Grosse Pointe South choirs light up the stage Oct. 24 and 25 in annual Fall Follies Extravaganza
Sequins are being sewn, toes being tapped and vocal chords and muscles exercised as the Grosse Pointe South choirs prepare for their annual Fall Follies at the Grosse Pointe North Performing Arts Center Oct. 24 and 25. The two-day musical extravaganza is the first on-stage school year performance for new choir members and a tradition among returning upper classmen and the community, says Director of Choirs Christopher Pratt.
With musical numbers that range from classical to contemporary, there promises to be something for everyone, he says. “We always try to feature a wide variety of music, but this year it’s especially diverse. Selections include songs from the musicals Ragtime and Les Miserables, pop standards, medieval cantatas, even a little Elvis and Frank Sinatra thrown in for good measure,” he says. Some of the numbers are being prepped for the choir’s February trip to London and Paris, where they will performed in various European arenas.
Besides selections featuring the four South choirs including Sounds of South, South Singers, Tower Belles and The Pointe Singers, the show will also feature smaller ensembles including the Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Rock-A-Pella, as well as 14 featured soloists. Richard Wolf, the choir’s long-time assistant and accompanist, will celebrate his 10th Fall Follies show with a piano solo from the musical Carousel. “We are happy to recognize and honor Richard’s long-time contributions to the South program,” says Pratt.
The students have been working for weeks under the tutelage of Pratt and choreographers Andy Haines and Annette Layman. Fresh from an award-winning competitive show choir season last year and with a year working in the area under his belt, Pratt is looking forward to his second Fall Follies. “Student enrollment in choir is up and the kids in all the choirs have been working hard. We started practicing and refining earlier so the show is in really good shape. This show kicks off the year for us and is the first big event of the new school year,” Pratt says. “We have great things planned.”
Tickets are available at Posterity Gallery in the Village where GP Senior Gold Cards are honored and on the Choir's website: www.gpsouthchoir.org
