From “An Afternoon of Broadway’s” Musical Director, Hobart W Spears III:
What do you get when you take traditional Broadway tunes and pair them up with a young, brash orchestra? You get “An Afternoon of Broadway” happening on September 23rd at Old First Reformed Church at 3 pm.
This ain’t your grandmom’s Broadway! It’s not better, it’s just different- sometimes…
What you can expect to hear & see on September 23rd at 3 pm in “An Afternoon of Broadway?” You can expect to hear music from a lot of different musicals, such as Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Jekyll & Hyde, Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat, The Wiz, Wicked, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Rent, and more.
Our “orchestra” of String Bass, 2 cellos, flute and sax, percussion and piano are either enhancing a traditional offering of perhaps your favorite Bradway tune or challenging you to enjoy a new presentation of that traditional tune. The young orchestra of Ross Garlow, Michell Gish, Lorena Haberen, Adam George, Anthony Andoluci mostly under the age of 25, shouldn’t LIKE Broadway; but they do, and have pushed ME to keep their interest and get them excited about it — hence some progressive arrangements. My best response to an arrangement? “That’s cool, dude…”
Need an example? Somewhere, from West Side Story is one of the most beautiful tunes I know. However, I wanted to hear it differently, because it’s been done a LOT (Sorry Miguel!). So I challenged myself to create a new arrangement without changing what is almost a perfect song. You’ll hear what is essentially a quartet betwen two voices and the string bass and cello. Two duets… singing a duet with each other. Confused? Come hear and make up your own mind.
You might hear some different rhythms applied to the tradional tune or perhaps just a beautiful Broadway tune enhanced by our 6 piece orchestra. All for a good cause, Old First’s Wellspring Outreach Ministires. An event not to be missed, and not just becuase I’m going to be there! Join us! (Tickets will also be available at the door, so, of course, you can bring people along at the last minute.)
~ Bart
