Alexandrians gather for a musical blast from the past

From left to right, Katie Gearty, Colleen Raye and Debbie O’Keefe strike a pose on the Performing Arts Center stage Friday, May 7. The three performed hit songs from the 1960s. (Jasmine Johnson / Echo Press)

By Jasmine Johnson

May 07, 2021 at 8:37 PM

Bright flower cutouts lined the Alexandria Area High School Performing Arts Center stage. Spectators found their seats and murmurs filled the auditorium, as “Both Sides Now” played in the background.

One attendee bounced a child on her knee, and another made a quick FaceTime video call before the lights dimmed.

Alexandria Public Schools Community Education hosted a “Sirens of the 60s” concert Friday, May 7.

Katie Gearty belts out lyrics to a 1960s hit song. She performed a "Sirens of the 60s" show with Colleen Raye and Debbie O’Keefe in Alexandria Friday, May 7. (Jasmine Johnson / Echo Press)

Singers Colleen Raye, Debbie O’Keefe and Katie Gearty performed a variety of hits from female artists of the decade, quizzing the audience between musical numbers. It was the group’s first time performing in front of a live audience in over a year.

The three featured singers such as Dionne Warwick, Cass Elliot, Marilyn McCoo, Lesley Gore, Barbra Streisand, Petula Clark and Shirley Bassey.

Debbie O’Keefe (right) and Colleen Raye gesture toward the audience while singing "I Say a Little Prayer" by Dionne Warwick. The two, along with Katie Gearty, held a concert at the Performing Arts Center Friday night. (Jasmine Johnson / Echo Press)

By Jasmine Johnson

Jasmine Johnson joined the Echo Press staff in May 2020 as a general assignment reporter. She grew up in Becker, Minn., and later studied journalism and graphic design at Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minn.

Alexandrians gather for a musical blast from the past

Alexandria Public Schools Community Education event highlights hits from the 1960s