OC's Men Alive Chorus presents VON TRAPPED!, July 20-21

To conclude its triumphant eleventh season, Men Alive - The Orange County Gay Men's Chorus will present VON TRAPPED!, a uniquely entertaining, wholly original tribute to the Tony- and Oscar-winning musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC... the way only Men Alive can do it!

Under the direction of Founder and Artistic Director Rich Cook and Assistant Director Bob Gunn, the 130-plus-voiced chorus will present three performances of VON TRAPPED! on Friday, July 20 (Opening Night) at 8pm and Saturday, July 21 at both 3pm and 8pm. All shows are performed at the Irvine Barclay Theatre located at 4242 Campus Drive in Irvine.

And for the first time in its 11-Season history, Men Alive will be debuting a show "out-of-town" before its official opening! An exclusive hour-long full-production preview presentation of VON TRAPPED! has been commissioned for the 2012 GALA Choruses Festival In Denver, CO on July 11 at the Buell Theatre.

Arguably one of the world's most beloved musicals of all time—both as a Broadway stage smash and a silver-screen global blockbuster—THE SOUND OF MUSIC (and its memorable song book penned by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III) will be revived and transformed into a one-of-a-kind extravaganza featuring moving orchestrations, genre-crossing remixes, fabulous costumes, buoyant choreography, and even a few rowdy, yodel-loving goats!

THE SOUND OF MUSIC's familiar tunes—from the frothy fun of "My Favorite Things," "Sixteen Going on Seventeen," and "Do-Re-Mi" to the sweeping grandeur of "Edelweiss," "Something Good," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," and, of course, the title song—will all get the signature Men Alive touch.

Leading this uniquely Men Alive-d tribute will be a troupe of singing thespians playing heroine governess Maria, her dashing suitor Captain Von Trapp, and his seven adorable children. And what would a wacky tribute to THE SOUND OF MUSIC be without a few dancing stormtroopers, a divalicious Baroness, and a full-on goat puppet show? And nuns. Lots and lots of nuns.

As to be expected at a Men Alive show, hilarious, high-camp moments and dazzling visuals and special effects are intertwined seamlessly with Men Alive's masterful choral musicality, ensuring a special summertime concert experience.  So get set... because this summer, the hills are Men Alive with THE SOUND OF MUSIC!

Photo courtesy of Men Alive Chorus.

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Performances of Men Alive: The Orange County Gay Mens Chorus' Concert "VON TRAPPED!" at the Irvine Barclay Theatre opens Friday, July 20 at 8 pm and continues with two shows on Saturday, July 31 at 3 pm and 8 pm.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheBarclay.org, by phone at (949) 854-4646 or in person at the Irvine Barclay Theatre box office. The Irvine Barclay Theatre is located at 4242 Campus Drive in Irvine, CA.

About MEN ALIVE - THE ORANGE COUNTY GAY MENS CHORUS:

Men Alive - The Orange County Gay Men’s Chorus was founded in 2001 by Artistic Director Rich Cook. In the short time since, Men Alive has quickly grown into one of Orange County’s largest choruses and an active and respected partner in the Southern California arts scene. Since its first rehearsal in September 2001, Men Alive has grown from 13 singers to more than 150+ singers and volunteers. Now celebrating it’s 11th Season, Men Alive continues to produce full-scale productions that combine song, dance, and theatrics to provide shows of enormous popular appeal for all ages and backgrounds. The Chorus performs a wide range of musical styles including classical, jazz, gospel, traditional, contemporary, and popular. Several major and noted guest stars have joined Men Alive in performance over the years, including Michael Feinstein, Debbie Reynolds, Ruta Lee, Sam Harris, Leslie Jordan, David Burnham, Alec Mapa, Nikki Blonsky and Broadway legend Bernadette Peters.

For more information, visit www.MenAliveChorus.org.

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