The house lights go down, the music starts and the singing begins. The Grand Harmony Chorus has a little something special planned for their 20th anniversary this weekend, and everyone is invited to join.
Susan St. John is just one of the members that has been part of the singing and dancing group, and she can’t wait to share the special performance the ensemble has been working on for the past few weeks in celebration of a milestone year. In St. Jacobs on Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., the ladies will be sharing something different with family, friends and newcomers.
“We are great singers, but we are amateur theatrical people,” she said ahead of the show. “We are really putting the ladies through their paces. There are lines to deliver and comedic timing and they are just doing fabulously well with it. They have responded magnificently with talents they didn’t know they had.”
For both matinee and evening shows, which will be held at Calvary United Church, the chorus will be performing “Fairytale Land Accidental Musical Egg-Stravaganza” – the story of Humpty Dumpty’s quest for a spot in a better fairytale.
“Humpty Dumpty, with her story, it has no morals, no happy ending and is repetitively disastrous. So, she searches the world and all the characters that come her way offer advice,” said St. John. “Generally, not all (the advice is) that helpful. The witches come along and say, ‘you need to get on your broom and get to a party.’ The seven dwarves come along and say, ‘you need to work harder, so you better get a job.’”
St. John doesn’t want to reveal the ending, but guarantees the story comes to a happy conclusion.
The women in The Grand Harmony Chorus have also invited some guests to join them in the celebration of 20 years on stage – Supertonic, a Toronto-based, award-winning barbershop quartet. The ladies know the group well, with bass Chris Arnold as their director.
The Grand Harmony Chorus will also be paying tribute to other directors that have lent their time and expertise to the group over the last 20 years, but only at the 7:30 p.m. show.
“We have invited all of our past directors to attend and if people are there for the evening show, they will be there for a presentation and our gratitude,” said St. John.
For tickets to the “Fairytale Land Accidental Musical Egg-Stravaganza, email grandharmonytickets@gmail.com. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for students and seniors; free for kids udder five.
