The Seaway chorale and Orchestra will celebrate its 40 anniversary at concerts titled “Rhythm of Life” at 7:30 p.m. May 5 and 6 at the Flat Rock Community Auditorium, 14600 Seneca.
More than 60 singers and a pit orchestra will perform hits from productions including “Sweet Charity,” “Annie,” “Les Miserables,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
The featured song from the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” will be “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which won an Academy Award and was recently preserved by the Library of Congress.
It was sung by Judy Garland, who continued singing the song throughout her career.
Voices of the Young, the chorale’s youth group, will perform a toe-tapping number from the musical “Annie” and other selections and will join the adult voices of the chorale in “Les Miserables” and a special medley featuring the organization’s soloists.
The women of the chorale will sing “For Good” from the Broadway hit “Wicked,” and the men will offer “Luck Be a Lady.”
Soloists will include Hannah Pierceall, Lillian Fellows, Aunnabella Brown, Michelle Betway, Jeanne Martin, Carol DeMario, Rosemary Freeman-Thomas, Pat Hanks, Megan Emond Karen Best, Collen Herman and Stephanie Vrabel.
Others are Lin Calkins-Dishaw, Tim Hammar, Ken Pilon, Jerry Burd, Chris Utz, Tom Steadman, Dave Peiffer, Tim Best, Kurt Buker and Sierra Smith.
Audience members will be invited to join the chorale members in singing “Do Re Me” from the “The Sound of Music,” arranged for the Seaway Chorale by director Anthony Lai.
Tickets for adults and seniors are $10 in advance and will cost $12 at the door. Student tickets are $6. To purchase tickets, visit Showtix4u.com, call 734-675-3548 or 734-675-2459 or go to www.seawaychorale.org.
Flea market slated at fort
Opportunities to shop for collectibles and a wide variety of other items and participate in guided tours will be available April 29 and 30 at the Historic Fort Wayne Flea Market.
The event, presented annually by the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 29 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 30 at the fort, at 6325 W. Jefferson at the foot of Livernois in Detroit.
The tours will include the Star Fort, which was built in the 1840s, and the Spanish-American War Guard House. Admission is free, and secured parking will be available for $5 per vehicle. Refreshments will offered for sale.
Additional weekend events planned for this spring are a World War II Weekend, May 6 and 7 that includes the annual Swing Dance Saturday Night on May 6; Civil War Days, June 20 and 11; and Colonial Days, June 24 and 25.
In addition, the “Tours After Dark” series will return on June 18. To make reservations for the special events, go to www.historicfortwaynecoalition.com.
Built in 1884, Fort Wayne was strategically located to protect the Detroit River during a period of tension with the British.
Coming up . . .
April 29 — Dress Up Wine Down charity champagne and wine reception, strolling dinner and runway fashion show; benefit for the Center for Rehabilitation, partnership with Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital; 6 p.m.at Crystal Gardens, located at 16703 Fort St., Southgate; champagne reception, wine tasting and dinner; for tickets, $75, go to www.dressupwinedown.org.
May 5, 6, 7 — Art Ambience 30th Spring Juried Fine Art Show & Sale and Non-Juried Miniature Show & Sale; at the Woodhaven Community Center, 23101 Hall Road; opening reception at 6 p.m.; for more information, call Maureen Keast, 734-777-6109 (mk[email protected]), or Judy Nelms, 734-634-4800 ([email protected]).