by Jarrett Hoffman
For the West Shore Chorale, composer Dave Malloy is more than just a multiple Tony Award nominee — most recently for his electro-pop opera Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. He’s also a former member of the Chorale and a graduate of Lakewood High School, where his choir director was none other than West Shore’s conductor John Drotleff. The cherry on top? Malloy’s dad now sings in the choir — Drotleff heard him singing karaoke, and said he should try out.
Add all of that together, and it’s hard to imagine a better recipe for the Chorale’s 50th Anniversary Concert than Dave Malloy’s homecoming — and the world premiere of his Dewdrops (A Requiem) under the direction of his former teacher this Sunday, April 29 at 7:30 pm at Magnificat Performing Arts Center in Rocky River.
Dewdrops was commissioned by the Chorale as a companion piece to Mozart’s Requiem. The two works will sit side by side on Sunday’s program, titled “From Mozart to Malloy,” which will feature the West Shore Chorale Orchestra and student singers from West Side high schools.