The Pitch Pipe - October 2008 - (Page 28) On Stage Tribute the lobby of the theater after the ceremony. But one of our members approached an Immigration official about our plans, and we were asked to sing the National Anthem during the ceremony, on stage, in the place where they usually play a recording of the National Anthem. The theater is large and was full — probably over 500 people. After the ceremony we sang Proud To Be An American in the lobby. Several people took our pictures and thanked us. An Immigration official told us he’d like us to come back again. It was a wonderful experience for everyone. And it made my hus- chorus beat 28 It started with a simple announcement during the “Good News” portion of our rehearsal. I announced that my husband, David, who’s from Canada, was going to become a United States citizen. Immediately, Director Jacque Reinig said, “We should sing for him.” And then she assigned our quartet coordinator, Mary Jo Watwood, to organize it. A lovely group of volunteers offered to participate. We chose Proud To Be An American and the volunteers came early to the next rehearsal to practice it. The chorus already sings a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, so that one was already polished. On the day of the oath-taking ceremony, we arrived with hopes and expectations that we would sing to David in Members from High Country Chorus sing onstage during a U.S. Naturalization Ceremony band’s special day even more special! Submitted by Carol Shouldice, High Country Chorus, Region 8 Music Women (Front row, from left to right) Andrea Higdon, Cheri Boydston, Mary Olsen, Bettye Hubbard (Back row, from left to right) Sheri Hart, Helen Shores, Peggy Sinden and Jeffi Combs. Sinden of the Kansas City Chorus; Andrea Higdon and Bettye Hubbard of the RiverSong Chorus in St. Joseph, Mo.; and Helen Shores and Cheri Boydston who are dual members of both chapters. One week of intense rehearsals and one week of nightly performances gave these Sweet Adelines a taste of working with Broadway veterans and other professional performers including Jim Walton. Jim Walton portrayed the traveling band salesman Harold Hill in this production as well as in the 2000 Broadway Revival of “The Music Man.” What a thrill! Submitted by Sheri Hart, Kansas City Chorus, Region 7 This July and August, several members of Sweet Adelines International performed on the Starlight Theatre stage in the touring production of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man.” Starlight Theatre is an 8,000-seat outdoor venue for Broadway theatre and concerts in the Kansas City area. Since most Starlight Theatre productions are touring October 2008 Broadway companies, local thespians do not typically tread the boards at the venue. However, this year an opportunity was given to several local Sweet Adelines to be members of the cast as residents of the fictional town, River City, Iowa. Cast members were Jeffi Combs, Sheri Hart, Mary Olsen and Peggy
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