Detroit Youth Choir makes Orchestra Hall debut Sunday with Broadway star LaChanze
Melody BaetensThanks to the support received on "America's Got Talent," the Detroit Youth Choir has performed for millions of households nationwide on prime time television.
Their run on the NBC reality competition in 2019 and earlier this year doesn't make this Sunday's hometown concert at Orchestra Hall any less special, however.
"This going to be our first time on stage at Orchestra Hall ... it's going to be huge," said DYC's musical director Anthony White. The groups will perform the uplifting songs that they're known for, plus pop songs they've performed on "America's Got Talent." The DYC came in second place on the show in 2019 and also made it to the final group in the most recent season, "America's Got Talent: All Stars."
"We're going to be doing our new AGT music 'Thunder' by Imagine Dragons and 'Hey Look Ma, I Made It' by Panic! at the Disco," said White. "And then we're going to be doing some Negro spirituals and some Broadway tunes."
The choir's two-hour show will feature Broadway singer LaChanze. She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Leading Roll for he portrayal of Celie Harris Johnson, and on Sunday she's expected to perform several big numbers including "I'm Here."
The Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship is a partner in the concert, and because of support from the Skillman Foundation and the Detroit Pistons, all proceeds from the show will benefit the choir.
White says that while the whole experience of being on "America's Got Talent: All Stars" was "magnificent," it was a different type of atmosphere than in 2019.
"We were able to meet a lot of people from different nationalities and countries, whereas before it was just little old DYC from Detroit," he said. "It was a great experience and the kids really learned a lot. It changed some of their live. It really showed what the Detroit Youth Choir is really made of."
He said that by holding their own on a national stage and winning the hearts of notoriously tough judges like Simon Cowell, they should be an institution in their own city.
Being on television and going far in a competition doesn’t guarantee instant success and solve all problems, however. That's why Sunday's program is a fundraiser for the DYC and the launch of the sustainer program Friends of Detroit Youth Choir.
"We need funding constantly," said White, adding that the organization has insurance and rent to pay, among other expenses. "The Friends of DYC is put in place to have ongoing, monthly or weekly sponsorships and donations sent to the organization so we can move forward."
"We are a youth organization, we are not just a choir," he added. "This is a youth organization geared toward enriching young people in the performing arts. The kids literally learn how to be performers and artists in our organization."
Young people who want to be apart of the choir should visit the website for details on auditions and registrations. White says they aren’t overwhelmed with fresh talent wanting to join the group, but they get a good amount of interest.
“We get a good 30 or 40 every audition period,” he said. “Every year we graduate 10-15 young people, so every year we want to bring in at least 40-50 kids to replenish each choir so we can sustain the organization.”
The level of interest may ramp up later this year, however, when the DYC is the subject of an unscripted, six-episode docuseries on Disney+ called "Choir." The show follows the DYC as they take the journey to perform at Carnegie Hall, which they did last summer.
According to Deadline, "Choir" is the first original series order at Disney+ for Blumhouse Productions, which has produced the films "Whiplash" and "BlacKkKlansman" and several horror titles.
"(Disney) is going to take it to the next level," said White. "What other youth choir in the country have a docuseries made by Blumhouse? It's crazy. The crew that filmed became like family to us ... they were just hanging out in rehearsal, hanging out at Carnegie Hall with us."
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mbaetens@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @melodybaetens
Detroit Youth ChoirFeaturing LaChanze and emcee Josh Landon
5-7 p.m. Sun.
Orchestra Hall
3711 Woodward, Detroit
Tickets: $35-$100