The Love Conert

 

Even before the start of the show, there wasn’t a single person in the audience who didn’t have a smile on their face, student ushers included. At 7 p.m. on Friday, February 27, the FSSA vocal studio presented its 2015 edition of “The Love Concert” with love songs from Opera, American Songbook, Broadway, and Pop.

Before the start of the show many audience members could hardly hide or contain their excitement and joy. Junior drama major, Alora Grant, stated when asked about the show that “I feel like everyone will do really well. I am just excited to see what type of new material they’ll have for us.”

Another junior drama major, Kayla Odom, simply stated “It’s gonna be good.” And good it was, from the start of a riveting drum accompanied pledge of allegiance to the gorgeous opera mash up scenes from “Don Giovanni,” the show delivered on all accounts. Each act that followed proved to heighten the already stellar show.

During the scenes from the opera workshop it was apparent that about 95 percent of the audience had no clue what was being sung or why there were so many giggling girls in pink dresses on stage until, opera workshop director, Mr. Sandri helped clear up the majority of the confusion with his wildly engaging and entertaining monologue to the audience. From the moment Mr. Sandri first mentioned “Yes, he tries to bag as many ladies as he can,” the audience was hooked. Another standout moment was when the Senior Vocal girls brought home the most touching part of the evening with their rendition of “Homeward bound/ Home for good.” With a video compiled of pictures of them from their freshman year, many eyes had to fight to stay dry. It was as if the voices of angels descended from their small frames. It brought the audience into a state of enthralled enrapture and euphoria.

Another magical moment surprisingly did not occur on the actual stage, but in the audience bursting with many supporting friends, family members, and freshman vocal majors. Screams and cheering of support filled the concert hall before the first note was sung of the song “Anthems” from chess. Cheers could be heard from the orchestra section all the way up to the balcony

The talent continued to shine with soulful performances of the song “Fallin,” “And so it goes,” and “Run to you.” As the show began to reach its last leg, Soloist Samantha Garcia and JoDee Hall served justice to the song “A New Beginning” written and composed by FSSA’s very own Natalynn Nunez. The piece was not only complex and hauntingly beautiful, but was enough to bring the entire concert hall to a standing ovation. Before the end of the night, the vocal studio departed with a grand slam finale that had most singing along and cheering with one of the most renowned song’s in musical history, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” written by Freddy Mercury, and performed by Queen. With the pit band, complicated choreography on stage, and the well-executed vocals each note struck a chord in every heart, bringing every person to a standing ovation. As big as the vocal studio is the sense of love, family, and support when the performers expressed their love of their teachers/directors while showering them with flowers was not only apparent but very infectious.

– By Juliana Durrant ‘16