Imagine leaving the busy streets of New York City to enter a large, fancy theater presenting one of the classic Broadway musicals. As you sit in your $100 seat, you enjoy the thrilling songs and dances performed on the stage. This may be one of the only times you will get to enjoy such a wonderful experience because of the high price of the tickets or the inconvenience of the location.

But there are thirty BYU students who travel throughout the world to present the Broadway experience to people who will never make it to the Great White Way. These students, the BYU Young Ambassadors devote a few hours every day to perfecting a performance that will be shared all over the world in the coming year.

Over the past thirty-four years, the Young Ambassadors have traveled to more than fifty-six countries, including China, Japan, Brazil, and many more. These students love to entertain, but more importantly they wish to share the message of virtue and morality in today’s world through their clean and modest performances. The musical scope they cover is awe-inspiring to viewers everywhere, as the talents of these young people are showcased in a most impressive manner.

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The program that was recently performed at Brigham Young University was “Broadway Rhythms.” You can purchase a CD of their music by clicking here.

Combining incredible talents in singing, acting, and dancing, the Young Ambassadors’ performance was a wonderful tribute to some of the most beloved Broadway songs of all time. Included in the program are songs from popular musicals such as Les Misérables, West Side Story, and Phantom of the Opera. Broadway hits from famous musicals such as these were expertly blended with less well-known but equally enjoyable classics such as I Got Rhythm and Swing.

Throughout the ninety-minute performance, the tempo of the music varied from fast paced songs that energized the audience and got their feet-tapping and hands-clapping, to slower songs that allowed the audience to relax and enjoy the beauty of the singing. A crowd favorite was the energetic "Come On, Everybody" from All Shook Up, which featured a bunch of giggling girls swooning over an Elvis character. Both the confident vocals as well as the high energy of the performance greatly showcased the talent of the Young Ambassadors.

Another crowd favorite, "Phantom of the Opera," testified of the diversity of talent among the performers. Rather than rocking musical vocals, this number contained difficult operatic elements including an incredibly challenging high note that impressed the audience with the singer’s perfect pitch. The vocals continued to amaze the audience throughout the entire thirty-two-song performance.

Other highlights included the jazzy “Sing, Sing, Sing” from the musical Swing, which combined thrilling vocals with an animated tap-dance routine.

Whether they preferred the heartfelt lyrics of West Side Story, the operatic sounds of Phantom of the Opera, the jazzy tunes of Swing, or the ethnic beats of The Lion King, the audience left the Young Ambassador performance impressed by the talent of the young performers.

In 2007 thus far, the Young Ambassadors have toured the Pacific Northwest in February and have also performed at BYU in March. A viewer who saw the performance in Denver said, “I am amazed at how incredibly talented those kids are, and the great variety of songs and dances that they did. I was never bored during the performance; it was just so fast-moving and kept me completely interested the whole time.”

In May, the Young Ambassadors’ will continue to share their talents in China. There they will perform for three weeks, visiting the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Najing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. They will perform in a broad range of venues ranging from the Beijing Arts Festival to schools and orphanages.

Reflecting their upcoming trip to China, "Broadway Rhythms" includes the song "Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music — which is a favorite musical number among the Chinese. The song is sung partly in its original form as well as partly in Chinese.

As the first BYU performance group to enter the Peoples’ Republic of China, the Young Ambassadors in 2007 will continue their mission of proclaiming "a message calling for friendship and understanding" as well as "the ever-present need for values in today’s world."

Information about up shows, tours, and the Young Ambassadors in general can be found at the Young Ambassador Site (http://music.byu.edu/ya/).