An elite group of talented singers perform at country clubs, travel the world and regularly take the stage of the Haugh Performing Arts Center.
The Citrus Singers is an audition-only program preparing students for careers as performers, recording artists and educators. Former Citrus Singers perform on Broadway, in film, work as professional vocalists and teach performing arts.
Renee Liskey was a part of the Citrus Singers from 1995 to 1998 and is now the head choreographer.
“The Singers have won numerous awards since its inception in 1968,” Liskey said. “They are the only American choir to win all categories of the acclaimed International Choral Festival in Spitall, Austria.”
Liskey said the singers performed at Super Bowl VII, several Rose Parades, opening days for Dodger Stadium, Ontario Motor Speedway with Diana Ross and at a campaign stop for former President Richard Nixon.”
Many students join the Citrus Singers program because of their passion for performing and thrill of being on stage in front of a live audience.
One of these students is Nicholas Rangel, a current Citrus Singer.
“When performing with my fellow singers, it feels like I’m a part of something bigger than just the song or role I’m partaking in,” Rangel said. “We come together and it’s just a force of energy and talent.”
Attendees coming to see the singers perform might not understand the hard work and energy behind the performance.
Former member Geovanny Lopez was part of the group for four years. He said in an email last spring was his busiest semester.
“Performing with the school’s dance company, rehearsing for Beauty and the Beast, and just started taking photography classes, all while working two part time jobs,” Lopez said. “I was on campus for 63 hours a week.”
Their busy schedule makes managing life difficult for group members.
“Biggest challenge is having to balance a social life without friends and family while keeping up with our workload and strict schedule,” Rangel said.
Another struggle for performers is stage fright. Even the most seasoned performers suffer from the anxiety. Second year Citrus Singer, Jordyn Bristol explains how she overcomes her nerves.
“One way I deal with stage fright is to just take deep breaths and try my hardest to not make eye contact with audience members, as silly as that may sound,” Bristol said. “I also try to get my body moving whether that be jumping jacks or lunges backstage, to get my blood flowing and my adrenaline pumping and try to distract me from any nerves I may have.”
Although primarily a vocal ensemble, Citrus Singers collaborate with the dance and drama departments.
During the holiday season the Citrus Singers perform all over Southern California.
The Singers showcase their combination of singing, acting and dancing skills in a Spring musical, a Pop or Broadway show and a holiday show, “Christmas Is.”
“The busiest season was about 61 performances in 23 days,” Lopez said, and the least being “50 performances in 24 days.”
Citrus Singers raises its money by performing. “As a group we get paid for each booking and it goes toward our tour,” Rangel said.
Members said despite the time commitment, their work pays off when they tour the country in the summer.
Lopez said he was lucky to travel with the group to New York, Berlin, Leipzig, Manila and Beijing.
The Singers perform in Europe and Hawaii every summer since the group was created in 1968.
“Some landmarks (I’ve seen with the Citrus Singers) are the Berlin Wall, the Great Wall of China, and Shanghai Disney,” Lopez said.
Last summer the group traveled to China to perform.
Rangel said the challenges members overcame brought them closer.
“There’s definitely a family-type bond in the group and being together everyday for long hours definitely can get us impatient with one another,” Rangel said, “but we usually can look past the drama.”
“I would be very disappointed if my future kids didn’t grow with some of those people as their crazy uncle (or) aunt,” Lopez said. Bristol agreed.
“I think the thing I love most about being a Citrus Singers is the ability to wake up every day and make music that quickly turns into magic with 44 of my closest friends,” Bristol said.
Members said being a part of the Citrus Singers not only advanced their careers and relationships but also built confidence.
“No matter what I did, or where I where I went, I would say my greatest accomplishment during singers is (that I) was able to overcome my depression and grow into a confident person,” Lopez said. “That, and I also lost about 60 pounds in a year just by dancing so much.”
The Citrus Singers show, “Christmas Is…” opens Saturday, December 1 and runs for two weekends. This summer they will be traveling to both New York and Hawaii.
