Forget the fact that everyone in the Los Alamitos High School Show Choir was not even born when Barry Manilow became a superstar songwriter and performer, it was sheer musical harmony when they got the chance to perform on the big stage with him, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
“It was a super fun night,” said Michelle Samuelson, a parent of one of 60 members of the famed Show Choir to appear recently with Manilow at the Hollywood Bowl. Manilow, she said, is a “great entertainer.”
Manilow, she said, was gracious and even self-deprecating. “I know my music will around forever,” she remembers the 76-year-old icon telling the audience, “as long as there are dentist offices and elevators.”
She said for many performers, just one of these three things would be a lifelong dream: perform at an iconic venue, sing with a legendary singer-songwriter, or be accompanied by world-renown philharmonic orchestra.
Yet, the members of Los Alamitos High School (LAHS) Show Choir had an opportunity to do all three in one weekend, she said.
On Sept. 6 and 7, students were invited on stage with Barry Manilow, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl.
She said approximately 60 students who are members of Sound FX, the Advanced Mixed Choir, and several members of Soundtrax, the Advanced Women’s Choir, performed at the sold-out event.
“This might be a treasured memory for these dedicated and talented young artists,” said Samuelson.
The latest achievement of the Los Alamitos Show Choir is just one of many amazing feats orchestrated by Choir Director David Moellenkamp, who is now a Vice Principal. Under his leadership, the Los Al Show Choir has achieved stratospheric recognition and a long list of “firsts.
In addition to Manilow, the Los Al Show Choir has appeared on stage and performed with Kristin Bell, Nick Jonas, John Stamos, Journey, Foreigner, Patti Lupon and Kristin Chenoweth, just to mention a few.
While the awards are indeed too numerous to mention, the Los Al choirs and SoundFX have taken home an astounding nine national championships. Even so, the Los Al Choirs do not limit sharing their amazing talent with only celebrities, as they often perform for numerous local charities and public events.
In the weeks before the Manilow event, Samuelson said the students rehearsed the songs under Moellenkamp’s and Associate Director Moana Dherlin’s direction.
At the Hollywood Bowl, they learned the choreography and music from Manilow’s back-up singer, Kye Brackett, she said.
Students were delighted when they had a chance to go backstage at the Bowl and talk with some of the members of the LA Philharmonic.
