When Dan Kehoe moved to North Carolina in 2017, he took his Around Town Singers franchise with him. But the original group of enthusiasts here didn’t want to let the idea go, so they renamed themselves Around Town Two and have continued successfully with many of the same great voices, led by Jenn Jarvis.
Their “Gazing at the Stars” dinner cabaret concert in Father Ted Hall on April 26 included a surprise extra: Jenn and several from here had gone South last summer to share in one of Dan’s Around Town Singers concerts in Clayton, N. C., so this time Dan came north to join Around Town Two, bringing with him three members from Clayton. The combination worked well.
Father Ted Hall had been provided with colorful stage lights (actually down on the floor close to the tables), and after a fine dinner, Dan spoke a bit about his group in the South. Then, Jenn introduced the music: a full program with over two dozen numbers in many combinations of the singers.
She was part of the “Thank You for the Music” opener, along with Sue Romano, Darlene and Emily Fabrisi, and Marge Stepansky. Most of the pieces were great old favorites, including Roy Craig’s “Unchained Melody,” and Donna Swols’s “Melody of Love.” Among the best were Jenn, Donna, and Darlene’s “The Rose” and a duet by Karen Hall and Cody Schneider from the Clayton group singing “Heavenly Days.” Darlene’s memorable “Something That We Do” was downright beautiful. There was a nice message in Dave Marti’s sweet solo, “Angels Among Us.” Dan provided a good deal of the piano accompaniment, helped by a small orchestra. The program closed with the entire group offering an excellent “Seven Bridges Road.” It was an enjoyable evening.