Diana and Joe Arlt began the month-to-month Showcase of Expertise to reveal native expertise and contribute to scholarships for deserving younger performers.
Each objectives have been met Friday evening on the La Hacienda Recreation Middle. A various mix of Villages’ singers carried out nation songs. Extra importantly, the Arlts donated $1,800 to the Opera Membership of The Villages.
An identical donation was made to The Villages Jazz Membership. For the reason that begin of the Showcase of Expertise almost 9 years in the past, the Arlts have raised almost $100,000 for native music scholarships.
“We’ll do no matter we will to assist younger individuals in music,” Diana Arlt stated.
“This implies lots to us,” stated Pearl Kosa, co-chair of the scholarship committee for the Opera Membership. “We’re serving to younger individuals observe their goals.”
Joe Arlt, proper, and his spouse Diana introduced a donation to Pearl Kosa of The Opera Membership of the Villages
The showcase, nevertheless, isn’t just for younger expertise. Villagers in music have discovered a significant performing useful resource doing the showcases.
“We wish to preserve reside music alive in The Villages,” she stated. “Once I began out right here 19 years in the past, it was laborious to have an opportunity to sing in entrance of a crowd. We wish to give our native expertise an opportunity to indicate what they’ll do. And it’s been an excellent alternative for them.”
Georgianne Hill sang a Barbara Mandrell tune known as “Years.”
Georgianne Hill took benefit of her alternative singing a Barbara Mandrell quantity, “Years.” Hill introduced emotional energy to the tune. The identical might be stated for Lea Howard’s “Two Sparrows in a Hurricane,” initially finished by Tanya Tucker.
Joe Di Leo revved up the gang with a deep and spicy tackle Josh Turner’s “Your Man.” Frank Marchitelli made like Merle Haggard on “Ramblin Fever.”
Joe Di Leo captured the gang together with his model of “Your Man.”
BJ Odendahl kicked some life into Patsy Cline’s “Again In Child’s Arms” whereas Dee Hart adopted that with “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.”
The Expertise Showcase is greater than songs. A few dance troupes kicked up their nation heels. The Off Broadway Gamers wore blue and white outfits dancing to “Nation Woman,” whereas the Elegant Dazzlers sparkled on “Cowboy Casanova.”
The Elegant Dazzlers had a hoedown on the tune “Cowboy Casanova.”
Michael and Rena Bonczek — often called Sizzle — had some enjoyable whereas dancing and singing “He Drinks Tequila.” Talking of consuming, Oscar Lovering was toting a beer can throughout his quantity, “Fairly Good At Consuming Beer.”
Tony Violanti covers arts and music for Villages-Information.com. He was inducted into the Buffalo NY Music Corridor of Fame as a music journalist.