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Cabaret Performers
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Jimmy Webb
The critical acclaim composer Jimmy Webb has received during his more than forty years of success is as remarkable as the accomplishments they honor: Webb is the only artist to ever receive Grammy awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration, he is a member of the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and, according to BMI, his “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” has been the third most performed song in the last fifty years, with “Up, Up and Away” on the same list in the top thirty. Webb’s, “Wichita Lineman” has been listed in MOJO Magazine’s worldwide survey of the best one hundred singles of all time in the top fifty, and was singled out in the Oct/Nov 2001 issue of Blender as “The Greatest Song Ever.” Even singer/songwriter James Taylor was nominated for a Grammy this past year for "Best Male Pop Vocal" for his rendition of the song. The National Academy of Songwriters also named Jimmy as 1993’s recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award, although TIME Magazine was early to acknowledge Jimmy Webb’s range and proficiency back in 1968 when it referred to his astonishing string of hits, and commented on “Webb’s gift for strong, varied rhythms, inventive structures, and rich, sometimes surprising harmonies.” In 1999 Jimmy was inducted by actor Michael Douglas into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame as one of the State’s most celebrated sons, he was inducted onto the Board of Directors for The Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in early 2000, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for ASCAP.
Though best known for the instant classics he provided for such artists as Glen Campbell (“By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman,” “Galveston,” “Where’s The Playground, Susie”), Richard Harris (“MacArthur Park,” “Didn’t We”), the Fifth Dimension (“Up, Up and Away,” “This Is Your Life”), The Brooklyn Bridge (“Worst That Could Happen”), Art Garfunkel (“All I Know”), Linda Ronstadt (“Easy For You To Say”), Joe Cocker (“The Moon’s A Harsh Mistress”) and so on, Jimmy Webb continues to write songs that are as carefully crafted and magical as the earlier ones. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson hit #1 in the late eighties with another Webb standard, “The Highwayman,” a ballad which won him yet another Grammy for Best Country Song of the Year, and a CMA Award for Single Of The Year. Linda Ronstadt, who has recorded a multitude of his songs throughout her recording career, included four of his efforts on her double platinum album, “Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind.” With a discography that reads like a “Who’s Who” in the music world, Webb’s songs continue to grace a multitude of major recording artists’ albums, from Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney, to Urge Overkill, Reba McEntire, and Shawn Colvin.
Having five top ten hits within a 20-month period, Jimmy Webb concluded the 1960’s with an international name that was bandied around on the musical air currents as a “new genius.” Webb began the Seventies intent on launching his own performing career, releasing six albums in eleven years, including Words And Music (1970), And So: On (1971), Land’s End (1974), El Mirage (1977), and Angel Heart (1982), while writing hits for other recording stars. Throughout the years, he continued to hone his performance skills, and earned distinguished reviews and praise following his appearances in top cabaret venues (The Algonquin’s famed Oak Room in New York, NY’s “Feinstein’s at The Regency,” San Francisco’s “Fairmont Hotel,” Melbourne’s “Continental,” “The National Hall” in Dublin, London’s, “Ronnie Scott's,” and “The Cafe Royal”) as he presented material which encompassed a new maturity and sophistication for his first album in over a decade. Suspending Disbelief, (1993) produced by Linda Ronstadt and George Massenburg, received enormous critical acclaim, and led New York Times critic Stephen Holden to state that this album, “may very well be the songwriter’s perfect moment.” His recording effort, Ten Easy Pieces, (Guardian-EMI)—which won rave reviews—is a collection of the songwriter’s hits as he performs them the way they were originally written, and his solo recording, "Twilight of the Renegades," (Sanctuary) was released in 2005. In 2007 Webb released his first live CD, "Live And At Large," which is available through cdBaby and he is currently working on an album with his sons, "The Webb Brothers," as well as beginning preparation for a new Webb solo effort. Webb was also one of the few artists asked to perform in 1995 at Carnegie Hall’s “Celebration of American Music” honoring Frank Sinatra, and, at Billy Joel’s personal request, one of several artists (including Marvin Hamlisch and Garth Brooks) who performed for Congress in 1997 as Joel was presented with ASCAP’s Founder’s Award. Jimmy Webb’s recent tours (Australia/Japan 2000, The U.K. Tours '05, and Australia and New Zealand, 2005) were sell-outs. His New York performances – one along with legendary songwriter Paul Williams— earned the distinguished headline of “A Bright, Soaring Delivery For Wild Romantic Fantasies” from the esteemed New York Times. His three, 2007 performances at New York's famed, "The Cutting Room," were complete sellouts, and he continued to use the venue as his "New York home" throughout 2008.
Over the years Jimmy Webb has also added his inimitable genius to a number of film and television projects. Beginning his scoring career in 1968, he wrote the title song and a midsummer hit (“Montage”) for the James Garner-Debbie Reynolds comedy, “How Sweet It Is!,” followed by an adventurous score for the 1971 classic Western, “Doc.” In 1973 he demonstrated his wit and musical breadth with a score for the provocative “Naked Ape,” followed by his music for “Voices,” in 1979. Webb provided a dazzling score for the highly successful animated film, “The Last Unicorn,” Germany’s second-highest grossing film in 1982, which also included his title song, “That’s All I’ve Got To Say,” later recorded by Art Garfunkel. That success was followed by the score for Cannon Film’s Vietnam sage, “The Hanoi Hilton.” Although he rarely collaborates, Webb and Carly Simon wrote the title track of her album, Film Noir and completed “A Dream Worth Keeping,” with Alan Silvestri for Twentieth Century’s 1992 release, “Fern Gully: The Last Rainforest,” recorded by Sheena Easton. His solo effort, “Christmas Will Return” was included in Disney’s smash hit, The Santa Clause, with Tim Allen. Jimmy Webb continues in his reign as one of the few masters of American music, leading one reviewer to comment, “There is something of a return to 1930’s glamour in Webb’s work, a suggestion of the great era of lush film scoring when velvet-sounding violins appeared seemingly out of nowhere and emotion erupted from the music itself.”
Webb’s earlier television projects included the theme music and songs for specials with Ringo Starr, Olivia Newton-John, and Amy Grant, in addition to providing the theme songs and music for RollingStone Magazine’s Tenth Anniversary Special. He has also scored for Steven Spielberg’s “Amazing Stories,” Shelley Duvall’s “Faerie Tale Theatre,” MGM Television’s “Seven Brides For Seven Brothers,” and the television series “E/R.” Columbia Records released a Jimmy Webb cantata, “The Animals’ Christmas,” featuring Amy Grant, Art Garfunkel, and the London Symphony Orchestra, with songs from the album featured on Grant’s Christmas Special in 1986. Webb also scored the 1991 premiere episode of HBO’s “Tales From The Crypt,” as well as another episode of ’Tales for the 1992 season. Webb was also commissioned by Oklahoma Events to compose a 16 minute piece celebrating the State's Centennial, and "Centennial Suite" made its debut in 2007 with the Oklahoma Philharmonic.
Clarifying himself as a romanticist, Webb’s use of vivid imagery simultaneously captures and involves his listeners’ emotions, which should come as no surprise to the songwriter who states, “I like words. I like the way they clash around together and bang up against each other, especially in songs.” In a progression of his celebrated talent as a lyricist, Webb continued in the 1990’s furthering his enormous range of interests by completing a best-selling book, Tunesmith: Inside The Art of Songwriting, a Hyperion ‘98 release. Released in soft-cover in the fall of ’99, “Tunesmith” is still considered by many to be the “Bible of songwriting.” Warner’s, United Kingdom, released Archive (1993), featuring twenty tracks from earlier Webb recordings and PolyGram U.K. released Someone Left The Cake Out In The Rain, (1998) a compilation of the greatest Webb covers in January, 1998. Raven Records released a combination CD of the Richard Harris/Jimmy Webb recordings from A Tramp Shining and The Yard Went On Forever in their Richard Harris: The Webb Sessions. Jimmy also co-produced Carly Simon’s Film Noir album and contributed his vocals, orchestration and piano skills to the project which was filmed for an AMC documentary (which premiered in September of ’97). Rhino also released a 5-CD boxed set (limited edition) called "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress," which was an instant sell-out, and Warner, U.K. followed with "Archive & Live," a 2-CD set in 2005. Webb also co-produced Carly Simon's latest CD, "This Kind of Love," for Starbuck's "Hear Music (2008).Jimmy's recording efforts with Glen Campbell have been reissued and extended on a Raven-import album entitled Reunited (2000), and his week-long performances with Glen at New York’s “Feinstein’s At The Regency” in June 2005 were sold out. In September of this year (2009) Jimmy and Glen will reteam with the Nashville Symphony for three nights of concerts in a special series.
Jimmy Webb's accomplishments as a composer, arranger, and producer demonstrate beyond question that he remains as important and vital a cultural figure today as he was over thirty years ago. Embraced by his peers, Webb has influenced and affected some of the finest musical talents of our time. Frank Sinatra declared “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” as “the greatest torch song ever written,” and said he enjoyed singing Jimmy Webb tunes because “he has been blessed with the emotions and artistic talent of the great lyricists.” The late Sammy Cahn commented, “I think one of the real, real geniuses is Jimmy Webb. His “MacArthur Park” is a major piece of work, major. I’d almost compare it to Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” in size and scope.” Michael Feinstein, who recorded Webb’s “Time Enough For Love,” for his 1993 album, Forever, and included another Webb track (“Wasn’t There A Moment”) on his Such Sweet Sorrow, says he’s “interested in the work of the great masters from any era, and certainly, Jimmy Webb is a master of this era, of today.” Feinstein also recorded an “all-Webb” album for 2002 and premiered the track, “These Are All Mine” at Carnegie Hall with Jimmy as his special guest in April, ’01. Billy Joel credits Jimmy as a major influence on his own foray into the music business. “When I was starting out as a songwriter,” says Joel, “I looked to Jimmy Webb as one of the most innovative and musically proficient songwriters of our generation.” His songs transcend their precedent-setting critical and commercial acclaim to achieve the level of true classics – a permanent part of the American musical landscape, the soundtrack of an era. In his book about songwriting, Webb states, “the paramount joy of the craft is that, however simply it is begun, it can take the songwriter on a lifelong voyage across many distant and wondrous musical seas.” For Jimmy Webb, that’s a spectacular series of events indeed.
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Carolyn Black-Sotir
Carolyn Black-Sotir is a versatile artist performing in opera, oratorio, recital, musical theatre, and cabaret. Critics have applauded her dynamic stagepresence as “brilliant, shining, expressive, and confident”--Philadelphia Inquirer. Recording artist, Neil Diamond described Ms. Black-Sotir’s voice as
“Absolutely Beautiful!” In the Baltimore Sun, special note was made of herinterpretive and dramatic style, “a wonderful singer, with beautiful tone and excellent diction; her portrayal is spontaneous and superbly characterized.”
As guest artist, Ms. Black-Sotir has performed extensively on the university and concert circuits and has sung with some of the country’s finest regional orchestras. Most recently, she performed her original
All-Gershwin program with the Annapolis Symphony on a statewide tour. Currently, she is receiving rave reviews for her original one-woman tour-de-force, Just a Song at Twilight, a program also filmed for public television. As writer and
director she has created numerous works for the musical stage including: On the Weill Side, a dramatic tribute to the life and works of Kurt Weill; the highly-acclaimed Lights, Camera, Opera: The Met goes to Hollywood, in which Ms.
Black-Sotir also co-stars with Metropolitan Opera bass-baritone John Darrenkamp; A Woman Is a Sondheim Thing and Bravo Bernstein!, two programs originally commissioned for Strathmore Hall’s Music at the Mansion Series. While performing abroad, Ms. Black-Sotir won the hearts of German audiences with her hit musical revue, By George! By Ira! By Gershwin! “With the standing ovations from the inspired audience, the concert was a smashing success.”--Nordwest Zeitung. A PBS special highlighting her Gershwin performance aired in Summer 2000.
On the concert stage she has been the soprano soloist in Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Mozart’s Mass in C Major, Vaughn Williams’s Hodie, Brahms’s A German Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, and Bach’s St. John’s Passion. In May 2002 she performed at The Baltimore Lyric Opera House with singing sensation Michael Amante. As guest recitalist Ms. Black-Sotir has presented programs ranging from the music of Mozart to the songs of the Gershwins at West Virginia University, University of Cincinnati, United States Naval Academy, Franklin and Marshall
College, York College, Gretna Theatre, Pennsylvania Chautauqua, Alexandria Lyceum, and for the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts. Favorite stage roles include Suzannah in Le Nozze di Figaro, Jaqueline in Les Belles Parisiennes, and Eliza in My Fair Lady.
As a recording artist, Ms. Black-Sotir is currently finishing a CD based on her new cabaret revue, The Sweetest Sounds: a Richard Rodgers Celebration. Her 1999 recording By George! By Ira! By Gershwin! continues
selling here and abroad. Ms. Black-Sotir is the Founder and Artistic Director of The American Popular Song Artists, an ensemble of musicians and actors dedicated to the American Broadway Song. Ms Black-Sotir is a magna cum laude
graduate of Eastman School of Music with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance.
When not on stage Ms. Black-Sotir can be seen and heard on television as an actress, host, journalist, and voice-over artist. For almost a decade she served as host of Comcast Local Edition on CNN HEADLINE NEWS, exploring a wide
range of topics with an eclectic line up of guests ranging from Homeland Defense Secretary Tom Ridge to Hollywood stars Billy Crystal and Robin Williams.
Ms. Black-Sotir is the Artistic Director of the Cabaret at Germano's, Baltimore's premier cabaret.
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Carolyn Black-Sotir (Gershwin promo)
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Carolyn Black-Sotir and R. Timothy McReynolds
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Donald Hicken
DONALD HICKEN has directed I Am My Own Wife, The Turn of the Screw, Betrayal, The Cripple of Inishmaan, The Childrens’ Hour, Jacques Brel..., My Children! My Africa!, Watch On The Rhine and The Road To Mecca for Everyman Theatre. He has also directed at The Berkshire Theatre Festival, The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, The Kenyon Festival Theatre, Round House Theatre, Rep Stage, and Pennsylvania Stage Company. For his production of The Glass Menagerie (a co-production of Everyman Theatre and Round House Theatre) Mr. Hicken received the 2001 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Director of a Resident Play. The production also received the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Resident Play. He created and directed Steps in Time: Scenes From 1840 Baltimore for The Baltimore City Life Museums. Mr. Hicken founded The Center Stage Conservatory, The Actors’ Conservatory and has taught master classes at The Berkshire Theatre Festival where he developed Fog People, a celebration of the Eugene O’Neill centenary. As an event director, he has staged galas featuring, Ray Charles, Ben Vereen, Tony Bennett and George Burns. He has been Department Head of Theatre at The Baltimore School for the Arts since 1979, where his productions include: Romeo and Juliet, Lysistrata, The Rimers of Eldridge, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Marat/Sade, Curse of the Starving Class, Yerma, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Lady From Maxim’s, his own adaptation of The Wind in the Willows, “A Chekov Sampler”, “Ionescorama” (an evening of one-act plays by Eugene Ionesco) the world premiere of Chalk by Al Letson (co-commissioned with the Baltimore Theatre Project) and Our Town. Mr. Hicken was a founding board member of The Baltimore Theatre Alliance and now serves on its Advisory Board as well as on the Board of Trustees of The Hippodrome Foundation. He was Artistic Director of The Columbia Festival of the Arts from its founding in 1989 until 1997. At the Festival he initiated many commissions and collaborations including Free At Last with Max Roach and Bill T. Jones, Mark O’Connor with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the world premiere of Real Time, by TMU-NA Theatre of Tel-Aviv.
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Donald Kennedy
Donald Kennedy studied theatre at Northwestern University and SUNY Purchase (BFA, Theatre). He organized several small theatre companies with colleagues in New York mounting various productions including Mostly Moliere (a set of Moliere one-acts), Shakespeare‘s A Midsummer Night‘s Dream and The Winter‘s Tale, both in an outdoor amphitheatre; Tennessee Williams‘ Outcry, David Mamet‘s Duck Variations, Brian Friel’s Lovers: Winners and some original work.
In 2008, he established the Four Rivers Theatre Studio, currently in residence at Germano's, opening with a six-week excursion into the comedies of Ruzante. In 2009, the company presented a two-month workshop developing a new play about a traveling circus company.
Pinocchio's Birthday Party: A One Man Theatre Piece for Grown-ups, conceived, staged and performed by Kennedy, is a thought-provoking tour de force.
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Kerri Jill Garbis
Kerri Jill Garbis
A Baltimore Native, Kerri began her professional studies in voice and theatre at The Baltimore School For The Arts before going on to receive her BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University.
Kerri has toured internationally starring in Evita as the title role, Singin’ in the Rain as the screechy movie star Lina Lamont, and Broadway Celebrates America. In New York, she was featured in numerous productions including Joseph….Dreamcoat, Starting Here, Starting Now, and That Time of the Year (original cast recording). Regional theatre productions include: Grease, Oklahoma!, Sisters of Swing, Ruthless! and Adrift in Macao –just to name a few.
She also contributes to numerous theatre projects under development, working with the creative teams to promote, perform and refine their works for live audiences. A trained television spokesperson, Kerri works with companies to present and demonstrate their products on camera.
Kerri is part owner of Pinnacle Performance Company, (www.pinper.com). Pinnacle trains business people to be more confident and credible through the use of time-tested acting techniques. With seven offices around the world, all of Pinnacle’s trainers are professional actors with real-world business experience.
currently in production for a new Broadway musical "Angels" that will launch next year. http://www.angelsthemusical.com
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Mary Stout
Mary Stout is currently featured as Yente, the matchmaker in the touring production of Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol. She has had a long Broadway engagement as Madame de la Grande Bouche in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Her other Broadway credits include Me and My Girl, Copperfield, My Favorite Year, A Change in the Heir, A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden, and Mrs. Santa Claus in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Her most notable appearance on Broadway was in the 2000 season’s Jane Eyre directed by John Caird in which she played Mrs. Fairfax, the housekeeper. She recently played Mother Burnside in the Kennedy Center production of Jerry Herman’s Mame. She last appeared in Baltimore in the Center Stage production of The Happy End. She toured nationally in Nine, Beauty and the Beast, Me and My Girl, Collette and The Pirates of Penzance. She is probably best known as Eugenia Bremer on AMC’s award-winning series Remember WENN. Films include Holy Man, Sweet and Lowdown, 24 Nights, and Swimming on the Moon, in addition to her featured vocal work in Disney’s Aladdin and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
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Rayanne Gonzales
Rayanne Gonzales is currently appearing in "In the Heights" coming to the Hippodrome in March. She made her Broadway debut as the Christine's Wardrobe Mistress in Phantom of the Opera.
Named 2007 NFMC Young Artist in Women’s Voice,the Virginia-born soprano possesses “a big, accurate voice that she uses sensibly but fearlessly.”She has delighted audiences in varied genres from opera to musical theatre to zarzuela. In 1989, she won the Woodbridge Music Club Local Level Bland Music
Competition, launching her relationship with NFMC. Ms. Gonzales made her professional debut in the 2000 Boston Lyric Opera production of Phillip Glass’s Akhnaten. Appearances include Suor Angelica with Opera at Longy, Donna
Elvira in Don Giovanni with Longwood Opera, Serena in Porgy & Bess with The Natchez Music Festival, Magda in La Rondine with The American Center for Puccini Studies and First Lady in The Magic Flute with the In Series ofWashington, DC. Her professional musical theatre debut was in the World Premiere Frank Loesser musical, Señor Discretion Himself, at Arena Stage in Washington, DC in 2004. She has also appeared in Damn Yankees as Sister at Arena Stage and South Pacific as Bloody Mary at North Carolina Theatre and Casa Mañana in Fort Worth, Texas. Her zarzuela (Spanish operetta) roles include Pelagia in Bohemios with Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia/Teatro de la
Luna and Susana in La Verbena de la Paloma with The In Series.
Equally comfortable on the concert stage, Ms. Gonzales has given recitals at the Anderson House of the Society of the Cincinnati, The Organization of American States, the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She has been featured with the Reston Chorale
& Orchestra of Virginia, Stow Festival Chorus & Orchestra, Boston Secession,Concord Madrigals, New Bedford Symphony, and Neponset Choral Society, in Massachusetts. Ms. Gonzales created the role of Eliza Walker in the New England premiere of Walker, a narrative play about David Walker, a Boston abolitionist written by Nobel Prize winning playwright Derek Walcott. An alumna
of Boston University and the Longy School of Music, Ms. Gonzales also trained at Crittenden Opera Studio in Boston, MA, OperaWorks of Los Angeles, CA. Participating in the inaugural Opera as Theatre dramatic training program at The
Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, she had the distinction of being the only U.S.- born artist, culminating in a widely acclaimed portrayal of Lady Macbeth in excerpts of Ernst Bloch’s Macbeth.
