By Elizabeth Hulsbrink
Geneseo Current

Dim the lights…Cue the music… and Curtain! This year’s Geneseo Performing Arts Council presented Harvest Fest 2024, “Give My Regards to Broadway”. Featuring choral students from Millikin, Northside, and Southwest Elementary Schools, Geneseo Middle School and Geneseo High School, this year’s program highlighted Broadway favorites from “The Wizard of Oz” (1942) to “Hamilton” (2015).

The 4:30 concert, due to weather, was held at the Geneseo High School Performing Arts Center. The show opener, “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (Annie Get Your Gun, 1994) featured vocal students from 4th grade through 12th grade! This massive combined choir filled the concert hall and rang through the school halls. Such a beautiful sound.

Song selections included pieces from The Music Man, West Side Story, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, Annie, A Chorus Line, Grease, Into the Woods, Les Misérables, Fiddler on the Roof, Aladdin, Matilda, Rent and George M! Each group of kids got at least two feature songs, and since some singers were on the stage and others were in the balcony, the sound was always moving throughout the auditorium. Larry Lord, manager of the Performing Arts Center, did a fantastic job keeping the lights and microphones moving with each group, making sure everyone was seen and heard.

The 900-seat state-of-the-art concert hall was completely packed, with extra seating brought in to the side isles. Recognition goes to Haley Tromblee (Millikin), Michael Eckwall (Southwest), Laurel Filzen Etzel (Northside), Amy Croft (GMS) and Stephen LaCroix (GHS) for directing this massive undertaking. And extra special recognition goes to Pam Edwards and Kim Schwarzkopf for their amazing talents, especially in regards to accompanying all songs. Truly, an hour of music from the Geneseo music program is an hour well spent!