moraine valley community college 16-17 · songbook celebrates music by michel legrand, jacques...

Moraine Valley Community College

16-17

FINE AND PERFORMINGARTS CENTER

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FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 1

Welcome to the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Moraine Valley Community College. We continue with our exciting lineup at the Dorothy Menker Theater, the John and Angeline Oremus Theater, and the Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery. During our fall season we had unprecedented attendance. All six of our Mainstage shows and our Christmas choral concert sold out, and our Sunday Salon Series sold over 90 percent capacity. As we wind down toward the end of our spring semester, we continue to enjoy sold-out houses at nearly every Mainstage, chorale, and Salon show!

It is hard for me to believe that I just celebrated my 9th anniversary as managing director of the Fine and Performing Arts Center. It seems just yesterday that I packed up, left New Hampshire, and drove halfway across the country. When I moved to the Chicago area for this job at Moraine Valley, I did not know a single person in the Midwest. Since that time, I have come to feel like this is my home. I would like to extend a personal “thank you” to all of you – the patrons of the Fine and Performing Arts Center – for your enthusiastic support of the programming we present. It is both a pleasure and a privilege to work in such beautiful facilities, with a superior staff, and for such warm and gracious patrons.

Each year, the Fine and Performing Arts Center receives a generous donation from the Moraine Valley Community College Foundation. Without that support, we could not present the level of performances you have become accustomed to see here. I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank the Foundation for their unflagging support since the center opened.

I ask that you please look at the information on pages 2 and 22 of this program, where you will find details about the major fundraising campaigns the Foundation has instituted on behalf of the Fine and Performing Arts Center. Actually, they are the same campaign: one outlines how you can make a donation of any sort and the other describes how to purchase and endow a specific seat or series of seats in the Dorothy Menker Theater. I hope you will consider us as you make decisions about your charitable gifts for the year.

On with the show!

All the best,

Tommy Hensel, Managing Director

D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E

FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER2


MAINSTAGE SERIESFRIDAY, MARCH 24DOROTHY MENKER THEATER

ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN

Performed byGARY MULLEN AND THE WORKS

In 2000, Gary Mullen won ITV’s Stars in Their Eyes Live Grand Final, with the largest number

of votes ever received in the show’s history. The record of 864,838 votes was more than twice that of the runner-up. Gary began touring on his own and in 2002 formed a band The Works, to pay tribute to rock legends Queen. Since May 2002, ‘Gary Mullen and the Works’ have performed throughout the UK, USA, Europe, South Africa, and New Zealand to sell-out audiences. The outfit also has twice rocked the prestigious BBC Proms in the Park, in front of a very enthusiastic crowd of 40,000. One Night of Queen is a spectacular live concert, recreating the look, sound, pomp and showmanship of arguably the greatest rock band of all time. This show will ROCK you!

SUNDAY SALON SERIESSUNDAY, MARCH 26JOHN AND ANGELINE OREMUS THEATER

GIRLS LIKE US: THE EVOLUTION OF THE GIRL GROUPS

Featuring Laura Freeman, Beckie Menzie, and Marianne Murphy Orland

Solo performers Laura Freeman, Beckie Menzie and Marianne Murphy Orland banded together

in 2010 for a humorous look at Broadway and roles they were never destined to play (Miss Cast) and found that not only did their voices blend but so did their senses of humor. With Broadway conquered, next up was a holiday show that is like none other (The Most Wonderful Time of the Year)! Starting with the laughs and the harmonies, the ladies discovered that creating arrangements unique to them was something they all enjoyed.

After reading Sheila Weller’s book, “Girls Like Us” and discussing how Carly Simon, Carole King and Joni Mitchell had made such a huge impact on them and their artistry…Girls Like Us: The Music of Carole King, Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell was born. This show has taken Laura, Beckie and Marianne from private concerts in New York City to theaters throughout the Midwest. In venues large and small, community centers, libraries, 500 seat venues…this tribute has touched a chord in all who see it.


A B O U T T H E S H O W

In 2015 a new show was born and a tribute to all of the Girl Groups was created (Evolution of the Girls Groups). By this point, the soloists realized the group was one they wanted to continue and to see flourish…Girls Like Us, the brand, was created to bring all of these shows and more, to an audience eager to laugh, to hear stories and to be touched by the power of great music and harmony. 2016 the Girls produced a tribute show called Barbra, Bette and Bernadette, highlighting the music and lives of Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters with humor, history and song. The show’s opening weekend was sold out, and Laura, Marianne and Beckie look forward to presenting it again throughout this year.