Ms. Gonzales’s awards include Winner of the 2005 New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera Vocal Competition; Zarzuela Semifinalist in Placido Domingo’s 2005 OPERALIA World Opera Contest; Finalist in the 2004 Washington International Voice Competition; Second Prize in the 2003 Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition; Finalist in the 2003 Metropolitan Opera Middle Atlantic
Region Auditions; Third Prize in the 2001 Heida Hermanns Young Artist Competiton; Winner of the 2000 OPERAFEST! of New Hampshire Voice
Competition; Finalist in the 2000 Saritelli-DiPanni Bel Canto Vocal Competition,and Winner of the 1998 Northeast Region Leontyne Price Vocal Competition.
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Rena Strober
Rena Strober is known in New York and across the country from Broadway performances, TV appearances to her 1-woman show Spaghetti & Matzo Balls! to concerts onstage at Lincoln Center, Town Hall and on home plate for the Mets. She is currently in rehearsals for a new Off-Broadway play called White’s Lies starring Betty Buckely and Peter Scolari.
Rena recently completed a year playing Tzeitel on the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof playing opposite Topol, Harvey Fierstein and Theo Bikel. She had the pleasure of performing at the Hippodrome Theater and at Germano’s with her Fiddler family.
Rena wrote and starred in her her 1-woman show Spaghetti & Matzo Balls! Off-Broadway last year and went on to headline with her show at the Leeds International Theatre Festival in England. Her debut album Finding Home is the soundtrack to this show and can be heard on itunes and at www.renastrber.com.
Rena was seen on Broadway and across the country as Cosette in Les Miserables. Off-Broadway she was seen in My Life with Albertine, Theda Bara and the Frontier Rabbi and many more wonderful productions. Regionally She has been seen as Belle in Beauty & The Beast, Tonya in Zhivago at the La Jolla Playhouse for which she won an Outer Critics Circle Award.
Rena was a member of the original L.A cast of Reefer Madness and can be heard of the cast album. Her TV credits include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Kings, House Arrest on HBO and Jacob’s Gift for PAX TV. She is one of the youngest members of the NY Friar’s Club and sings there weekly.
Rena is thrilled to be coming down to Baltimore for an evening of music at Germano’s. She will be performing pieces from ‘Spaghetti & Matzo Balls!’, songs to celebrate Passover and perhaps Easter and a plethora of other fun songs from Broadway, Cabaret, Fiddler, Les Miserables and whatever the spirit moves.
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Robbie Solomon
Robbie has returned to Baltimore in July of 2007 to serve as cantor at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation.
Robbie is internationally known as a composer of Jewish choral works and synagogue repertoire. His stirring anthem “Leaving Mother Russia”, written in 1977, became the rallying cry of the Soviet Jewry movement and established him as a musical interpreter of Jewish conscience. He has since authored dozens of songs of Jewish content, including “World of Our Fathers”, “Falasha Nevermore”, Peace by Piece,” and is well known as a performer/songwriter with the popular Jewish music group SAFAM.
In addition to over ten recordings with SAFAM, Cantor Solomon’s works have been performed and recorded by numerous cantors and choirs throughout the world. A series of his choral works have been published by Transcontinental Music Publications and a book of solo pieces and duets for the synagogue by OySongs Publications. His many commissions have included several major works as well as choral pieces written for Zamir Chorale of Boston, MA, and his works have been regularly featured at the annual North American Jewish Choral Festival.
Cantor Solomon has played the role of Mordechai on several occasions in his productions of The Orphan Queen, but only recently has felt that he reached the state of avuncular maturity which the role requires.
Along with an Orthodox upbringing in Baltimore and rabbinical study at the Hebrew Union College, Cantor Solomon received conservatory training at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem, Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. He is certified with both the Reform and Conservative movements, the ACC and CA respectively.
Robbie and his wife, Helen, live in Towson. They have two sons, Byron and Sam, and a new first grandchild, Nicolas Abraham Solomon.
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Sara Stewart
Sara Stewart’s distinct artistry, presence and rich vocal quality are leading the young soprano to an important operatic career. She has performed several roles with the Baltimore Opera and was most recently seen as the High Priestess in Aïda. She has also appeared with Annapolis Opera, the Young Victorian Theatre Company, the Maryland Concert Opera, and the Frederick Camerata. Her repertory includes the roles of Mimì in La Bohème, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Micaëla in Carmen, Nedda in I Pagliacci, both Susanna and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, and Juliette in Gounod’s Romeo e Juliette. On the concert stage, Ms. Stewart has appeared with The Baltimore Sinfonietta, the Annapolis Choral Society and the Prince George’s Choral Society. She is highly sought after as an entertainer and recitalist having performed for such organizations as the St. Cecelia Society Concert Series, the Three Arts Club, Elkridge Club, the Woman’s Club of Roland Park, the Suburban Club, The Baltimore Opera Guild and many others. She was also honored to perform at a private mass and reception for the Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Ms. Stewart received her Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory and currently studies with Stanley Cornett in Baltimore, and Met Opera star, Diana Soviero, in New York. Among her many interests are travel, art, fashion, wine and haute cuisine.
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Sophie Louise Roland
Hailed for her "excellence, purity of voice and emotional intensity," Sophie Louise
Roland recently sang the roles of Madonna Capuleti and Tebaldo in the International
Opera Theater's world premiere of Romeo e Giulietta in Citta della Pieve (Italy),
Carmen with both American Opera Theater (Baltimore, MD) and Opera Lirica Italiana,
Nicklausse in Les Contes d'Hoffmann with Opera Brasov, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Opera Lirica Italiana, as well as the title role in Carmen with both Janiec Opera Company and Indiana University Opera Theater. Ms. Roland's lush voice,dazzling coloratura, engaging stage presence, and deeply expressive musicality have
captivated audiences throughout North America and abroad. In addition to her operatic credits, Ms. Roland recently was featured singing in Jean-Claude Labrecque's film, Infiniment Québec and on the artist Jorane's compilation CD, Jorane X. She also appeared in Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky under the baton of Maestro Erick Kunzel. She was also a professional artist in the Song Fest Festival in Malibu, where she worked with international pianist and coach Martin Katz. Ms.
Roland has appeared in concert with ensembles such as the Guelph Chamber Choir, the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Hamilton, London Fanshawe Symphonic Orchestra, the Windsor Symphony and the
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Mrs. Roland was chosen to participate for the celebrations in honor of Marilyn Horne's 70th birthday at Carnegie Hall.
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Tony Tsendeas
Tony Tsendeas is an artistic associate of the Baltimore Shakespeare Company where he has directed the company's acclaimed productions of Shakespeare's Macbeth, Othello, Julius Caesar and the parody The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), as well as Kimberley Lynn's Love for Words. Roles for the company include Caliban in The Tempest, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing, The Player in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and most recently Paroles in All's Well That Ends Well. Mr. Tsendeas has also performed at a variety of theaters regionally including Roundhouse Theater, Theater J, Woolly Mammoth, Everyman Theater and Center Stage. Film and video work includes HBO's The Wire, NBC's Homicide: Life In the Streets, and appearances and voice over work for The Family Channel, The Learning Channel and Discovery. From 1992 until 2000, Mr. Tsendeas was the artistic director of Baltimore's internationally recognized Action Theater. The company was in residence at the Baltimore Theatre Project and toured Northern Europe and Great Britain with its production BeckettLand, a collection of short dramatic pieces by Samuel Beckett, set in a Ghost Carnival or Bemusement Park. Tony Tsendeas is currently a member of the theater faculty of The Baltimore School for the Arts.
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Tony Tsendeas in "The Poe Show"
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Tracie Thoms
Tracie Thoms knew she wanted to be an actress at a very early age, starting serious acting studies in her hometown of Baltimore at the age of 9. She attended high school at the prestigious Baltimore School for the Arts. Later, she received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Howard University and a graduate degree in acting from New York City's renowned Juilliard School. She's widely considered to be one of the rising stars of a new generation of talented and versatile American actors.
Tracie realized a long-held dream when she starred this fall as 'Joanne' in the final weeks of the historic 12 year run of the Broadway musical, "Rent". Previously, she starred in the same role in Sony's film of “Rent” opposite Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs and Jesse Martin.
Last year, Tracie starred opposite Kurt Russell and Dawson in Quentin Tarantino's "Grindhouse: Death Proof.” The New York Times and other major media outlets gave Tracie's performance rave reviews. Tracie was also featured opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway in "The Devil Wears Prada" for director David Frankel. In addition, she can be seen every week as a series regular on the hit CBS series, "Cold Case."
Tracie starred on Broadway opposite Alfre Woodard in Regina Taylor's "Drowning Crow." She also played a lead role as Georgia Hayes in the critically acclaimed "The Exonerated" at The Culture Project Off-Broadway. Most recently, she's been featured in "The 24 Hour Plays," "The 24 Hour Musicals” and the new play, “And Her Hair Went With Her."
Tracie was a series regular on the 2004 Fox series, “Wonderfalls”; had a memorable guest role as CCH Pounder’s tortured daughter on FX's "The Shield"; starred in the Chevy Chase pilot for NBC; was a series regular on UPN's "As If"; guest starred on "Law and Order”; and has appeared in the indie films “Descent”, “Sex and Breakfast” and “Brother to Brother.”
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Amanda Opuszynski
A native of Manchester, CT, Amanda Opuszynski is a soprano pursuing a Master of Music in Opera Performance as a member of the Maryland Opera Studio. She received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan, where she sang the role of Musetta in La bohème under the baton of Martin Katz. A versatile artist, Amanda spent two seasons with the Ohio Light Opera, singing such roles as Susan in Romberg's Desert Song, Liesl in The Sound of Music, and Ado Annie in Oklahoma! In 2009, Amanda spent the summer as a Studio Artist with the Wolf Trap Opera Company, where she performed the roles of Helen in Hin und Zurück, Geraldine in A Hand of Bridge, and Lucy in Jake Heggie’s Again. Most recently, Amanda appeared as Adina in L'elisir d'amore with the Maryland Opera Studio and won an Encouragement Award in the Middle-Atlantic Regional Finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In October, Amanda will join the Young Artist Program at Seattle Opera for the 2010-2011 season, appearing as the Prima Donna in Donizetti’s Viva la mamma and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. Amanda is a student of renowned mezzo soprano Delores Ziegler. Visit www.amandaopuszynski.com for updates!
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Andrew Owens
Andrew Owens, tenor, born in Newtown, Pennsylvania, received his bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Oberlin Conservatory. During his undergraduate studies he performed the roles of Spärlich in Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor, the First Commissioner in Dialogues des Carmélites, and Laurie in Little Women. Other performances include Camille in The Merry Widow and a solo appearance with the Cleveland Orchestra. A longtime pupil of the late tenor Enrico Di Giuseppe, Mr. Owens received a master's degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he has sung the roles of P.T. Barnum in Libby Larsen's chamber opera Barnum's Bird and Paco in La vida breve. He was awarded the top prize in the Mario Lanza Vocal Competition for Tenors in New York City and is currently a member of the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland.
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Becky Mossing
Becky Mossing is a Baltimore native who happily came back, husband in arm, to make her home here in Charm City. She is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts and currently teaches Musical Theatre as a member of the school’s Theatre faculty. Becky received her BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has performed Off –Broadway, in National Tours, and in Regional Theatres. Her credits include Sherlock Holmes The Musical, By Jupiter, Cinderella Waltz, Richard II, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, and Beauty and the Beast. However, Becky went into a sort of self-imposed “retirement” several years ago to focus on, among other things, her love of teaching and having babies. Now that she gets to work in one of the best arts high schools in the country and has two beautiful baby girls, who are really no longer babies (they’re 5), she has been told that it is time to get back on the horse. She is grateful to be singing once again and in such a warm and wonderful venue.
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Beverly Cosham
As a singer Beverly Cosham has performed her cabaret act at nightspots from Los Angeles to New York via San Antonio, TX and New Haven, CT, as well as Blues Alley, the Kennedy Center, the National Theater, the Omni Shoreham, the Henley Park Hotel, The World Bank, the Lyceum, and the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, DC. She has twice been guest artist with the Navy Commodores and recorded with them. Beverly has appeared with such jazz luminaries as Clark Terry, Mose Allison, and the Heath Brothers. Beverly has three recordings -- Beverly Sings Blue, At Last, and Beverly Cosham Sings Yip Harburg.
“Cosham is a rare find, even a phenomenon. Possessed with a voice that is probably one of the best natural instruments that we have heard, Beverly Cosham is thrilling. She brings so much meaning to a lyric” – Leigh Spear, Talk of L.A
As an actress Beverly Cosham has appeared in numerous productions on most of the stages in the Washington DC area including: “Rebel Armies Deep Into Chad” (Round House) (a Helen Hayes nomination); “A, My Name is Alice”, “A, My Name Will Always Be Alice”, and “In Good Company” (Horizons);”The Fifth Season” (Olney Theatre); “The Tempest” (Shakespeare Theatre); “Do Not Go Gentle” and “My Lord, What a Morning” (Kennedy Center TYA); Federal Theater Projects (GMU Theatre of the First Amendment); “The American Plan” and “The Old Settler” (Studio Theatre); “The Last Orbit of Billy Mars” (Woolly Mammoth); “Leaving the Summerland” (Tribute Productions at Theatre J); “Inns and Outs” (Source Theatre); “Harlem Rose” (MetroStage); “A Monday Night With Bess and Tess” (African Continuum Theatre Co); and “Once On This Island” (Round House). Ms. Cosham recently appeared at Round House as Miss Emma in the critically-acclaimed “A Lesson Before Dying”.
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Bob Fields (in memoriam)
As an aspiring jazz musician growing up in the 40's, Bob Fields was inspired by many of the legendary jazz greats. When bebop hit the scene he was particularly inspired and that whole era left a lasting impression on him. He attended the Peabody Institute where he studied piano and music composition. Upon graduating in 1952, Bob went out on the road with a few semi-name bands where he played piano and wrote the arrangements for the groups. In the 60's he formed his first band and played many shows in the Baltimore area at venues like the infamous Playboy Club and the Baltimore Civic Center. Over the years Bob played for and with such legendary greats as Sammy Davis Jr., The Doc Severenson Orchestra, Englebert Humperdink, Herb Ellis, Eileen Farrell, Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. He also performed many times with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Through it all he was kind enough to impart his remarkable musical talent to others through his teaching, and taught jazz piano at both the Peabody Preparatory and Essex Community College. Bob launched the Cabaret at Germano's on May 1, 2008, as special guest pianist, accompanying three emerging artists, and remained a favorite guest artist at the Cabaret at Germano's, performing his original jazz compositions with colleagues. We remember Bob Fields with respect and affection.
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Branda Lock
Branda Lock toured with Olney Theatre's National Players where she performed in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and the new musical based on Jack London's Call of the Wild. Her credits include Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical the Musical with the Pennsylvania Youth Theatre, Nancy in Oliver with Theatre on the Hill, Emma Carrew in Jekyll & Hyde with the Cumberland Theatre, Amellia in the DC Fringe Festival's Herbie: Poet of the Wild West, and Sam in Tree Boy with Olney Theatre. She is a favorite of children and adults alike, and has garnered rave reviews for her performances at the Adventure Theatre in historic Glen Echo Park in the delightful new musicals, Harold and the Purple Crayon as The Purple Crayon, If you Give a Mouse a Cookie as the ebullient Mouse,and and The Little Engine in The Little Engine That Could. Next up, If You Give A Pig a Pancake back at Adventure Theatre. She is a graduate of Susquehanna University where she earned her BA in Theatre and BS in Economics.
"The beguiling Branda Lock--Ms. Lock has an amazing voice, capable of a lusty character belt and a lovely, heartbreaking upper register...THE highlight of the entire evening--what power!" James Howard of Broadway World. "The top star…Ophelia (Branda Lock as Amelia) with her languishing, contortionist body…has all of the comedic talent and "takes" of a Carole Burnett." Bob Anthony of allartsreview4u.com
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Erin Wegner
Born and raised in Severna Park, Maryland and a graduate of Towson University, Erin Wegner Brooks is a versatile performer with credits in theater, opera, and cabaret style shows. Erin has performed Off-Broadway in Pinkalicious and A Stoop on Orchard Street, Off-Off Broadway in Come Away: The Story of Ruth, Flesh Tint, Independence, in Las Vegas as a principal singer in Jubilee, and toured nationally as the Vocalist for Cirque Dreams. Erin recently returned from Tennessee, where she performed the roles of Gabriella in High School Musical and Mazzie in Suessical at the Roxy Regional Theatre. Following sold out performances of Dare to Dream in New York City and Washington, DC, Erin looks forward to bringing her inaugural solo concert to audiences in Baltimore. www.erinwegner.com
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James Harp
James Harp began his musical career at age 7 as a church soloist. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and is the Director of Opera and Education for the Lyric Opera House. Mr. Harp was the Artistic Administrator of the Baltimore Opera Company from 1989 and the Chorus Master from 1993. Since 1983 he has served as organist for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and since 1987 has been the Organist and Choirmaster for Baltimore’s historic St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, where he also serves as Artistic Director of the St. Cecilia Society Concert Series. Other credits include direction and adaptation of productions for the BOC at Artscape (Johnny S. Kickey, Too Many Sopranos, L’Heure Espagnole) and the Young Victorian Theatre Company, as well as scoring and musical accompaniment for a popular series of silent films at St. Mark’s Church.
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Kinderman
This is a momentous time in John Kinderman Taylor’s life, and career. In May 2006 he celebrated his 70th birthday, and nearly 50 years of working the performance arts. Kinderman has long been known as the “Pied Piper of Dance,” and is more formally a Master Artist, with WolfTrap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, as well as an Artist-In-Education, who is listed on rosters for the Maryland State Arts Council, www.msac.org and regional arts councils in the Baltimore/Washington corridor.
He has concentrated the last two decades on helping to develop young minds with his Kindercise In Action: A Moving and Chanting Approach to Learning Program. The Kindercise in Action Program is the tree from which off shoot programs, God in Kindercise, Peace in the Hood/ Say No! To Drugs, The Black Hall of Fame, Get Loose With Mother Goose grew. The Kindercise core program which includes the song known through generations, “Friends, Friends, One, Two, Three, has also been translated into several foreign languages, including Spanish, French, German, and Hebrew.”
During the past twenty years, Kinderman has produced curriculum materials, which include: 6 CD’s, workbooks, games, posters, and videos, which teachers, parents and children all over the world have had the opportunity to experience. He has been the subject of interviews and profiles all over the county and in the Caribbean, and has presented Kindercise Training to thousands of teachers, and hundreds of thousands of children.
Kinderman also adds 3 time Emmy recipient for his host interviewer roll in the “It’s Kindertime Show,” a program which he helped to conceptualize and co-produce over 5 years ago, to his long list of accomplishments and honors. His now the current host and producer of “The Kinderman Show,” which has been showing on Baltimore’s ABC Channel 2 on Saturday mornings, at 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. for the past two years. A popular show, this is a reinvention of the original “It’s Kindertime Show,” with added educational spots, and shows that highlight arts events featuring children and renowned performing artists from the Mid-Atlantic region. If you ask him why he does what he does, and the answer stays the same, “It’s for the children!”
