News News Non-Profit Pekin Civic Chorus to present Showtime 2012
Pekin Civic Chorus to present Showtime 2012
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 29 May 2012 16:33
- Written by The Peorian
For more than 50 years the Pekin Civic Chorus has been entertaining audiences with bi-annual concerts of music and song largely devoted to musical theater.
It will again this year when the chorus presents "Showtime 2012" on June 5 through 10 in the F.M. Peterson Theatre at Pekin Community High School. It promises an entertaining mix of song, dance, and dialogue with a variety of costumes.
(Photo by Pekin Civic Chorus) Members of the Pekin Civic Chorus are shown during a performance of their 2010 biannual concenter. The 2012 concert opens June 5 and runs through June 10 at Pekin Community High School.The 90-member chorus has been rehearsing since January for the show, which begins at 7:30 p.m. June 5 through 9 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 10.
Tickets are $15 and can be ordered by calling (309) 213-1490 or by email at pekincivicchorus@gmail.com.
Proceeds from the concert will be used to fund the Norma I. Yock Annual Scholarship, which was started in 1987 and is given to a Pekin Community High School outstanding music student who plans to pursue a career in music.
In addition to the scholarship, over $186,000 has been given throughout the community to many deserving groups. The Chorus has also donated much of their sheet music to the P.C.H.S. music department.
The Pekin Civic Chorus was formed in 1953 as part of the Pekin Orchestra and Choral Society by its first director, Harry Langley.
In December 1953, the chorus gave its first performance with the Pekin Symphony Orchestra, when they presented "The Messiah", the well-known Handel Oratorio. The group was known as the Pekin Orchestra & Choral Society.
It was 1957 when the Civic Chorus board began performing musical theatre songs with the presentation of "A Night With Rodgers and Hammerstein." It was the success of that show that led Civic Chorus leadership to use that format in future shows.
Lisa McKenzie is the current director, bringing in 2000 a faster-paced show tha is choreographed by Sue Venturi-Johnson with accompaniment from Jo Summer.
