Tie-dyed T-shirts, long hair and fringed vests made a comeback … at least for a few hours this weekend at the Woodstock-themed Concert Under the Stars event. Thousands of friends and supporters of Cal State Fullerton enjoyed an evening of hits from the sixties while raising more than $1.4 million — a record high — for student scholarships and programs.
The annual Concert Under the Stars program got off to a rollicking start with the university’s vocal ensemble, assisted by President Fram Virjee, who launched into a boisterous rendition of “Steal Your Rock-n-Roll.”
Virjee, complete with long hair, a fringed vest, headband and other hippie/rock star garb, welcomed guests to the evening’s show. Accompanied by his wife, Julie, he even sang a few bars of the Sonny and Cher classic, “I Got You, Babe.”
This was followed by a performance from both the vocal and dance ensembles with a “Dance to the Music” medley featuring such tunes as “Brazil,” “American in Paris,” and “I Could Have Danced All Night.” This was followed by a more introspective set featuring the Hollie’s “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”
From there, the alumni took the stage. Brooke Aston ’02 (B.F.A. theatre arts-musical theatre) Marlene Martinez ‘07 (B.F.A. theatre arts-musical theatre) and Emily Mitchell ‘00 (B.A. theatre arts), along with the Backline Band, dazzled the crowd with “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” “Be My Baby,” ”Son of a Preacher Man,” “Moondance,” “Don’t You Want Somebody to Love,” “Piece of my Heart” and more.
“This is the seventh time I’ve performed at Concert Under the Stars,” Ashton told the crowd. “There’s nothing like being a member of the Titan family. I know what it means to have a scholarship. It takes just a little of the stress off you. So I’m happy to support this event. Because of Cal State Fullerton, I was able to reach higher … and we all know Titans reach higher!”
Other performances that evening included renditions of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Abraham, Martin and John” sung by the University Choir.
The finale, featuring a medley of tunes from “Hair,” showcased the ensemble of student performers with the alumni performers.
As in years past, the festivities culminated in a fireworks display.
