Tucson choir turns focus to Broadway in season finale

A little Irving Berlin ("Blue Skies," "Cheek to Cheek") and Richard Rodgers ("Some Enchanted Evening"). Iconic tunes from George Gershwin ( "I Got Rhythm") and Harold Arlen ("Over the Rainbow"). The choral suite from Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story" (including "Maria," "America," "Somewhere").

"It's music that they don't perform that often and so it was a fun opportunity for them," True Concord Music Director Eric Holtan said of the choir. "This is music that, while it hasn't been standard for our repertoire, let alone dedicating an entire concert to it, is certainly part of the American tradition, and we wanted to showcase it."

" 'West Side Story' & The Great American Songbook" is the finale of the ensemble's "The American Dream" season celebrating America's 250th birthday.

The season opened with a pair of concerts celebrating immigrants — "Voices of Immigrants" focused on folk songs from around the world; "Give Me Your Tired" conveyed the immigrant experience in America — and included concerts that highlighted the musical traditions of African Americans, Native Americans and pioneers. 

"It was an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the wonderful, rich, diverse musical traditions that have shaped and created this wonderful mosaic of American music," he said.

Holtan said last week that the 2025-26 season "is our best selling, best attended season ever, and it's not even over yet."

"The community has really responded to this American-themed programming," he said. 

True Concord will continue the theme in its 2026-27 season, which had not yet been announced.

The program for this weekend's concert was largely driven by a survey in January asking audience members at two Tucson performances and one in Green Valley to name their three favorites from a list of 25 Great American Songbook hits from the 1920-50s.

Gershwin's "Summertime," Henry Mancini's "Moon River" and Rodgers' "You'll Never Walk Alone" were mentioned by all three audiences, Holtan said.

"They were different orders in terms of what was first, second and third, but the same three tunes" made the cut, he said. "So of course we got to do those."

The ensemble also will perform other songs mentioned in the survey, which Holtan said gave audience members "a chance to shape the program."

The program opens with Cole Porter's "It's De-Lovely" and includes Rodgers' "Some Enchanted Evening," "Blue Skies" and "Cheek to Cheek" from Irving Berlin, Sammy Fain's "I'll Be Seeing You" and Frederick Loewe's "If Ever I Would Leave You."

True Concord will perform the concert three times: 4 p.m. Friday, April 17, at Green Valley's Valley Presbyterian Church, 2800 S. Camino del Sol; 4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St.; and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive. 

Tickets are $23.50-$68.50 through trueconcord.org.