Women’s ensemble presents ‘Listen to the Music’

The Citrus College Women’s Ensemble will be performing their annual showcase titled “Listen to the Music” June 15-17 in the Little Theatre.

 

The Women’s Ensemble is directed by Vonetta Mixson, who has been with the group for a year and a half. As a former Citrus Singer, she knows how to lead her performers. 

 

The Women’s Ensemble consists of 22 women and has been performing at Citrus College for 23 years. 

 

They have traveled to San Diego, Palm Springs, the Mexican Riviera, the Bahamas and recently returned from San Francisco, where the group of women performed at Pier 39 and Union Square.

 

The ensemble prefers to perform in church venues for its various events. The group recently did a benefit concert for the City of Hope for cancer research back in May. 

 

“Any type of community event or community organization we try to connect ourselves. The entire department is bent on giving back,” Mixson said.

 

To be ready for all of their performances, the group starts practicing before the semester begins.

 

“We start learning pop show material in January because by the time we start [the spring semester] in February, choreographers need to work with them,” said Mixson. “They cannot learn dance steps before they learn lyrics and music. There has to be a process to this.”

 

Every year the showcase switches between Broadway and pop/rock. This year it will be mainly pop and rock music but other genres will be heard as well.

 

Some of the artists and songs that are being utilized for the performance are “We Will Rock You” by Queen, “Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga and songs by Beyoncé, Cher and Madonna.

 

“I think it is cool performing in front of people you know, but also performing in front of people you don’t know,” said student director Andrea Franco, 19. “For me it’s going out of my comfort zone and showing people who I am.”

 

All of the women enjoy performing, said dance captain Selene Romero, 21: “The feeling of being on stage, the little nervous feeling I get, it makes me really happy to be in front of others.  I could live off that feeling.”

 

The pop show takes place over two acts in the Little Theatre and will utilize special lighting, costumes and dancing.  

 

“The dancing ranges from step touches to advance technical movement,” Romero said. “Some songs are more difficult but just like with our music, it is a big range.”

 

“There are miniature solos throughout the performance,” Franco said. “The cool thing about Women’s Ensemble is that everybody gets a chance to shine and to be heard.”

 

There will be a wide variety of different artists and music genres.

 

“I enjoy a group that has diversity,” Mixson said, “I enjoy a variety of music because that’s my background. It is engrained in me to be versatile.”

 

“It is really young and fresh. We are trying to give you a little bit of everything. It is definitely an eclectic show.”

 

Performances are scheduled June 15 and 16 at 8 p.m., June16 and 17 at 2 p.m. and June 17 at 7 p.m. in the Little Theatre.

 

Purchase tickets at the box office or online at www.haughpac.com. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors.