Award-winning director Marc Gaston directs the Chordaires during a practice for the spring show, “A Salute to the Music Men.”
What do “Lazy River,” “That’s Life,” and “Good Luck Charm” have in common? They all were made famous by outstanding music men in American history—men who wrote and/or performed songs that were so popular in their day that they became an enduring part of American culture.
The Chordaires Show Chorus of Sun Lakes will present a lively, barbershop-style tribute, “A Salute to the Music Men,” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, in Cottonwood’s San Tan Ballroom. The show offers a little education, nostalgia, and a wide variety of popular music from vaudeville to the present.
Marc Gaston has directed the women’s chorus since 2019, strengthening their distinctive barbershop sound through constant work on the basics of vocal performance and intricate harmony.
Gaston recently received the Lou and Evelyn Grub Community Innovator Award at the 2023 Phoenix Mayor’s Arts Awards celebration. The award recognizes his exceptional creativity and leadership in pushing artistic boundaries, fostering collaboration, and creating exceptional performances.
The upcoming Chordaires show reflects Gaston’s winning talents. The Harmonic Vibrations, a men’s octet, will join the Chordaires’ Ambassadors for an eight-part rendition of Meredith Willson’s “Lida Rose” from The Music Man, plus other selections.
Tickets to the show are $18 and available as follows:
• Online at Chordaires.org
• From any Chordaires member
• From 4 to 6 p.m. on March 5 and March 28 at Oakwood’s Stone & Barrel restaurantz
• From noon to 12:45 p.m. and from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. each Thursday in March in Cottonwood’s Phoenix Room
• From 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, at the Sun Lakes 1 main lobby