
For more information, contact Townsend at 326.3039.
