Toledo is ‘Tryin’ to Get the Feeling’

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Best known for hits like “Mandy” and “Can’t Smile Without You,” legendary singer-songwriter Barry Manilow will be visiting Toledo “One Last Time” on his Farewell Tour.

But Manilow won’t be the only one in the spotlight.

The University of Toledo’s Concert Chorale has been invited to share the limelight and sing back-up during the show’s finale.

The group will perform with Manilow on April 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Huntington Center in downtown Toledo.

“I have personally sung in some other huge performances, but this will probably the biggest audience for most of the singers,” said Bradley Pierson. “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to perform and show all that we have to offer.

Pierson, UT’s Director of Choral Activities, will be singing with his students on stage that night.

The choir, which is comprised of 30 UT students, will perform three songs with Manilow. “Copa Cabana” and “I Write the Songs” have been chosen, but the third song will remain a secret until the night of the show.

Nate Krebs, a student and member of the Concert Chorale says that he and the choir are looking forward to the opportunity to sing with Manilow.

“To say I am excited for the performance is an understatement, as having the chance to sing with a great pop musician in front of thousands of people is an unbelievable opportunity,” Krebs said. “It would be hard for the choir to forget such a performance.”

Although the performance with Manilow may be the biggest show of the year for the students, the chorale has been busy preparing for a slew of other concerts over the past few months.

At the end of March, the students performed in two concerts featuring the works of Ohio-based composer Jennifer Jolley. Now, they are preparing for two more shows that will take place within the next couple of days.

On April 30, the choir will be performing selections from the Rossini Stabat Mater 7 p.m. in Doermann Theatre and, on May 1, they will sing a selection of Italian chamber works and opera solos 3 p.m. in the Center of Performing Arts’ Recital Hall.

With their calendar full, Pierson says he and the choir feel confident and excited to perform.

Anne Valade, a member of the Concert Chorale, said they dedicated one Saturday morning to rehearsing the music for the Manilow show, but the students are rehearsing on their own time as well.

“The rest of the work comes from us individually practicing since we’re also working on some other great music in class for our concert on Saturday night,” Valade said.

Despite the UT choirs having two full concerts the following weekend featuring some difficult repertoire, Krebs said that he also feels the chorale is well prepared for Wednesday night.

“The music itself was fairly straightforward to learn, but memorization of how the music fits all together is something we will still be working on up until the day of the performance,” Krebs said.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the Huntington Center’s box office. Prices start at $39. For more information, please visit the Huntington Center Toledo’s website.