The success of the Fox Network's
Glee series has made choral singing seem fresh and exciting. Actress Margaret Shelby, a member of the
Kansas City Women's Chorus, calls her arts organization "
Glee for grown-ups." Shelby and the 89 other members of the chorus gleefully present a tribute to the hits of musical theater at 7 p.m. (and again at 2 p.m. Sunday) in
"Belles of Broadway" at the Rose Theater on the campus of Rockhurst High School (9301 State Line, 816-822-2344). The chorus, under the musical direction of Joseph Nadeau, belts out some of Broadway's best — including songs from
West Side Story and
Spring Awakening — with solos, medleys and stand-alone numbers that are both vibrant and poignant. "The chorus is made up of gay women, straight women, black and white, young and old," Shelby says. "When we sing a song like 'We Kiss in the Shadows' from
The King and I, it can have a very personal meaning for everyone." A jazz trio accompanies the singers. Ticket prices are $10 to $15. See
kcwomenschorus.org.
Sat., April 24, 7 p.m.; Sun., April 25, 2 p.m., 2010