Laura Freeman is an Equity actress and has toured the US and Europe extensively in such productions as Into the Woods, as the Witch and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as the Narrator. Recently, she has worked at Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana, Chicago Dramatists and Ravinia (Annie Get Your Gun with Patti LuPone). As a cabaret performer, Laura has created tributes to Doris Day, Julie Andrews, the USO performers of WW2, along with salutes to Broadway and Hollywood. As a soloist, she has performed throughout the Chicagoland area, including the Skokie Theatre,

the Drury Lane WaterTower, Moraine Valley, Freedom Hall, and the Acorn Theatre. Laura is president of the Chicago Cabaret Professionals. laurafreemansings.com

Beckie Menzie is an award-winning concert artist and has appeared at some of the nation’s top nightclubs and concert venues including the legendary Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Birdland in New York, Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre and Park West, as well as at concert halls and art series across the country. Hailed by Chicago’s WGN Radio as “one of the city’s finest cabaret performers,” Beckie was featured in Michael Feinstein’s Now & Then Series for her Carnegie Hall debut. She has been a featured performer at many of the Mabel Mercer Cabaret Conventions in New York, The Hamptons,

and in Chicago, as well as many performances for the Chicago Humanities Festival, where she has served as a performer, director and musical director. A sought-after musical director in the Chicago area, Beckie is an artistic associate at Porchlight Music Theatre and serves as a musical director for Michael Feinstein’s Songbook Academy, whose mission is to keep the songs of the Great American Songbook alive with high school students. She performs regularly with Tom Michael and, as a duo, they are recipients of After Dark’s Outstanding Cabaret Artist Award. Their award-winning duo CD Better Two-gether showcases their unique “2 Singers – 1 Voice” duo style that has made them what the Chicago Tribune calls “one of the most compelling duos in cabaret. Beckie is the co-host for Monday Night Live at Petterinos and is an award-winning songwriter who coaches Chicago’s young musical talent. She is vice president of the Chicago Cabaret Professionals and is on the Advisory Board of The Performers School. beckiemenzie.com



One of Chicago’s favorite and most versatile talents, Marianne Murphy Orland has performed as a singer, cabaret artist, director, and voice-over talent both locally and nationally, since music came on vinyl. Notable local venues for her critically acclaimed and sold out performances include: Park West, Drury Lane, Victory Gardens, the Metropolis Center for Performing Arts, Davenport’s Piano Bar & Cabaret, Skokie Theatre, Acorn Theatre in 3 Oaks, Michigan, Madden Theatre at NCC, and the Chicago Cultural Center. In addition to being one-third of Girls Like Us, Marianne is best known for her

tribute shows: If I Were a Carpenter—The Life and Music of Karen Carpenter, and Pet Project—The Remarkable Petula Clark. Marianne is a long-time lead singer with society orchestras, show and dance bands including the Dan Hayes Orchestra and Spectrum. She has sung the national anthem for both the Cubs and the White Sox, and has been heard as the voice of various dolls, toys, radio commercials, and even the Dolphin show at Brookfield Zoo! mariannemurphyorland.com


MAINSTAGE SERIESSATURDAY, APRIL 1DOROTHY MENKER THEATER

LIVE IN CENTRAL PARK [REVISITED]SIMON & GARFUNKEL A celebration of historical, iconic concert events

from New York’s Central Park, recreated using bona fide set-lists. These are not impressions or impersonation, but a revisit with the music that made these nights magical.


C A S T B I O G R A P H I E S

LEE LESSACK’s graceful Lyric baritone vocals and sophisticated, yet endearing persona have made him a shining star on the international concert scene. Billboard magazine calls his singing “cabaret romanticism of a high order.” Touring extensively in the United States and Europe to sold-out performances and releasing eight albums, Lessack has proven himself both as a performer and recording artist.

