For hundreds of volunteers and about 1,500 students annually, Arts Express provides a living, breathing, performing link to the star-spangled history of our nation.
鈥淎 lot of our overall vision with the arts and what we do with 鈥楲et Freedom Sing鈥 and our other programs is to set the tone for our young people and provide a framework for them to celebrate our country,鈥 said Karen Wiese, executive director of Arts Express, which has staged 鈥淟et Freedom Sing鈥 in celebration of the Fourth of July for more than 30 years.
鈥淲e want them to have an understanding of history and learn about what they can do and recognize the lessons they can learn from veterans and others who came before them.鈥
The concert 鈥 titled 鈥淎 Star-Spangled Celebration鈥 this year in honor of a family-oriented theme 鈥 is one of several annual productions and various programs that facilitate the nonprofit鈥檚 vision of educating, empowering and entertaining Southern 蜜柚直播ns with the ultimate goal of building culture and community by providing opportunities to experience the arts.
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鈥淭he Fourth of July is about so much more than hamburgers and hot dogs and fireworks. It is about our nation鈥檚 birthday, and celebrating that through this musical presentation with more than 100 performers on stage is a great way to bring a diverse audience together,鈥 Wiese said.
The production will feature the Arts Express Choir and The Big Band Express orchestra, along with renowned soloists and local favorites such as Ben Cline, Jodi Darling, Armen Dirtadian, Kathy Jenkins, Delores Maddox, Chach Snook and Dennis Tamblyn. A special appearance by The Manhattan Dolls will feature 鈥淎ndrews Sisters-styled harmonies鈥 with the trio performing favorites like 鈥淏oogie Woogie Bugle Boy.鈥
Wiese said attendees can also expect to hear traditional patriotic favorites such as 鈥淭he Star Spangled Banner,鈥 鈥淎merica the Beautiful鈥 and 鈥淕od Bless America鈥 as well as new classics such as a rendition of the Gettysburg Address put to music.
Another highlight of the concert will be a medley of tunes from Rodgers and Hammerstein鈥檚 鈥淪outh Pacific,鈥 in recognition of the production this week by 60 youths ages 7 to 22 who are participating in the Arts America Summer Stock Production by Arts Express.
The annual Summer Stock Production stages a full musical in four weeks featuring theater professionals and young actors. It also provides an important opportunity for many children who might not otherwise have the chance to participate in a professional-caliber production, said Eric Yanes, 19.
Yanes, who became involved with Arts Express three years ago, is playing the lead of French expatriot Emile de Becque in 鈥淪outh Pacific.鈥
鈥淟ots of these kids are from families who might not be able to pay for an experience in a theater company like 蜜柚直播 Theatre Company or Gaslight Theatre. There is always the reality of finances, and Arts Express provides another option for kids to be involved in dramatic arts,鈥 he said.
He believes that Arts Express has positioned itself as a leader in the local arts community moving forward by partnering with organizations such as Broadway in 蜜柚直播, UA Presents and the Ben Vereen Awards (the Southwest division of the National High School Musical Theater Awards). It has also developed Arts America: A Summer Arts Immersion Program, which focuses on art and culture in different periods of American history and a variety of other arts-education programs.
鈥淚 would say that generally in America, and unfortunately in 蜜柚直播, there is a deficit in the arts ... Arts Express is on a mission to increase arts opportunities in the community 鈥 especially for children in elementary school and middle school 鈥 who are growing up in a society with less funding for the arts. They also have less arts experiences, especially in the dramatic arts, which more than most academic disciplines, tend to change or redirect lives and teach children about humanity,鈥 said Yanes.
Yanes hopes the public will turn out in force to support Arts Express at both 鈥淟et Freedom Sing鈥 and 鈥淪outh Pacific,鈥 the unconventional love story that deals with racial prejudice during World War II.
鈥淭he story is very meaningful and timeless. It is a very timely piece because it is a show that is ultimately about racism and racial boundaries and racial labeling.
鈥淚t is about the differences of culture and the disasters that those differences can bring about, which are issues that many Americans are struggling with right now,鈥 he said.
