VocaPeople singing troupe comes to Mayo PAC
VocaPeople are invading America again.
The vocal troupe – consisting of eight white-clad, white-faced “aliens” from the planet Voca – is touring the United States for the second time in as many years.
Using the conceit that these extraterrestrials are fascinated by Earth’s music, the singers perform a capella and beat-box renditions of songs from the spectrum of popular music. For example, a Mozart piece could be followed by a hit by Lady Gaga.
That fact that popular demand has resulted in VocaPeople’s return is both humbling and heartening, according to Cindy Sibilsky, brand development and marketing manager for the group.
“No matter what the rest of the world may say, America is the big time,” says Sibilsky. “The U.S. (listeners are) discriminating, but once they accept you, they are so generous.”
VocaPeople will next land at the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown tonight, Nov. 7.
The company was founded in 2009 by two Israeli entertainers, Shai Fishman and Lior Kalfon. The group’s YouTube clips received millions of hits, and various “fleets” of performers have toured Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Sibilsky says that the response to first U.S. tour in 2013 was “overwhelming. It’s taken off in a way we weren’t sure of.”
“The U.S. is notoriously difficult because there is so much out there,” she says. “Americans want the best of the best. They’re used to having their pick of live entertainment.”
An American tour also presents logistical challenges, Sibilsky says. “A Voca fleet that tours Europe may only have to travel a couple of hours by land. It takes eight hours to cross Texas alone.”
“When we play a country like Germany, we tend to play the same larger cities. The U.S. is different. It’s inexhaustible,” she adds. “It’s so vast that we don’t have to worry about running out of places to play.”
Sibilsky offers several reasons why Americans have shown an interest in VocaPeople. The first is what she calls the “I-can’t-do-that factor.”
“Some people can sing,” she says. “But the singers in VocaPeople do these vocal backflips that make people shake their heads. That’s an exceptional feeling.”
Sibilsky stresses that all the sounds made in a VocaPeople show are done live by human voices, without any mechanical or electronic effects.
At the same time, the members of VocaPeople make it a point to involve the listeners. For instance, at one point the male singers may single out a girl in the audience to serenade, to the comic jealousy of the female singers.
“VocaPeople invites everyone to be part of the experience,” Sibilsky says. “There’s a sense of community that puts a smile on people’s faces.”
The creation of a live shared experience may be the great appeal of VocaPeople, Sibilsky says. She drew a comparison with such troupes as Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil
“I’ve noticed that these different shows have become more accepted than some of the more conventional Broadway shows,” she says. “People are looking for fun and different types of entertainment.”
“In the age of texting and online communities, to share something live with other human beings has become special,” Sibilsky concludes. “People are hungry for that, and we try to give it to them.”
VOCAPEOPLE
WHAT: Eight-person vocal group (pretending to be aliens from a world where the only form of communication is singing) performs a capella and beat-box versions of music composed by artists ranging from Mozart to Michael Jackson to Maroon 5.
WHEN: 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 7
WHERE: Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown.
TICKETS: $29 to $59