We're Gonna Put On a Show: 3-Part Mixed Choral Octavo

Althouse crafts novelty numbers that audiences actually want to hear again, which is no small feat. The Rockettes-style choreography moment built into the score gives your singers a tangible theatrical focus, while the clever text keeps rehearsals energized and prevents the piece from feeling like a gimmick.

Unabashed Broadway exuberance meets careful compositional craft. The piece carries the polish and pacing of a professional musical theater number, with moments of character-driven text humor that keep it from feeling slick or hollow.

Any mixed ensemble with three vocal lines who want to open a concert with immediate audience engagement and genuine fun. This works equally well for middle school through adult community choirs seeking a show-stopping opener that doesn't require an elaborate pit orchestra.

• Lean into the comedic phrasing. Althouse writes humor through rhythmic precision and intentional rubato, not mugging; lock the ensemble on his rhythmic choices and the humor lands naturally.
• The kick line section reads like a staging moment waiting to happen. Even if your group doesn't choreograph it fully, have singers execute crisp, synchronized rhythms so the music itself suggests the visual energy.
• Use the SoundTrax accompaniment to internalize the Broadway idiom. The recorded track models authentic contemporary musical theater tempo and phrasing, which your group can absorb in early rehearsals before pulling back to their own interpretation.

Program this as your concert opener. Its energy and theatrical confidence will set a joyful tone immediately and give audiences permission to relax and enjoy the evening. It pairs well with a variety of repertoire styles since it's inherently a palate-cleanser.

• contemporary musical theater style conventions
• ensemble rhythmic precision in syncopated passages
• comedic timing and text clarity in performance
• coordination of melodic lines with rhythmic accompaniment patterns