Heartland Men's Chorus Host A "Holiday Fruitcake" 12/4-6

The singers of Heartland Men's Chorus may have to wear aprons over their tuxedos as they prepare a holiday Fruitcake (December 4-6, 2009). With 130 men in the kitchen, things are bound to get out of control! The concert promises a blend of traditional holiday music and the outrageous humor for which the Chorus has become known. "I like to think of it as a little spicy, a little fruity and a little nutty," artistic director Dr. Joe Nadeau said. 

Fruitcake will begin with more traditional fare before the Chorus tackles the wackier side of the holiday. Among the more serious and beautiful numbers featured are "Ave Dulcissima Maria" by Morten Lauridsen (who also composed "O Magnum Mysterium" and "Diraiton," performed by HMC in previous years) and "To Where You Are," composed by Richard Marx and made popular by Josh Groban.

The Chorus will fl ex its foreign language skills with an arrangement of three lively Hanukkah songs, "S'vivon," "Nerli" and "Chanukah, oi Chanukah," as well as the 16th-century Spanish Christmas carol "Riu, Riu, Chiu." Act One ends with an appearance from "Julia Child," as the Chorus celebrates the savory and sweet treats of the season with "Christmas is Delicious" and "The Most Fattening Time of the Year."

HMC has joined with six other gay men's choruses to commission a major work that will serve as the concert's second act. Entitled, "A Very Special Christmas Special," the piece will highlight music from vintage television Christmas specials. "It's very much in the vein of the Broadway musical The Drowsy Chaperone," Nadeau said. "A narrator who absolutely adores old Christmas specials shares that love with the audience. The musical numbers from the various specials come to life as he describes them." The piece will be simultaneously premiered in Kansas City, Seattle, Dallas and four other cities this holiday season.

"A Very Special Christmas Special" focuses on holiday specials from the 1950s to the 1970s. Chorus members will assume the guises of Andy Williams, Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis to sing standards those entertainers made popular on their annual television outings. Also represented are campier numbers from more obscure television specials, such as "The 12 Days of Christmas," from
"John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together" and "Happy Life Day" from the "Star Wars Holiday Special." The HeartAches, the small ensemble of HMC, will don velour and ruffl es to sing "My Christmas Card to You," made famous on the album "A Partridge Family Christmas Card."

Heartland Men's Chorus will perform Fruitcake at the Folly Theater, 300 West 12th Street. Single tickets, ranging from $15 to $30, are available online at www.hmckc.org or by calling (816) 931-3338.