Regards to Broadway!: Choral Octavo SoundTrax CD

Don Besig and Nancy Price have taken a classic vaudeville sensibility and made it immediately accessible to student singers without stripping away its theatrical charm. The partner song structure gives singers a tangible dramatic role to play, and the included SoundTrax CD removes rehearsal barriers while the staging suggestions transform a simple octavo into a full performance moment.

Bright, buoyant, and unapologetically playful. The vaudeville style brings a wink-to-the-audience energy that invites singers to perform with personality rather than perfection, and the partner song creates moments of genuine musical dialogue that keep the texture fresh throughout.

Choirs at the middle school through early high school level who want to perform something with genuine theatrical flair and ensemble confidence without requiring extensive choreography experience. Directors seeking a program piece that's simultaneously fun to rehearse and genuinely entertaining to watch.

• Establish the rhythmic clarity of the vaudeville style early in rehearsals; this piece thrives on crisp articulation and rhythmic precision rather than legit phrasing.
• Work the partner melody sections in isolation before combining them with the main part, making sure singers understand their relationship and independence simultaneously.
• Lean into the theatrical intent by having singers commit to character choices and attitude from day one, even during sectional rehearsals, this piece doesn't work when sung generically.
• Use the movement and staging suggestions as scaffolding, not restriction; encourage your singers to find the physical vocabulary that makes the vaudeville character feel authentic to them.

This works beautifully as an opener or closer on a concert, especially one featuring musical theater or pop repertoire. Consider pairing it with other Cohan-era material or using it as a bridge between your concert season and a spring pops show.

• Performing in vaudeville and musical theater style
• Singing independent melodic lines in a partner song structure
• Coordinating rhythm and movement while maintaining vocal precision
• Understanding call-and-response and dialogue in ensemble singing
• Building stage presence and theatrical commitment as performers