Let Me Entertain You: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Larry Shackley's arrangement captures what makes this song theatrically alive: the stylistic variety built into Styne's original orchestration becomes a choral showcase. Rather than settling into one groove, your singers navigate swing, waltz time, and vaudeville razzle-dazzle, which means they're constantly engaged and the audience stays genuinely entertained.

Breezy showbiz confidence mixed with real craft. You hear the vaudeville origins in the opening, feel the jazz smoothness settle in during the swing section, and then the waltz brings an unexpected elegance before everything explodes into pure entertainment at the end. It's the musical equivalent of a performer who knows exactly how to work a room.

Choirs at the high school level and above who want to program something genuinely fun without sacrificing musicianship. This works equally well for concert choirs seeking Broadway variety, show choirs building a mixed repertoire, or community choirs ready for something with theatrical flair.

• The shift from 2-beat to swing to waltz requires precise ensemble clarity on the style changes. Mark these transitions clearly in rehearsal and use the recorded accompaniment to lock the groove in each section.
• The opening 2-beat has a deliberately spare, almost music-hall feel. Resist over-singing; let the rhythm and swagger carry the personality.
• Choreography and staging will make or break the final kick line. Even if your staging is simple, commit fully to the energy shift at that moment.
• Pay attention to diction across styles. The swing section rewards loose, conversational phrasing, while the waltz calls for cleaner articulation. The contrast heightens the arrangement's impact.

Program this as your closer on a concert that includes other musical theatre selections, or use it to anchor a spring show-choir concert where stylistic range and choreography are expected. It also works beautifully as a finale to a longer set of Styne songs, giving audiences a last burst of theatrical joy.

• Navigating stylistic shifts (2-beat, swing, waltz, vaudeville) within a single piece
• Swing feel and syncopation
• Coordinating movement and staging with ensemble singing
• Diction and phrasing across contrasting musical textures
• Ensemble clarity during rapid style transitions