Singing along with Diana Ross

Nia Mitchell, Asst. Business Manager|September 12, 2018

Aspiring singers dream of  performing alongside an idolized celebrity, but for Diamond Bar High School senior Raeana Wright, that dream became a reality when she performed with Diana Ross at the Hollywood Bowl.

Wright was singing for Fred Martin’s Children’s Choir,  a non-profit organization that exposes young people to performing arts through after-school and in-school programs. Because of the program’s legacy within the industry, the singer-actress  requested that the Fred Martin’s Children’s Choir perform with her during her concert.

“She contacted our group  and asked if we would be interested in performing with her, that’s how we got this amazing opportunity. Everyone in the choir was very excited to be able to take part in this production” Wright said.

Wright said that the due to the magnitude of the production, it took a lot of time, preparation and hard work for everything to come together. There was also a lot of professional help that went into making the performance the best that it could be.

“We rented out a studio and we only had a week’s notice, so it was a lot of all day work, singing and dancing with her which was really exciting,” Wright said.

Ross was not the only big name artist that Wright was able to work with. Debbie Allen, a well-known  director, actress and choreographer, was one of the main dance choreographers for the production.

“Our choreography was with the famous Debbie Allen so there was a lot of working, a lot of blisters, a lot of singing, and practicing every single day,” Wright said.

After an  intense week of preparation, the Hollywood Bowl performance was held June 16.

“At first, I was pretty calm because I was with a large group of people, people who I would consider my family,” she said. “Over time it got worse as I got closer to the stage and I was able to see 17,000 people in front of me, but when I got on stage I felt OK.”

Wright said she gained more than just the experience from the performance.  She was able to learn a few things from Ross other than just how to sing.

“When I first saw her, she had sprained her ankle, and it just really taught me professionalism. She continued the whole performance and outfit changes and everything, so it just taught me to really own it in what I want to do and know how to do it to the best of my ability.”