CAMP Chorus showcases Broadway at Feb. 2 concert

The CAMP Rehoboth Chorus will present its popular annual winter concert, "Broadway Our Way," at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2, at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach.

After seeing "Oklahoma!," movie producer Samuel Goldwyn advised Richard Rodgers to “shoot himself,” which was his way of telling Rodgers that he would never create another show this good. Fortunately Rodgers did not take this advice and, with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, he continued to give the public many more wonderful musicals including "Carousel," "South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music."

Led by Music Director Doug Yetter and accompanist David Zipse, the CAMP Rehoboth Chorus will salute this golden age of Broadway by showcasing songs from these great musicals along with selections from several other beloved shows including, "West Side Story," "Annie Get Your Gun," "Hello Dolly" and more.

Joining the 60-member chorus as featured soloists will be soprano Mary Beth Adair and baritone Alex Helsabeck. Adair has sung on the international stage. She is a soloist at All Saints' Church and is an educator in Rehoboth Beach where she also teaches beginning voice students.

Helsabeck has been a soloist with the U.S. Army Chorus since 1988. He is currently director of music and arts for All Saints' Episcopal Church and St. George's Chapel. He is an artist-in-residence for the Redwoods Opera Workshop in Mendocino, Calif.

This is Broadway, so the chorus has added a trio of talented local musicians including Dave Schiff on clarinet and saxophone; Bruce Chappelle, bass; and Mike McShane, drums.

This year’s program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

The grant specifically targets the hiring of professional musicians such as Helsabeck, Adair, Schiff, Chappelle and McShane, to enhance the quality of chorus productions, as well as to extend the chorus’ outreach program to other areas of the state.

Tickets, at $20 per person, are available through CAMP Rehoboth by calling 302-227-5620, or go to www.camprehoboth.com. Although some tickets will be sold at the door, audience members are encouraged to buy in advance, as the 2012 concert, also at Epworth, attracted a sold-out crowd of more than 400.

The chorus will stage its second concert of the season in Georgetown, at the Possum Point Players theater, at 3 p.m., Sunday, April 7.  Tickets will again be available through CAMP Rehoboth.