"One, two, three — Yeeha!"
During rehearsal sessions over the past weeks, Central High School choral director Jeff Cobb ushered students through pop, rock, show and country tunes — a typical range of entertainment showcased every year at Rendezvous at the Jazz Club.
Cobb's vocal students singly, in small groups and in larger ensembles will present an eclectic, high-energy show that features music, dancing and singing this Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at the school. Each evening will feature a different mix of numbers while Saturday night's line-up will be an encore of senior acts from the first two nights.
The school's Choral-Airs, Vocal Majority, Bel Cantos, Men of Note and Concert Choir groups break out of their usual classical repertoire and sing tunes from artists as diverse as N Sync to Johnny Cash, Earth, Wind and Fire to Irving Berlin. Two students — junior Adam Begley and senior Kristin Farley — will present original compositions.
"Rendezvous is my favorite thing to do, it's all about audience reactions," said Farley, who will perform in her third one this weekend. "This year is going to be the best yet."
This year's Rendezvous 9 — for the ninth annual event — is packed with movement as singers bring lyrics to life with stylized moves. The Concert Choir will present "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, featuring choreography by Sarah Lowe, an instructor at The Dance Center. In another number, "Dancing Fool," senior Madison Ford jitterbugs at top speed with juniors Amanda Geha and Katie Sommerville and sophomore Julia Krueger.
The variety of songs and styles his students brought to an eight-hour "audition marathon" a few weeks ago pleased Cobb.
"We usually have 50 different acts and this year we had 75 audition," said Cobb. "This year we've got a special group of kids."
Every year, Rendezvous at the Jazz Club includes more than the vocal talent of the school. Musicians from the school's bands and orchestras pitch in to form the Rendezvous Big Band and Rendezvous Strings. A nine-piece brass section and three percussion players will share the stage with two string players and guitarists, keyboard player and a bass guitar player. Cobb, on the grand piano, keeps everything moving.
"It's gets us away from classical type of music and it's different from jazz band, which we don't have this year," said Cora Bye, a senior saxophone player in the Rendezvous Big Band. "It's fun to play with the singers because everything comes together and it's exciting."
Rendezvous also gets an assist by members of the school's sound production class, who built and painted platforms and assembled risers. These students also set up and ran the wiring for more than 42 microphones and seven monitors; they will preside over the organized chaos of equipment during the show.
Cobb notes every year how Rendezvous draws audience members from beyond the Central High School music community, making the Jazz Club the highlight of a packed performing year — for attendees and performers alike.
"It's just really cool to see all your friends singing, not just choir songs but stuff that they really like," said Josh Mellinger, a senior who will play drums in his first Rendezvous.
Rendezvous 9 at the Jazz Club will be held in the Central High School auditorium. The show will run on Thursday, May 18, Friday, May 19, and Saturday, May 20. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students; they are available at the Central High School box office or by calling 933-3573.