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Mary Jayne Raleigh
Mary Jayne Raleigh’s extensive career has taken her to stages around the
world, performing on Broadway, National and International Tours, cruise ships,
theme parks and scores of regional theatres across the country. Some of the
highlights have been playing the starring role of Donna Sheridan in the North
American Tour of Mamma Mia! Playing on Broadway and the National Tour of
Les Miserables where she covered the role of Fantine. The Sondheim Celebration at the Kennedy Center in the extraordinary casts of Merrily We
Roll Along and Sunday In The Park With George. Four seasons singing and dancing alongside the Rockettes as a New Yorker in The Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Ms. Raleigh has been cast in numerous workshops and readings including new works performed in The New York Musical Theatre Festival and The Manhattan Theatre Festival where she was recently nominated for
outstanding lead actress in 1812 The Musical. Her cabaret shows What I Know and Calendar Girl have been seen in New York, DC, VA, and many private events. Mary Jayne has enjoyed a long and successful career wearing the hats of
dancer, singer, actress, choreographer, and director. A gypsy at heart she is blessed to have a permanent home in Annapolis, MD and a permanent,supportive husband, dog and cat. www.maryjayneraleigh.com
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Nancy Krebs
Nancy Krebs has been teaching the Lessac Kinesensic Training for over 28 years and attained Master Teacher status in 2002 from Arthur Lessac himself and Senior Master Teacher Sue Ann Park. She has been teaching the Lessac training as the Senior Voice Instructor and Vocal Coach for the Theatre Department at the Baltimore School for the Arts since 1981. She was the Associate Director for the Lessac Intensive Summer Workshop from 2000-2004 where she has instructed alongside Arthur Lessac, Sue Ann Park, Deb Kinghorn, Barry Kur, Kathleen Dunn, Kate Ingram and Mary Thomas-Sala. In the summer of 2005, she and fellow Master Teacher Barry Kur created a One Week Introduction to the Lessac Kinesensic Training at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, which later she led at The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA with Kate Ingram in May of 2007. She and Prof. Kur also created a One Week Teacher Training Workshop at DePauw, and have taught it together since that time. Nancy was one of three Master Teachers of different voice pedagogies (Lessac, Fitzmaurice and Linklater) featured at William and Mary College for the Voice Methods workshop in June of 2005 and in NYC in 2008 organized by Amy Sue Fall. She has been the Co-Director of the Lessac Summer Intensive Workshops with Master Teacher Deb Kinghorn since 2006, and has served on the board of directors of the Lessac Training and Research Institute since its inception in 2004.
Nancy has taught privately in her own studio since 1994, and has served as Dialect/Vocal coach on numerous professional productions, notably: Everyman Theatre's My Children, My Africa ,Watch on the Rhine, Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Crucible, The Waverly Gallery, Red Herring, Slow Dance on the Killing Ground, Sight Unseen, Cripple of Inishmaan, Candida, The Turn of the Screw and I Am My Own Wife with Bruce Nelson; the Studio Theatre's production of Look Back in Anger, Bay Theatre Company's production of Table Manners, Washington Theatre Alliance's production of The Woman Who Amuses Herself with Nigel Reed; and for The Olney Theatre Center productions of Charlie's Aunt, Carousel, Blithe Spirit, Lend Me a Tenor, Morning's at Seven, Oliver! Doubt and The Underpants. In May of this year, she traveled with the BSA Senior Theatre ensemble to England as dialect/vocal coach for a joint production of Our Town with the Songtime Theatre Arts company of teen actors under the direction of Donald Hicken. As an actor herself, she has performed in regional theatres, summer stock, TV, film and radio, and received an Emmy for her work on the PBS TV series Once Upon a Town. She is a member of AEA, SAG, AFTRA, VASTA, and BMI. As a singer-songwriter, she has 7 albums released of original meditational music.
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Phillip Collister
Phillip Collister, baritone, has performed extensively as a soloist in musical theatre, opera, oratorio, and recital. He has performed frequently with the Bach Sinfonia (Washington D.C., the Handel Choir of Baltimore and the Baltimore Opera. He has also performed as soloist with the Washington Bach Consort, the Maryland Handel Festival & Smithsonian Chamber Players, and internationally at the Handel Festival in Halle, Germany. He maintains an active solo concert schedule which has included performances at St. Peter's Concert Series (New York City), a recital tour of American Art Song in both the United States and in Germany as well as numerous recitals at Towson University. His upcoming performance engagements include concerts with the Handel Choir of Baltimore, Tuesdays @ Towson concert series, and an original cabaret show entitled These Things I’ve Known. From 2001-2006 Collister was the producing director of the Maryland Arts Festival, a multidisciplinary summer arts festival held at Towson University. He has either performed, produced, directed, or conducted numerous musical theatre shows, operas, cabarets, and revues including (musicals) Ragtime: The Musical, Cabaret, Gypsy, A Little Night Music, Godspell, Rags: Children of the Wind, Forever Plaid, Hair, How to Succeed in Business, Little Shop of Horrors, Chicago, Teddy and Alice, The Fantastics & others, (revues & cabarets) Cole, Broadway Bound, Beehive, A Weill Cabaret, It’s Oh So Quiet: Hollywood Composers in Exile, Hair, How to Succeed in Business, and (opeas) The Medium, The Magic Flute, Cosi fan tutte, The Wandering Scholar, The Face on the Barroom Floor, The Stoned Guest, Mahagonny Songspiel, Riders to the Sea, The Old Maid an the Thief and others. Collister is the producer and director of Towson's Music for the Stage (Opera Workshop) where he also teaches private voice, vocal pedagogy, vocal literature survey, Introduction to Music of the Western Heritage and serves as musical director for College of Fine Arts and Communications' jointly produced musicals. He holds a DMA in Voice & Opera from University of Maryland (College Park), a Masters of Music and Performance Certificate in Voice & Opera from Northwestern University (Evanston), and Bachelor of Arts in Music/Theatre from Marycrest College (Davenport, Iowa).
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Rick Chinisci
With over 30 years of professional experience, Rick Chinisci’s versatile and elegant guitar playing transcends genres from classical to jazz to rock to Broadway. He has performed with luminaries such as Liza Minnelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Della Reese, Carol Channing, Debbie Reynolds, Petula Clark, Marilyn McCoo, The Drifters, Tanya Tucker, most recently touring with Andrea Bocelli. As a multi-instrumentalist (banjo, mandolin, ukulele, accordion) he plays with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Denver Center Attractions, and Central City Opera, among others, including the world premiere of In Mis Palabras. Rick’s heart and soul lays in jazz: he appears weekly with the Danny Showers Trio at the Denver landmark Brown Palace Hotel and has so for 20 years.
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Sally Martin
Singer and actress Sally Martin has won accolades from New York, Washington, DC and Baltimore media critics. The Washington Post hailed her first CD as “extraordinary” and called her “wonderfully controlled singing both dreamy and wise.” She also won plaudits from The Washington Post for her portrayal of Marlene Dietrich in the Horizons Theatre production of "In Good Company: Sexual Icons."
One of her biggest fans, acclaimed writer and lyricist Judith Viorst, who wrote liner notes for Sally's latest album, writes: "Whether she is addressing us as an elegant French chanteuse, a doomed Irish lad, or a besotted romantic, Sally brings to her music a rueful recognition of life's tough realities and sweet possibilities, its inevitable disappointments and head-spinning joys."
In New York, Ms. Martin has headlined at Don't Tell Mama's and Danny's Skylight Room, appeared as Sabine in Bill Bruehl’s “The Guesthouse of the Holy Ghost” for the New York's Dramatists' Guild, and performed solo concerts at Federal Hall, Green Auditorium, and T.R. Roosevelt's Birthplace.
In Washington, DC, she has graced stages at the Kennedy Center for the Arts, the Music Center at Strathmore, the French Embassy, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Arts Club of Washington, the Lyceum, and was chosen as the inaugural artist for the first presentation at Washington, DC’s newest performing arts space, the Atlas Theatre. A regularly featured artist at the “In Series”, Ms. Martin has appeared at the Tivoli Theatre, the Czech Embassy, the Belgian Ambassador’s residence, Lisner Auditorium, and numerous hotels and clubs. In Washington these have included the Willard Hotel, the Ritz Carlton, the Sofitel, the Mayflower, the cruise ship Odyssey, and the Woodmont Country club. She has appeared as guest soloist with the Alexandria Symphony, performing French songs of the Belle Époque. She also keeps a busy schedule of performances at private and corporate events.
Three times she has sold out performances as part of the prestigious Corcoran Gallery of Art concert series. Her first one-woman show “Kabarett: An Evening with Sally Martin” explored the theme of love in many guises and the music of Germany, France and contemporary musical theatre. Reviewer Mary Bird wrote "This classically trained singer has found that the medium of cabaret enables her to relate more directly with her audience, and so she did with style to spare." Her appearance with Washington Opera tenor Byron Jones in “A Parisian Valentine” was such a hit, the French Embassy invited the duo for a reprise performance at the Maison Française. She was invited back for an unparalleled third engagement at the museum where she unveiled her newest recording and show “Another Time, Another Place”.
In Baltimore, she starred in Baltimore's Everyman Theatre’s sold-out run of "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris" and delighted audiences at the Blakemore recital series. She received standing ovations for her multiple shows at the Prince Theatre in Chestertown, Maryland and her appearances in Annapolis, Maryland. She has appeared twice at the historic Lyceum in Alexandria, VA, most recently for the Alexandria Performing Arts Association. Other credits include Le Néon French-American Theatre, Interact Theatre Company, Opera Americana, and the Signature Theatre Cabaret Series.
Ms. Martin studied voice with celebrated lieder singer Ilse Wolf of the Royal Academy of Music in London, England; Marie Gibson at Stanford University; Martha Randall at the University of Maryland; and Elizabeth Vrenios at American University. She also studied music in Vienna. Her vocal coaches have included Craig Carnelia, Richard Crittenden, Shelly Markham, Daniel Sticco, and James R. Fitzpatrick. She studied acting at Washington's Studio Theatre and privately with Catherine Flye, Lee Mikeska Gardner, and Holly Twyford. Sally Martin is a member of Actors Equity.
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Sara Jones
Jazz vocalist Sara Jones has been delighting audiences nationwide since she began singing professionally in 2001. Praised by critics for her trademark "lush vocals," and her "velvet embrace" of the music (BVS Reviews, allaboutjazz.com), Sara beguiles and charms her listeners at every performance. Winner of the 2004 Billie Holiday Vocal Competition, Sara has toured nearly all 50 states and performed in numerous concert halls across the country. She has performed as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and Ravinia Festival Orchestra, under the batons of Emil de Cou and Erich Kunzel. An additional highlight includes a solo performance on the Esplanade with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Currently, she is a featured artist on the newly released album by The Young Brothers entitled Tales of Time, which is creating serious buzz among jazz critics.
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Shannon Wollman
A Baltimore native, Shannon’s been featured as Electra the “Electrifying Stripper” in the National Tour of Gypsy, as well as Robert Anne in the Off Broadway production of Nunsense. She has also performed several one woman shows, and made numerous appearances at various New York City cabaret venues. Her singing has also taken her around the world performing aboard the “Song of Flower”, a Radisson Seven Seas Cruise Ship. Locally, Shannon has starred in many productions including, Funny Girl, Drood, Hello Dolly, Mame, Born Yesterday, Evita, Bells Are Ringing, Grease, The Wild Party, On the Town, and Guys and Dolls. Shannon has also sung with the Baltimore Symphony and served as the opening act for comedian Bob Newhart at The Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Shannon can be heard around town with The Freddie Stevens Band, Limited Edition. Shannon’s accompanist, Doug Lawler is the Resident Musical Coordinator for Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Baltimore and Columbia.
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Simone Luti
A native of Lucca, Tuscany, orchestral conductor and pianist Simone Luti is quickly gaining recognition and acclaim for his musical instincts and sensitivity on the podium and at the keyboard. He has conducted for such organizations as International Festival Ticino Musica (La Finta Giardiniera, Lo Speziale, La Canterina) in Locarno, Switzerland, Opera Theatre in Tirana (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Albania, Symphony Orchestra of Bacau, Romania, and International Opera Theatre of Philadelphia from 2004 to 2008 both in productions in Teatro degli Avvaloranti, Teatro Mancinelli as well as The University of the Performing Arts, Philadelphia. He will also act as chef de chant for the Chatelet Opera's upcoming production of Norma. Maestro Luti was also recently invited by l'Opéra de Montréal, Canada, as musical director for concerts on Italian Opera. Following his work as coach for the Accademia d'arti e
mestieri dello spettacolo del Teatro alla Scala, Maestro Luti began his residency as collaborative pianist for the Teatro alla Scala. In Milano, he assists in the opera training courses carried out by Mirella Freni, Leila Gencer, Luis Alva, Luciana Serra, and Renato Bruson devoting himself to the musical training of young opera singers. He continues to be in demand in main Italian Theatres, collaborating with the most significant directors, singers, and conductors of the operatic world.
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Thom King
Cantor Thom King has been the cantor of Beth El Congregation since 1997. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the Hart School of Music, where he studied voice and hazzanut under the tutelage of renowned Cantor Arthur Koret, and is a commissioned member of the Cantors Assembly. Besides performing internationally in cantorial concerts, recitals, symphony concerts and opera, including appearances at Carnegie Hall and El Palacio dellas Bella Artes in Mexico, Cantor King can be heard on "Thom King Sings Michael Isaacson," a CD of contemporary Jewish music. He is also a founder and director of Beth El Congregation's adult and junior choirs. Cantor King, his wife Shazy (who is also a cantor) and their three daughters reside in Pikesville.
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Angelo Beolco aka Ruzante
The Ruzante Project
Starting on Wednesday, October 1 (and running alternate Wednesdays through December 17), we will offer six sessions all drawing from the work of sixteenth-century Italian comedic playwright Angelo Beolco, known as Ruzante.
Taken together, these evenings form The Ruzante Project: Open Rehearsals Towards a New Company.
The idea is to create a dynamic and fluid "workshop" atmosphere, highlighting the process of contemporary actors engaging a writer of another period, Ruzante--a theatrical innovator of outstanding vitality, agility and range and of much relevance to the contemporary world. The Ruzante Project is rooted in the perhaps paradoxical perception that for a new group to become potent and pleasing in the present--particularly if it seeks to develop new work--it must be grounded in a living theatrical tradition that sustains, supports and finally releases that group into its own power.
The October 1 presentation will offer a broad overview of the project to come--introducing Ruzante through fragments of works from throughout his career and clarifying our particular goals in devoting so much time to him. Subsequent sessions will focus more narrowly on selected shorter pieces (prologues, one-acts, "letters," songs) and on sections from several of his full-length plays. The last session on December 17 will recap and consolidate what we will have done and point towards possible next steps for 2009.
Because Ruzante's heavy use of Paduan dialect has challenged translators, only five of his fourteen stage works appear in English versions (a sixth is due to be published any day now!). With help from some of my Little Italy friends, I am developing English adaptations of the some of the remaining material. To this extent, through our project some of Ruzante's work may become available in English for the first time.
Donald Kennedy
Artistic Director
Theatre at GERMANO'S
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Ashton Fletcher
Ashton Fletcher holds a Bachelor's Degree from the Peabody Conservatory and a Master's Degree from Morgan State University. He is also the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Fellowship. His performing career includes touring with international recording star, Bobby Vinton, with whom he toured three and one half years performing for crowds in excess of one hundred thousand people. He was also the bassist for ten consecutive years of the television special, "Christmas in Washington" on NBC. A few of the stars he performed for on that show were the Osmonds, Amy Grant, Gregory Hines, Frank Sinatra, Nell Carter, Reba McIntire and Aretha Franklin. In 1986 he performed on the international television spectacular, "Liberty Weekend." Ashton also played in the orchestra for the "Inaugural Gala" for the inauguration of president Bush which was an international television broadcast. Currently, Ashton is the bassist for the Paula Hatcher Jazz Quartet. "Rise and Shine", the title of the group's first recording, has been released on cassette and CDs and features traditional jazz. Their second recording, "Zone 5", features original new age compositions.
As a full time educator, Ashton teaches at Essex Community College, Howard Community College, Dundalk Community College, Loyola College, Patapsco Middle School and out of his private home studio. He teaches an array of classes and private instruction including Jazz Improvisation, String Bass, Electric bass, Jazz Band and Jazz Piano Class.
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Bernard Mavritte
Bernard Mavritte, Branches Music recording artist, is a “Singer’s Singer”, one who other great singers hold in high esteem. He is a graduate from Howard University School of Music, and a former Vocal Music teacher in the public schools of Washington, D.C. He has recorded five CDs and composed over three hundred pieces of music. From an early age he has worked with choirs in the church. He toured Europe as the assistant musical director for James Baldwin’s play, “The Amen Corner”, staring the late actress, Claudia McNeal. He also served as the choral musical director for Howard Saclor’s Tony ward winning play, “The Great White Hope”, and performed for two of the Nation’s Presidents, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
“Though he often wraps his lyrics in velvet, he is a singer with a consuming amount of soul.” This fellow is star stuff and don’t you forget it!”
Don Hearn, Washington Daily News
“He is one of the most pleasant and confident male voices I have heard in a long time. Mavritte must have been born to perform. His baritone has a velvety texture. His style is gentle and warm, and he demonstrates the same sensitivity as Robert Flack, who is his friend as well as colleague.”
John Segraves, The Evening Star
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Bob Brewer
Bob Brewer loves to sing. As a country boy growing up in Selma, Indiana, he sang harmony with his parents and siblings. After that things in the music area got a little sketchy. When he came to Maryland in 1968 he studied a bit at Peabody Prep but stopped that to begin raising a family. In 1976 the itch to perform came back, and he performed a couple of little shows with the Glen Burnie Jaycees. One of the shows, The Wizard of Oz, was a musical, and a friend in the show started calling him “GoldenThroat.” That name has stuck. Expanding his horizons, he was cast as a teenager in Bye Bye Birdie at the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre. Since then Bob has performed in many theatrical productions and reviews throughout the Baltimore area. Favorite roles include Chapter Two (George Schneider), South Pacific (Emile de Becque), Scrooge – The Musical (Scrooge), Evita (Juan Peron), The 1940s Radio Hour (Johnny Cantone), State Fair (Pat Gilbert), Bye Bye Birdie (Harry MacAfee), All Shook Up (Jim Haller), Guys and Dolls (Nicely-Nicely Johnson), Annie (Rooster), Kismet (The Wazir), Watergate – The Musical (John Mitchell, John Sirica), Fiorello (Ben Marino), Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical (Sir Danvers Carew), The Fantasticks (Huckelebee, Bellamy), Red Hot and Cole (Noel Coward, Moss Hart), Working (Conrad, Dave), Music Man (Marcellus Washburn), Wonder of the World (Glen), Damn Yankees (Joe Boyd), and 1776 (Lewis Morris). Bob has just finished a two-year term as Production Director for Colonial Players in Annapolis and in 2008 directed the play Civilization and Its Malcontents for CP’s summer one-act play festival. In addition to his theatrical work, Bob has been a tenor with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and a featured vocalist, playing the part of Marius, in the Anne Arundel Community College chorus concert version of Les Misérables.
Performing with the group Celebrations, headed by Marian Neeb, over the past several years, brought out Bob’s interest in solo performance. In 2009 Bob was accepted to participate in the International Cabaret Conference at Yale University. Attending the conference was an amazing experience. He was surrounded by not only a superior set of teachers - accomplished Broadway and cabaret performers, song writers, cabaret directors, and accompanists - but also by exceptionally talented and experienced singers looking to improve their performance skills. This rich atmosphere provided Bob with the confidence and further impetus to immerse himself into the realm of cabaret performance. Bob has studied voice under Heather Crafts and Mary Ruzicka and currently is coached by Frederic Rey.
Bob holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Purdue University and a Master of Science degree in operations research from the University of Maryland. He and his wife, Christina, live in Glen Burnie, Maryland. They have one son, Christopher, who lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Bob has been a teacher and a chemist and retired in 2005 as an engineer at Northrop Grumman.
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Brent Hardesty
Brent Hardesty is the face behind the jingles. He has worked with Baltimore's advertising community since 1980 when he created his first jingle for the Wockenfuss Candy company. Since then, he has created and produced some of Baltimore's most memorable radio and tv jingles and a host of national campaigns too!
In addition to operating the studio, Brent is also a full-time music teacher at Calvert School in Baltimore, Maryland where he shares his love and knowledge of music and audio production with the middle school students there.
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Brian Kooken
Guitarist and Composer Brian Kooken, a native of the Baltimore-Washington area, studied classical and electric guitar at Towson University where he received a B.A. Degree in Jazz and Commercial performance. He has performed at a variety of Baltimore/Washington venues and recently headlined at the internationally famous Blues Alley for a CD Release Party of his CD “Visions”. “Visions” features original compositions with Brian on Guitar, Jeff Reed on upright bass and Jeremy Blynn on Drums. Brian has performed and recorded with many local musicians, including Bob Fields, Greg Thompkins, Steve Swan, and Ron Warren. When not performing, he teaches electric and classical guitar at his private studio in Cockeysville, Maryland.
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Brooke Evers
Soprano Brooke Evers studied as a Fulbright Scholar in Austria, performing in Vienna, Berlin, and Milan before returning to D.C., where she has been heard as a soloist at the Kennedy Center, the Embassy of Austria, the National Cathedral, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Strathmore Mansion, Schlesinger Center for the Arts, and the Washington Arts Club. Brooke was the winner of the Vocal Arts Discovery Series Competition, a finalist in the American Bach Competition and Liederkranz Competition, and a semi-finalist in the New York Oratorio Society Competition. Brooke has appeared as the soprano soloist for Elijah, the Brahms, Mozart and Fauré Requiems, Handel’s Messiah, and the Bach St. John Passion.
