A Cappella Shows New Show Tune Side in “Broadway at the Boulders”

by Abigail Wisniewski

Though rain moved “Broadway at the Boulders” from the rocks of the Holthus Family Plaza to the Cattle Conference Room, spectators were still able to enjoy the show tunes performed by the University A Cappella Choir and featured soloists on Sunday, April 17.

“It’s been really enjoyable preparing this music,” said University A Cappella Choir director Kurt von Kampen. “It’s certainly been no less work getting it ready for performance, but it’s been a fun challenge.”

Over spring break, the choir toured around the Pacific Northwest performing sacred choral music. Upon the tour’s conclusion, there was still time left in the semester, which von Kampen decided to fill with this performance.

The University A Cappella Choir typically performs sacred choral selections, making an entirely Broadway based performance a rarity for A Cappella. The concert included medleys from “The Sound of Music,” “West Side Story,” “Oliver,” and “Newsies.”

The concert was kicked off by the Brass Ensemble, directed by Dr. Wendy Schultz, who started the show with themes from “Star Wars” and “Hercules,” among others.

Individuals and pairs from the choir were able to audition for the opportunity to perform solos and duets during the performance. Throughout the concert, individuals from the choir showcased their talents with selections from “Into the Woods,” “The Lion King,” “Jekyll and Hyde” and other musicals.

“I think the choir has really enjoyed the process,” von Kampen said. “This is something really different for this choir. It’s very fun music but getting it to the performance standard we have for the A Cappella Choir has really meant a lot of hard work and dedication —like everything!”

In addition to entertaining the crowd, the concert served as a fundraiser for the New Vision Renewable Energy fund. Concordia has been raising money for the organization throughout the year. New Vision Renewable Energy raises funds to provide solar panels that bring light to communities with limited access to energy sources.