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Ernie Haase closes PAC season with 'inspirational' set

'The Inspiration of Broadway' takes the stage April 1


March 22, 2016

Katherine Fallon
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    Ernie Haase has been a full-time professional singer in a gospel quartet for 29 years. He performed for years with The Cathedral Quartet and, upon their disbanding and retirement, formed his own quartet, Signature Sound, in 2002. Haase acts as tenor and emcee, accompanied by Dustin Doyle (baritone), Paul Harkey (bass) and Devon McGlamery (baritone lead). 
    Joined by Broadway veteran J. Mark McVey of Les Miserables fame, the gentlemen of Signature Sound became a quintet and set to work transforming classic musical theater for the first time into five-part harmonies. The resulting show, The Inspiration of Broadway, will appear Friday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m., at Georgia Southern University’s Performing Arts Center.
    Signature Sound knew of J. Mark McVey because of his acclaimed performances as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables: McVey has performed the show thousands of times — more than anyone else in the world — and has won multiple awards for his portrayal. Still, Haase wasn’t sure with whom he was speaking when, after a lively Sunday night concert in a gospel church just across the Hudson from Manhattan, an apologetic father approached him. 
    Enthused by Signature Sound’s rendition of “Get Away Jordan” as well as the crowd’s raucous clapping, the man’s two small daughters had, by Haase’s gesture of invitation, danced their way onto the stage during the show. As Haase assured the man that his daughters had been invited onstage, it came to light that he was one of Haase’s favorite Broadway stars. 
     “The show was born out of a dream and a relationship,” said Haase, who in addition to his strong Southern gospel roots, performed in every musical his high school put on. “I’ve been singing ‘Climb Every Mountain’ and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ for years, but I have always wanted to do a bona fide performance of Broadway tunes. When we met J. Mark McVey, the nexus happened.” 
     That fateful night, all five vocalists took a church van to Carmine’s in Times Square, and “shut the place down,” Haase said, “talking, laughing and dreaming until two in the morning.” A few months later, as McVey was coming off tour, the show came to life. 
     Since then, in addition to touring, The Inspiration of Broadway has released a CD and DVD (and Haase says to keep an eye out in the future for Volume 2). 
     The Inspiration of Broadway is not your standard showtunes review. Featured songs were originally written primarily for soloists, with “maybe a chorus,” Haase said, “but this the first time these songs have been done in five-part harmony, creating a really rich, lush sound.” 
     Although the songs do feel different in five-party harmony, The Inspiration of Broadway doesn’t “lose the character and intent of the writing,” said Haase. Rather, the harmony “takes it to another level.” 
     The five-part vocals are further complemented by a live bass guitarist and pianist, as well as supplemental soundtracks, which help to create that “full orchestral sound.” Haase, McVey and Signature Sound worked hard to produce a “360-degree experience” in The Inspiration of Broadway, which in addition to sound also features visual effects on screens. “Each song has its own visual context” of both static and motion pictures, Haase explained. 
     Even with multiple sensory components, The Inspiration of Broadway does not overwhelm audiences. “One thing we hear time and time again is that people really are blown away by how we take a big room and make it feel like a small one. They feel wrapped up in the narrative and the songs,” said Haase. 
     Considering how many Broadway musicals there are to cull music from, those narratives and songs were carefully chosen. From “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” to “Get Happy,” “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Seasons of Love,” each selection “speaks to a different aspect of the human experience,” said Haase, adding, “Not only the triumph but also the tragedy.” 
     “Old Man River,” for instance, touches on racial prejudice, and South Pacific’s “You Have to be Carefully Taught” remains relevant in this particular cultural climate, as it reminds us that we “aren’t born with these prejudices,” Haase said. 
     “One of the greatest gifts America has given to the world are these songs from the American musical theater,” said Haase, who is excited about the group’s upcoming performance at his own high school. Haase, McVey and Signature Sound want to “reintroduce [these songs] to a whole new generation, in a way that they have never been heard before.”
     “Not many shows can keep kids engaged that do not irritate older generations,” said Haase. “This is a show that appeals not only to the older generations that remember these musicals, but to the kids, too.” 
     So bring the whole family to see The Inspiration of Broadway, suggested Haase. “Make a memory, and an investment in the arts.”

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