Not limited to classical music, Brooke was recognized by the city of Baltimore as a semi-finalist in the 2008 Billie Holiday Competition for her jazz singing. She also recently performed the role of Maria in The Sound of Music with the Vienna Choral Society.
Often praised for her wit and character in presentation, Brooke now eagerly, comically, and touchingly pays tribute to one of her greatest inspirations, Julie Andrews.
More information on Brooke and her upcoming performances can be found at www.brookeevers.com.
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Catrin Rowenna Davies
Catrin Rowenna Davies, mezzo soprano, is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory in the Graduate Performance Diploma program. Previously, she studied at the RoyalWelsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales,
where she received and Advanced Diploma in Voice Performance with honors. She has performed recitals in Montreal, Washington D.C., Oxford, Cardiff, Monmouth, and Baltimore. Ms. Davies specializes in Welsh repertoire and won first prize at the North American Festival of Wales in 2002 and 2004. She has also competed at the National Festival in Wales. She has performed with many local groups including the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and Chorale; the Young Victorian Theatre Company in the roles of the Fairy Queen in Iolanthe, Phoebe in Yeomen of the Guard, Pitti Sing in The Mikado, Constance in The Sorcerer,and Hebe in HMS Pinafore; Annapolis Opera, also in the role of Pitti Sing; and Mrs. Nolan in The Medium with Baltimore Opera. Ms. Davies has also performed with the Lyric Opera of Cleveland in the role of Peep Bo in The Mikado, and the understudy of Dorabella in Così fan tutte and Meg in Little Women. While at Peabody,she was the 2nd Lady and Papagena in a production of Papageno, the Squirrel in L'Enfant et les sortileges,and Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring. Ms. Davies holds an honors degree in history from McGill University,Montreal, and a Master's degree in Women's Studies from Oxford University. She has sung chorus for Wolf Trap Opera and Baltimore Opera, and is currently part of Baltimore Opera's educational program. Her solo oratorio work includes Mozart's Requiem and Bach's Magnificat. This past holiday season, she was engaged in the pantomime Puss in Boots, as Peter, the Miller's son. In summer 2008, she will perform the role ofTessa in The Gondoliers with Young Victorian Theatre Company.
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Charisma Wooten
Charisma Wooten is a Helen Hayes nominated playwright and performing artist who has performed in countless background vocal ensembles for artists Alexandra Lajoux, Pat Boone, Earth, Wind and Fire; Myrna Summers, Deniece Williams, Bernard Mavritte and Aretha Franklin to name a few. She is also a proud member of the Maryland Choral Society; member of Refreshing Spring Church of God in Christ and a Licensed Missionary Minister. Charisma is the former stage manager for KanKouran West African Dance Company and the Artistic Managing Director for Mary's First Child, a.d. She is also a Board Member of Jah Kente, Inc.
This veteran actor/singer/playwright has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Africa. Her local performances include Blues Alley, Charlie’s Georgetown, The Marquee Lounge, the Baltimore Museum of Art, The Corcoran Gallery, Source Theatre, Studio Theatre, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Theatre, the historic Ford’s Theatre and Germano's Cabaret Theatre in Little Italy, Baltimore, MD.
Charisma teaches theatre to children and senior citizens; and performs regularly for individuals with special needs. When Charisma is not touring her one woman Helen Hayes nominated show “A Night With Jackie ‘Moms’ Mabley” or acting in other shows, she sings with the Maryland Choral Society, the A. D. Headen Choir, various venues and as a special guest soloist.
“...her voice has a warm earthy sound with a slight raspiness of a blues singer (some might classify as contralto); but she can reach the clear soprano spinto clarity... this voice invites you into the story, as if she is telling you a secret...”
Hami Harris, The Washington Post.
“...Charisma’s performances are considered ‘edu-tainment’ ... you will be compelled to think”.
Philip E. Pannell, The Washington Informer.
“...Charisma has more facial expressions than a Shakespearan actor...”
Ernest P. White, Washington Living
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Charisma Wooten as Jackie Moms Mabley
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Charisma Wooten at Germano's
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Colleen Clancy
Colleen Clancy most recently appeared as Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at DeSales University where she is studying musical theater. Also at DeSales University, she has been seen in Quilters the Musical, Sunday in the Park with George, and the renowned operetta, The Mikado. She has held leading and supporting roles, playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at Summer Stage in Pennsylvania, Lady Larken in Once Upon a Mattress at Marriotts Ridge, Carmen Diaz in Fame at Marriotts Ridge, Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof at Mt. Hebron, and a Silly Girl in Beauty and the Beast at Howard County Summer Theater. Colleen has starred in numerous musical reviews, featuring the music of Broadway, both past and present. As a vocalist, she has earned recognition as a member of the Maryland All-State Chorus and was a winner in the NATS Musical Theatre Competition. As a dancer, she performed in the Washington National Opera's production of Hansel and Gretel and helped choreograph for Red, Hot and Cole.
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David Frankenberger, Jr.
A native of Baltimore, David Frankenberger, Jr. is thrilled to be back in Baltimore and performing at Germano’s Trattoria. His versatility as a young artist and passion for performing and have accredited him with much success in the world of theatre, opera, a cappella and now cabaret shows! He recently took the stage as Pap and Duke in Big River at Olney Theatre. Previously, David completed a nine month national tour with Olney ThGeatre’s National Players, America’s longest running classical touring company. His roles included Sir Aguecheek in Twelfth Night and Francois in the musical adaptation of Jack London’s Call of the Wild. Other recent theatre credits include Mr. Bumble in Oliver! and Reuben in Joseph/Dreamcoat with Theatre on the Hill.
David graduated from Goucher College in 2003 with a BA in Theatre. Some of his most memorable roles include Dennis Shepard in The Laramie Project, Touchstone in As You Like It, Jason in Medea, and Gerry Evans in Dancing at Lughnasa. David’s interest in music led him to become the musical director for Goucher’s a cappella group Red Hot Blue whose proceeds benefit the AIDS cause. While under the vocal direction of Serafina Digiacomo, David turned is attention to Opera studies. His favorite roles at Goucher include Rudolpho in La Boheme, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi.
David can be seen this fall with Olney Theatre in their production of Peter Pan and in the spring with their Washington-area premiere of Is He Dead?, a recently discovered play by Mark Twain and adapted by David Ives.
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Eileen Earnest
Eileen Earnest received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Ohio Northern University and the National Academy for Singing and Dramatic Art in Christchurch, New Zealand. She has performed professionally all over the country and some favorite credits include: Sally Brown You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Huron Playhouse), Hermia A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Crosley Theatre), Milady de Winter Three Musketeers (National Theater), Ophelia Hamlet (Globe Theatre, PA), Sally Simpson The Who’s Tommy (Freed Center). Eileen is also a certified actor combatant. When she’s not entertaining audiences in a theater, Eileen soars through the sky as a flight attendant for United Airlines.
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Elizabeth Hart
Elizabeth Hart, soprano, performs as recitalist, cabaret singer and chamber musician and has been a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, Pro Musica Rara of Baltimore, the Bach Ensemble of Baltimore, the New Dominion Chorale, and Music at Gretna Chamber Players. In 2003, she was soprano soloist in Villa-Lobo’s Bachianas Brasileiras Nr. 5 at the 100th Birthday Gala celebrating the birth of cellist Gregor Piatigorsky at Shriver Hall in Baltimore and Jordan Hall in Boston. She has also appeared on the Baltimore Symphony’s Chamber Music Series at Second Presbyterian Church.
Elizabeth Hart is Director of the Voice Program at Loyola College in Maryland and resides in Baltimore, where she maintains a private studio geared towards professional and crossover singers. Her book, Anthology for Beginning American Singers, co-authored with Helen Strine, will appear in 2009.
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Eyal Bor
Dr. Eyal Bor was born in Israel. He is a fifth generation Sabra. Upon the completion of his army service in Israel, Dr. Bor came to study in the United States. He graduated from the University of Southern California, School of Music with a Bachelor in Music degree, majoring in clarinet. He holds a Masters degree in Educational Administration from the University of Judaism, Los Angeles, California. Dr. Bor received his Ph.D. from the Baltimore Hebrew University in Political Science. His specialty is in trends and relations between the two largest Jewish communities in the world - the Israeli and the American. Dr. Bor is the Director of Education at Beth El Congregation in Pikesville, Maryland where he developed the award winning Dr. Beatrice Miller Project Mishpacha program. Eyal is married to Dr. Hana Bor and is the father of four children.
An internationally recognized clarinetist, Dr, Eyal Bor demonstrates how Jewish influences have shaped the American musical scene as he plays selections from the world of jazz, theater, Klezmer, Hassidic and liturgical music.
Noted for his unique blend of music, warmth, Yiddishkeit, and humor, Dr. Bor takes his audiences on a fascinating American Jewish odyssey.
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Gia Mora
GIA MORA works as an actor, singer, and model across the United States. As a jazz vocalist, she has headlined at venues including Blues Alley, Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, the Rusty Scupper, the Henley Park Hotel, 49 West, and the Bethesda Theatre. She also performs as Gladys in “the world’s best band,” Doc Scantlin and
His Imperial Palms Orchestra. In 2008 she had the honor of singing at a command performance at the White House for the Bush family. Miz Mora is a proud third generation jazz musician and began singing on stage with her father, guitarist Rick
Chinisci, at age 3. She released her first CD, Something Borrowed,Something Blue, featuring Unified Jazz Ensemble, in December 2009.
In addition to music, she has been a featured actor at notable theatres including
Shakespeare Theatre Company, Kennedy Center (world premiere musicals, Knuffle Bunny and Chasing George Washington), Arena Stage (world premiere musical,Christmas Carol 1941), Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Rep Stage,MetroStage (dance captain for Maurice Hines; world premiere musical, Cool Papa’s Party), and Round House Theatre, among many others, earning three
prestigious Helen Hayes Award nominations.
An accomplished film actor, she garnered a 2007 Best Acting Award from the DC 48-Hour Film Project. With writer/director Barry Gribble, she has her own YouTube series, Shrinkage, and she appeared in the FOX Television pilot, Saving Corporate America. Her latest film, Woman’s Picture, written and directed by Brian Pera, will
debut in 2010. For more information, please visit www.GiaMora.com.
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Grace Flaherty
Grace is currently pursuing her B.F.A. in musical theatre at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Thus far in Pittsburgh she has performed in Bridegworks dance festival and “Can Can”. This past summer she performed in the 2007 season of Theatre on the Hill. Some of her favorite theatre credits include Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls”, Nanette in “No, No, Nanette”, and Elizabeth Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice”. She also competed nationally with her competitive dance team. Grace is thrilled to be performing in Baltimore and is so thankful for this fun opportunity!
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Gypsy Dawg
Gypsy Dawg is a Baltimore based band comprised of musicians that have been in the circuit for over 30 years.They have shared the stage with artists such as Merl Saunders,Dave Nelson,The Seldom Scene,Leftover Salmon,Dave Grisman and the list goes on.Individually members have played with Tom Constantine,Jorma Kaukonan,local legend Barry Sless and the list goes on.If you like to groove to a good jam band you'll love to groove to The Dawg!
Craig"Chowder" Boynton guitar, vocals; Dave Jacobson guitar,vocals;Ralph Donato guitar,vocals;Lou Shach Harmonica,vocals;Marc Wexler mandolin,vocals;Dean Clarke bass;Steve Raskin drums flute.
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Harmonious Wail
Specializing in the style of Django Reinhardt, The Wail is made of mandolin, guitar, bass, and killer female vocals with snare percussion. The Wail consistently receives an excellent response from audience members, and reengagements from presenters. The band has toured throughout the United States and Europe over the past 17 years.
Maggie Delaney-Potthoff(lead vocalist & percussion)
Maggieis a captivating performer. She loves soaring on solos, scatting over a tune, and lifting people out of their seats! Maggieis a natural on stage, and her stellar vocals will pierce your soul as if she can see right through you.
Sims Delaney-Potthoff(band leader, mandolinist, vocalist)
Sims is a powerful, rhythmic force; he is never a dull moment. A fearless and lyrical mandolinist, Sims also holds his 1937 Gibson tenor guitar dear to heart, well as his new love, the ukulele. In his dreams, he is the Clifford Brown of the mandolin!
Tom Waselchuk (guitarist & vocalist)
Tom brings to the Wail all that is fluid and brilliant. Heis a consummate guitarist.Loves the road.Loves to perform. A true musician.
Matt Rodgers (bassist & vocalist)
Matt performs with immense energy. His passion for the double bassis reflected in his soul-revealing solos. He takes his listeners for a ride!
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Jason Buckwalter
Baritone Jason Buckwalter is a frequent performer in the Baltimore and Annapolis area having recently graduated from the Peabody Conservatory with a Master of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma. At Peabody, Mr. Buckwalter studied with renowned baritone William Sharp. Mr. Buckwalter’s versatility encompasses opera roles, oratorio, song, and musical theater, and his dramatic character portrayals have been praised for being “etched with theatrical fire” (Baltimore Sun). Some of Mr. Buckwalter's opera roles include Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with the Loudoun Lyric Opera, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte at the Peabody Conservatory, and the Boatswain in HMS Pinafore with the Young Victorian Theatre Company. Musical theater roles include Lewis in Pippin with the Annapolis Chorale, Mr. Lindquist in the Peabody Opera Theatre’s production of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and Frank in Hammerstein’s and Kern’s Showboat with the Annapolis Chorale. Upcoming performances include Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte in January and Beniot and Alcindoro in La Bohème in April, both with the Chesapeake Concert Opera. Mr. Buckwalter is a member of the Washington National Opera Chorus and sings as part of the outreach program for the Lyric Opera House Association in Baltimore.
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Jennifer Blades
Hailed as having a “juicy” and “colorful” tone as well as a “flair for comic mugging,” mezzo-soprano Jennifer Blades has been active in the Baltimore area for over adecade as a classical singer, performer in opera and cabaret, and as a director. This season, Baltimore audiences will see even more of this dynamic performer. eginning on November 6,Ms. Blades will be featured at Germano's Trattoria with a reprise of her cabaret show, My Funny Valentine. On December 12, she will return to Opera Vivente for the company's second holiday cabaret, All Those Christmas Cliches, and then she will once again take up the role of Proverbia,the good fairy, for a remounting of the wildly successful Puss in Boots at Theatre Project with the Pantolites from December 27, 2008 through January 4, 2009. She will be a featured soloist with the Bach Concert Series in Canata 148 on February 1, 2009. On Valentine's Day 2009, Ms.Blades will perform a new cabaret show for An die Musik based on the music of Kurt Weill. On March 8, she will join the Harford Choral Society as alto soloist for Mozart's Grand Mass in C,and will sing the role of Mrs. Herring in Britten's Albert Herring with Opera Vivente in May.
Opera credits include Public Opinion (Orpheus in the Underworld), Arminda(Mozart’s La finta giardiniera), the Mother (Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors) , Dorabella(Così fan tutte), Bianca (Britten's The Rape of Lucretia), the Sorceress (Dido and Aeneas), and Narciso Handel’s Agrippina) for Opera Vivente; Second Nursemaid (Kurt Weill’s Street Scene) for Wolf Trap Opera; and Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) and Valencienne (The Merry Widow) as a guest artist for Opera AACC. Ms. Blades has also performed both Tessa in The Gondoliers and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore with the Young Victorian Theatre. She spent the summer of 2003 as a member of the Young Artist Ensemble at Bel Canto at Caramoor under the direction of Maestro Will Crutchfield. In the summer of 2007, Ms. Blades sang the role of Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti for Baltimore’s Artscape with Opera Vivente.
An avid cabaret singer, Ms. Blades has performed three solo shows at An die Musik in Baltimore: Desire, Despair, Deceit and Delight: A Holiday Cabaret (December 2005), A Promised Kiss: Songs of Spring (April 2006) with pianist Jerome Tan, and most recently, My Funny Valentine (February 2008), a cabaret tale of looking for and finding love, with pianist Eileen Cornett.
In the summer of 2007, Ms. Blades had the opportunity to study with and perform alongside some of cabaret’s greatest musicians, Andrea Marcovicci, Shelly Markham, Karen Mason, Christopher Denny, Barry Kleinbort, and Norma Curley at the Art of Cabaret Professional Workshop in Colorado. She has also performed in the club Don’t Tell Mama.
At home on stage whether singing or acting, Ms. Blades was featured in the Pantolites’ first production of the British-style pantomime tradition, Puss in Boots, as the Good Fairy Proverbia. Of her performance, The Baltimore Sun stated, “Much of the magic in this show is spread by the Good Fairy narrator, Proverbia, who is embodied with storybook charm by Jennifer Blades.” The online publication Broadway World wrote that Ms. Blades “play[ed] her role with all of the requisite charm and goody-ness, but with a sly wink to being a modern woman.”
Ms. Blades has been a featured soloist with the Handel Choir of Baltimore, the Harford Choral Society, the Bach Concert Series, Anne Arundel Community College’s Chorus and Orchestra, and Howard Community College’s Chorus and Orchestra. Credits include the Bach Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, the Duruflé Requiem, the Kodály Missa Brevis,Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Handel's Hospital Foundling Anthem, and several Bach Cantatas.
Ms. Blades received a Masters of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma from
the Peabody Conservatory where she is a faculty member and stage director with the Opera
Department. She teaches Acting for Opera and directs the Outreach Program's touring
productions of Papageno, Hansel & Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood. For the 2007 season, she
directed Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges and as well as three of the Opera Etudes program,
Epiphanies in April 2008. Past Opera Etudes productions include three of the Faces of Myth in
2001 and three of the Facets of Freedom in 2006. Other directing credits include Orpheus in the
Underworld for Opera AACC.
In addition to her solo and directing work, Ms. Blades runs the Chamber Jazz Society of Baltimore, an organization that presents jazz concerts at the Baltimore Museum of Art, sings with the Baltimore Opera, is on the faculty of the Peabody Conservatory and Anne Arundel Community College, and is artist-manager for the Mt. Vernon Voices.
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Jennifer Blades
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Jennifer Irons
Jennifer Irons is an actress and singer in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Her most recent performance was at the John F. Kennedy Center, where she portrayed the role of Alexis Powell in the newly written musical by Marlee Matlin, Nobody’s Perfect. Other area credits include: Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical the Musical at Imagination Stage (Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Musical), She Loves Me and Camelot at Arena Stage, Follies and Saving Aimee at Signature Theatre and Judy/Ginger in Ruthless at Maryland Ensemble Theatre. Ms. Irons received a Bachelor of Music from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She can be heard on the original cast recording of Nobody’s Perfect, and this fall she will be appearing in Peter Pan at Olney Theatre.
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Jessica Abel
Jessica Abel is a young American soprano who is committed to artistry and nuance in the music she performs. Most recently, she performed as Josephine in H.M. S. Pinafore with the Victorian Lyric Opera Company, the title role in a contemporary American opera Dora with the Peabody Chamber Opera and gave a recital “Early Works of Contemporary Masters” at the Peabody Conservatory. In 2008, Ms. Abel received the Phyllis Bryn-Julson Prize for Commitment To and Performance of 20th and 21st Century Vocal Literature, following several performances of contemporary works, including the commission and premiere of the song cycle Six Significant Landscapes, by emerging American composer Evan Rogers. Recently, Ms. Abel appeared as Papagena in the Peabody Opera production of Die Zauberflöte and performed Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire with Ars Nova Dallas at the Dallas Festival of Modern Music, where she was hailed by the Fort Worth Examiner as “perfect throughout her delivery as Pierrot…executing the Sprechstimme technique with intimate aplomb.” In March and June of 2010, Ms. Abel performed several works with chamber ensemble Vivre Musicale, including the world premiere of The Amber Hand for soprano and string quartet by Zachary Wadsworth. She also covered the role of Despina in Cosí fan tutte with Chesapeake Concert Opera and the roles of Susanna and Barbarina in The Figaro Project production in May. Ms. Abel holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music from the Florida State University College of Music. She currently studies with Marianna Busching and Phyllis Bryn-Julson.
