2017 Kettering A Cappella Festival β VoicePlay live performances
Three years after their previous appearance, VoicePlay returned to the stage in Dayton as professional headliners for the Kettering National A Cappella Festival. Their recent schedule hadn't allowed as much educational outreach as usual, so they enjoyed what time they had with the kids.
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[Here is another recording from the side of the stage with more of their entrance.]
A toe-tapping tune with an audience participation element is a fantastic way to kick off a show. With a performance like this one, it's not surprising that the crowd treat them like the rockstars they are.
Details:
title: Mr. Blue Sky
original songs / performers: "Mr. Blue Sky" by ELO (Electric Light Orchestra); [1:10] "Blue Skies" by Ben Selvin & Charles Kaley (as The Knickerbockers)
written by: "Mr. Blue Sky" by Jeff Lynne; "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin
arranged by: Geoff Castellucci
performance date: 11 November 2017
My favorite bits:
the crunchy harmonies on β« "sun shines brightly" β« β
J.None working the front row, and the kids' resulting excitement
Layne looping back for his mic stand without missing a beat
"So far, you've been helping usβ¦ not so much." π (Very diplomatic.)
the smooth transitions into and out of the "Blue Skies" section
Geoff giving Layne's arm a friendly bump as they cross on the riser
using the mini megaphones to replicate the voice distortions from the original song
the build up to the lovely ending chord
Trivia:
The guys performed this arrangement for a little over a year more before they finally filmed a video for it as the first entry in the second round of their PartWork series.
The mini megaphones later made an appearance in the music video for their cover of "You're My Best Friend" by Queen.
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There's a ton of overlap between a cappella kids and theater kids, so it was an easy choice for VoicePlay to include a song from the biggest musical of the 21st century in their setlist. It's interesting to see how their new member and a live setting led to adjustments in the arrangement from the recorded version.
Details:
title: My Shot
original performers: cast of Hamilton: An American Musical (2015)
written by: Lin-Manuel Miranda & Alex Lacamoire
arranged by: Layne Stein
performance date: 11 November 2017
My favorite bits:
shifting the vocal roles with J.None taking on both the Hamilton and Burr lines
all the audience members singing along
the projections on the backdrop
Earl's fantastic French accent and that dip into his lower register
the moment of silence after β« "you're gonna get shot" β« and Layne's gunshot sound effect
the building tension during Geoff's repetition of β« "When are these colonies gonna rise up?" β«
harmonized fast patter lyrics
J's big old belt leading into the ending section
Trivia:
VoicePlay had released their video for this song a year and a half earlier, shortly before the 2016 Tony Awards.
This video was originally posted to Facebook by the Western Brown Choirs from Mount Orab, Ohio.
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Every performance of this piece is unique. It's also one of the best demonstrations of their group name, a chance for the boys to play together for everyone's amusement, including their own. Unfortunately, this clip is only the first two verses and one chorus, but it's still fun while it lasts.
Details:
title: Elvira
original performers: The Oak Ridge Boys
written by: Dallas Frazier
arranged by: Geoff Castellucci
performance date: 11 November 2017
My favorite bits:
troublemaker Eli nudging Earl to take center stage
pouty Geoff sitting on the edge of the riser, and the ensuing gesture conversation between him and Earl
J.None's smooth runs
Eli's big old riff
Trivia:
This fan favorite tune was a staple of VoicePlay's live shows for many years, including on the 2015 Sing-Off tour, but they've never made a music video for it because the audience response is so integral to the humor of it.
Their buddies in Home Free enjoyed this arrangement so much that they asked to use it as a starting point for their own version recorded with The Oak Ridge Boys.
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Additional photos
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The crowd was pretty excited for the post-show meet and greet.
