Choral Artists Presents Bernstein's ON THE TOWN In Concert

Choral Artists of Sarasota's 43rd season, "Carried Away," opens with Leonard Bernstein's celebrated musical, "On The Town," Sunday, November 7, 7 p.m., at Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota. Narrator Kate Alexander joins the Choral Artists singers and soloists Jenny Kim-Godfrey, Michaela Ristaino, McKenzie Pollock, Mark Lubas, Luis González and John Whittlesey in a concert version of this iconic musical.

Bristling with effervescent energy and humor, Bernstein's life-affirming musical was an instant hit when it opened on Broadway in 1944. "This is a glorious, feel-good, life-affirming musical," says Joseph Holt, the artistic director for Choral Artists. "It's really a time capsule of the American spirit during World War II." According to Holt, the musical grew out of Bernstein's collaboration with choreographer Jerome Robbins on "Fancy Free" earlier that year. "It's a day in the life of Three Sailors on shore leave in New York City," says Holt. "You truly get swept up in their adventures and misadventures with the women they meet along the way." According to Holt, the legacy of "On The Town" is still going strong today. "It gave us so many wonderful songs like 'New York, New York,' 'I Can Cook' and 'Lonely Town.' And it absolutely paved the way for his ground-breaking collaboration with Robbins on 'West Side Story' in the late 1950s."

Holt notes that "On The Town" is the perfect choice to launch Choral Artists' 2021-2022 season, entitled "Carried Away." "It's a musical about people who have been bottled up and who finally get to go out and enjoy life," he says. "It speaks to what we've all been experiencing during the past year and a half." He adds that his choice of talent reflects the musical's emotional power. "Our singers and soloists are truly putting their hearts into this," he says. "We also feature an instrumental ensemble comprised of professional musicians from the area - the ballet segments in 'On The Town' are significant musical compositions in their own right. And Kate Alexander is the ideal narrator-as anyone who experiences the plays she's directed and starred in would know."

The Choral Artists of Sarasota comprises 32 of the region's most notable professional singers. Eight young singers, ages 16 to 22, are also invited to join the group each year, as part of the organization's educational outreach. One of these gifted singers will be awarded the Barbara Diles Apprentice Scholarship, a funding program to support either private lessons or vocal training at an institution of higher learning. "Ensuring the future of choral music means investing in the next generation of music lovers," says Susan Burke, executive director of Choral Artists of Sarasota. "That means engaging young people on their own terms."

For more information, visit www.ChoralArtistsSarasota.org.

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