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Jessica Hanel-Satava
Prize-winning soprano Jessica Hanel Satava is enjoying a season of debuts. In addition to her premiere performance as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi with Opera Lancaster, she performed her first role with the company as Inez in Il Trovatore with Center Stage Opera. Later that year, she returned to Center Stage Opera as Musetta in La bohème, and in March as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. In February 2010, she made her debut as Mimí in a concert version of La bohème. This past spring, Ms. Satava appeared as The Voice from Heaven in Verdi’s Don Carlo with Repertory Opera Theater of Washington. This November will mark her New York debut at Merkin Hall for the premier of a new song cycle written for her by composer Keith Kramer, in addition to encore performances of his chamber works with string quartet, flute and piano.
Additional roles include Despina in Così fan tutte, Lisette in La Rondine, Nella in Gianni Schicchi, Beatrix in Offenbach’s Les Bavards, Polly in The Threepenny Opera, Laurey in Oklahoma! and Miss Pinkerton in The Old Maid and the Thief in venues including the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater, Peabody Opera Theatre, South Bend Civic Theater, and Bethel College. She created title role in the premiere of Christopher Bassett’s new opera, Janine of Newark, also at Peabody.
Ms. Satava’s talent has been recognized with awards from many competitions, including both senior and professional divisions of the Baltimore Music Club Competition, the Marian B. and Samuel Bernstein Memorial Prize for Opera, the Russell T. Wonderlic Competition for Voice, the Kennett Symphony Voice Competition, Michigan NATS, and the Marie E. Crump Vocal Arts Competition. In demand as a recitalist, Ms. Satava has appeared in numerous concert series, including the School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Community Concerts at Second, The Thursday Noon Recital Series, The Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church Recital Series, The Mansion at Strathmore, Old St. Paul’s Tuesday Music Series, and Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD. She has appeared as a guest with Loyola College’s Da Camera, most recently as soloist on an all-Bernstein program.
Ms. Satava earned her Master of Vocal Arts at The Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with William Sharp. She continued her studies with Ruth Drucker and Thomas Houser, her current teachers. Other influential teachers have included Eileen Farrell and Victoria Garrett.
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Joe Peck
Baritone/Tenor vocalist Joe Peck has appeared on stage in productions at The Kennedy Center, Ford's Theatre, Open Circle Theatre, Theatre Lab, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre, and The Washington Savoyards, among others. Joe works on camera in commercials, industrials and independent films, and he performs regularly in voiceovers as a narrator as well as providing character voices. After college, he pursued a successful career in government and government affairs before returning to the stage and performing full-time in the last several years. It is this breadth of experience - on and off the stage - that uniquely informs his work. Joe has appeared in cabaret performances at DC venues as diverse as Mimi's American Bistro, Mr. Henry's Capitol Hill, Maggie's Cabaret at St. Margaret's, The Arts Club of Washington, Indigo @ the Atlas Performing Arts Center, The Prince Theatre and the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. His vocal training includes work at MTSU and with Wayne Kemp Vocal Studios. You can find him online at www.joepeck.net.
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Kristina Granados
One of the DC areas emerging Cabaret Artists, Kristina has been entertaining audiences Nationwide for over a decade. Her performances have been described as angelic and breathtaking . She has performed on prestigious stages such as the Kennedy Center, and the Egyptian Theatre, as well as on the Spirit Cruise lines and at private parties. She had also been the recipient of many awards and fellowships. Her love for classical Musical Theatre, and early American Music has inspired her to create this night of unforgettable music that will leave you singing your way home!
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Kristina Lewis
Kristina Lewis, 22, is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She began piano lessons at the age of four, from the Birmingham-Southern College Conservatory of Fine and Performing Arts. After graduating from Fairfield High School with honors, Kristina was awarded the Daniel Music Scholarship, the only full-comprehensive music scholarship at Converse College, where she obtained a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with honors. While in pursuit of her degree, Kristina was a winner of the 2007 Converse College Concerto Competition in Piano. As a result, she performed the Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 2, movement 1, with the Converse College Orchestra. She also was accepted into the Advanced Division for piano at Brevard Music Camp in 2007. In the fall of 2007, Kristina began taking voice lessons under Dr. Beverly Hay. Within six months, Kristina competed in NATS and received 3rd place in the regional division. The following year, Kristina placed 1st in NATS regionals.
Before graduation, Kristina performed in the chorus of the Mikado, collaborated with Miles Hoffman and Rebecca Turner live in concert, participated in the piano masterclasses of Nelita True from Eastman School of Music, Elizabeth Pridinoff from Cincinnati Conservatory, and performed in opera scenes as the Mother in the Consul. In 2009, Kristina was offered a sizable Peabody Institutional Scholarship to attend the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. Kristina is currently obtaining her Master of Music in Voice at Peabody Conservatory under the instruction of Dr. Stanley Cornett. Up to date, Kristina made her opera debut as Prince Orlofsky in the Peabody Opera Theatre’s 2010 spring production of Die Fledermaus. Kristina was chosen and participated in the masterclass of Marilyn Horne. Most recently, Kristina placed 2nd in the Vocal Arts Competition of the Mid-Atlantic region of the 2010 Classical Vocal Arts Competition which is being sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic District of the National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women's Clubs, Inc., and was the 1st place winner of the Sylvia Green Voice Competition of the Peabody Institute. As a result, Kristina will perform the Ruckert-Lieder by Gustav Mahler with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra this fall of 2010. On the side, Kristina has put together benefit concerts held at her alma mater of Birmingham-Southern Conservatory, in raising money for Brevard Music Camp. She also has held many church positions as alto section leader for many churches in Alabama, South Carolina, and Maryland.
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Madeleine Russell
Madeleine Russell originally hails from Ames, Iowa. She has a BFA with special distinction from the University of Oklahoma, School of Drama. Her local DC credits include The Tempest and Two Gentleman of Verona (National Players Summer Shakespeare Festival), Cinderella and her Sisters (Olney Theatre Center) and Herbie: Poet of the Wild West (2009 DC Capitol Fringe Festival).As an alum of The National Players
59th annual tour (Olivia in 12th Night and Pup in Call of the Wild). She is currently working as The General Manager of The National Players and would LOVE to get in touch about bringing Shakespeare to your area.
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Maris Wicker
Maris Wicker’s cabaret performances over the past two years have included “Music of Kurt Weill” at Gallery Neptune in Bethesda, MD (with pianist Michael Crabill) and at DCArts Center (with pianist Alex Tang), “From Ellington to Sondheim” at The University Club of Washington, DC (with Michael Crabill), and “Face to Face” at Gallery Neptune (with pianist Mary Sugar). In vocal recitals in the Washington area and in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia, she has performed some of the major song cycles of the 20th century, including Aaron Copland’s “Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson,” Claude Debussy’s “Ariette Oubliees,” Dominick Argento’s “To Be Sung Upon the Water,” and Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville Summer of 1915.” Last year she wrote and directed “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” for the Sidwell Friends School in Washington. She can be heard on the recently-released CD “Let the Sky Fall Down – Que Se Caiga El Cielo,” in duet with her son, Branson Skinner, who wrote and co-produced all of the CD’s material. (see www.bransonlasmunecas.com). In the spring of 2009, she and singer/actor Lonny Smith will present “Lenny, Kurt and Harold,” which is a show devoted to the music of three of her favorite composers -Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill and Harold Arlen. (see www.mariswicker.com for more information).
Maris earned a B.Music (piano performance) and a J.D. from the University of Richmond, and studied piano at the graduate level at the New England Conservatory and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. She has practiced law in Virginia, Texas, and Washington, D.C. She currently serves as interim director for the DCSquash Academy, which is a non-profit organization offering after-school enrichment and support programs to elementary and middle school students in the Elsie Whitlow Stokes Freedom Charter School in Washington. She is a grateful member of the DC Cabaret Network.
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Melissa Wimbish
"...simply incredible.....the highlight of the entire evening..." were the quotes from the Boulder, Colorado's Daily Camera when describing the recent performances of Melissa Wimbish, soprano, in her role as Cunegonde with the University of Colorado’s production of Candide. More recently, she appeared in a master class for world-renowned mezzo-soprano, Marilyn Horne and received excellent reviews from the Baltimore Sun. She made her international debut as the “Queen of the Night” at the first Seoul International Opera Festival in Seoul, Korea in the summer of 2009.
Throughout her studies, she was involved in several productions including Hänsel und Gretel, The Secret Garden, Amahl and the Night Visitors, culminating in the solo opera by Poulenc, La Voix humaine. Equally at home in concert work and chamber music, she was also the featured soloist with the Metropolitan State College of Denver Symphony Orchestra in Mozart’s concert aria “Vorrei spiegarvi, O Dio!” as well as in Orff's Carmina Burana. Ms. Wimbish was invited to be the soprano in the world premiere of "Venus Transiens: Trilogy for Harp, Cello and Soprano,” by composer Fran Pierson.
In competition, she recently won second prize at the German Art Song division of the Metro State Vocal Arts Competition and the Kennett Square Vocal Competition. She was also a finalist in the Sylvia Green Competition, a semi-finalist in the international 'Competizione dell'Opera' in Dresden, Germany, and was selected as an alternate for the Vocal Arts Society Recital Competition in Washington, D.C.
Ms. Wimbish has been noted as much for her research and writing skills as she is for her performing. Her scholarly recognition has been in the form of awards and prizes such as the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Scholarship, L. Rudolph Quinn Scholarship, Metro Scholars Award, Dante Alighieri Music Scholarship, and the Excellence in Musicology Award, which was awarded for her essay and public presentation on Béla Bartòk's opera, Duke Bluebeard's Castle.
Ms. Wimbish received her Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, her Bachelor of Music in voice from the Metropolitan State College of Denver and is currently pursuing her Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. She was cast as the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte in the Peabody opera department's run-outs for this season as well as performing the roles of Ida and Adele in Die Fledermaus. With Chesapeake Concert Opera, she covered the role of Blondchen in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail.
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Rafael Javadov
World renowned violinist,Rafael Javadov is a soloist, arranger and the musical director of "Acoustic Machine," a group performing original music, with unique and dimensional compositions, and a real event in the music world today.
Since his arrival in the United States in 1995, Mr. Javadov has served as the Music Director of the Kol Haruach Klezmer Band. Their CD “In the Beginning" made it to the first 10 Klezmer Music productions in the world that year. He also is a member the Helios string quartet and performs as a String Duo with Sergey Morozov. He performs arrangements of Russian folk themes and romances and the Mediterranean folk music, Gypsy, Jewish, American classics, and also classical music favorites.
He has performed with many of the Washington D.C. regional symphonies, including the Delaware Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, Arlington Symphony, Philly Pops, Baltimore Symphony, Maryland Symphony, National Philharmonic and the Doc Scantlin Imperial Palms Orchestra, just to name a few. Throughout his career, he has had experience in both performing and overseeing musical groups throughout Russia and the United States.
Most recently, in 2008, Rafael Javadov performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., in the Synetic Theater's new adaptation of the opera "Carmen." Reviewer Debbie Minter Jackson, in the DC Theatre Scene, writes:
"Violinist Rafael Javadov could easily fill Carnegie Hall - he hits unbelievably high notes in the upper register, coaxes out soothing melodies, and strides with the rest of the musicians on the jazzy riffed ballads... Breathtaking!"
At 5 years old, Rafael was enrolled in music lessons At the age of 10, Rafael left Ukraine and began his studies at the Special Tchaikovsky Music School at Moscow Conservatory. The Tchaikovsky school is considered to be one of the best music schools in the world.
Rafael studied under the world famous musicians and teachers Zinaida Gilels and Natalia Viardo at the Moscow Conservatory.
After his studies in Moscow, Mr. Javadov went on to graduate from the Glinka State Music College of the Ukraine and the Rostov-Don Conservatory in Russia, earning his master degree in Violin: Soloist, Performer and Music Educator.
Later, from 1986-1988, Rafael was the Concertmaster of the North Pole Navy Band in Russia. The Band played only for presidents, dignitaries and world leaders throughout Eastern Europe.
In 1994, while chairing a First-Section Violin position in the Dnepropetrovsk Symphony, he also resided as Conductor/Arranger for the Youth Violinist Ensemble "Violino," comprised of twenty of his students, from the ages of 8 to 15. In 1995, they toured in Ukraine, Russia, and Germany and were so successful that the entire ensemble was invited to the United States for a concert tour.
Rafael Javadov and his music performances are simply magical.
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Rebecca Bux
Rebecca Bux is honored to make her debut performance in her new home city of Baltimore. Rebecca graduated from Susquehanna University in 2006, where she earned a B.A. in Theater and a B.A. in Communications: Broadcasting. After graduating, she immediately began performing at various theaters, including Galveston Island Musicals in Galveston, Texas and Allenberry Playhouse in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. Some of her more favorite roles include Liesel in The Sound of Music, Sister Amnesia in Nunsense, Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical, as well as many others. Rebecca has also performed in Enchanted April, Oklahoma!, The Full Monty, Plain & Fancy, and Hello Dolly!. Rebecca currently works full-time for PinnacleCare in Baltimore's Inner Harbor and for J&S Productions as a wedding photographer.
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Robyn Stevens
Robyn Stevens, Soprano, has appeared as a soloist with the Washington National Opera Company, Municipal Opera of Baltimore, Queens Opera, Opera Lewanee, Florida Lyric Opera, Sarasota Opera, Manhattan Touring Opera Company, Wolf Trap Opera, among others and has appeared internationally with Operafestival di Roma and as soprano soloist in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle touring both Austria and Germany. Critical acclaim has been earned by performances of Verdi’s Manzoni Requiem and for her portrayal of Nedda in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci. A versatile vocalist, she has been a successful interpreter of both soprano and mezzo soprano vocal literature, performing as “the Witch” in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors as well as the solos in DeFalla’s El Amor Brujo and Duruflé’s Requiem.
Concert venues include the Kennedy Center, Washington’s National Cathedral, The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, and as guest soloist with the Paul Hill Choral, Columbia Pro Cantare, Handel Choir of Baltimore, Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Prince George’s Philharmonic, Westshore Symphony, Winona Symphony, Capella Cantorum, Brooklyn Heights Symphony, Tampa Oratorio Society, among others. She has premiered works by ASCAP award winning composer Daniel Crozier and Mirta de la Torre Mulhare, and her performance of Wagner’s “Liebestod” with the Peabody Concert Orchestra was broadcast on NPR’s “Music from Peabody”. Recent performances include Dvorak’s Te Deum with the UNCP Concert Choir, 2008, Schubert Mass in G with the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College Concert Choir, and Handel’s Messiah with the Florence Symphony in December of 2007-2008 series. Upcoming performances include the role of Aline in a concert production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Sorcerer with “Balti-Quert” in August of 2009, and the Mother in Amahl and The Night Visitors at the Jackson Smith Center, Jacksonville, Maryland in December of 2009.
Ms. Stevens has served on the faculties of Morgan State University, the Community Colleges of Baltimore, Coordinator of Vocal Studies at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, as well as a Visiting Professor on the Voice faculty at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina. Currently she is arts coordinator for D.E.O., a newly founded arts organization in Maryland. She has been a lecture-recitalist at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland, as well as at Winona State University, Minnesota, and for the Baltimore Opera Company. Her article “The Garcia Family: The Pedagogic Legacy of Romanticism’s Premiere Musical Dynasty” was recently published in the May/June 2009 Journal of Singing for the National Association Teachers of Singing.
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Rolando Sanz
Rolando Sanz, tenor
The much heralded tenor, Rolando Sanz, makes his debut at the Cabaret at Germano's in the opening show presented by the Lyric Opera House.
In the 2007-2008 season, Rolando performed with Opera Idaho as Nemorino in L’elisir d’Amore, and returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis to sing Nathaniel in The Tales of Hoffmann under Stephen Lord as well as to cover Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. Most recently, he was a finalist for the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The 2008-2009 season included a debut with the Palm Beach Opera as Rodolfo in La boheme and Flavio in Norma, as well as covering Duca di Mantua in Rigoletto.
Recent engagements include Alfredo in La traviata, conducted by Julius Rudel and L’Aumônier in Dialogues des Carmélites under the baton of James Conlon with the Aspen Music Festival. Other Aspen appearances include Mozart in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Mozart & Salieri and Lippo Florentino in Street Scene.
As a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Mr. Sanz covered the role of Stiva in their premiere of Anna Karenina. Other recent engagements include Peter Doyle in the west coast premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s Miss Lonelyhearts, for which the Los Angeles Times reported: “Rolando Sanz, as Doyle, gave the best hint of the score's expressive possibilities.” Mr. Sanz has also appeared as Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro and covered Carlo in I masnadieri with Sarasota Opera.
In 2005, Mr. Sanz was a resident artist at the Music Academy of the West under the tutelage of Marilyn Horne and Warren Jones. He also made his Washington, DC debut as Le Prince Charmant in Summer Opera Theatre Company’s production of Massenet’s Cendrillon.
Rolando has also distinguished himself as a gifted concert performer and recitalist. He recently sang his first Beethoven Ninth Symphony with the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles and Handel’s Messiah with the New Jersey Philharmonic. Mr. Sanz was also featured as tenor soloist in Stravinsky’s Les Noces with the Yale Camerata as well as at the Aspen Music Fesitval under the baton of Michael Stern. He made his Yale Philharmonia debut as the winner of the Woolsey Hall Concerto Competition, performing Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. Additional soloist engagements include the Mozart C-minor Mass and Requiem, Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio, Randall Thompson's Nativity according to St. Luke, Honegger’s Le Roi David and Handel’s Ode to St. Cecilia, as well as the Washington, DC premiere of the Donizetti Requiem.
Rolando has been awarded Third Place in the Florida Grand Opera/Young Patronesses of the Opera Voice Competition, as well as First Place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the Orange County district. He was also a winner of the Aspen Music Festival Vocal Concerto Competition, performing in concert under the baton of George Manahan, and most recently won First Place in the Florida Suncoast Opera Guild Voice Competition. Rolando appeared as a resident artist with the Songfest 2004 program, collaborating with such esteemed artists as Martin Katz, Graham Johnson and composer John Harbison. Mr. Sanz also served as assistant conductor for Long Beach Opera’s 2004 production of Die Schweigsame Frau under Andreas Mitisek.
Rolando is a graduate of the Yale University School of Music.
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Russ Margo
Russ Margulis (HAMAN), known professionally as Russ Margo, has performed across the United States, from his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland to Miami Beach, Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas and all points in between.
He hosted his own radio show on WITH ("Russ Margo's Club Imagination" where people called in requesting songs and he performed them "live" over the air) and was heard for many years on WBAL with Allan Prell.
He's performed original musical and comedy material at countless events, both corporate and social and has often been called the area’s “most valuable leisure time asset.”
His two children Abigail and Zachary (while having been raised in Baltimore) both live in Southern California, where they were born during the 10 years he lived and entertained there. He lives with his best friend and love, Nancy Sachs, and who knows, this may be the year she makes an honest man of him.
Love to Nancy, Abby, Zach, Manny, Noa, Josh, Allie, Max, Zoe and Little Zak.
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Russ Moss
Russ Moss is an American singer of popular music, standards and jazz. Raised on a farm in rural Warren County, Georgia, Moss began singing at an early age. Moss says, "I can't imagine those growing up years, of back breaking farm work, fun filled Saturday nights and all-day in Church Sundays, without the songs that made life bearable then and more memorable, now." Those songs a mixture of pop, rhythm and blues, gospel, folk, rock, classical, jazz and show tunes have influenced the passionate and unique singing style of Russ Moss. His sound has been described as a cross between Bobby Darin and Louis Armstrong with lots of Russ Moss mixed in for flavoring.
Moss sang with his high school choir and at church in rural Georgia. After high school he moved to Buffalo, New York to live with his mother who had divorced his father when he was an infant. Moss, while working full- time and completing Bryant and Stratton Business Institute, managed to sing with a few amateur groups. In 1969 He attended Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. Moss sang and toured with the Benedict College Concert Choir. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1972.
Soon after graduation Moss went to work at WIS-TV in Columbia, South Carolina as a News Cinematographer/Reporter. This work nourished his passion for photography and journalism. He always managed to keep a hand in the music scene. Moss played percussions and sang with a few local groups, most notably Keystone Coyote, a jazz fusion band and "Lee, Connie, Jim and Russ", a folk influenced group.
In 1977 a job offer from WJZ-TV brought him to Baltimore, Maryland to work as a news cameraman. The unpredictable schedule of television journalism early on made performing all but impossible. Moss stayed connected to music by studying classical and jazz guitar with Steve Herron and further developing his vocal style. By the time his scheduled allowed a return to the stage he was using the guitar to compose his own songs. Eight of those songs appear on his debut CD Sizzle.
Today this versatile musician and vocalist can be heard accompanying himself on classical guitar in his one man show, with The Stef Scaggiari Trio or the sixteen piece Annapolis Junction Big Swing Band. Moss performs at clubs, festivals and private events in the Baltimore/Washington region. This accomplished musician, photographer, painter and gardener retired from CBS Corporation in 2008. Moss is writing songs for his next recording.
