Wharton County Junior College Choir members rehearse for their upcoming performance, "Broadway Goes Hollywood." Scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, at the Horton Foote Theatre in the Duson-Hansen Fine Arts Building on the Wharton campus, the show is open to the public and admission is free. Pictured rehearsing are, from left, Rachel Kelly from Palacios, Evan Stavena from Wharton and Alex Nieves from Rosenberg.
WHARTON, TEXAS – From Phantom of the Opera to Grease, the Wharton County Junior College Choir’s upcoming concert will cover musical hits made popular on both stage and screen.
Scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, at the Horton Foote Theatre in the Duson-Hansen Fine Arts Building on the Wharton campus, the “Broadway Goes Hollywood” concert is open to the public and admission is free.
WCJC Choir Director Dr. Karl Paoletti said the show will serve as a “journey” through the history of show tunes and movie masterpieces.
“The concert will be a quick musical journey through famous musical pieces,” Paoletti said. “It’s going to be a fun show.”
As in most of the choir’s performances, WCJC Instructor of Music Debra Lemson will provide piano accompaniment. She said the selections in “Broadway Goes Hollywood” are especially meaningful for those who have grown up watching musicals on the stage or in the movies.
“These songs are all classics,” Lemson said. “There will be something for everyone.”
Selections will be taken from musicals including West Side Story, Grease, Oklahoma, Les Miserables, Hairspray and Phantom of the Opera.
Paoletti said several of the tunes are in the upper vocal register and pose a fun challenge for the choir. Balancing a score of microphones takes quite an effort as well.
“There are lots of high ‘C’ moments and the students love the music,” he said.
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