Chanteur, Lessack’s concert and recording of the Great French Songbook celebrates music by Michel Legrand, Jacques

Becaud and Charles Aznavour to name just a few. Another ambitious recording, In Good Company was released to great acclaim. Intimate and impeccably produced, the album beams with outstanding performances. Lessack sings duets with music notables such as Michael Feinstein, Maureen McGovern, Amanda McBroom, Ann Hampton Callaway and Stephen Schwartz. The recording earned a MAC and Bistro Award for Best Recording of the Year.

Among his critically acclaimed albums is a live recording of Too Marvelous for Words: The Songs of Johnny Mercer, from the famed Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which was chosen for the 2002 Grammy Award preliminary ballot. His newest album, in collaboration with Johnny Rodgers is a recreation of the Simon & Garfunkel Live in Central Park concert in September 1981. All are available on lmlmusic.com.

A Philadelphia native, Lessack sharpened his acting skills at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and then chose to pursue the concert route over Broadway. He now resides in Los Angeles where, and in 1996 he founded LML Music (lmlmusic.com) which has a catalog of over 100 of the country’s top live recording artists and performers. In 2008, he began booking other artists in addition to himself. lmlmusicpresents.com

JOHNNY RODGERS is an internationally celebrated singer-songwriter, pianist, music ambassador, Broadway star, and recording artist who is described by Stephen Holden, from The New York Times, as an entertainer “who has show business in his bones” with “fused elements of Billy Joel, Peter Allen and Johnny Mercer.”

Johnny Rodgers has recently returned to Chicago, the place he says started it all. Since beginning his career here 15 years ago, Johnny has traveled the country and the world making music

with great artists such as Billy Joel and Judy Collins, and also with the unknown talents found in villages across the Middle East and South East Asia. No matter where he roams Rodgers dazzles audiences with his Americana mélange of original songs and classic favorites. Johnny tours with his band as music ambassadors for the State Department to places such as the Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Russia. This summer, Johnny Rodgers will be touring back to Europe; this time to Minsk, Belarus.


C A S T B I O G R A P H I E S

When in town, Johnny can be found playing and singing at Chicago’s own Davenport’s Piano Bar every Saturday and Sunday night; that is, if he’s not off doubling as music director and piano man for Liza Minnelli. Johnny’s work and talent has not gone unnoticed and has earned him the New York’s Nightlife, Bistro and MAC awards for his performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, The Colony Hotel Palm Beach, Birdland, and other premiere clubs. His songwriting has been recognized with Billboard and ASCAP Foundation awards.

In addition to Liza Minnelli, Johnny Rodgers has performed and/or recorded with Michael Feinstein, Randy Brecker, Tom Harrell, Stephen Schwartz, Susan Werner, Dave Koz, Clint Holmes, and Ann Hampton Callaway, among others and is featured on the recordings; The Maury Yeston Songbook, Hallways: The Songs of Carol Hall, and Jule Styne In Hollywood. Johnny is also the Music Supervisor and song cowriter of Motherhood The Musical which debuted in 2010 and continues touring regionally with growing accolades. Johnny received a Carbonell Award nomination for Best Musical Direction. He is also currently working on a series of Cabaret shows that you can catch at Davenport’s Piano Bar and Skokie Theatre throughout the year. He encourages people to keep up to date on his adventures through his website, johnnyrodgers.com.

MAINSTAGE SERIESSATURDAY, APRIL 8DOROTHY MENKER THEATER

I WRITE THE SONGS: THE GENIUS OF BARRY MANILOW

Featuring Jim Witter

I Write The SongsThe music of Barry Manilow...and the stories

behind the songs When Bob Dylan was quoted as saying “Keep doing what you’re doing man...we’re all inspired by you”, who do you think he was talking to? The year was 1988, and Dylan was at a party where he stopped none other than Barry Manilow, hugged him and uttered those famous words. Dylan was not alone in his admiration for this American singer-songwriter and producer. In 1970, Frank Sinatra said “He’s next”, referring to Manilow, who would eventually become one of the world’s best-selling artists with record sales over 80 million. When you hear his name, you might immediately think of “Copacabana”, but Barry Manilow is responsible for some of the most memorable love songs of the 70’s and 80’s. Hits like “Weekend In New England”, “Could It Be Magic”, and “Looks Like We Made It” are just