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Shaina Virginia Vatz
Shaina Virginia Vatz, praised by the The Washington Post as “charmingly goofy,” has been sought for many roles in the opera, operetta, and musical theater repertory, including Valencienne in the Municipal Opera Company of Baltimore’s The Merry Widow, Yum-Yum in the Victorian Lyric Opera Company’s Mikado, Miss Silversong in an English adaptation of Mozart’s The Impresario with the Annapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Nella in Gianni Schicchi at the Bethesda Summer Music Festival. In the world of musical theater, Ms. Vatz has taken the stage with leading soprano roles such as Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Lady Larkin in Once Upon a Mattress, and Isabel in Scrooge. This summer, she returns to Long Leaf Opera’s Summer Festival in North Carolina to sing the role of Winnie in a workshop of Michael Dellaira’s new opera The Secret Agent and travels to Washington D.C. to portray Marianne in Kirke Mechem’s Tartuffe in the Capitol Fringe Festival. Coming in the fall, Ms. Vatz will be singing in the ensemble of Baltimore Opera’s Aida and singing a recital at Harford Community College as part of the Sunday Afternoon Concert Series.
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Siobhan Kolker
Siobhan Kolker’s career spans opera, theatre, recital and cabaret. In 2002, she appeared in the acclaimed Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Celebration (A Little Night Music; Merrily We Roll Along). New York credits include the New York International Fringe Festival, Verse Theatre Manhattan, One World Symphony and numerous staged readings of new musicals and plays at Innovative Stages. Other regional credits are three seasons of leading and supporting roles with the Ohio Light Opera, chorus with the Washington National Opera and ten seasons with the Baltimore Opera, where she appeared both on the mainstage and in their educational outreach program. Favorite theater roles in the Baltimore/DC area include a critically acclaimed Julie (Carousel) at Toby’s Dinner Theatre. She was also a member of D.C.’s musical comedy improv troupe, Now This! Leading operatic performances include the title role in Massenet's Chérubin, Serpina (La Serva Padrona), Meg Page (Falstaff). Recent roles with Opera Vivente of Baltimore include Venus in Orpheus in the Underworld and Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw. Siobhan holds a B.M.A. in Voice and History from The University of Michigan and an M.M. from the Peabody Conservatory. She lives in New York and is on the voice faculties of AMDA, Montclair State University and Turtle Bay Music School. www.siobhankolker.com
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Susan Scher
Susan has been performing for audiences in one way or another most of her life. She has been studying acting since her early teen years and has been active in theater since then, including earning a BA in theater from William and Mary. She studied voice-over and acting with some of L.A.’s best, and she has worked as a voice in several markets across the country. As a voice and on camera, she has worked for such clients as AT&T and the Bill and Melissa Gates Foundation. She appeared as Anne in the world premiere of Blue Mermaid at Baltimore’s Fells Point Corner Theater. A few other stage roles include Rowena in Biloxi Blues, Constance in King John, Petra in A Little Night Music, Hallie in Emily, and Mother in Ragtime.
Susan has sung in many and varied venues, including Anvanti, La Dolce Vita, and Asti, where she also performed her one-woman show, Puccini…and All That Jazz. A few years ago, Susan received her Master’s in Voice from New York University.
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The Dawg
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Vincent Dion Stringer
Vincent Dion Stringer, baritone, is a native of Hartford, Connecticut. He holds a B.A. in Music from Eastern Nazarene College, and has studied voice at New England Conservatory of Music and the Longy School of Music.
Mr. Stringer, who made his professional debut in 1991 with the New England Bach Festival in the B minor Mass, is an active recitalist and chamber musician with Boston performances at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the African Meeting House, and the Goethe Institute. He has spent several summers on a Fellowship at the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont where he was coached by Swiss tenor Ernst Haefliger.
Recent operatic performances have included roles in the world premiere of the Philip Glass opera O Corvo Branco/The White Raven directed by Robert Wilson in Portugal and Spain; in Weill's Mahagonny Songspiel and Bach's Dialogue between Fear and Hope after Death directed by Peter Sellars in France and Germany; Amy Beach's Cabildo; Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel; and the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni with Emmanuel Music at Jordan Hall.
As an advocate for new music Mr. Stringer has premiered many works including the Elizabeth Swados cantata Defiance, commissioned by the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and Walker by composer T.J. Anderson and librettist Derrick Walcott.
Mr. Stringer is the founder and artistic director of the New England Spiritual Ensemble and is on the voice faculty at Phillips Academy, Andover. His CD recordings include the Langston Hughes Gospel song-play "Black Nativity" recorded for Milestones and Marvels, Inc. Records and a CD for Revels Records of Negro Spirituals arranged by John Andrew Ross.
Mr. Stringer was nominated by Senator Edward Kennedy as the artist to represent Massachusetts for 'Massachusetts State Day' on August 1, 2000, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
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Alessandra Fabiani
Alessandra Fabiani is currently a student in the Junior Acting Ensemble at the Baltimore School for the Arts. Last Spring, she portrayed the prominent Baltimore fashion designer, Claire McCardell, in "Famous Faces," a production sponsored by the Maryland Historical Society, and has performed throughout Baltimore City in BSA's program, "Ages on Stages." She has appeared as a soloist and as the Interviewer in a dramatic presentation, "A Tribute to Ruby Glover," produced by the Cabaret at Germano's and in "The Ruzante Project: Open Rehearsals Towards a New Theatre," also at the Cabaret at Germano's, among other performances. She will be making her debut as Esther, in Cantor Robbie Soloman's "The Orphan Queen" in February 2010.
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Baltimore Theatre Alliance
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Bob Hallock
Singer, Pianist, Arranger and Actor Bob Hallock started picking out tunes on the piano at age 3, and thus began his musical odyssey. Bob has performed around the world, from Peru to Russia and in between, including The Kennedy Center, Madison Square Garden, and a one night band gig as opening act to The Beachboys. His musical arrangements have been performed at Lincoln Center in New York City and at the Zellerbach Theater in Philadelphia. Bob was awarded a Wolf Trap Foundation Music Fellowship to develop "the total performer,"and he had the honor of performing in "Musical Theatre Cavalcade" during Wolf Trap's inaugural season. In Baltimore, Bob has appeared as Mr. Fezziwig in Scrooge the Musical at Spotlighter's Theatre, and, most recently, he starred as Fagin in Oliver with the Reisterstown Theatre Project. Bob now has the pleasure of performing his "Being Alive" Cabaret, which interweaves the richness of Bob's life with the music he loves.
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Brendan Cooke
Brendan Cooke has sung with opera companies and orchestras all over the United States. With the Baltimore Opera Company, he has performed many roles, including: Crespel/Schlemil in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Gualtiero Valton in I Puritani , Dancaïro in Carmen, Alessio in La Sonnambula, Jero in L’Assedio di Corinto and the High Priest of Baal in Nabucco. Other recent performances include the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera North, Sciarrone in Tosca with the Sarasota Opera, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Portland Opera Repertory Theatre, and Colline in La Boheme with Center City Opera of Philadelphia and with Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, NM. Brendan holds a Master of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory where he was a student of John Shirley-Quirk. While at Peabody, Brendan performed the roles of Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Gino Carella in the world premiere of Mark Lanz Weiser’s Where Angels Fear to Tread. Brendan has appeared as a soloist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, and recently with the Connecticut Master Chorale for performances of Handel’s Judas Maccabeus and Dvorak’s Te Deum. In addition to a busy performing career, Brendan is a Realtor/Associate Broker with Passport Realty in Mt. Vernon.
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BTA Free Fall 10.18.09 Program
ACT ONE
Nothing (A Chorus Line) Victoria Bachman
Out Here on My Own (Fame) Jenna Balderson
Voi Che Sapete (Le Nozze di Figaro) Jeffrey Coleman
Taylor, the Latte Boy Angela Sullivan
Music of the Night (Phantom of the Opera) Patricia Hengen
I Can Hear the Bells (Hairspray) Laura Bruns
There’s a Fine, Fine Line (Avenue Q) Clare Kneebone
The Mason (Working) Jesse Grant
I’m Not Afraid of Anything (Songs for a New World) Karina Ferry
I Had Myself a True Love (St. Louis Woman) Adele Russell
A Change in Me (Beauty and the Beast) Jenna Balderson
Cinderella
Impossible Karina Ferry/Victoria Bachman
10 Minutes Ago Jesse Grant/Victoria Bachman
Stepsisters’ Lament Patricia Hengen/Clare Kneebone
INTERMISSION
ACT TWO
The Girl in 14G Kristen Zwobot
Can’t Help Lovin’ that Man (Showboat) Patricia Hengen
Humming (Carnival) Adele Russell
Your Daddy’s Son (Ragtime) Victoria Bachman
Che Faro Senza Euridiche (Orpheus and Euridice) Jeffrey Coleman
The Gentleman Is a Dope (Allegro) Clare Kneebone
Come to Your Senses (tick, tick…boom) Angela Sullivan
Lost in the Wilderness (Children of Eden) Karina Ferry
What Did I Have that I Don’t Have (On a Clear Day… Forever) Kristen Zwobot
Use What You Got (The Life) Jesse Grant
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Dana Nichole Scott
Dana Nichole Scott has performed as an accompanist with Harbor Opera, Center Stage, and the Kennedy Center. This year, she was Music Director for FBN Productions and a coach/accompanist for the Little Patuxent Opera Institute. Recently Ms. Scott and Ms. Sarah Davis placed in the Woodmere Friday Music Club Competition, and were finalists in the Vocal Arts Society Competition. Ms. Scott is currently touring with Opera for the Young, a company based in Madison, WI and looks forward to coaching with the Opera Institute for Young singers this summer in DC.
As a soloist Ms. Scott won several competitions, and appeared on the Mary Baker Eddy Millenium Series, and James George Charitable Trust Series. She finishes her studies this year at Peabody Conservatory with Eileen Cornett, coaches voice, and is the organist at Emmanuel United Methodist Church. Ms. Scott completed her undergraduate degree at New England Conservatory with Bruce Brubaker and Gabriel Chodos.
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David DeBoy and the Hons
In 1981 David DeBoy's hit single, "Crabs for Christmas" descended on an unsuspecting Baltimore. More than 10,000 records (remember those vinyl singles?) were sold in four weeks. The catchy chorus, the genuine Bawlamerese accent and the strange plot line of a grown man asking Santa to deliver Crabs for Christmas has continued to delight audiences and radio listeners for more than two decades. Michael Harrison, longtime director of the Baltimore Opera Company called it “The coolest song ever written.” And who are we to argue?
In 2001 David celebrated that single with a CD full of fun entitled “Crabs For Christmas For Twenty Years” which continues to sell in the thousands every holiday season. Now, you can join David and his Holiday Hons in a Bawlamerific Bash at Germano’s in Little Italy.
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Doug Mattingly
Doug received both his Masters and Bachelors degrees in Music in Guitar Performance from the University of Southern California’s prestigious Thornton School of Music. (consistently ranked in the top 1 percent among U.S. music schools and conservatories) While there he studied with jazz guitar legend Joe Diorio and was a member of the award winning guitar ensemble SuperAxe.
Doug has played thousands of live shows and gigs, is an independent recording artist, singer, songwriter and producer, has toured the US playing a variety of styles, is leader of the Doug Mattingly Band, guitarist for Hero Entertainment, and composes for TV and video.
“Building a Monastery”-Winner- Best Local Album 2006 (CityPaper’s Best of Baltimore competition)
“Mattingly will be a fixture on the charts if he catches the right breaks." -- Music Monthly
For more information, visit http://www.dougmattingly.net/
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Edward J. Peters
Making his cabaret debut at Germano's, Ed has performed extensively in the Baltimore area with over 100 theatre productions to his name. Working with various local theatre companies, he has starred in productions of The Will Rogers Follies, Assassins, Singin' in the Rain, Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The King and I, Carousel, Barnum and City of Angels. In addition to theatre productions, Ed has volunteered his time and talent to perform in various musical reviews to benefit Chase Brexton Health Services, The Children's Playhouse of Maryland, Pumpkin Theatre and Cockpit in Court. He has also had the honor of performing in the 25th Anniversary production of the musical, Irene, in New York City with some of the original cast members as a benefit for Gilda's Club. Internationally, he has performed in productions of Godspell, The Fantasticks and Kurt Weill: From Berlin to Broadway at various theatre festivals held in China, Japan, France, Germany and the Ukraine. In addition, Ed's voice can be heard on the 1997 Original Cast Recording of Pilgrim Souls.
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Eileen Cornett
Eileen Cornett is director of the graduate Vocal Accompanying Program at Peabody and is currently enjoying her thirteenth year as faculty coach with the Opera Department. She began her professional career as musical director of the Croswell Opera House (MI) and has subsequently conducted, coached, and arranged musical and operatic productions for numerous regional and international companies. Summer faculty appointments include the Opera Theatre program at the Fairbanks (Alaska) Summer Arts Festival; the Lake Placid Institute in upstate NY, and the Seagle Colony Summer Vocal Program in Schroon Lake, NY.
With the National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and Kennedy Center Opera/Ballet Orchestras, Ms. Cornett has performed as solo and orchestral pianist for conductors James Levine, Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Paul Gemignani, and Marvin Hamlisch.
Ms. Cornett performs nationally with the musical political satire group
The Capitol Steps, and is a member of a chamber music trio, Northern Accord. She and her husband, tenor Stanley Cornett, are the enormously proud parents of two wonderful girls, Lydia (13) and Emily (11).
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Farrar Strum
Helden Tenor Farrar Strumm is a recent graduate of the Peabody Conservatory with both a Master’s degree in Opera and a performance certificate in Peabody’s prestigious Opera Program. He has been hailed repeatedly by the Baltimore Sun as a “singer of great promise” who is a “charming tenor with engaging fervor” and sang “stylistically shaped phrases” With the Peabody Opera he enjoyed success in the title role of Albert Herring, Governor and Vanderdendur in Candide, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, and Belmonte in Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail. He makes his debut as a soloist with the Baltimore Opera as Flavio in Norma in the 2008-2009 season and starts his professional debut as a Helden Tenor with the Washington Wagner Society’s in May 2008, in a concert of scenes and arias featuring Farrar singing arias and scenes from Rienzi, Die Walküre and Die Meistersinger von Nurnburg.
Farrar also received critical acclaim from the Baltimore Sun as the tenor in a choreographed version of Orff’s Carmina Burana. In Oratorio and Symphony work, most recently, he has sung the title role in Britten’s Saint Nicolas with the Handel Choir of Baltimore. He has also sung with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, The Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, and Columbia Pro Cantare. Although a faithful southern gentleman, he has risen above the Mason-Dixon line and has settled in Baltimore.
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Four Rivers Theatre Studio
In residence at GERMANO’S Trattoria in Baltimore’s Little Italy, Four Rivers Theatre Studio is a center for developing new plays with engaged audience communities. In 2008, the Studio presented a series of six evenings drawing from the comedies of Ruzante, a dynamic theatre innovator of sixteenth-century Italy. In 2009, a collaboratively-shaped play about a small traveling circus company was workshopped through seven developmental sessions open to the public. This year, the Studio welcomes Pinocchio’s Birthday Party to its expanding repertoire.
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Four Rivers Theatre Studio 2009-2010 Season
October 11
October 18
October 25
November 1
November 8
November 15
December 6
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Four Rivers Theatre Studio - Admission:The Pass
The Seven-Sunday Series PASS
As a Four Rivers passholder,attend as many or as few of the seven Sunday sessions as you like!
Cost:$20 for all seven sessions ($8 single show)
ORDER PASSES: Four Rivers Theatre Studio 911 Fawn Street Baltimore, MD 21202
FOUR RIVERS: (410) 385-8073 GERMANO'S: (410) 752-4515
4RTheatre@gmail.com info@germanostrattoria.com
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Four Rivers Theatre Studio - The Process
Theatre-goers share in the full range of the Studio's playmaking process as it gives form to the Circus Play. The program is a mix of open rehearsals, exploratory sessions, performance workshops, new text trials, and a good deal of mutual storytelling centered around the themes and contours of the new play.
Audiences are invited to offer comments, insights and stories that relate to the circus project -- or to simply observe -- in a fun, exuberant and creatively dynamic environment.
The Studio invites you to take a chance and become part of putting together a new play.
You are not obliged to attend all seven sessions. With a "Seven Sunday Series Pass," you're in charge, and you decide how often you may wish to visit.
And remember! Scrumptious food and beverages are available through GERMANO'S -- before, during or after each session. Please support our host!
PERFORMERS: Lauren Billingsley, Christina Frank, Allison Plourde, John Sowalsky -- and other visiting artists.
THE EPERIENCE: You have a pass.
That means you're a member of the company.
Actors know your name. You come to their rehearsals.
You watch their work come together, step by step.
You enter a room decked out like the rehearsal hall it is,
with racks of costumes and props and masks.
You relax with friends at a table, share something
to eat, perhaps a little wine. The actors offer their bits
of stories, songs, sketches, improvised encounters,
choruses. There's a lot going on, many different voices,
but somehow it all makes sense together.
You sense in the work the unique spirit of this group,
its drive toward life, toward a joyous and liberated life,
where creative action is simply part of ones daily fare,
like eating and drinking.
You feel the energy, the color and humor.
You feel part of it.
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Four Rivers Theatre Studio-The Project:: The Circus Play
The Premise: A small European circus company travels to America for the first time. Among the clowns, aerialists and animals of the circus - as well as the sisters who operate it -- this trip to America triggers a desire to become something new and to leave old ways behind. The possibilities inherent in this new identity is for them "America's promise." Clowns, weary of being trapped in repetitive comic routines, wish to be taken more seriously. Aerialists want to be more grounded. And the animals, too, wish to transform themselves -- into something more human.
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Ian Blackwell Rogers
Ian Blackwell Rogers most recently performed in a staged reading of "The Vampire" with New Old Theatre here in Baltimore, with most of the cast of this production. He has done most of his work in Washington, with Scena Theatre, the Stanislavsky Theatre Studio, and Washington Shakespeare Company--where he did some commedia work!--as well as with New Old Theatre.
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Jean Miller
Jean Miller is a 25 year veteran of Washington regional theatre. Most recently, she was seen as Mrs. Wall in Spooky Action Theatre¢s Holy Ghosts, but she has trod the boards in Greek tragedy (The Women of Trachis), Shakespeare (Richard III, Midsummer Night's Dream), Shaw (Heartbreak House, Pygmalion), and rather more off-the-wall and edgy roles with Cherry Red Productions (Baked Baby, The Erpingham Camp, Poona the F*ck Dog). She claims charter membership in the New Old Theatre, having performed since its inception in 4 productions of 19th century melodrama. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, Jean has been seen on HBO's The Wire, and in The Invasion from Warner Brothers.
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John Kessell
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Joy Greene
Joy Greene, soprano, has appeared in a wide variety of operatic and concert venues with great success. Her operatic appearances have included Atlantic Coast Opera Festival, Central Florida Lyric Opera, Opera Vivente, Young Victorian Theater Company, Waco Civic Theater, and Opera AACC. Joy performed in concert with the York Symphony Orchestra last season, and has also given concert performances at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida, the United States Naval Academy Chapel, the Three Arts Club of Baltimore, the Baltimore Opera Guild, the historic St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Salado Music Festival in Salado, Texas. Oratorio works in her repertoire include Poulenc’s Gloria, Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Rutter’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, and Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio.
As a resident artist with Central Florida Lyric Opera during the 2003/2004 season, Joy had the honor of coaching and performing the role of Micaëla in Carmen under the stage direction of legendary soprano Licia Albanese. Carol Cohen of The Villages News described Joy’s performance of Micaëla as “radiant, mature, and powerful.”
Joy is currently performing the role of Donna Anna in Opera Vivente’s production of Don Giovanni. She has appeared for the past three seasons in productions with The Young Victorian Theater Company as Aline in The Sorcerer, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, and Gianetta in The Gondoliers. Other roles to her credit include Adina in L’Elisir d’amore, Mařenka in The Bartered Bride, Nedda in I Pagliacci, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, Sister Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Serpina in La Serva padrona, and Belinda in Dido and Aeneas. For her portrayal of Mimì in a recent concert production of La Bohème, Mary Johnson of the Baltimore Sun described Joy as “captivating in her heartfelt Mi chiamano Mimì.”
