Written by Joseph Carrick
The Roanoke College choir and Oriana Singers gave a stellar performance of several off-Broadway songs in the aptly named production Off-Broadway on Campus on February 3, 2018. The choir director, Dr. Jeffrey Sandborg, was thrilled to see the massive turnout for this event making the possibility of moving the event to a larger auditorium next year very plausible. 45 minutes before the production began, all five rows of seating were packed with excited visitors and students. Even after choir members willingly gave their reserved seating to accommodate the crowd, there were still a number of people standing in the back of the room. By 7:00 pm, their melodious music filled the ballroom and adjacent Atrium in the Colket Center. Sixteen songs were performed including well-known Broadway songs and several Disney pieces, some a cappella and some altogether. Some crowd favorites of the night include “Reflection” from Disney’s Mulan, “I Hate Men” from Kiss Me Kate, and “Raise a Little Hell” from Bonnie and Clyde. It is impossible to pick the best one when all songs were perfectly delivered. Brandt Nethercutt, freshman and student spectator, personally favored “Vanilla Ice Cream” from She Loves Me – one of eight solo pieces. “The songs were excellent choices, and this is in part thanks to the choir members, as each singer chose their own solo piece,” Nethercutt mentioned. Mary Rose Stark, one of the soloists, offered a healthy critique of her performance, but was happy nevertheless because this had been her first solo performance in a while. Events for the Roanoke College choir and Oriana Singers can be found online and posted around campus.
