The New Girl in Town (from the movie Hairspray): Choral SoundPax

This arrangement captures the infectious energy of the original without requiring a pit orchestra, making a contemporary Broadway moment genuinely achievable in a high school or middle school choral program. The SoundPax instrumentation (saxes, trumpet, trombone, and rhythm) gives you a full pop-music sound that singers respond to immediately, and the comedic premise of the piece keeps rehearsals engaging.

Sassy, energetic, and unapologetically fun. The piece bounces with period-influenced pop sensibility and character swagger, capturing the 1960s Baltimore setting while staying accessible to modern singers. You'll hear big ensemble moments that sparkle and clever rhythmic interplay between voices and horns.

This piece works for treble choirs, female choirs, or mixed ensembles looking for contemporary material with Broadway appeal. The music sits well for middle school through early high school singers, and the comedic subject matter engages performers who might otherwise resist choral music.

• Lock the rhythm section (drums and bass) as your foundation; everything else sits on top of that pocket.
• Lean into the theatrical attitude in your delivery. The text is playful and competitive, so encourage singers to perform character rather than simply sing the melody.
• Balance the saxophone and trumpet soli so they sit behind the vocal line but remain conversational; they're part of the scene, not competing for attention.
• Use the recorded accompaniment to establish tempo and feel, especially if your ensemble isn't yet comfortable leading against a full band sound.

Program this as an opener or closer for a concert built around film and musical theater music, or pair it with other pop-influenced choral repertoire to create a high-energy first half. It's equally effective as a standalone showcase piece for a treble choir and works particularly well in spring concerts when audiences appreciate the lighthearted, contemporary tone.

• Singing over a full band arrangement with focus on ensemble balance
• Rhythmic precision in syncopated, pop-inflected vocal lines
• Matching articulation and style to a theatrical, character-driven narrative
• Listening to and blending with instrumental soloists