Toasting Tinseltown: Congressional Chorus at Atlas
Congressional Chorus's spring cabaret is a showy spectacle
A decade ago, the Congressional Chorus offered a rather staid cabaret to celebrating Valentine’s Day.
“As far as performance goes, it was pretty straightforward,” says David Simmons, the group’s artistic director. “No costumes, no scenery, no dancing, no memorized musics.”
Bit by bit, Simmons has added all that and more to the organization’s annual spring cabaret. “Every year, the production, and the production values, have just gotten bigger and more elaborate and more complicated,” he says. “We’ve now gone from the initial forty people in the cast, ten years ago, to eighty.” Simmons also added a seven-piece band, a dance troupe and choreographers to stir things up. He’s also added more shows, from the initial Saturday night to a full weekend run — which typically sells out in advance.
The cabaret’s focus has also shifted over the years, from a general love theme to a toast to pop and choral standards from a particular era or decade. This year’s cabaret, , “Tinseltown: A Hollywood Cabaret,” is a love letter to the movies.
“We’ve developed a pretty elaborate set this year,” he says. “It’s actually a very art deco-inspired set from sort of the golden age of Hollywood — black and silver and gold. And all of the music featured in the show is music that became popular because it was featured in a film.”
The cabaret’s songs span nine decades, a range that includes “Over The Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl, and “Let It Go” from Frozen.
The most recent is drawn from just last year — and Simmons says “Glory,” from Selma, will be a particular highlight of the evening. “The arrangement we’re doing of ‘Glory’ is incredibly powerful. Two gospel soloists, and four rappers. It’s quite dramatic.”
The show is “going to be quite a spectacle,” says Simmons. “We purposely tried to program music that would appeal to almost any generation possible.” —Doug Rule
The Congressional Chorus performs Thursday, March 17, through Saturday, March 19, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 20, at 4 p.m., at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. Tickets are $48 for general seats, with tables of six starting at $350. Call 202-399-7993 or visit atlasarts.org.
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