SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. - Western Nebraska Community College Performing & Visual Arts program will host its first live performance in over a year with the annual Spring Gala "A Lotta Fight Left in Me."
The 31st Annual Gala, featuring the WNCC Vocal Music program, will be held March 26 and 27 at the Gering Civic Center. Performances and dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. each evening with doors opening for social hour at 6 p.m. For those who prefer to stay home, a livestream of each performance will be available starting at 6:30 p.m., and to-go meals can be picked up at the Gering Civic Center at 6 p.m.
"I have been reflecting on the past year, in which everything has been affected by the pandemic,” WNCC Vocal Music Instructor Dr. Patrick Newell said. "So many of us have lost so much – businesses, jobs, the passing of loved ones, or even just the freedom of travel and spending time together. We’re making progress, but we have to believe in a better future and fight for it. One day last fall, driving through the smoke from the wildfires in Wyoming, the Rachel Platten song came on the radio and I knew that had to be our theme."
WNCC Varsity Vocalise and Collegiate Chorale will perform songs such as "Stronger" from the Broadway Musical Finding Neverland, “A Thousand Years" written for The Twilight Saga, and classical selections by contemporary composers Kyle Pederson and André Thomas. The program will be filled out by soloists from the choirs, and include songs from the Broadway Musicals A Chorus Line, Spring Awakening, and Catch Me If You Can.
The audience is asked to observe social distancing protocols and masking before and after dinner. The choir will be masked during performances, although soloists will be unmasked. This year’s show will be shorter than usual, lasting about an hour, to limit time in the space.
Tickets are on sale now for $30, which include dinner and the show. Meals to-go are $24 and can be picked up at the front entrance to the Gering Civic Center at 6 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by March 25. To purchase tickets or to access the livestream, visit go.wncc.edu/gala21. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the Kelley Bean Box Office at 308.635.6192.