After nearly a year of construction, Westlake High School’s new Carpenter Family Theatre has finally been completed, and it opened with a glitzy gala celebration.

The premiere concert on May 27 featured performances by a variety of school instrumental and choral groups as well as an appearance by Richard Carpenter, whose endowment of $1 million helped immeasurably in the construction of the facility.

The premiere concert was sold out, so Carpenter returned the following Saturday to reprise songs from his segment of the show. He was joined by his daughter Mindi and son Colin. The concert also featured selections by the school’s choral groups and a choreographed retrospective called “American Pop Forever.”

Demolition of the old auditorium and cafeteria began last June. A state-of-the-art sound system, orchestra pit and new, plusher seating— the realization of a 25-year dream of choral director Alan Rose—were unveiled with much pomp and pride, and the glow was still there at the May 29 concert.

Carpenter’s set of nine songs, accompanied by a four-piece band and the school’s vocal ensemble choir, reflected the variety of musical styles heard on radio stations in the 1950s and ’60s. Mindi Carpenter, a senior at Westlake, sang affecting solos on “You Belong to Me” (a hit for Jo Stafford), “The End of the World” (Skeeter Davis) and “Downtown” (Petula Clark), while brother Colin, a freshman, sang Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and joined his father in the Ran-Dells’ novelty song, “The Martian Hop.”

Carpenter brought back memories of his late sister Karen when he performed “Top of the World” and “Yesterday Once More.”

“This only reminds me of how many more yesterdays have accumulated since those days,” Carpenter wistfully told the enthusiastic audience.

For 25 years, Alan Rose has directed Westlake’s choral program, which is divided into a series of groups, from the beginning freshman choir to the more accomplished group, A Class Act. As Rose noted, the progression of abilities is palpable between the rookie and the veteran groups, but all are marked by Rose’s attention to precision, discipline and professionalism.

It is always rewarding hearing any of Rose’s groups perform, and the students’ affection for their director is evident in every show. Songs ranged from Latin prayers to spirituals and modern works. Among the highlights were “Sing for Joy and Clap Your Hands” sung by the women’s chorale, which featured a psalm-like text mixed with visually and aurally appealing choreographed hand claps.

The men’s ensemble sang Randall Thompson’s musical adaptation of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

The school’s vocal ensemble sang Andrea Klouse’s arrangement of Kurt Bestor’s “Prayer of the Children,” written during Yugoslavia’s civil war in the early 1990s. The group also sang Dan Davison’s Spanishflavored “Ritmo,” which featured four-hand piano accompaniment and hand percussion by the choir.

After intermission, the combined choirs performed Mark Brymer’s “American Pop Forever,” a collection of pop hits of every decade from the 1950s and on. The six medley segments featured multiple costume changes and choreography representing each decade performed in show-choir style. Songs in the quickly moving medleys included Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” the Carpenters’ “Close to You” and Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.”

As is Rose’s tradition, the choir closed with “The Lord Bless You and Keep You,” followed by bouquets for the support staff and tears and hugs by the departing seniors.

With schools closing arts programs right and left, it is comforting to know that Alan Rose and his stellar choral program at Westlake High School are not going anywhere anytime soon.