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COSTUMES AND SINGING AND SUMMER—OH MY! WIZARD OF OZ SING-ALONG FROM VOCALESSENCE AT LAKE HARRIET, AUG 31

Night of family fun at Lake Harriet Band Shell & Park includes a community sing led by Phillip Shoultz, III, prizes for best costume, and a sing-along screening of The Wizard of Oz

MINNEAPOLIS — June 29, 2018— Local choral and community-building nonprofit VocalEssence will host a night of enchantment celebrating the ageless musical The Wizard of Oz at the Lake Harriet Bandshell on August 31. The Wizard of Oz Movie Sing-Along encourages children to dress up as their favorite characters from the movie before leading their parents down the Yellow Brick Road for one last hurrah of lakeside fun before summer’s end.

The free Minneapolis Music & Movies in the Parks event will begin with a community sing led by VocalEssence associate conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. He’ll be choosing kid-pleasing hits from every genre, so families can expect to hear favorites from Broadway musicals, folk classics, movie melodies, and more. Before sunset, prizes will be awarded for best costume—so polish up those ruby slippers. When the stars come out, it’s time to watch a magical movie in a magical location, with a special twist: the audience will be singing along with the four friends as they seek out the Wizard and run from the Witch.

“Some movies we watch as children are so special they stay with us forever, and The Wizard of Oz has to be at the top of that list,” said G. Phillip Shoultz, III, VocalEssence associate conductor. “The sing-along screening gives parents who know all the words to ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,’ and ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ a chance to pass that love down to the next generation. And of course, we expect a lot of young fans will enjoy letting loose with their outdoor voices as they contribute to the soundtrack!”

“As we head into our 50th Anniversary season, it’s more important than ever to find ways to expose young people to the transformative experience of singing together,” said Shoultz. “There’s so much competition for their attention, but we know a love of singing carries so many rewards: creative expression, improvements in mood, and community spirit. That’s why VocalEssence is launching our new Family Series this year. It will be the first concert program of its kind by a choir in the USA, with free tickets for children and youth ages 0-17. We want to remove as many barriers and include as many young people as possible, and the Family Series concerts will help expand our circle even larger.”

The VocalEssence Wizard of Oz Movie Sing-Along is a free family event programmed through Minneapolis Music & Movies in the Parks. The community sing portion begins at 7:30 pm. The Wizard of Oz Sing-Along will begin 15 minutes after dusk. Visit vocalessence.org for information on the upcoming 50th season of VocalEssence concert programming, including details about other family events, like the Frozen Movie Sing-Along at the American Swedish Institute on February 2, 2019.

VocalEssence, called “one of the irreplaceable music ensembles of our time” by Dana Gioia, past chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts—and the choral ensemble that Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones says “sings magnificently”—impacts thousands of students, singers, and composers each year through its initiative programs, contests, and support for innovative art. VocalEssence was founded in 1969 and has debuted more than 300 commissions and 500 world premieres. For more information, visit vocalessence.org.

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