By Debbie Ditton
Voice Male’s Christmas concert is a fun-filled, family-friendly evening of comedy and great acapella singing. Started in 1994 by a group of friends attending Utah State University, Voice Male is in its 25th year bringing people together through the joy of music. Although the group’s six members are now spread from Lehi, Utah to Idaho Falls, ID, and they now have careers and families of their own, they still perform all over the West to packed houses full of fans, both old and young. Their harmony is tight, and it is obvious to the audience that their friendship is even tighter.
If you have never been to a Voice Male concert, you may be surprised by their friendly banter, occasional “dad-jokes,” references to their missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and rubber duckies flying onto the stage, but you will soon feel like one of the family and will put a reminder in your phone to bring a duck to their next concert. Although this is a Christmas concert, there are a few songs they perform at every concert that are obvious audience favorites and have been part of their concerts for many years.
The program has a nice mix of seasonal songs as well; beautiful favorites (“Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”), funky renditions of well-known seasonal tunes (‘Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer”) and creative new arrangements (“I Saw Three Ships”) with sophisticated harmonies (“Joy to the World”) and witty lyrics (“Tracting in a Winter Wonderland”). The vocals are expertly mixed by Bodie Brower, who also does their graphic design, and the fun concert-style lighting is designed by Kenneth Bell of Magic Productions.
The voices in the group are as diverse as the personalities and make for glorious harmonies and fun onstage chemistry. Richard McAllister (High Tenor) floats on the high notes and brings down the house in the encore number, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” He also has some witty one-liners and is quick with the zingers. Mike Bearden (Second Tenor) takes the lead on many of the songs and has great vocal style and some cool dance moves. He wrote “Fly Reindeer Fly,” which was one of my favorite songs of the night. John Huff (Baritone) sings higher than most of the baritones I know, never holds still and loves to take the stage. His vocals rock and his body does too. His energy is contagious, and the audience loves him. Rick Murdock (Baritone) has a rich, smooth sound, and although calmer in demeanor, is very clever. I love his rich vocals in “Oh Holy Night” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
The great bass voice of Mike Willson is present throughout the evening and his dry sense of humor is as well. He is fabulous in “Mr. Bass Man,” when he rumbles the bottom note and shakes the theatre and he makes a great straight-man for some of the evening’s funniest jokes. Lastly, the vocal percussion of founder John Luthy, is amazing. Not only can he ‘beat those drums,’ but he has a voice that croons like Bing Crosby. Wait until you hear him sing “White Christmas”. He is the heart of the group, keeps the show moving, and reminds the audience that Christmas is a time to celebrate love, family and a baby in a manger.
If you missed Voice Male in Logan, you still have three chances to see their Christmas concert. They will be in Ogden, Lehi and Salt Lake City over the next five days, so go to their website and get your tickets before they are gone. This is a perfect show for families, and with a 7:00 PM start, the little over 2-hour run time will get you home before it is too late. Oh, and don’t forget to bring a rubber ducky.
Voice Male Christmas
Friday, December 14, 2018 7:00 PM
Ellen Eccles Theatre, 43 South Main Street, Logan, UT 84332
$10, $18, $21
Contact: 435-752-0026
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