REVIEW: Singers' show will enchant

For college-age students, the intimate staging and short Disney songs from the past 50 years will be familiar and comforting. Some of the show's most heartwarming moments came during its full-company numbers, in which the entire cast stood, sat or kneeled on stage and concentrated on producing beautiful, multilayered harmonies. Especially touching was "Candle on the Water" from Pete's Dragon. Other ensemble numbers were more upbeat, including dancing as well as singing. While the performers executed a neat kick line and some solid jazz squares, these numbers underlined the fact that many of them are primarily singers, not dancers. Among the show's many feel-good numbers, "It's a Small World" stood out, with a multi-lingual presentation of the Disneyland classic. The show's solo numbers, which also ranged from poignant to humorous, reached their best in College junior Mary Hahn's jazzy "He's a Tramp." Disney's darker moments were also well represented. Dressed in sleek black, College juniors Alice Lao and Nancy Dow warned the audience about the evils of 101 Dalmations' Cruella De Ville, and College juniors Priya Dixit and Jennifer Nardozzi hissed with appropriate cat-like arrogance in Lady and the Tramp's "We are Siamese." In their desire for intimacy, the performers repeatedly committed one technical error: they stood at the very front of the stage, a region which was so poorly lit that it cast distracting shadows on their faces. The show was followed by a screening of Mickey Mouse's Christmas Carol. Lend Us Your Ears runs through Saturday in Houston Hall Auditorium at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5, $2.50 for children.

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