AURORA - The Morgan Opera House was alive with the sounds of the '60s Friday night as Susan May, voice and piano instructor from Moravia, presented her annual Stars of Tomorrow show in the historic music hall.

For this year's performance, May chose to focus on the '60s with a wide selection of genres such as folk pieces like “If I Had a Hammer” and musical hits of the decade like “I Don't Know How to Love Him” from “Jesus Christ Superstar” and other favorites of the time such as “The Sound of Music,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Oliver.”

May said that she has been hosting these special performances for a number of years, alternating between Willard Chapel in Auburn and the Morgan Opera House.

“We've been doing this since about '98,” May said. “My studio is in Moravia, but I used to live in King Ferry, so I've been connected with the opera house for many years now, and I used to be part of their May Madness, which was in the middle of May, so this seemed like a natural place to have this show.”

Funds raised from Friday night's performance benefit the Morgan Opera House, a much appreciated gesture according to Donna Goddard, a member of the Morgan Opera House programming committee.

“This is a really big show for us,” Goddard said. “And a really nice fundraiser. I think it is a really nice night and it gives all these people the chance to get out and to perform. I think it is really great to be able to have this here.”

May had 25 of her students performing Friday night, ranging from as young as five to adults.

May believes that this is a wonderful opportunity for her students to get out of the studio and put what they have learned into practice, taking the stage in front of a full audience.

“It is a great opportunity for them,” May said. “It takes a lot of guts to get out there on the stage in front of people and perform, it really does and I think they all really love it.”

Among May's students was pianist Allison Giannotta, 12, of Auburn.

Giannotta performed two pieces, a traditional folk song, “Lullaby,” and the traditional sea chantey, “Sloop John B.” made famous by The Beach Boys in the '60s.

Giannotta said that she has been studying with May for the past four years and is no stranger to taking the stage, but that doesn't mean it is easy.

“It is fun,” Giannotta said. “But I do get a little bit nervous, but it is fun and after I'm done playing and I see everybody out there it makes me feel proud to know they liked what I did.”

With so many young performers like Giannotta taking to the stage, Goddad said that the Morgan Opera House made the perfect venue for this kind of performance.

“Children's voices really sound beautiful in here,” Goddard said. “The acoustics in here are really perfect for those kinds of voices.”

Brian Henry, 22, of Auburn had May as a chorus teacher while he was a student in fifth grade at Herman Elementary School. Now grown and studying music at Fredonia, Henry said that he was interested in studying with May again.

Friday night, Henry performed “Where is Love?” and, along with Callie Goss and Jessica James, “Consider Yourself,” both from “Oliver.”

“I started taking voice lessons with her (May) and she said that she was putting me in the show,” Henry said. “And that I would be performing with Callie and Jess. But it is a lot of fun, it is fun to be able to get up here and perform in front of other people.”

“I'm really proud of all of them,” May said. “It is great to see them get up there and sing and play, like I said it takes a lot of guts and I'm proud to see them up there.”