Chester Theatre hosts ‘Songs for Summer Night’
Clifford Parrish knows that audiences sometimes go to the theater to see work that is new and different. They may even be willing to be challenged or provoked.
But he also acknowledges that, sometimes, people just want to have fun.
That is his goal with “Songs for a Summer Night,” the revue that he is directing for the Chester Theatre Group. The selections from various Broadway shows will be presented at the Black River Playhouse this weekend, tonight through 12.
“There’s no theme. There’s no plot,” says Parrish. “This is just a potpourri of Broadway songs.”
Those songs will run the gamut from Broadway classics (such as a medley from “Oklahoma”) to more recent works, such as the stage version of “The Bridges of Madison County.”
“The biggest challenge was narrowing down what songs to do,” admits Parrish, who is also serving as musical director. “Some are medleys from one show, but others are songs from different shows that share a connection.”
He cites one medley that is a mash-up of three opening numbers: “Magic to Do” from “Pippin,” “Comedy Tonight” from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” and “Another Opening, Another Show” from “Kiss Me Kate.”
Parrish says another challenge is finding a balance of moods. “A lot of singers like to do ballads,” he says. “But you want to have lighter numbers and comic numbers, too.”
The songs will be presented by a group called the Black River Singers, a name for the loose and fluid collective of vocalists.
Parrish first assembled the Black River Singers in summer 1987 for a similar music revue. Its debut was auspicious; the power went out just as the show started, plunging the theater into darkness.
“People went out and got flashlights from their cars. We found some candles. We ended up doing the whole show,” recalls Parrish.
The Black River Players did revues (without the added drama of blackouts) about every two years through the 1990s and the 2000s. The last time Parrish assembled the group was about four years ago.
For “Songs for a Summer Night,” Parrish is drawing on a cast of 24 singers, ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s. “We have a couple of newbies, but most are people who have done other shows at Chester,” he says.
A few numbers will be sung by the entire ensemble. “Audiences seem to enjoy the choral numbers, with everyone singing together,” Parrish says.
But he will also include songs that showcase individual singers. He notes that one song on the program will be the comic duet, “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” from the Cole Porter musical “Kiss Me Kate.”
Directors who work at Chester always have to deal with the fact that the Black River Playhouse is a theater-in-the-round. That layout actually works well for a revue, according to Parrish.
“The singers will be positioned around the theater,” Parrish says. He will be in the center of the theater playing accompaniment on the piano, along with bassist Tim Metz. “It will make people feel that they are a part of the show,” he says.
That sense of intimacy is the main purpose for “Songs for a Summer Night,” Parrish concludes. “This is purely an evening of entertainment. It’s all about hearing wonderful music.”
SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT
WHAT: A revue of Broadway songs, from the comic to the romantic, will be presented by the Black River Singers under the direction of Clifford Parrish
WHEN: 8 p.m. today and Saturday, July 11; 2 p.m. Sunday, July 12
WHERE: Chester Theatre Group at Black River Playhouse, corner of Grove and Maple Streets, Chester
TICKETS: $25 ($23 for students and seniors).
INFORMATION: 908-879-7304 or www.chestertheatregroup. org.