WABI advances School of Performing Arts benefit concert
WABI (Channel 5) reported on the third annual School of Performing Arts (SPA) Fundraiser Pops Concert, “Astonishing! The Songs and Stories of Broadway’s Best,” set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Collins Center for the Arts. The event will feature a 50-member student, faculty and alumni orchestra, as well as 30-plus vocalists, performing selections from Broadway musicals. “There’s a lot of students singing in this show that have never gotten to sing on a stage like at the Collins Center or with an orchestra. So just seeing the rush and seeing them kind of embrace that experience is really, really, I hope impressive,” said Ben McNaboe, a UMaine graduate student in music education who is the show’s music director and conductor. Money raised will help SPA continue to provide high-quality experiences for students seeking to become educators and professional performers as well as increase outreach initiatives throughout the state and region. Tickets are $25 general admission, $12 with a student MaineCard. McNaboe and Alexis Gillis, a soloist in the show, also visited the studios of WLBZ (Channel 2) and WABI (Channel 5) to speak about the concert.