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Madeleine Gray
Madeleine Gray, mezzo soprano, has performed roles in Elektra, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Le Nozze di Figaro, and Les Contes d'Hoffmann, with Baltimore Opera. Miss Gray made her Washington National Opera debut in the 1998 production Simon Boccanegra. She created the role of Marie in Donizetti's "lost" opera Elisabeth in its premiere at the Caramoor International Festival. Other recent appearances include roles with Opera Columbus, Gotham Chamber Opera, Philadelphia Concert Opera, National Cathedral Choral Society and the National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall. She has also sung with the Tanglewood Festival, the Aldeburgh Festival, Banff Festival, Opera North, Scottish Opera and many others.
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Meredith Seidel
This is me, here I am…this is me, just the same…I am someone, Remember My Name” -Meredith Seidel
Born and raised in Baltimore Maryland, Meredith Seidel has been singing and writing from her very first memory. Throughout her teenage and highshool years...Meredith performed in musicals and local theatre. Her talent was recognized by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, where she auditioned and was then accepted. Meredith decided to take a different path, however this did not stop her desire to become the star that she is.
Being the free spirit that Meredith is…she decided it was time for a change! With a burning desire to move to Los Angeles to pursue her artistic career she up and left within no time at all. It was then and there that the first of countless songs were born.
When she returned, Meredith put together a four-song demo package of her original music entitled “Traveling through Time”. For the next 11 years she performed with two of the top bands in the Baltimore and Washington region.
In 2000, Meredith made her CD/songwriting debut with her own album, "Remember My Name." In 2003, she completed her second CD called “The World Is Yours”. The creative process never stops for a moment and Meredith is most alive on stage, as her magic lies within her voice and her music.
While Meredith was raising her two beautiful girls, she began writing a musical which took 3 years to complete and is now Broadway bound. It too is entitled “Remember My Name”…and indeed we will.
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Michael Carl
Michael Carl (keyboard/singer/actor) is a versatile musician, equally comfortable as an accompanist, arranger, and conductor. In the popular music field, he has worked with such notables as Shirley Jones and Robert Guilliaume. As a serious pianist, Mr. Carl plays in the Harrisburg and York Symphony Orchestras and accompanies the Susquehanna Chorale. He has been conductor and arranger for various musical tributes to great American composers.
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R. Timothy McReynolds
R. Timothy McReynolds (piano), pursuing a career that embraces the performance
of art song, opera, chamber music, and cabaret, is also active as a teacher and
vocal coach. He is the full-time Principal Art Song Coach on the faculty of the
University of Maryland School of Music, the Music Director of Towson
University’s Music for the Stage and pianist for the Vocal Master class Series
at Loyola College. He has participated as vocal coach/pianist for the
Washington National Opera’s Opera Institute and the Aspen Music Festival.
As a performer, Dr. McReynolds has toured internationally in concerts, cabarets,
and masterclasses in Mexico, Germany, and Austria, as well as across the United
States performing with such artists as legendary William Warfield. As a member of American Popular Song Artists,
Tim is currently touring an All-Gershwin program and American Song concert
tributes. Meanwhile, Tim continues his close association with the Washington
Vocal Arts Society and their Discovery Recital Series. Recent concert venues
include the Kennedy Center and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Washington,
D.C., the Maryland Arts Festival in Baltimore, and the Egyptian Embassy Concert
Series in Vienna, Austria. Dr. McReynolds received his B.M. from Indiana
University, M.M. from the University of Michigan, and completed his D.M.A. at
the University of Maryland.
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Ron Squeri
Ron Squeri is a DC-based cabaret and recording artist known for his distinctive interpretations of classics from the great American songbook, discoveries of overlooked song treasures, and performances of contemporary cabaret and
theater material. He brings romance and warmth to his performances -- along with a subtle sense of humor.
Ron recently released his debut CD, Haunted Heart. Haunted Heart has garnered significant praise in its initial release. It was a finalist for The Cabaret Hotline Online Best CD of 2008. The Miyazaki Cabaret Report called the recording one of the five “Favorite Cabaret CDs of 2008.”
Ron’s CD release show for Haunted Heart had a successful run at the Duplex in New York and Indigo at the Atlas Arts Center in Washington DC. Previous solo shows have included Light on My Feet, an exploration of songs about dance
(Warehouse Theater, Washington DC) and Love Comes Round, an evening of love songs (Source Theatre Cabaret Series). He has also appeared in performance at the Monday Night at the National series, the Artomatic Arts Festival, numerous Arts on Foot events, Mr. Henry’s Capitol Hill, and Le Canard (Vienna VA).
Ron was a 2004 fellow at the Cabaret Conference at Yale. He has also participated in master classes with Andrea Marcovicci,Sally Mayes and Lina Koutrakos, who directed his Haunted Heart release show.
Ron has also performed xtensively as an actor in the DC area. Favorite roles include Cap’n Andy (Showboat), Amos Hart (Chicago), Joe Boyd (Damn Yankees), Senex and Marcus Lycus (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum).
Ron is an active member of the DC Cabaret Network for whom he has hosted performance events and given the workshop “Computer Resources for Cabaret Performers;” he is a multiple recipient of the organization’s “Boa D’Or” award for service to the DC cabaret community. He is also a member of the Manhattan
Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) and writes occasional articles on
cabaret for Internet publications.
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Stefan Scaggiari
STEFAN SCAGGIARI, pianist, composer, recording artist, has been an active professional in the music industry for over three decades. His career has taken him to Turkey (the International Music Festival); to the Netherlands (the Rotterdam Music Festival); to Italy for the Salluzo Festival, to Japan for the Concord/Fujitsu Festival Tour, traveling and performing with the Carol Sloane Group, the Modern Jazz Quartet, the Count Basie All-Stars and Mel Torme.
Highlights as both jazz and classical pianist include the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Concord Pavilion, Baltimore’s Artscape Festival; soloist with the Kansas City Symphony, the Evansville Philharmonic, the Florida Orchestra, the Annapolis Chorale and Chamber Orchestra; crossover classical/jazz concerts with his trio at the Shriver Hall Concert Series (Johns Hopkins University) and the Kilbourn Hall Series (Eastman School of Music).
Stefan Scaggiari’s discography is impressive - over 30 recordings and counting, including 9 for Concord Records. Stef Scaggiari, his name and his music, is heard by millions every week on National Public Radio’s Week-End Edition Sunday--now in its 13th year. Mr. Scaggiari has composed theme music for ABC Sports; commercial music for the I.R.S., the Rouse Corporation, including America’s 1st Planned Urban Development - Columbia, Maryland; Baltimore’s Inner Harbour and Bayside Marketplace in Miami. Mr. Scaggiari also writes and performs his own arrangements for piano trio and symphony orchestra throughout the U.S.A.
A graduate of the Eastman School, a Masters’ from Peabody, Mr. Scaggiari has deep roots in the classical tradition. His teachers include Eugene List, Earl Wild and Leon Fleisher. Stefan Scaggiari is an experienced artist with dazzling versatility-- at home with Ellington, Gershwin, Mozart or Rachmaninoff.
“From the Kennedy Center with Dizzy Gillespie, to Carnegie Hall with Eugene List, to the Concord Pavilion with the STEFAN SCAGGIARI TRIO… STEF does it all. Stephane Grapelli does it on fiddle, STEFAN SCAGGIARI does it on piano.”
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Susan Faucon
Susan Faucon, a self taught Washingtonian musician, is a multi-genre songwriter, playwright, band leader, vocalist and actress who has had a lengthy career as a performer and writer for stage, film, video and studio. She studied theatre at Towson State University and received her degree in Human Development from University of MD, College Park. She's had the privilege of performing on some well known stages including Silver Spring Stage, York Theatre, Dream Wrights Theatre, Chesapeake Arts Center, UMD Main Stage, Twins Jazz and the legendary jazz club, Blues Alley. She's also had the pleasure of working with some incredible musicians such as Bruce Swaim, Steve Sachse, Ro Cube, Wardell Howell and Dennis Michaels.
Her work represents Susan's fascination with and eagerness to explore the jagged nooks and flavored crannies of the human experience. Her latest project, Killer Stilts, blends rich contemporary jazz, funk and blues with unexpected melodies and rhythms, thought provoking lyrics and dialogue, spectacular theatrical exploration and complex character development. Susan sings and writes to inspire and lift the human spirit to a place of hope, possibility, equality, justice, acceptance and love. www.susanfaucon.com www.killerstilts.com
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The Ashton Fletcher Trio
The Ashton Fletcher Trio
Ashton Fletcher, bass & vocal
Charlie Edsel, piano
John Kessell, drums
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Thomas Baldwin
Thomas Baldwin, jazz bassist, composer, and educator, was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. After earning a BM in Jazz Studies at Ithaca College, he returned to the Baltimore - Washington metropolitan area and is now among the mostin-demand bassists of the region. In 1995, Baldwin was the second place finalist
in the Thelonious Monk International Bass Competition.Since that time, he has worked numerous prominent jazz artists:instrumentalists
Eric Alexander, Gene Bertoncini, Stanley Cowell, George Garzone, Tutti Heath, Fred Hersch, Brian Lynch, Harold Mabern, James Moody, and James Williams, as well as vocalists Michael Feinstein, Eartha Kitt, James Naughton, and Kenny Rankin. He has performed at such venues as Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center,Baird Auditorium, The Corcoran, Wolftrap, and Twins Lounge. Baldwin's debut CD, Glom On To This, is scheduled for release this Fall. Featuring all original compositions, it is a showcase for his writing and arranging skills, as well as his playing. While this is his first recording as a leader, he also appears as a sideman on over a dozen other CD's. An active teacher and clinician, Baldwin is the jazz bass instructor at the University of Maryland, College Park.
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TiaJuana Rountree
TiaJuana Rountree was born and raised in Washington, DC and currently resides in Bowie, Maryland. Tia is an extraordinary singer with a wide soprano/alto range (she likes to call it, “sopralto”). She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education at the University of the District of Colombia, where she majored in Voice and studied various singing styles, including: Classical, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Broadway, and Gospel. She sang and recorded with the world re-known a capella group, Sweet Honey in the Rock, led by Dr. Bernice Reagan. A popular soloist at her church home, Evangel Cathedral in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Tia has been a featured soloist in both the Christmas and Easter productions, alongside visiting Gospel Recording Artists such as, Vickie Winnans, Beverley Crawford, Vanessa Williams, Marvin Sapp, Vickie Yohe, and many others.
Tia’s most recent musical performance was a Cabaret at Germano’s Trattoria during the Valentine weekend this past February 2010. She also did “Bye Bye Birdie” (role: Mae Peterson), with Prince George’s Little Theatre; “Christmas Celebration 2009” (featured concert soloist) at Evangel Cathedral in Upper Marlboro, Maryland; “HATS! The Musical” (role: Duchess) at Spotlighters Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2007 she was a WATCH Award nominee for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play for her dramatic portrayal of Clemma Diggins in Neil Simon’s “Proposals” with Bowie Community Theatre. Other dramatic and musical roles include: Viney in “The Miracle Worker” (where she sang a medley of Negro Spirituals and traditional hymns a capella between acts and scene changes), with 2nd Star Productions in Bowie; and Armelia in “Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the Harlequin Dinner Theatre and Burn Brae Dinner Theater, both in Maryland.
Tia is also a local recording artist and songwriter. Her original song, “He’s Worthy to Be Praised” on the CD entitled, “I Will Sing to the Lord,” earned her the Best Songwriter Award at the Music Expo East Conference, in Alfred, New York. Her singing popularity spread throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area in both the religious, social and political arenas, honoring dignitaries and leaders such as: President George Bush, Sr., Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, former Mayor Marion Barry, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop Don Meares, and countless others.
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Wardell Howard
A native Washingtonian as well as self- taught musician, Wardell's bass guitar has taken him around the world. He has had the pleasure of playing with and sharing the stage with many national and international artists. He's been blessed with the gifts to do what makes him happy and makes a living at it to boot! God is good!
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William Gilbertson
Tenor William Gilbertson grew up in Brookeville, MD and is very excited about making his Cabaret debut at Germano's Restaurant. As a founding member of the vocal ensemble Singers a la Mode he has performed extensively in the Philadelphia / Delaware Valley area. Specializing in Opera and Classical Vocal Repertoire William has performed in New York, London, Paris, Verona, and Toronto as well as the DC Metro area. William continues his vocal studies with Susan Dash in Philadelphia, PA. William had the great privilege of performing with Peter Nero and the Philadelphia Pops with guest artist Faith Prince in their annual Holiday Pops concerts. William also was a participant in the International School for the Performing Arts (ISPA).
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Aaron Broderick
Aaron Broderick Washington area music directing credits include Forever Plaid, Big River, Ain't Misbehavin'-Olney Theatre Center; Tintypes- Rep Stage; Rent-Keegan Theatre; Wild Party, Oklahoma - American University, Putnam County Spelling Bee, Urinetown, The Spitfire Grill, The Secret Garden - Red Branch Theatre Company. Aaron received a 2010 Helen Hayes nomination for outstanding musical direction for Rent at the Keegan Theatre. Aaron has over 150 area orchestra credits at various locations such as Arena Stage, Studio Theatre, Rep Stage, Toby's Dinner Theatre, Maryland Ensemble Theatre and Montgomery College. In 2008 Aaron co-founded the Red Branch Theatre Company in Columbia MD. Aaron is the music director at Shepherd of the Glen Lutheran Church in Glenwood Maryland.
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Abram Eli Foster
Abram Eli Foster, Child Soloist, was born in Tucson, Arizona in 1997, moved to Towson in 2001, and is preparing for his bar mitzvah at BHC next winter. He comes from a family of big talkers and devoted singers and learned to talk and sing very early. At age six, he started piano and Towson summer drama camp, where he acted in a musical each summer until 2009, when he switched to JCC Capital Camp. At Dumbarton Middle School, he pursues his love of theater in the drama club and will this year portray the pirate villain in the school play. He also sings in the school choir and the All-County Chorus. At BHC, Abram sang for four years in the children’s choir, took part in a hippie version of the Purim shpiel several years ago, and in 2009, sang in the youth choir at Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars. He is delighted to be a part of this production.
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Adam Caughey
Tenor Adam Caughey, originally from San Diego, completed his Master of Music degree at the Peabody Conservatory as a student of Dr. Stanley Cornett. Before coming to Baltimore, Mr. Caughey performed the roles of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Sam Kaplan in Street Scene, and Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream while obtaining a B.M at UC Santa Cruz. A versatile performer, Mr. Caughey has also performed the Evangelist in Bach’s St. John Passion under the coaching of John Shirley-Quirk, Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw, the comic tenors in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and Monostatos while covering the role of Tamino in Mozart’s Magic Flute. Mr. Caughey's most recent role was his debut as Albert Herring with Opera Vivente which received critical acclaim from The Baltimore Sun's Tim Smith and from Opera Magazine UK.
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Adele Russell
Adele Russell is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, A.F.T.R.A., and an Equity Membership Candidate. She has a degree in Radio, TV & Film from the University of Maryland with a minor in Theater and has studied acting and voice in New York City and Washington, D.C. Adele has appeared in numerous plays, musicals, reviews and cabarets throughout her career. Roles she has played include: Terry Glimmer in “Side Man”, Ima Perry in “The Immigrant”, Inez in “Life X 3” and Frieda/Betty in “Sunday in the Park With George”, Fran/Molly/ Betsy in “The Heidi Chronicles”, two Baltimore Playwrights Festival plays, A “Modern Pas de Deux” and “C.Y.A.”, Rose in “Gypsy”, Maggie in “Dancing at Lughnasa”, Operator/Madame Peepee in “Grand Hotel”, Lady Capulet in “Romeo & Juliet”, Phebe in “As You Like It”, Ann Deever in “All My Sons” and Alma Winemiller in “Summer and Smoke”. In addition to theater, Adele has acted in television and film. She also dabbles in playwriting, songwriting, has taught acting and musical theater and directed. “A Crazy Life” is Adele’s debut one-woman cabaret show.
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Alicia Sweeney
Alicia is extremely grateful to be a part of the wonderful community of artistic and creative people in the Annapolis and Baltimore area.
It is amazing how many people it takes to put on a one woman show!
She received a BFA in Performing Arts from Emerson College in Boston. Since moving to Annapolis in 2001, Alicia has had the
opportunity to perform with the Annapolis Chorale, Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre, Colonial Players, Standing O Productions and the
Young Victorian Theatre Company. Many people from each of these organizations have come forward to assist in bringing this show to
the stage. It's not me... it's YOU! (originally titled "I laughed,I cried... it was better than Cats!") is an evening of stories and at times hilarious experiences of my journey out on the dating scene... only the names have been changed!
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Allison Plourde
Allison Plourde is delighted to be coming back for yet another show at Germanos! Previously part of the Ruzante Project as Betia she loves the theatre and hopes to do more at Germanos. Other roles include Beth in Merry Christmas with Thunderous Productions, Donna/Sun in Waiting for the Trigger with Indianocean Theater Company, Woman from The Woman From Ancona at Germanos, Mary in Our American Cousin with New Old Theatre and many others. Allison is ready for a rockin good season!
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Amanda Bloom
Amanda Bloom is a twenty-year-old jazz vocalist from Weston, Connecticut. She has been fortunate to have worked with notable figures such as Karrin Allyson, Vanessa Rubin, and Mario Pavone among others. In June 2007, Ms. Bloom was awarded the Weston High School Music Award and Scholarship for musical accomplishments throughout her high school career. Ms. Bloom is currently pursuing her bachelor of music degree in jazz vocal performance with Jay Clayton at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University.
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Angela Sullivan
Angela Sullivan is a versatile performer, with experience in theatre and cabarets. Angela earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University, and received additional training through the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She appeared as Dragon in the Theatreworks USA national tour of Harold and the Purple Crayon, the highlight of which was performing at the Kennedy Center. Her summer stock credits include Sister Hubert in Nunsense, Lucinda in Into the Woods, Inez in The Baker’s Wife, and Esther in Rags (Green Mountain Guild). Regional productions include Sail Away and An Evening of Gershwin (Syracuse Stage). She also appeared locally as Queen Constantina in Cinderella (Spotlighters Theatre) and in Chess (Winter’s Lane Productions). Angela had the honor of singing backup vocals for recording artist Julia Fordham, who referred to Angela as “Terrific! First rate. Great tone and timing – a total pro. Just FABULOUS!” In addition, Angela received critical acclaim for being “mercifully gifted” (The Washington Post) and “sing(ing) extremely well” (Howard County Times).
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Annie Gill
Soprano Annie Gill just returned from a very successful summer of singing with Opera in the Ozarks in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. While in Eureka Springs, she sang two leading operatic roles and was awarded the National Vocal Scholarship from the National Federation of Music Clubs, the Best Overall Performer award, and a Best Colleague award. Ms. Gill’s operatic and musical theater roles include Manon (Manon), Lady Billows (Albert Herring), Mimi and Musetta (La Bohème) Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Phyllis (Iolanthe), Edith (The Pirates of Penzance), Pitti-Sing (The Mikado), Noémie (Cendrillon), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Amy March (Little Women), 1st Lady (The Magic Flute), 3rd Woman (The Artist), Mrs. Grose (The Turn of the Screw), Diana (Orpheus in the Underworld), Rapunzel (Into the Woods), and The Sandman (Hansel and Gretel). Ms. Gill has sung with Opera in the Ozarks, Washington Savoyards, Light Opera Company of Southern Maryland, Emerald City Opera Artist Institute, Intermezzo Young Artist Program, Operafestival di Roma, the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute, Center Stage Opera, and the Brevard Summer Music Festival. Ms. Gill has received a BM from Indiana University, an MM from Boston University, and a Performance Diploma from The Peabody Conservatory, all in Vocal Performance. Ms. Gill will sing the role of Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Mosaic Concert Series in May 2010.
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Ashleigh Haddad
Ashleigh Haddad is a graduate of Goucher College with a BA in Theatre.
> In addition to her work in the Theatre Department (including her final
> role as Ariel in The Tempest), Ashleigh also hit the stages in the
> Music Department; as Suor Dulcina in the opera Suor Angelica, and as a
> featured singer in the Goucher Jazz Ensemble. She was also a proud
> musical director/arranger/performer in Red Hot Blue, a co-ed acappella
> group that raises money to help those with AIDS in Baltimore. Since
> graduating, she worked her second season with Theatre On The Hill
> (shows include: Godspell, Cinderella, Jack & The Beanstalk, Joseph and
> the Amazing..., Jungle Book, Oliver!, and several post-show revues). Ashleigh is delighted to be making her cabaret debut with
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Baltimore Concert Opera, Inc.
