Staff Report

GALLIPOLIS - French Colony Chorus will open Tuesday's premiere evening presentation of Ohio Chautauqua in the big striped tent at Gallipolis City Park.

An evening of free entertainment and education will begin shortly after 6:30 p.m., when the local chapter of Sweet Adelines International will feature their performance of four-part acapella harmony barbershop style, a uniquely American art form that is now popular around the world. The variety of songs spans decades and genres of musical styles that always entertain a wide audience.

The French Colony Chorus will precede a historical reenactment of highlights in the life of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell by Michael A. Hughes. A hallmark of Chautauqua presentations, current historians assume the persona of a famous or lesser known figure who has affected our lives. By speaking and acting as though they are those real characters, they bring to life the thoughts, words and actions of the persons behind the names learned in history classes.

The characters for succeeding evenings will include African American inventor George Washington Carver, industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, champion of black education Mary McLeod Bethune, and Ohio inventor Thomas Edison.

Ohio Chautauqua will take place in the Gallipolis City Park on July 15-19 with programs set to begin at 7:30 p.m. each night. In case of inclement weather, evening performances will be held in the Ariel Theatre.

The Bossard Memorial Library will be hosting youth and adult workshops to coincide with the event, with youth programs at 10:30 a.m. and adult programs at 2:30 p.m. each day.

All programs are free and open to the public.

The French Colony Chorus will also headline the show, “Under the Boardwalk”, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Ariel Theatre. A montage of 50s and 60s music, the show will feature a men's barbershop chorus, The Thundertones, and several quartets from both choruses. Tickets for the show and an afterglow celebration of barbershop music are available locally.

For more information about the chorus performances, contact Bev Alberchinski at 446-2476 or Suzy Parker at (740) 992-5555. Ohio Chautauqua 2008 is sponsored and presented by the Ohio Humanities Council.