Jim Witter



a few of the many tunes Manilow has forever ingrained in our minds and in our hearts in a career that has spanned over four decades, and is still going. Manilow began his career in 1971 as an arranger and music director for Bette Midler, working with her in the studio and on tour. He would go on to produce records for other artists as well, including Dionne Warwick, before his own solo career took off with the breakthrough number-one hit “Mandy”. And that was just the beginning. Manilow would go on to become a household name and one of the most popular singers of our time. R&R have named him the number 1 adult contemporary artist of all time, his song “Copacaban” won him the 1979 Grammy for Best Pop Male Performance, and in 2002 he was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Join Jim Witter and his incredible band as they explore the songbook of this iconic pop star. You’ll hear all the hits that made Manilow famous, including “I Write The Songs”, “Copacabana”, “Even Now”, “Mandy”, “Somewhere In The Night”, and many more, including some of the TV jingles that you may not know Manilow is responsible for as well! You’ll learn about Manilow’s journey from obscure television writer and arranger to one of the most beloved singers of all time.


ART GALLERY EXHIBITIONMARCH 26 – APRIL 25ROBERT F. DECAPRIO ART GALLERY

MARIAH KARSONMODERN DAVID

Mariah Karson studied photography and printmaking at the School of the Art Institute,

and she captures subjects with honesty and clarity, providing memorable images that tell compelling stories. Modern David is a photographic documentation of people named David and she explores if there is a common thread, aesthetically or otherwise, between participants other than name. Each participant was photographed with normal identity cues allowing viewers to examine each David in relation to the others. Historical ideals and individual perception of the viewer are challenged by the grid of images, which together represent modern individuals and real beauty.


ATRIUM EXHIBITIONMARCH 26 – APRIL 25ROBERT F. DECAPRIO ART GALLERY

MARIAH KARSONAMERICAN LEGION

Eight prints from Karson’s documentary project American Legion can be viewed in the Fine and

Performing Arts Center Atrium. These works are part of a long term examination of four American Legion Posts in communities of less than 1000 across the US and celebrate the veterans that served our country and now serve their communities through The American Legion.

The Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery is a meeting ground for students of Moraine Valley, the local community, and the contemporary art world. Our mission is to present significant works, through exhibitions and programming, by local, national and international artists. Exhibitions are available for viewing Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and during most Fine and Performing Arts Center performances. Summer and holiday hours vary. For more information, [email protected]/mvccgalleryfacebook.com/Robert-F-DeCaprio-Art-Gallery


U P C O M I N G A R T G A L L E R Y E X H I B I T I O N S

ART GALLERY EXHIBITIONS

MVCC Juried Student Art ExhibitionMay 1-26Reception: Thursday, May 4, 2:30-4 p.m.Awards at 3 p.m.

Gallery 2017: Juried Community Art ExhibitionJune 1-Aug. 1Reception and awards: Saturday, June 3, 1-3 p.m.

Summer Gallery Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Mariah Karson, Modern David, installation view, 2017On view at the Robert F. DeCaprio Gallery 3/26-4/25


U P C O M I N G P E R F O R M A N C E S

ACADEMIC THEATER EVENTS

A Doll’s HouseApril 28-May 7Fridays-Saturdays 7:30 p.m.Sundays 3 p.m.

The Merchant of VeniceJuly 20-23Outdoors at the Gateway

ACADEMIC MUSIC EVENTS

Flute FlourishesTammi Carlson, Faculty RecitalFriday, March 31, 7 p.m.

Moraine Valley Flute ChoirMusic Through the AgesFriday, April 7, 7 p.m.

Moraine Valley Symphony OrchestraSpring ConcertWednesday, April 19, 7:30 p.m.

Moraine Valley Jazz Ensemble20 th Anniversary Concert featuring Saxophonist, Tim AubuchonFriday, May 5, 7:30 p.m.

Moraine Chorale and Chamber SingersBroadway/Pop/Motion Picture Spectacular!Saturday, May 6, 7:30 p.m.

Moraine Valley Concert BandBy Request: An Afternoon of Audience FavoritesSunday, May 7, 3 p.m.

Doll’s House

Saxophonist, Tim Aubuchon


Moraine Valley Percussion EnsembleSpring Concert SpectacularThursday, May 11, 7:30 p.m.

Moraine Valley Jazz EnsembleSwingin’ Summer JazzFriday, July 28, 7:30 p.m.

Moraine Chorale and Chamber SingersSummer 2017 Patriotic ConcertSaturday, July 29, 7:30 p.m.

