An exciting mix of dance numbers and songs from new and long-running Broadway shows will fill the stage of the Robert E. Lee Auditorium on Memorial Day weekend, as Moore OnStage presents the final show of its current season.

“On Broadway” features the talented dancers from Taylor Dance Company, backed up by 10 voices in a number of solos, duets and ensembles singing some of the favorite tunes from recent hit Broadway shows.

The magic of the Great White Way is brought to Moore County by Rita and Gary Taylor, owners of studios in High Point and Pinehurst. Gary Taylor, artistic director and resident choreographer for the company, is dedicated to creating innovative works that have won him regional recognition.

For the production of “On Broadway,” Gary has been assisted by Kassandra Taylor, “whose choreographic skills and point of view are very much a part of what the audience will be seeing,” he says.

“We like to introduce new works to our audiences, and ‘On Broadway’ has numbers from award-winning shows like ‘Billy Elliott’ and ‘In The Heights,’ as well as from hits of the last few seasons, such as ‘Wicked’ and ‘Jersey Boys,’” he adds.

“In The Heights,” which won the Tony Award for Best Musical two years ago, is set in the Dominican-American neighborhood of New York City’s Washington Heights. The score features hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul music.

Chelli Broussard, who is associated with Winston-Salem State University’s dance program, and with whom Gary Taylor has worked in several past productions, is adding several members of her dance group to meld with Taylor’s performing dance company.

From the smash hit of last season, “Billy Elliott,” two musical selections will be spotlighted. The wonderfully energetic first-act production number “Shine” is paired with the haunting “Deep Into the Ground,” sung in the show by Billy’s father. The rich baritone voice of Jamey Helsman, who has appeared in other Moore OnStage shows, is heard in this poignant number.

Singing selections from “Mamma Mia,” everybody’s all-time favorite show, are Hailey Crider, Rachel Stewart, Caroline Gallagher and sisters Charity and Corrie Haskins. Charity is a multitalented high school senior, who, along with Brooke Eppley, has been dancing with the Taylor Dance Company for several years.

Other shows from which there will be vocal selections include “Rent,” “In The Heights,” “Wicked” and “Hairspray.” These will be performed by Sean Newberry, Nicholas Smith, Leah Nichols, Kelcie Frye and Ciara Marie Ellis, as well as some of the other singers who will appear in more than one segment.

Gary Taylor explains that when he and Rita, who acts as executive director, plan the show, they take into consideration the interweaving of vocals with dance selections.

“It’s like putting together the pieces of a big puzzle, to cover costume changes for the dancers, and choosing the appropriate opening and closing numbers for the three acts,” he says.

The closing of the first act will be “like nothing our audience has seen before,” according to Gary Taylor.

It is based on an off-Broadway show titled “Fuerzabruta” (literally translated “brute force”) and is not a story-based musical, but rather a series of spectacles and other-worldly technical effects.

Taylor says that he has created the piece based on the music from the show and incorporated some of the unique elements that have never been previously tried in a theater setting.

“The dance style is contemporary, and is an abstraction, another type of exploration,” he says.

Several shows over the course of the last few years had their start off-Broadway and played to packed houses before making the move to the glitter and eventual award-winning productions of Broadway. “Rent” is a prime example of this category. “On Broadway” features a montage of the music in the show, forming the basis for a fitting tribute to the rock opera, which won a Pulitzer Prize and had a 12-year run on Broadway.

“It’s part of our Broadway heritage,” Taylor says.

“On Broadway,” with its musical and dance numbers from hits of the past and the present, includes a pair of numbers from “Chicago,” especially the famous “Cell Block Tango” and several numbers from “Jersey Boys.”

“I was inspired by the music,” Taylor says, “because as everyone knows there isn’t too much dancing in the production itself. However, the tunes all lend themselves to movement.”

Dressing a show of the scope of “On Broadway” requires a significant amount of backstage time and talent. The overall costume design was created by Rita Taylor, and carried out by Laura Hughes of The Glow Shop Performance Raiment and Mary McKeithen of Showboat Costumes. Cinny Beggs is the executive producer, assisted by Susanna Turner.

As has been the custom for all Taylor Dance Company productions, professional staff is used to fill the crucial backstage positions. John Bartenstein is the lighting designer and production manager, the sound is handled by Dave Godsey of Extra Mile Audio and the lighting equipment is provided by Atlas Production Group. The stage manager is Martin Campbell, who supervises a crew from Image Design and Production Services.

“On Broadway” performances are Friday, May 28, and Saturday, May 29, at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on Sunday, May 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for students, and may be reserved by calling (910) 692-7118. Visa and Mastercard are accepted.

Contact Pinehurst freelance writer Mary Elle Hunter at mhunter104@yahoo.com.