Name: BarryNet Articles & Reviews Date/Time: 9/18/2019 11:12 PM Subject: Choir takes stage with Manilow, L.A. Philharmonic "Choir takes stage with Manilow, L.A. Philharmonic" by David N. Young Event - News Enterprise, 18 September 2019 Forget the fact that everyone in the Los Alamitos High School Show Choir was not even born when Barry Manilow became a superstar songwriter and performer, it was sheer musical harmony when they got the chance to perform on the big stage with him, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. “It was a super fun night,” said Michelle Samuelson, a parent of one of 60 members of the famed Show Choir to appear recently with Manilow at the Hollywood Bowl. Manilow, she said, is a “great entertainer,” [and] was gracious and even self-deprecating. “I know my music will around forever,” she remembers the 76-year-old icon telling the audience, “as long as there are dentist offices and elevators.” She said for many performers, just one of these three things would be a lifelong dream: perform at an iconic venue, sing with a legendary singer-songwriter, or be accompanied by world-renown philharmonic orchestra. Yet, the members of Los Alamitos High School (LAHS) Show Choir had an opportunity to do all three in one weekend, she said. On Sept. 6 and 7, students were invited on stage with Barry Manilow, accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl. She said approximately 60 students who are members of Sound FX, the Advanced Mixed Choir, and several members of Soundtrax, the Advanced Women’s Choir, performed at the sold-out event. “This might be a treasured memory for these dedicated and talented young artists,” said Samuelson. In the weeks before the Manilow event, Samuelson said the students rehearsed the songs under Moellenkamp’s and Associate Director Moana Dherlin’s direction. At the Hollywood Bowl, they learned the choreography and music from Manilow’s back-up singer, Kye Brackett, she said. Students were delighted when they had a chance to go backstage at the Bowl and talk with some of the members of the LA Philharmonic.