When Gregory L. Day became Lincoln-Way Area Chorale artistic director, his first spring concert involved Broadway. Now he draws upon Broadway for his last spring performance with the group.
Day conducts “Back to Broadway” April 29 at Lincoln-Way West Performing Arts Center in New Lenox. Jason Randall, director of music at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lemont, is accompanist.
“Everything has come full circle. It’s not only because we started and ended with Broadway but, more important, is what’s in between the two. That’s where all the variety comes in,” Day said.
“We’ve done two other Broadway shows. Ironically, my first spring program with the chorale we did a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber. Somewhere along the line we did a tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musicals,” he said.
“I had a lot of people asking for another Broadway show. This one features other Broadway musicals. It features shows like ‘West Side Story,’ ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘Camelot,’ ‘Paint Your Wagon’ and ‘Hello, Dolly!’ We have a few Andrew Lloyd Webber songs back by popular demand such as ‘Memory’ from ‘Cats.'”
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The audience gets to see Elise Greene, artistic director of Lincoln-Way Area Chorale for 2018-19, in action at “Back to Broadway” when the Tinley Park resident conducts “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from “Evita.”
The spring concert features approximately 100 performers including residents of Bolingbrook, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Joliet, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Park, Romeoville and Tinley Park.
“They’re absolutely amazing. They are a joy to work with. They’re all there for the same reason – because they love singing and they love music. They’re very talented. They’re very eager to learn. They’re very eager to be challenged musically,” said Day, of New Lenox.
“That’s something I’ve tried to do over the last six years,” he said. “I’ve tried to expose them to as many different styles of music as possible.”
Day’s tenure with Lincoln-Way Area Chorale has included performances of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, George Gershwin, Joseph Haydn, Sergei Rachmaninoff, John Rutter, and Franz Schubert to patriotic pieces, swing numbers and seasonal music.
“I want them to be known for their versatility,” said Day about the chorale.
“In the past six years they’ve claimed national attention. They’ve been invited to Carnegie Hall. They didn’t apply. They did not audition. They were invited. That’s a huge difference. They’re one of few groups that can say that from the Midwest.”
That performance featured Lincoln-Way Area Chorale singing George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” as part of the Distinguished Concerts International New York concert series.
“Carnegie Hall opened up all the doors to us worldwide. To have that honor, I couldn’t think of anything that could top that for my career. I told them that was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most of them. When we were out there, I told them to make two memory moments,” Day said.
“The first one was the first time you see that auditorium in rehearsal and all the seats are empty. The second time was when the concert starts and you look out in the auditorium and every one of those 1,000-plus seats are filled. It was a sold-out performance,” he said.
“I’ve been very proud of their achievements both on a local level and a national level. I look for great things for them in the future. I’m very optimistic that Elise will pick up where I left off and drive them forward to bigger and better things.”
Day, who was choral director at Parker Junior High School in Flossmoor for 27 years before retiring in 2011, teaches piano and voice lessons to approximately 60 students at his home and Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West high schools in New Lenox.
“I’ve been blessed to work with countless different choirs of all ages from elementary school to junior high to high school to church choirs to semiprofessional groups like Lincoln-Way Area Chorale and community choirs,” he said.
“Every person that I’ve encouraged and the thousands of people that I’ve encountered in choirs over the years, each and every one of them have been very special to me individually because of our common interests and what they contributed to the group that they sang with and how they’ve touched me.
“Every group that I’ve directed is special to me for different reasons. The Lincoln-Way Area Chorale was the culmination of my conductor’s career.”
‘Back to Broadway’
When: 3 p.m. April 29
Where: Lincoln-Way West Performing Arts Center, 21701 S. Gougar Road, New Lenox
Tickets: $17 adults; $15 seniors and students
Information: 815-469-1010 or 708-479-1863; www.lwac.com
Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer for the Daily Southtown.
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