Backstage at "Lost in the Stars" IV: The heavenly choir

The wedding scene from "Lost in the Stars"
Photo by John Lamb

While I am mostly a music and theatre critic these days I have also been an actor/singer since roughly the late Jurassic Era and still do a show now and then. My current acting gig in Union Avenue Opera's production of Kurt Weill's last masterpiece, "Lost in the Stars" (final performances this Friday and Saturday August 24 and 25, 2018). This is part of a short series of observations from backstage.

Observation 4: The Union Avenue Opera chorus rocks. I have been reviewing Union Avenue for the last decade or thereabouts and have always been impressed with the high quality of the company's chorus. Consisting mostly of local singers, the chorus has consistently delivered vocal power, crisp enunciation, and a solid theatrical sense for many years now. The singers this time around are no exception. The fact that many of them also turn in compelling performances in some of the smaller non-singing roles is another point in their favor.

The chorus in "Lost in the Stars" has a vital role. It advances and comments on the drama, delivering some of the show's most powerful moments. And even when they're not singing, director Shaun Patrick Tubbs has them on stage, posing as mute witnesses to the unfolding tragedy. Give them a big round of applause when you see them.