The singers of the Virginians, a Richmond-based organization featuring a cappella talent from across the region, will perform their summer concert despite a last-minute venue change as a result of the Kimball Theatre’s closure. Their show, titled “Red, White, Blue and Barbershop Too,” will instead harmonize at the Williamsburg Baptist Church.
Songs include Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” the Beatles’ “Eight Days a Week” and “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.” The chorus will also pay tribute to the armed forces with a special medley.
“It’s a real wide variety,” said chorus member Tom Jordan, of Williamsburg.
The chorus competes at the national level. Members took 2016 off to practice their singing, and in that time the membership increased from 39 singers to 55. Over Memorial Day weekend this year, the chorus won big at the Southern Division Convention for barbershop choruses, where they were named AAA Plateau Champions and placed second overall.
As with many in the rest of the community, the Kimball Theatre’s closing on July 6 caught the chorus off guard.
“That was devastating for us,” Jordan said. “We had to scramble to get a new location.”
Jordan’s church saved the day at the 11th hour. The chorus sang there three times previously. It was an easy, free venue to book, although it lacks some of the Kimball’s amenities, like additional advertising and advanced ticket sales. The church concert will be free; the chorus is encouraging donations.
The chorus is still looking for a venue for its Christmas concerts. Jordan said he’s hopeful that local nonprofit CultureFix’s effort to take over the Kimball from Colonial Williamsburg will prove successful. Then, a new venue would be unnecessary.
Past performances at the Kimball drew crowds of 250 or more. Jordan hopes to capitalize on that momentum at the new location Sunday.
“We’ve had a following for a number of years in the area,” he said. Many of the chorus members have 30 or 40 years of vocal experience. “We’re all volunteers but we take our craft very seriously.”
Birkenmeyer can be reached by phone at 757-790-3029.
Want to go?
The Virginians perform “Red, White, Blue and Barbershop Too” at 3 p.m. Sunday at Williamsburg Baptist Church, 227 Richmond Road. Admission is free; donations are encouraged.
