Oakland Symphony Chorus provided support for the OEBS in a concert performance of Showboat.

The "concert" version of Showboat, as blessed by the rights holders, is a pretty sterile affair, with a droning narrator and most of the story excised. They've also edited/censored some language to confirm with modern-day political correctness.

OEBS originally planned to do a longer version of the show but this idea was rejected by the rights holders. (Thus the extension of copyright past the deaths of the creators of a work impoverishes humanity.)

As a result, one of the most enjoyable aspects of this concert was listening to Micheal Morgan snark at the piece as it stands - not just during rehearsals but also in front of the audience in performance. I think the audience enjoyed the backstory and attitude as much as the music.

The concert was reviewed in 4 publications:

• San Francisco Classical Voice
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Contra Costa Times
• Arts Journal