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Welcome
 erkeley Broadway Singers (BBS) is a 75-member community chorus, founded in 1998, under the music direction of Ellen Hoffman. We sing songs from Broadway shows and movie musicals with a strong dash of standards from the Great American Songbook, nostalgic tunes from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, as well as jazz, Latin, doo-wop, blues, and other popular music. Many of our songs are arranged by Ellen for BBS.Our repertoire includes Broadway tunes, such as Oklahoma and Seasons of Love, blues like Kansas City and classics such as Begin the Beguine. We cover many terrific 20th century popular songs, not only those written by Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter and the Gershwins, but also artists like Smokey Robinson, Luis Bonfa, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. There's something for everyone! (Check out our repertoire!) Our goal is to provide a joyful and creative music experience for both our members and our audiences. Our concerts are free. We love to sing! And, we strive to reach a large community that is diverse in age, race and ethnicity. Welcome to the Berkeley Broadway Singers home page! CONCERTS Spring 2010 We are now back at work, rehearsing every Thursday night until our Spring concerts on Saturday, April 24 at 8:00pm at St. Ambrose Church in Berkeley (Gilman @Cornell), and Sunday, April 25 at 4:00pm at St. Augustine Church in North Oakland (Alcatraz @Colby). We will again have a "Guest Conductor," and this season we're very excited to have Trente Morant, a long-time colleague and friend of Ellen. Trente is well known as a conductor, arranger, accompanist and performer, and many BBS singers were fortunate to perform with him two years ago in the Oakland East Bay Symphony (OEBS) production of Follies. He has conducted in both the Monterey and San Francisco Jazz Festivals, sang the role of the Swan in Carmina Burana with the Oakland Ballet, and performed the role of Sportin' Life in a concert version of Porgy and Bess with OEBS. Trente also served as vocal director for productions of Ragtime, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, Beauty and the Beast, and King and I at the Woodminster Theater. For 19 years, he worked with the Oakland Youth Chorus, and was a three-time recipient of an Artist in Residence grant from the California Arts Council. He also conducted choral performances and workshops with Bobby McFerrin, Charlie Haden, Nancy Wilson, Ed Kelly, Keith Terry, Linda Tillery, Jon Hendricks, Pete Seeger, and Voicestra. What a plus for us! And, in addition, we will have the always-capable and tuneful leadership of our own chorus member and long-time choral director, Eddie Anderson, on one or two songs. Music Director Ellen Hoffman has chosen a great cadre of new songs (for us!) for the new season. Although we're only just rehearsing right now -- so there are no guarantees as to the numbers we'll be doing in late April -- the songs we are currently working on are: A Handful of Keys (from Thomas "Fats" Waller) Come Rain Or Come Shine (the Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen classic) For Good (from the recent Broadway hit Wicked) In A Mellow Tone (a Kirby Shaw arrangement of the Duke Ellington classic) Look For The Silver Lining (Jerome Kern ... need we say more?) More I Cannot Wish You (from Guys and Dolls) One Short Day (also from Wicked) Razzle Dazzle (the Ebb/Kander tune from Chicago) That Old Black Magic (another Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen classic) As with last season, Ellen will be auditioning ensemble numbers of duet size and higher, and she'll have "soloists" singing in a number of the choral pieces. Check back for further developments and additional songs as the season progresses! Hear the songs Sample the smooth styles of the Berkeley Broadway singers on our repertoire page. » click here to listen |
