Superstition

Closing out Act 1 of Out On the Dance Floor on March 21, 2026, the Gay Men's Chorus of Tampa Bay delivered a high-octane performance of Paul Langford's arrangement of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" at Jaeb Theater of Straz Center in Tampa, Florida. There are very few songs that demand both rhythmic precision and total commitment, and "Superstition" is near the top of the list. The chorus brought both.

Langford's arrangement is built on the song's iconic clavinet riff, which the lower voices handled with locked-in, percussive precision. Above that foundation, the upper voices delivered the lead vocal in tightly stacked harmonies, with the call-and-response structure of the original turned into an ensemble conversation. The horn lines that punctuate the original got translated into bright, accented vocal stabs, giving the arrangement real funk muscle without losing choral clarity.

The performance lived or died on the groove, and the chorus held it tight. Crisp sixteenth-note articulation on the verses, exact unison on the famous "very superstitious" hook, and disciplined dynamic restraint during the breakdowns all kept the energy controlled and propulsive rather than chaotic. Bodo's drum kit work locked into the bass voices' pulse, while Pozenatto's keys provided the harmonic glue.

The Jaeb's acoustic carried the rhythmic detail beautifully, and the audience responded the way audiences always respond to "Superstition" — with bodies in motion. By the final chorus, hands were clapping on the backbeat throughout the room, and the chorus's last hit landed to a surge of applause that started before the chord had fully decayed.

As an Act 1 closer, this performance did exactly what it needed to do: send the audience into intermission energized, slightly out of breath, and absolutely sure they wanted to come back for Act 2.