Reviewer: Kristine Gotham
Venue: The Temple Theatre
The Saginaw Choral Society at the Temple Theatre in Saginaw, MI performing hits from Broadway at their season’s final concert on April 29, 2023
The Saginaw Choral Society ended their 2022/2023 season on Saturday, April 29th with a tribute to the great tunes of Broadway. Conductor Jeremiah Kraniak led the group through tunes from old stand bys like State Fair and The Music Man to new favorites like Company and Ordinary Days.
Kraniak’s commentary and exposition regarding Broadway in general and the musical selections in particular was a nice way to round out the entire performance. The video clips showed audience members a backstage view of what performers feel as they perform the music and all of the hard work that goes into creating a musical production, from learning the music to putting it all together with the musicians and the singers.
The evening included selections with the full choir and also solo performances. It was evident on the faces of the singers that they were fully engaged with the music and loved presenting it to the audience. From the soulful songs of Evita to the heartfelt love song from One Fine Day, the audience was drawn into the story masterfully told through song.
The choir was accompanied by pianist, Catherine McMichael and musicians Jordan Edwards and Mark VanVoorhees. The music added a richness to the singers’ voices, bringing the desired emotions to the forefront and helping the audience to fully engage with each song.
The Saginaw Choral Society always delights and I am thoroughly looking forward to the 2023/2024 season.