By Zahir Williams/Delta Staff Writer

Missouri Valley College’s spring choral concert aims to fill the void left when many Broadway production went dark due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With nightly performances at 7:30 from April 22 to 24 in the Eckilson-Mabee Theatre, the concert involves the MVC Concert Choir, Music Theatre Ensemble and their guests: Professor Troy Hunt and the MVC Repertory Dance Ensemble.

Admission will be free, but seating is limited. The April 22 and 23 shows are for MVC students, faculty and staff. The April 24 show is for the families of the students who are participating in the show. Seating opens at 7 p.m. nightly and is first-come, first served. Sadly, the school can’t invite the public to shows yet, but fans will be able to watch the Thursday night show through livestream: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/mvc/

The MVC Concert Choir will perform a variety of standard literature including folk, spiritual, and light concert selections. The Music Theatre Ensemble is focusing their part of the show on a look back at Broadway right before Covid shut everything down. Music from Chicago, Wicked, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls and Once On This Island are included. They will close the show with selections from some Disney Broadway shows.

Director Diana Malan said she is excited to be able to stage the show this spring.

“It takes a great deal of work to put a show like this together, so I think part of the excitement for all of us comes from starting at square one and seeing everything develop to the end result,” she said. “Moving out of the classroom to the stage and adding the costumes, lights and sound is always exciting. All of us are looking forward to sharing our work with an audience – their response to what we do is the real excitement.”