Kent theater students, choir to present concerts

SALEM

Broadway show tunes sung by budding artists and a choral concert of classical and familiar music will be featured in Kent State University’s Salem’s Symphonious Sunday Series this spring.

The concerts will be at 3 p.m. March 21 and May 2 at KSU’s City Center Auditorium.

In March, the Musical Theatre Senior Showcase from KSU’s School of Theatre and Dance will feature students performing music from some of Broadway’s best musicals.

The event is the senior musical-theatre class’ last show before traveling to New York City to perform for agents and casting directors.

Before the performance, KSU theatre professors Terri Kent and Jonathan Swoboda will conduct a master class for high school students wishing to be coached on a musical-theatre song. The session will begin at 2 p.m. with an accompanist. Students should call (330) 337-4246 to reserve a space. The event is open to the public.

On May 2, the Kent Salem Community Choir will present its annual spring concert featuring Franz Schubert’s Mass in G. Other selections include “Sure on This Shining Night” by American composer Morten Lauridsen, “Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal,” the African-American Spirituals “Hush, Somebody’s Callin’ My Name” and “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit,” and an arrangement of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

“I’ve wanted to perform the Schubert mass with the Salem choir for some time,” said conductor Kerry Glann. “It’s a charming, smaller extended work, and with the development and success of the choir recently, I think they will do a fine job singing it. The rest of the program offers more popularly known music, so hopefully, there will be something for everyone’s tastes.”