“Do you hear the people sing?”
That’s one of the songs from the popular musical, Les Miserables, and popular Broadway musicals is the theme of the upcoming concert by The Augusta Broadway Singers (TABS). TABS was started in June 2013 by Les Reagan, who had been involved in theatre for years. He started the group because he wanted to spend more time with theatre people.
“We start staging, every gets a chance to forget all the music,” Reagan said. “I wanted to spend some time with theatre people and get used to listening to each other and learning a little bit about music, those that were not educated in music. So, we started, and I called a bunch of people said, hey let’s get together, we’re not doing a show right now. We held five rehearsals and after the third one I was like, I think this could be something. “
When the group first started, there were 19 people involved and now the upcoming concert on Oct. 25 will have 57 performers, he said. The group does three to four concerts a year and the one next month is one he’s wanted to do for a while.
“This is a program I’ve wanted to do, Broadway blockbusters, kind of the big names, “Phantom of the Opera,” we do things from that,” Reagan said. “We’re doing some things from “Dear Evan Hansen,” which is another big show that was on Broadway. I’m doing a piece from “Hello Dolly.” I’m doing things from “A Chorus Line,” just big shows that were blockbusters.”
Besides the show in October, the group has a show scheduled for March 28 called “Cole Porter: The Man and His Music.” There are also plans to do a Fourth of July program to celebrate America. There will be a holiday show in December 2025.
TABS is also starting a new, subsidiary group of 18 singers called the Les Reagan singers. They don’t focus on any specific genre of music and will premiere in December. They will have four shows in their season.
“We’ve just continued to grow,” Reagan said. “We’re a different niche in the Augusta area. There’s a choral society, there are show choirs…we’re somewhere in between, we’re not either. We call ourselves a theatrical ensemble.”
As for how Reagan picks the themes of the shows, he said it depends on what is going on at the time.
“A few years ago I did a show called Hope, Happiness and Harmony (which was feel good music)….we just all needed a feel good moment,” Regan said. “I chose music (that made you feel good)…our holiday show is nothing but holiday stuff.”
As for why people should come out to this show, Reagan said it will be a fun night for everyone to hear what they have to offer.
“This concert will be tons of fun, it will be very moving music,” Reagan said. ‘It will be music, I’m going to say 85%-90% is music they would’ve heard of. There may be a song or two, but I do like to try and put something in there and go, that was nice, I didn’t know that piece, what is that from.”
The show will be held in the Hardin Auditorium at the Evans Library on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at tabsaugusta.com.
