GLENDALE — Changing into a series of different costumes for pop songs and show tunes, Glendale High School's choir wowed the crowd Thursday at the 31st annual "Unconcert."
"I like it," said Ashley Ferrufino, 17, who came to see her friend perform a solo. "It's fun and makes me want to dance."
More than 250 parents and classmates cheered and hollered as the choir sang songs from various movies and musicals, and performed a few pop songs.
The choir will also perform at 7 p.m. tonight. Friday performances usually pack the 1,500-seat high school auditorium, said Grace Sheldon-Williams, the vocal music program director.
Concert organizers named the event in the 1970s after 7UP's "Uncola" soft-drink ad campaigns, Sheldon-Williams said. The unconventional choir performance contrasts with the choir's usual stand-and-sing format, she said.
"I love these more because they're more upbeat and you get to dance to it," said Courtney Williams, 16, who sang lead parts in the first two performances.
About 85 vocal music students started out the evening with the entire cast on stage performing "Be Our Guest" from Disney's "Beauty and the Beast."
The boys dressed as maitre d's with black suits and bowties while the girls dressed as maids, donning black dresses and white aprons.
The students choreographed the choir's arm motions and steps, said a cappella choir president Alex Nagy, 17.
Alex helped choreograph the song "Hakuna Matata" from the Lion King, which involved the boys unsuccessfully courting the girls. The boys then shook off the rejections and moved on — giving meaning to "hakuna matata," which translates as, "no worries."
"It was pretty hard," she said of the choreography.
Coming up with the concepts for the choreography was difficult, but the students who volunteered to create the dances also had to teach the rest of the choir how to perform them, Alex said.
"The hard part was getting people to learn it and pay attention," she said.
The students have been working heavily on the show since the beginning of the month, said Tracey Awad, 17, who is the choir vice president. Weekends and two Monday holidays have been devoted to working on the show, she said.
"This is more exciting and most kids like this the best," Tracey said, comparing this concert to the other concerts the group performs. "This is why they join choir."
Tracey said that the audience seems to prefer the "Unconcert."
"They don't come to the other ones," she said.
Many of the freshman performers were new to the 31-year-old show, like Mircea Tala, 14.
"Yeah, I'm nervous," he said. "I'm twitching. My hands are freezing right now — just very emotional."
