OLNEY MUSICAL SHOWCASE 4/17/25 The
Olney Central College Music Department will present its Spring Musical Theater
Showcase at 7 pm on Saturday, April 26th in the Dr. John D. Stull
Performing Arts Center. Director
of Choral Activities Dr. Andrew Pittman said the annual performance has become
a highly anticipated tradition, offering students the opportunity to take on
leading roles and to gain valuable performance experience. “The
students really prefer the musical theater pieces to traditional choral works,”
he said. “It’s fun for them, and for me too. I’m excited about this show and
encourage the community to enjoy an evening of music while supporting our
students. This is another great group of kids. We’ve become like a family. They’re
always looking out for each other, and they’ve been wonderful to work with.” This
year’s show will feature three numbers from the 1975 award-winning musical
Chicago. Set in the jazz age and based on real events, this satirical show
follows performers Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, who find fame not just for their
talent, but for their ties to sensationalized murders. Selections will include
We Both Reached for the Gun with the Billy Flynn solo performed by Nathaniel
Garrison, Roxie featuring a solo by Genesis Cadwell and Mr. Cellophane, a solo
performed by Dyllan Williams. Other selections will include the disco-inspired
Lady in the Long Black Dress from Sister Act, I’m a Big Girl Now from the
Tony-award winning Hairspray and A Policeman’s Lot Is Not a Happy One from
Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1879 comic opera the Pirates of Penzance. Sophomore
Kylie Rauch will sing the arias Steal Me Sweet Thief from The Old Maid and The
Thief, a 1939 English-language radio opera by composer Gian Carlo Menotti, and
Deh Vieni Non Tardar from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Nathan Blackwell
will perform There But for You Go I from the 1947 musical Brigadoon and If Ever
I Would Leave You from Camelot. Admission
is free, and donations will be accepted at the door. Pittman stressed Music
Department Tuition Waivers are still available for 2025-2026. He encourages
both current and incoming students to contact him about opportunities within
the program at pittmana@iecc.edu, or 618-395-7777, ext. 2252.