by Mel Terry
I attended the concert of “Sondheim & Company: Broadway Our Way” with mixed feelings; as a chorus member on leave it was a little sad to not be on stage when there was such fabulous repertoire. On the other hand, it was wonderful to hear how great the chorus sounds from out in the audience.
It was a rousing success! With the house nearly full to bursting, our fans were full of joy. And what an audience it was! We cannot be more gratified and grateful for the return of our loyal fans and to those who have found our family for the first time.
The chorus was in its element, blithely performing Stephen Sondheim’s tongue tripping “Everybody Says Don’t,” and pensively crooning the lyrical “Send in the Clowns.” The blending of the sections during “You Will Be Found” was impressive. There were some tears shed in the audience during “I’m Not My Father’s Son,” and a lot of whooping and hollering with “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” especially when the chorus let loose with the fabulous choreography, aka cool dance moves. “You’ll Be Back,” from Hamilton, was also a great hit.
The soloists throughout were amazing, showcasing the talents of the many individual singers that make up the ensemble.
Dr. Ben Riggs added to the appreciation of the numbers by giving some back story, especially by painting a verbal picture of George Seurat and Pointillism with “Sunday” from Sunday in the Park with George. It was thrilling to be part of the audience that spontaneously rose to its feet with thunderous applause at the end of the concert.
Freight & Salvage is a great venue, large enough to accommodate a sizable audience, small enough to maintain a sense of intimacy. The accessibility by BART is also a bonus. The F & S crew was welcoming and did a great job. Many thanks to all the OGMC volunteers who helped make the operations run smoothly, and to Mark Teixeira for doing the audio recordings.
A special shout out to our sponsor, The Port Bar, in downtown Oakland, located less than a block away from 19th St. BART station. The Port Bar is great place to meet friends, supports the community with fundraisers, and puts on great shows, including Sunday Drag Brunch!
It was great seeing the chorus on stage and watching our membership expand as we return from our pandemic hiatus. We would love to share the joy of community and performance, and see our numbers grow even more. If you or anyone you know can sing in the Tenor, Bass, Baritone range who might be interested, please contact our Membership Coordinator at membership@oaklandgmc.org. and/or join us at our open rehearsals on September 6 and 13, and meet the chorus. Auditions will be on September 17th. We also have opportunities for non-singing volunteers who’d like to be part of our family.
NOTE: All participants will be required to show proof of vaccination for COVID-19. You will be asked to present documentation at the rehearsal site before entering. If you do not have the documentation you will not be allowed into the rehearsal venue. You will only need to present the documentation at your first rehearsal. Masks may be required at rehearsals, at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
We are looking forward to kicking off the season right, with our holiday concerts on December 9, 10, and 11 in Montclair, Walnut Creek, and Oakland. Save the dates!
