Unexpected musical line-up

Camelot, My Fair Lady, Cabaret, Oklahoma!, Cinderella, Flower Drum Song, South Pacific, State Fair, Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, Kiss Me Kate, Carnival, Mary Poppins. First you may wonder what do all these have in common… Well, for one, they are all musicals and as you know, they are all well-known Broadway productions. And what do Broadway Musicals have to do with Colombo? Well, this August the All Saints Youth Fellowship will present some selections from these Broadway Musicals called A Grand Night For Singing – selections from Broadway Musicals, and according to Gehan Cooray and Natasha Seneviratne both directors of this production, it will not be what "people usually expect!"

A bit about the two young directors is that Gehan is an old boy of St. Joseph's College, Colombo, and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and has participated in a number of theatrical and musical productions. Natasha is an old girl of Ladies College Colombo. She studies singing, piano and flute and hopes to read for a Bachelor of Music degree in addition, she will be releasing her debut album featuring original compositions.

According to Gehan when you usually think of 'Broadway,' you tend to think of "light hearted show tunes," but what they hope to do is, "to sort of bring out the substance in each song" in addition, each song will be dramatised. They have consciously chosen selections from the older Broadway Musicals because they feel these are the ones which are, "less heard" adding "our own interpretation of each song," they believe will make this show special. The concert will be in the style of a revue and have more or less of a variety show concept.

The songs have been structured thematically and in addition, there will be variety in terms of theme and emotion. There will be a few guest artistes namely, the soprano Barbara Segal and the brothers Eshantha and Yohan Pieris on keyboards. The show will also comprise seven soloists who include, Gehan and Natasha as well as Tahanee Aluwihare, Shehan Somaratne, Saveeta de Alwis, Benola Gerard, Svetlana Abeysekera and Anushka Senanayake. More colour and flavour will be added to this evening, with a chorus. They will be singing for a few numbers. And interestingly, most of the performers are pupils of Meneka de Fonseka Sahabandu. The instruments will be played by Dominic Johnpillai playing the violin, while the flute by Thilanka Jayamanne, Chandrashan Alles on double bass, Charlini Alles on the cello and Ranitri Weerasuriya, will be on drums. Indu Dharmasena and Sanwadha Abeysirigunawardena will be helping with the lighting and choreography.

A Grand Night For Singing – selections from Broadway Musicals, is a fundraiser in aid of the All Saints (Perpetual Succour Novena) Church restoration fund, and will go on board at the Bishop's College Auditorium at 7.15pm on August 3 and 4, 2007. Tickets will be available at the All Saints Bookshop and the Bishop's College Auditorium or call 234 5723. They will be priced at Rs. 1000, 750, 500, 350 and 150.