Starting on Thursday, February 21st and running through Saturday, February 23rd, the Uptown Music Collective will bring its new show, Women of Pop: 21st Century Divas, to the Community Theater League in Williamsport for their now yearly three-night /four performance stand. This exciting performance will feature the music of outstanding female artists, including Adele, Alicia Keyes, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Rhianna, and more, brought to life by the school’s talented performers in the intimate setting of the CTL. This show is sponsored in part by M&T Bank & The Hartman Group.

Although the word today is often used in a negative way, a “diva” is traditionally a celebrated female singer and a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, film and popular music. “In the world of popular music, women took the mantle of leadership in the late ’90s and have reigned supreme in that world to the current day,” said Uptown Music Collective Executive Director, Dave Brumbaugh. “This concert will showcase our talented female vocalists delivering powerful performances on hit song after hit song by some of the most important female vocalists of the last eighteen years”.

Women of Pop: 21st Century Divas is based around the music of three wildly popular artists. Alicia Keys was composing songs by age 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Columbia Records. Her first album, Songs in A Minor, was critically and commercially successful. That success was soon followed by The Diary of Alicia Keys in 2003 which won four Grammy Awards. Today she is considered a musical icon of the first order and was named by Billboard as the top R&B artist of the 2000s decade. Adele’s debut album “19” brought her a Grammy for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2009. She then took the world by storm in 2012 with her enormously popular second album “21”, which sold over 31 million copies. Beyoncé first found success as a member of the vocal group Destiny’s Child in the 1990s. In the years since she has found success in both Film, and as a performer earning five Grammy awards for her first album “Dangerously in Love”, and continuing that success selling over 100 million records as a solo artist and being named the Top Radio Songs Artist of the Decade and Top Female Artist of the 2000s decade in 2009 by Billboard. Other artists to be featured in this epic performance will by Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Jessie J. and more.

“This performance is a labor of love for our core group of female vocalists,” said Brumbaugh. “For many, it’s a dream come true to have the opportunity to bring this music to the stage, and the intimate environment of the Community Theater League is the perfect venue for this powerful, entertaining and highly emotional performance. Get your tickets early, even though there are four shows, it’s a small theater and the seats sell out fast.”

Women of Pop: 21st Century Divas will feature Collective students who have been diligently preparing for this event for over two months. Along with the live music, there will be a professional grade light and sound show organized by the students themselves. As with all Uptown Music Collective performances, the students are not only the performers but also direct the show. There is also a group of younger students, called “Tech Monkeys” who will serve as stage technicians. The cast for the show is drawn from the Uptown Music Collective’s much heralded Special Performance Group 1.

This show is produced by UMC Alum, Alexis Best and is directed by Uptown Music Collective Seniors, Alexis Carnevale (WAHS) & Shayne Williams (WAHS), along with a leadership committee that includes UMC students Leah Batman, Tate Berkey (Danville Area H.S.), Izzy Brumbaugh (WAHS), Molly Chapman (Montoursville Area H.S.), Andrew Head (Montoursville Area H.S.), Cece Lutz (WAHS), Cade Palmatier (Jersey Shore H.S.), Kenni Powell (Jersey Shore H.S.), Julia Sauers, and Eli Wilk (WAHS).

“I’ve known this music since I was a little girl,” says Women of Pop Director, Alexis Carnevale. “It makes me extremely excited that I get to direct this show and turn it into what I always dreamed it could be. The Collective has opened my ears to a ton of different music and I have loved every show we have done, but now that it’s the music I used to sing at the top of my lungs in the back of the car as a little girl, it holds a special place in my heart.”

Additional sponsors for this performance include The Gaetano Family, Le Jeune Chef, Jeff & Crissy McGinness, The Lockard Agency, and FASTSIGNS. Media sponsors include Lamar Advertising, NorthCentralPa.com, The Graphic Hive, and Backyard Broadcasting. Tickets for the performance are $20.00 for adults and $15.00 for students. Tickets are available exclusively at the Community Theatre League Box Office by calling 570-327-1777 or by visiting www.ctlshows.com. For other details about the show visit uptownmusic.org or call 570-329-0888. Also, check out Collective’s official Facebook page, as well as other Collective social media outlets for teasers, previews, behind the scenes info and more from the performance.