Talent from the Canadian College of Performing Arts and the Naden Band sizzle on stage with a little jazz, a bit of big band and hot musical theatre in All That Jazz!
“We have partnered with them to put on this salute to Broadway big band sound,” said Heather Burns, CCPA music director for the show with the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy. “They’re a great concert band so we’ve put together a show featuring Broadway in a jazz idiom.”
The concert showcases 60 students and the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, comprised of 35 professional, full-time musicians whose primary role in the Royal Canadian Navy is to support Naval Operations, ceremonial events and generate public awareness.
“We’re pleased to be joining the students of the Canadian College of Performing Arts for this amazing concert that includes some of the greatest musical theatre scores,” said Vincent Roy, Commanding Officer, director of music, Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy.
“In early discussions we started talking about what are the strengths of both organizations and how do we bring those together in a musical program,” Burns said.
“We booked the band. We booked the students and we thought we’d do it in the biggest theatre in town.”
All That Jazz! on March 18 in the Royal Theatre features a suite from the title performance, West Side Story, Sing, Sing, Sing, music from the Gershwins and a little modern day with Thoroughly Modern Millie and a taste of the Will Rogers Follies with a hint at the CCPA year-end musical Beauty and the Beast.
“In the collaborative theme, we feature multiple staging and choreography directors: Darold Roles, Matthew Howe, Jessica Hickmen, Jeremy Miton, Alison Roberts, Amalia Schelhorn. They have all contributed to the staging and choreography,” said who did the vocals while Naden Band wrote the musical arrangements.
“This is giving our students an opportunity to shine in their individual strengths,” Burns said. “It’s a truly team-designed show which has been pretty neat, to put everybody’s strengths on the table and see what we can come up with.”
CCPA and Naden Band combine for two shows March 18 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
For ticket information contact the box office at 250-386-6121.
