Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom
Providence School Spring Choral Showcase Review
Dick Kerekes & Leisla Sansom dualcritics@comcast.com
Jacksonville’s Providence School presented its annual Spring Choral Showcase on Friday, April 29, 2016; the event was held on its campus at 2701 Hodges Boulevard, in the sanctuary of the New Life Christian Fellowship. The event was a celebration for the entire Providence family, but was especially designed to honor the ten senior members of the Providence Chorale, who were performing together as a group for the last time prior their upcoming May graduation.
It was a special treat to spend an evening listening to excellent vocalists and musicians performing eighteen songs by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, two of the greatest musical composers in American Theatre history. This large-scale production, with thirty-five singers and thirty musicians, was led by Chorale Director Jennifer Hudson, a Providence graduate, who continued her studies at the University of North Florida, where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in classical performance. The talented Mrs. Hudson has a very full schedule at Providence, as she teaches Middle School Chorus, Chorale, Speech, and Musical Theatre Techniques. Earlier this year, she directed an acclaimed production of “Mary Poppins,” the school’s spring musical.
The New Life Sanctuary is a state of the art facility, with comfortable seating and an unblocked view of the stage throughout the auditorium. A large video screen was used to show colorful scenes from actual productions that illustrated and provided a context for the songs. For example when the male contingent sang “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame” from “South Pacific,” images of a group of singing sunburned sailors were projected on the scene.
In addition to songs from “South Pacific,” we heard songs from “State Fair,” “The King and I,” “The Sound of Music,” and “Oklahoma.” Most were sung as solos or duets, with others sung by ensembles.
Soprano Hannah Beatty, who starred as Mary Poppins in the spring musical, appeared as a soloist with “Hello, Young Lovers,” and later joined Jacob Reichhardt (baritone), in “People Will Say We’re In Love.”
We were delighted and impressed by the performance of Brittany Fouché, a Providence graduate and professional opera singer. Her career has included appearances with the St. Petersburg Opera, Opera Saratoga, and the Des Moines Metro Opera. We enjoyed her marvelous soprano voice in an inspiring rendition of “The Sound of Music.”
A surprise of the evening was an unscheduled solo by Chorale Director Hudson, as she sang “For Good” a song with poignant lyrics that celebrate change.
The ten graduating Chorale seniors were featured in the program with biographies that included photographs. The school is a college preparatory school, and all are planning to continue their education in academic settings to prepare for careers ranging from engineering to journalism. The seniors who appeared were Emily Bailey, Hannah Beatty, Jordan Burrough, Christian De Padua, Joshua Goldstein, Ashley Hughes, Lauren Loveless, Tori Phelps, Ryan Pratt and Jacob Reichhardt.
What a delightful evening! The music conveyed welcome and warmth time and time again. The staging was nothing short of remarkable and was an admirable showcase for the exceptional voices of the singers and the expertise of the orchestra members.
The technical staff needs to take a bow as well. The overhead projection added visual fantasy that brought the songs to life, and as well, video screens on both sides of the stage offered close-ups of the performers.
The Production Staff included: Candace Dickens (Technical Director); Cairis Barron (Production Room Director); Melodee Nobles (Marketing & Graphic Design); Caleb Young (Lighting); Holly Lindermann, Emma Stotlemyer, and Justine Watkins (Camera Operators); and Justine Locke (Sound Engineer).
Thanks go to Providence School for welcoming the community to an awesome celebration by talented performers of many of the greatest songs in musical theatre.
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