Electric Youth (EY) 2015, the international touring ensemble of talented singer-dancers trained at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA), will debut at THE BLACK BOX in downtown Franklin on Saturday, January 10, performing two shows at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m.
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| Electric Youth is pictured in Todi, Italy during the group's 2014 summer concert tour of Austria and Italy |
Selected annually by audition, the group is chosen for superior musicianship, stage presence, and triple threat accomplishments in voice, dance, and acting. This season’s ensemble of performers, ages 14-17, studies multiple dance disciplines, voice, and acting at FSPA. Electric Youth 2015 includes Adriane D’Amato of Foxboro; Madison Asgeirsson, Kendra Dombroski, Shaina McGillis, Lauren Szczepanowski and Melissa Wyner of Franklin; Michael Fajardo of Hopkinton; Sam Evans of Medfield; Maddy Williams of Medway; Katie Gray of Milford; Kylee Rollins of North Attleboro; and Jenna McDermott of Wrentham.
The EY singer-dancers are backed by Boston musicians who’ve performed, recorded and toured with such music legends as Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, Diana Ross, The Temptations and Van Morrison.
“The band that tours with EY really raises the level of experience for our singer-dancers and audiences alike,” says Director Raye Lynn Mercer. “These musicians have performed with A-list entertainers, and the music is first-rate. The arranging team for Electric Youth, including several of the band members, writes custom arrangements for EY that allow the group to take classic songs and make them their own.”
EY’s show band features Kenny Hadley on drums, Arnie Krakowsky on tenor saxophone, Artie Montanaro on trombone, Walter Platt on trumpet, Mark Poniatowski on bass, Ken Reid on baritone saxophone, Mark White on guitar and Mercer on piano. Under the direction of Mark Poniatowski, musical arrangers for Electric Youth are Rick Hammett, Jeff Perry, Walter Platt, Poniatowski, Mark White and Ben Whiting. Choreographers include Mercer, Casey Andrade, Cheryl Madeux, Nick Paone and Kellie Stamp.
Electric Youth has released six professional albums and toured Europe 11 times, with performances at England’s Arundel Festival, Disneyland Paris, professional theaters in Bristol, London and Windsor, and such renowned venues as Sanremo’s Ariston Theatre and Vienna’s Konzerthaus, Musikverein and Schonbrunn Palace. EY has also headlined Fourth of July shows for U.S. troops and their families stationed in Italy at Camp Ederle, Camp Darby, and Aviano Air Force Base.
The ensemble has performed on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, on Fox-TV and WBZ Radio, and at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium, Mechanics Hall, the Smithsonian Museum Theater and the United Nations. EY’s music, including the 2014 album, Power Chord, is available at amazon.com and iTunes. Electric Youth 2015 will tour England and France this summer.
Tickets for Electric Youth In Concert at THE BLACK BOX are $26, with $18 tickets available for children 12 and under at the first show only. Tables may be reserved for larger parties of 8 and 12. To purchase tickets, visit www.theblackboxonline.com, stop by the box office at 34 Main Street in Franklin, or call (508) 528-3370.
THE BLACK BOX is located at 15 West Central Street in downtown Franklin. Light pub fare and cash bar are available. For more information about Electric Youth, visit www.electricyouth.com.