Moraine Valley Percussion EnsembleSummer 2017 ConcertTuesday, August 1, 7:30 p.m.

MAINSTAGE AND SUNDAY SALON EVENTS

Paul Taylor Dance CompanySaturday, May 13, 7:30 p.m.

U P C O M I N G P E R F O R M A N C E S

chorale

Cameras, Recording Equipment and Electronics

While the Fine and Performing Arts Center does not have a policy prohibiting cameras, many artists do, and we enforce this on behalf of the artists. When in doubt, call the Box Office prior to performances. The use of video or sound recording devices is always prohibited. Please silence all electronic devices before a performance.


Managing Director .................................................................................. Tommy HenselTechnical Director .................................................................................... Sean McIntoshAssistant Technical Director .............................................................. Torrance G. SmithBox Office Manager ........................................................................................ Beth MillerSecretary .................................................................................................... Cindy NugentArt Gallery Coordinator .....................................................................Rachel McDermottArt Gallery Assistant ..................................................................................William TallonFront-of-House Staff ............................ Christie Drozd, Robin Duschen, Alex Francois,

Tom Gerez, Amie Granger, Jamie Maniatis, Chris Matusek, Stephanie Meehan, Sandy Murray, Vivian Shoudis

Technical Crew ..................................... Gary Ambroz, Jaclyn Bobbitt, Jessica Dommer, Amanda Hantson, Jeremy Kalisz, Katie Kennedy,

Jessica Madden, Stephanie Meehan, Yasir Muhammad, Kacey Nichols, Filip Pilatowski, Tom Schoenbeck

Connect with the Fine and Performing Arts CenterGet an encore from wherever you are.

B O X O F F I C E

F I N E A N D P E R F O R M I N G A R T S C E N T E R S T A F F

Box Office (708) 974-5500

For more information on these events or other performances or to purchase tickets online, visit morainevalley.edu/fpac

We hope you enjoyed the performance!

You are always welcome at Moraine Valley. If you’d like to tour the campus or learn more about the college, please contact the Admissions Office: [email protected] (708) 974-5355 morainevalley.edu/admissions

ADVERTISINGOnStage Publications937-424-0529 | 866-503-1966e-mail: [email protected] program is published in association with OnStage Publications, 1612 Prosser Avenue, Kettering, OH 45409. This program may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. JBI Publishing is a division of OnStage Publications, Inc. Contents © 2017. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

Board of Trustees Joseph P. Murphy, ChairJohn R. Coleman, Vice ChairSusan Murphy, SecretaryKimberly A. HastingsMichael Murphy

Eileen M. O’SullivanSandra S. WagnerDavid Shipyor, Student TrusteeDr. Sylvia M. Jenkins, College President

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Amenities » Top-of-the-line cardio machines equipped with personal viewing screens and online access capability

» Locker rooms with steam room, full-size lockers, private showers and towel service

» Three-court field house featuring basketball, volleyball and badminton

» Group fitness classes—yoga, cycling, Zumba, Pilates, aqua, and more

» Four-lane lap pool with a deep end and whirlpool

» Great programs and services, like swim lessons, personal training, family programming, and Kid Zone.

» Spacious free-weight area

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Help the Fine and Performing Arts Center build for the future!

All funds will benefit the Fine and Performing Arts Center’s 2019 fund, established to ensure that both the Dorothy Menker and John and Angeline Oremus theaters continue to be state-of-the-art performing arts venues.

How can you help?A donation of any amount, large or small, will help ensure a future of world-class performing arts programming.

For a more lasting legacy, however, you might wish to consider the “Name a Seat” option.

Your $500 gift to name a seat in the Dorothy Menker Theater directly benefits the arts. In return for your generous contribution, a plaque engraved with your name (or text of your choice) will be affixed to a seat of your choice. The engraving you select can celebrate your family, friends, or business; commemorate a special occasion; or honor the memory of a loved one. It’s the perfect gift for an arts lover or the person who has everything.

• Dedicate a seat as an individual, family or group. • Engrave the name of your business or organization. • Commemorate a birthday, anniversary or other special occasion. • Inscribe with your favorite quotation.

For more information, please contact the Moraine Valley Foundation at [email protected] or call (708) 974-5740.

moraine valley community college 16-17 · songbook celebrates music by michel legrand, jacques...

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