Reflections on Bernstein's MASS

Last weekend, 33 singers from CCW had the performance experience of a lifetime as cast members in The Kennedy Center’s production of Bernstein’s MASS, which first premiered at The Kennedy Center in 1971. Commissioned by Jackie Kennedy, the work blends a variety of classical and popular musical styles with a liturgical mass structure and secular social commentary. This production represented the finale of The Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Season, and was directed by Alison Moritz, choreographed by Hope Boykin, and conducted by James Gaffigan. Will Liverman performed as The Celebrant, and CCW’s singers were featured alongside the Heritage Signature Chorale.


Over the course of two intense weeks of rehearsals, costume fittings, and tech runs, our choristers got a taste of what it’s like to perform in a professional production, working and learning alongside the incredible artists listed above to pull out a sensational series of performances in very little time. 


Reflecting on this experience, Concert Chorus members Evelyn Goldin, who sang one of the solos, and Sophia Kutko say they were “blown away” by their fellow performers, which included “amazing dancers, Broadway actors, classical vocalists,” and so many others. CCW began rehearsing their music on their own first, before joining with these other performers in the days leading up to the MASS performances, and getting placed into these late-stage professional rehearsals required our singers to work hard and show their dedication to this project by doing a lot of memorization and music learning outside of rehearsal; Concert Chorus member Karlo Neumann-Caragol shared how difficult it was to prepare all the music and staging for this production, commenting that he and his fellow choristers “worked very hard” on the music and that it was “quite challenging, but it definitely paid off after performing at The Kennedy Center in front of 2,500 people.”

CCW’s choristers not only learned about what it’s like to be in a professional production through participating in this project, but also a bit about their own capabilities as musicians. Evelyn Goldin and Sophia Kutko described feeling like they “grew as performers in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” developing stage and musical skills while learning from the cast and crew of the MASS. They particularly noted how “under the direction of Alison Moritz and Hope Boykin, we developed our stage presence, using our bodies and faces to communicate with the audience.” Karlo Neumann-Caragol, who sang another of the solos, noted how it helped with his self-confidence when performing, saying, “I think this will help me as a performer because I proved to myself that I was able to get this solo even with all the pressure from having to sing in front of many people. This gives me a little more confidence when I'm singing.” Each of these students also reaffirmed how special this project was to them on a personal level, with Evelyn and Sophia jointly sharing that the “entire experience was surreal, and we will treasure it for the rest of our lives.” Karlo agreed, saying “this performance meant a lot to me,” and that “it felt magical to perform this giant masterpiece” on The Kennedy Center’s stage.


This wasn’t just a special production for CCW’s singers, either. Artistic Director Margaret Nomura Clark shared that our choristers’ “singing, acting and professionalism exceeded my expectations,” and that she is “so proud of each of [them] and will cherish this for the rest of my life.” She credited their dedication and willingness to work hard as crucial to the success of this production, and noted that our choristers also impressed the artistic and administrative professionals working on the MASS, who “remarked on [their] beautiful singing, expressiveness on stage, and professionalism on and offstage.” 


To read about what critics had to say, check out the following links:


  • Broadway World
  • The Washington Post – “An impressive showing was also given by the children’s chorus, especially its three designated soloists: Abraham Latner (who sang the “Prefatory Prayers”), Evelyn Goldin and Karlo Neumann-Caragol (who took on the show-ending “Secret Songs”).
  • Anne Midgette - “The Children’s Chorus of Washington was an ebullient delight…”


We are so deeply proud of our singers, and are so grateful to everyone who came and saw them perform!

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