The Shadow
On Friday, October 13th , and Saturday, October 14th, the Alleghany High School Concert and Treble Choirs debuted their Disney Revue concert in 3 magical performances! There was a first half, an intermission where drinks and desserts were served in the cafeteria, and a second half to wrap up the show. All members of each choir came dressed as Disney characters: Belle, Peter Pan, Mother Gothel, Scar, Elsa, Mulan, Cruella DeVil, and Ursula, to name a few.
Appropriately, “Be Our Guest” was the first song performed on stage and was sang by the Concert Choir. Afterwards, two incredible soloists took turns giving memorable performances of two very memorable Disney villains: Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” and Mother Gothel from “Tangled.” The solos were kicked off by Megan Powell who captivated the audience with her rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” while Allie Sloan’s powerful voice gave a haunting new meaning to “Mother Knows Best.”
It was then the Treble Choir’s turn to take the stage with a medley from the movie “Frozen.” They began with “Frozen Heart,” then shifted to “For the First Time in Forever,” “Love is an Open Door,” “In Summer,” “Fixer Upper,” and, of course, “Let it Go.” The harmonies these ladies brought to the table left myself and my daughter with goosebumps. Beautiful doesn’t quite cover it, but it’ll do for now.
Just before intermission, the audience was treated to three additional soloists: Emmaline Walters who beautifully sang “Loyal, Brave, and True,” Ella Hicks who lent her incredible to “Lost in the Woods,” and Samuel Brookman who belted out “Be Prepared” in a way that had me convinced to help him become king of the Pride Lands.
For intermission, audience members were encouraged to join the cast, alongside Amanda Sprouse, choir director, for dessert. Soft drinks, water, and a table full of pre-sliced pies and cookies were already waiting for folks with eager appetites. There was no hustle or bustle; just grab a plate and go!
Then it was time for the second half of the show which, again, was kicked off by the Concert Choir who did a medley entitled, “Disney Movie Magic.” It consisted of “Go the Distance,” “Hakuna Matata,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” among others. As was the case for all other group performances —and individual solos— there was plenty of choreography to dazzle the crowd.
Ella Hicks and Meghan Powell then joined together onstage for a duet of “At Last I See the Light” from the hit movie, “Tangled.” They, too, added choreography to their number, giving a wonderful addition to their heartfelt and effortless harmonies.
Afterwards, it was a medley of “Songs of a Disney Princess” performed by the Treble Choir. They included songs like “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from “Cinderella,” “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid,” “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin,” “Colors of the Wind” from “Pocahontas,” and “Reflection” from “Mulan.”
The final soloist, Esperanza Mireles then took the stage for a stunning performance of “Waiting on a Miracle” before both choirs joined together on stage to give their grand finale performance. The grand finale was titled, “Songs of a Disney Hero” and included several “hero” songs like “How Far I’ll Go,” “When Will My Life Begin,” and “Zero to Hero,” among others.
I caught up with Alan Trimble, father of Nautika Jack, to get his opinion on the show. “They did an awesome job. A lot of work, a lot of hard work, and a lot of practice. I think they did an amazing job… It’s a blessing. I can’t wait until the Christmas one, too… I’m excited!”
Megan Powell’s little sister, Abigail Powell, also gave her thoughts on the performance. “[It was] a stunning performance done by many high schoolers,” she stated matter-of-factly. Powell sat on the front row with her parents, Ryan and Robin Powell and grandparents, Dale and Brenda Muterspaugh.
For those who were unable to attend the concerts this weekend, the choirs will have another major performance coming up in December when they give their “AHS Choir Holiday Concert,” on December 7th at 7 p.m. We will have more information on that concert at a later date.