Baltimore Concert Opera, Inc. was founded by people who believe that opera sans opulence is the perfect way to experience the beauty of music and real voices. This is your chance to explore your favorite works in a new setting, up close and personal with the performers. For the opera novice, we offer a casual, open environment for you to experience some of the most amazing music ever written. Your ticket price to each opera gets you admission to the event, and hors d’oeuvres during the “happy hour” with a cash bar available, a pre-performance lecture, and a reading (with piano) of the great works in the operatic canon.
Our inaugural performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni sold out two weeks prior to the performance, proving that there is an audience in the greater Baltimore area, and beyond, that is hungry for live performances of operatic music.
We hope that you join us at the breathtaking Garrett Jacobs Mansion, our “home stage,” for our current season. This concert will feature local and imported vocal talent that is not to be missed, accompanied on the piano by Maestro James Harp. We hope very much to gain YOU as an audience member, and as an active participant in the growth of this company.
Brendan Cooke - General Director
Board of Directors
Michael Blair - President
Suzanne Balaes-Blair - Vice President
David Dimmock - Treasurer
J Austin Bitner - Secretary Board Members
Brendan Cooke
Julia Cooke
Erika Juengst
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Baltimore Mandolin Quartet
A rarity in North America, the Baltimore Mandolin Quartet is a “quartetto romantico” in the Italian tradition, combining the silvery brightness of bowlback mandolins and mandola with the mellow richness of the classical guitar. Such groups flourished during the mandolin’s peak of popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when many compositions and arrangements were created for fretted string ensembles.
The Quartet was founded in 1999 by members of the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra in order to explore this little-known repertoire. In addition to bringing the works of past masters of the mandolin to modern audiences, their concerts feature new arrangements and original compositions by mandolist Jonathan Jensen. They have performed at many Baltimore/Washington D.C. area venues, including An die Musik, George Washington University, and two appearances at Strathmore Manor.
First mandolinist David Evans conducts the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra and is a professional computer games developer. Mandolist Jonathan Jensen plays double bass with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Second mandolinist Laura Norris and guitarist Tony Norris own the popular Bertha’s restaurant in Baltimore, where they showcase a variety of performers in the upstairs concert room.
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Baltimore Opera Company
From the early performance of The Beggar's Opera, to Rosa Ponselle's Aïda in the Maryland Casualty Auditorium, to the spectacular new American opera Dead Man Walking, opera in Baltimore continues to thrive. It is supported by the opera lovers in our community, the Board of Trustees, the Baltimore Opera Guild, and Baltimore Opera Supers, the dedicated Opera Staff, our many volunteers, and of course, our ever growing list of subscribers, patrons, and benefactors. It is with gratitude to all of our supporters and a increasing sense of anticipation that we look forward to the continued growth of the Baltimore Opera Company.
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Baltimore School for the Arts
ABOUT BSA
History
In 1979, the Baltimore City School Board approved a charter, in the form of resolutions, creating the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA). The BSA was created as part of the Baltimore City Public School System; however the resolutions provided the BSA with the structure and the authority to design and implement policies and programs necessary to be successful in its mission as a pre-professional arts high school. The resolutions stated "that it differ from other Baltimore city high schools by training students with potential for careers in the performing and visual arts."
Student Selection and Retention
The goal of the BSA is to prepare students within a four-year program to compete nationally for admissions to leading conservatories, art schools, liberal arts colleges and/or professional companies. Therefore, students with the potential to pursue a professional career in their arts discipline are selected through yearly auditions, open to eighth and ninth graders -- more than 1,000 students vying for approximately 100 spots. The admission process gives no consideration to past academic performance. In order to graduate, however, BSA students must successfully meet the school's rigorous standards in both the arts and academic programs.
Student Body
BSA has grown from a total enrollment of 68 students in 1980 to a current enrollment (2007-2008) of 323 students in the ninth through 12th grades. The majority of our students - 75% - are Baltimore City residents. Twenty-five percent are non-city students who come from Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Prince George and Frederick Counties. The diverse socio-economic, cultural and racial mix is a special quality of the school. In the 2007-2008 school year, the demographic breakdown of our student body is approximately 45% Caucasian, 52% African-American, and 3%percent Asian, Hispanic and American Indian.
Our Graduates
BSA graduates can be seen on Broadway, in television, films, nationally known dance companies, orchestras and design firms. BSA alumni also have careers in business, human services and education. Some noteworthy graduates of BSA are actress Jada Pinkett Smith, Broadway actors Bryan West and Tracie Thoms, Alvin Ailey dancers Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Bahiyah Sayyed-Gaines, Dion Wilson and Khilea Douglass, just to name a few.
Professional Collaborations
Alliances with other professional organizations have become an essential part of the training for BSA students. BSA faculty and students collaborate on musical and theatre productions though alliances with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Everyman Theatre, Center Stage, and the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. In addition, when renowned artists make local appearances in Baltimore, the school often engages them to conduct master classes when possible. BSA is a key member of the Mt. Vernon Cultural District, an organization formed to improve and enliven Baltimore’s historical and cultural center.
Faculty & Curriculum
BSA classes are taught by 38 full-time and 63 part-time faculty who together provide for a rigorous curriculum both in arts and academics. The core of the arts faculty is composed of distinguished professional actors, dancers, musicians and visual artists, who teach at the school on a part-time basis, providing a critical link between the BSA students and the professional arts world. The academic program at BSA includes courses such as Honors English, Advanced Placement English, Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Senior Seminar in Art and Culture and Spanish through Spanish IV. Each arts department has an extensive pre-professional program, consisting of 20 hours per week of instruction that is designed to give students a broad-based background.
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Baltimore School for the Arts 2009-2010 Cabaret Season
October 15-Senior Acting Ensemble -
Wilder scenes, 10 minute plays and vocal performances
October 29- A Poe Cabaret
November 12 and 13- Sophomore Acting Ensemble - A Goldoni Celebration
December 17 - Sophomore Acting Ensemble - Sophomore Scenes and vocal performances
December 18 - Donald Hicken Presents "A Child's Christmas in Wales"
January 7 - Junior Acting Ensemble -
Junior Scenes and vocal performances
January 8 - Music Department - tba
February 18 - Music Department - tba
March 25 - Senior Acting Ensemble -
10 minute plays and vocal performances
April 8 - Tracie Thoms:Special Guest Cabaret Artist in Residence Performs with BSA Students (priority reservations for holders of 12 show and 6 show BSA Cabaret Subscription Series)
May 6 - Junior Acting Ensemble - Shakespeare Scenes and vocal performances
BSA Cabaret Subscription Series - Any of 12 shows $50 - All 12 shows $100 - Single tickets good for any one of the shows - Call 410.752.4515 for additional information
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Barry Abel / Michael Miyazaki / Kathy Reilly / Mary Reilly / Eileen Warner
The DC-based group is delighted to bring their show “Somewhere There’s Music” to Germano’s Trattoria in Baltimore. They are:
Barry Abel recently stepped out from behind his government desk job for good and is performing again after several years away from the piano. Now in his second act, he is pleased to again share the stage with his fellow Cabaret Network members. Barry holds degrees in piano from Baltimore’s Peabody Conservatory and the University of Colorado.
Michael Miyazaki has performed with local DC companies including Scena Theatre, Washington Shakespeare Company and Studio Theater 2ndStage. In addition to appearing at various cabaret venues, he is the DC correspondent for Cabaret Scenes magazine and writes The Miyazaki Cabaret Report: DC and Beyond available at cabaretdc.wordpress.com.
Kathy Reilly, a singer of jazz, cabaret and theater music, has been a part-time performer for over twenty five years singing around the world. She sang with jazz ensembles; gospel, classical and pop groups, and a big band. Most recently, she performed in and produced several cabaret ensemble shows in DC. She is now honing her jazz vocalist skills for a solo show in August.
Mary Reilly has been singing in choruses, choirs and performing solo for most of her life. An active member of the DC Cabaret Network, her performances include the Arts Club, The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, The Corner Store and The Warehouse in DC, Sotto Sopra Restaurant in Baltimore, and Davenport’s in Chicago. See her fashion blog: www.fashion-over-fifty.com.
Eileen Warner has performed in cabaret shows in Florida, Virginia and DC, including The PGA National Resort, Jammin Java, Chawbaret, The Arts Club and The Corner Store. She has directed/performed a cabaret benefit for the Northern Virginia Training Center and participated in cabaret workshops at the Theater Lab. Eileen is an active DC Cabaret Network member.
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Bennett Scher
Born and raised in the heart of New York City’s Greenwich Village, Bennett got his start in New York as a well-known published singer/songwriter and live/studio session musician performing with notable musicians from the bands of Billy Joel, Peter Frampton, Joe Cocker, David Bowie, Whitney Houston, The Doobie Brothers, Bette Midler, and Scandal. Bennett has also performed as a featured player on stage with the legendary John Waite as well as popular recording group, Poco.
Currently, he is a sought after session/gig guitarist in the DC/Baltimore area, and is the owner/engineer of his own recording studio.
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Betsey Hobelmann
Betsey Hobelmann was born and raised in Baltimore city. Throughout middle school and high school, Betsey discovered a love of singing and performing. While attending Yale University, she sang in two all-female a cappella groups called Something Extra and Whim n’ Rhythm. Through these singing groups, Betsey was able to tour the world and sang in cities from Florida to California, Hawaii, China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan.
After college Betsey moved to New York and found cabaret singing as a solo artist. She sang at venues in Manhattan such as Alonzo’s, The Duplex, and performed a one-woman show at Don’t Tell Mama. She was also lucky enough to sing the National Anthem at Camden Yards.
Betsey moved back to Baltimore in 2000 to get married and subsequently have three beautiful children. During her time off she has been working with the Stage One board at the Baltimore School for the Arts and has been inspired to get back to her first love: singing! Betsey is very grateful to the people at the BSfA and Germano’s for showing her the way back to cabaret.
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Brent Hardesty and Mary Anne Perry
Brent Hardesty is a Baltimore born, singer/songwriter and holds a Bachelors and Masters in music education from Towson University. He is an alumus of the Lehmann Engel Musical Theater Workshop in New York City. Brent has a thriving jingle business in the Baltimore/Washington area and has written hundreds of jingles and his compnay Bojingles has produced many spots for advertising agencies in the area. His music has been heard on "The Young and the Restless" and his Christmas and Holiday music can be found in several Alfred Music publications. Brent has been teaching music at The Calvert School for the past twenty-five years and is currently playing piano and singing at the Harbor Court Hotel in Baltimore.
Mary Anne Perry has been on air talent at Lite 102 in Baltimore for the past thirteen years. She recently has started a free-lance voice over business and can be heard as the national voice of Toyota's "Moving Forward" ad campaign. Mary Anne's character, "Krystal with a K" has been heard on WBAL radio regularly and she has delighted audiences all over Baltimore with her "Bawlmer Hon" commentary on the news. Mary Anne joined Brent Hardesty to record "Christmas in Glen Burnie" which has fast become a local favorite during the holidays.
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BSA 10.15.09 Program
10- Minute Plays
Always
Joe 1 Abe Hartman
Ellen 1 Lynae Pindell
Joe 2 Christian Flippen
Ellen 2 Norah Walker
Go Look
Kath Nicole Daniels
Danny Mikhail Hellerbach
Gave Her The Eye
Donna Jamilah Muhammad
Dex Raenard Weddington
Clarissa Ayanna Parker-Morrison
Off The Rack
Pauline Susannah Brown
Adrienne Cleo Rahman
A Musical Interlude:
Sarah Arroyo: I’ve Got Rhythm
Summertime
Julia Klavans Times Like This
Tyrell Martin Joanna
Tyrell Martin &
Mikhail Hellerbach I’ll Cover You
Excerpts from One Act Plays by Thornton Wilder
Bernice
A Ringing of Doorbells
The Wreck On The Five-Twenty-Five
In Shakespeare and the Bible
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BSA PROGRAM FOR MARCH 25, 2010
PROGRAM FOR MARCH 25, 2010
10-MINUTE PLAYS
Gave Her the Eye
Donna Norah Walker
Dex Abe Hartman
Clarissa Cleo Rahman
Stage Directions Jamilah Muhammad
Off the Rack
Pauline Ayana Parker-Morrison
Adrienne Lynae Pindell
Stage Directions Susannah Brown
Always
Joe 1 Abe Hartman
Ellen 1 Nicole Daniels
Joe 2 Christian Flippen
Ellen 2 Susannah Brown
Go Look
Kath Julia Klavans
Danny Mikhail Hellerbach
Stage Directions Lynae Pindell
Intermission
The Director Mikhail Hellerbach
The Writer Christian Flippen
Woman #1 Norah Walker
Woman #2 Nicole Daniels
Young Woman Jamilah Muhammad
The Actress Julia Klavans
Stage Directions Ayana Parker-Morrison
MONOLOGUES
Susannah Brown Phoebe As You Like It
Nicole Daniels Pan A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg
Miki Hellerbach Oh Dad, Poor Dad…
Julia Klavans The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?
Jamilah Muhammad Bernice Piano Lesson
Ayana Parker-Morrison Chapter Two
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BSA Senior Acting Ensemble
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Caitlin Vincent
A native of Seattle, soprano Caitlin Vincent has been praised for her bell-like tone and pristine coloratura. She has received first place awards from the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside (PAFE), as well as scholarships from the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society and the Lake Washington Singers, and second place in the Frost School of Music in Salzburg Recital Competition. Ms. Vincent was also the recipient of Peabody Career Development Grants in 2008 and 2009 and Peabody’s prestigious George Woodhead Prize for Voice. Past opera roles include Sister Constance (The Dialogues of the Carmelites), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), L'écureuil (L'enfant et les Sortilèges), 1st Witch (Dido and Aeneas), Dew Fairy/Sandman (Hansel and Gretel), Amour (Amour piqué par une abeille), and Rose Maybud (Ruddigore). Equally adept at oratorio repertoire, Ms. Vincent has performed Bach's “Coffee Cantata,” excerpts from Handel’s motet “Silete Vente,” and the soprano solos for Vivaldi's Magnificat and Bach's Cantata No. 96. As a stage director, Ms. Vincent directed Le Nozze di Figaro for the 15th anniversary of the Dunster House Opera Society and Marriage by Lanternlight for the Peabody Opera Theatre, as well as serving as assistant director under Garnett Bruce for the world-premiere of The Yellow Wallpaper at the Baltimore Theatre Project. Ms. Vincent currently studies with Ah Hong at the Peabody Institute. Upcoming performances include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with Mosaic Concert Series, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with Opera AACC, and Mozart’s “Exsultate, jubilate” with the Evergreen Philharmonic.
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Chaise Lounge
Chaise Lounge performs a blend of music that sounds like it was recorded at Capitol Recording Studios in 1962 and somehow found its way to today’s pop charts. You might call it “Early Stereo.” Or perhaps Lounge with a capital “L.” Or maybe just plain enjoyable. It is the combination of five of the Washington area’s top jazz musicians playing sparkling arrangements of standards and original tunes and featuring the soft, luminous vocals of Marilyn Older. Her voice is truly an American Original. An evening spent with her is an evening spent in the warm, inviting glow of one of the wonderful voices singing in America right now.
Marilyn Older has been singing professionally since she graduated as a music technology major from American University in Washington DC. A native of North Carolina, she has written songs and performed with a variety of bands including Nixon’s Cat and Dead Girls & Other Stories. As a pianist she toured with Doc Scantlin’s Royal Palms Orchestra playing engagements from New York’s Copacabana to a royal wedding in London. As a songwriter she has contributed songs to Chaise Lounge’s first CD, The Early Years and to a number of independent feature films, the most recent of which is Bama Girl, which premiered at the 2008 SXSW film Festival in Austin, Texas. She has been nominated for the 2009 Wammies as one of Washington DC’s best jazz vocalists.
Her other life consists of a career as the Director of the Holistic Practitioners’ Business Association, and raising her two children, Savannah and Frazier.
As a film composer, Charlie Barnett’s scores have appeared in more than four hundred television and theatrical films. His work in documentary film has won awards including the Cine Golden Eagle for his work on National Geographic’s Tibet’s Hidden Kingdom, a Peer Award for The Discovery Channel’s Raising the Mammoth and Emmy nominations for Holocaust: the Untold Story and Cosmic Journey (for A & E). The Paper Clips score won the 2004 Rome International Film Festival’s Jerry Goldsmith Award. Paper Clips has also won the Christopher Award for 2006 and was nominated for an Emmy. Mr. Barnett has also written music for Saturday Night Live, The Cosby Show, Third Rock from the Sun and Weeds. Recently his score for the PBS series, The Appalachians, was released by Sony records. His score for Dreamer, a documentary about C.S. Lewis, produced by Walt Disney Productions was recently released as part of the The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe boxed set. His 2008 feature films include: Kickin’ It, War Child, Bedford: The Town They Left Behind, Keeping the Lights On and My Father’s Will; all of which are due to be released in 2009. His television efforts this year include the score for the PBS series, Closer to Truth.
Mr. Barnett’s concert music career includes worldwide performances of his orchestral and chamber works. His Serenade for Double Bass was recently performed in London and has been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra. His violin concerto, Concerto in Fourths - The Brooklyn Affair, and the symphony, The Blue Chevrolet, were recently released on Big Kahuna Records. His viola concerto, From Istanbul, was recently recorded by Osman Kivrac. Mr. Barnett’s was commissioned to write a spoken word piece in collaboration with Dr. Maya Angelou for the Pageant of Peace in Washington DC in 2007. In November 2008, Mr. Barnett was “artist in residence” at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point where his symphonic pirate movie was premiered along with an animated film produced by the amazing students there.
He has also arranged and produced pop and jazz records for countless artists including Thrice for Island/Def Jam and Jason Falkner for Elektra. And he continues to proudly play with the eclectic lounge band, Chaise Lounge.
Mr. Barnett can also be heard as an occasional commentator on NPR.
Tommy Barrick can be heard with a variety of acts ranging from swing & jazz to latin, funk and punk around the DC area. He’s had the opportunity to perform throughout Europe and throughout the United States at The Knitting Factory, 9:30 Club, CBGB’s, Arlene’s Grocery, Brownies, The Black Cat, The Rainbow Room, The Copacabana, The Kennedy Center Concert Hall, The Birchmere, Blues Alley and many more. He recently published his first percussion method, The Paradiddle Workbook.
Mr. Barrick can also be heard on many television and film scores. Other recording projects have led to DC Wammy nominations for recordings with Chaise Lounge, American Song, The Joker’s Wild, Radio King Orchestra, Bossalingo; and 5 time Wammy winner for Best hard rock/punk band, Adam West.
Gary Gregg, on saxophone, tenor and flute, performs with many DC ensembles, including Chaise Lounge, The Cutaways, The Tuxedo Park Orchestra and his own sextet. Perhaps the area’s leading exponent of swing clarinet, hot tenor and cool flute his playing provides local big bands with both the soaring clarinet and “down home” tenor playing reminiscent of the swing era. Gary grew up in Las Vegas and began his musical training there at an early age.
John Jensen performs with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and recently made a historic tour to Egypt, which included performances at the Giza Pyramids and at both the Cairo and Alexandria Opera Houses. John has been a featured performer at the White House, the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington DC, and the Kennedy Center. John has performed with the McCoy Tyner Big Band and has been featured with Urbie Green, Milt Hinton, Stephanie Nakasian and Hod O’Brien. He performs frequently in concert, and at clubs and private parties in the metropolitan DC area and throughout the East Coast. He has been featured at jazz parties throughout the USA. John played for 10 years with John Previti’s “Mingus/Monk Tribute Band” and also is featured with the group Chaise Lounge. He has been on dozens of recordings and will soon release his third CD as leader.
Pete Ostle is a versatile bass player, band leader, and tubist who served with the U. S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” based at Fort Myer, Virginia. Pete played in the Concert Band, Army Blues, Army Chorus, Army Orchestra, and Army Chorale during his 20-year tenure. This included extensive performances abroad including a month at the renowned Edinburgh Tattoo. Locally, Pete formed A La Carte Brass & Percussion, an innovative 10-piece ensemble for which he was band leader and played sousaphone. He currently leads the Tuxedo Park Orchestra, a 10-piece swing band. He also plays double bass with the Avanti Orchestra of the Friday Morning Music Club, the McLean Orchestra, and the Pan American Symphony Orchestra. Pete received a degree in Arranging and Composition from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Champagne Hour Hons
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Christina Frank
Christina is making her Baltimore debut here at Germano's. She moved to the DC area from MInneapolis less than a year ago and has since had the pleasure of working with both the Synetic Theatre and Studio Theatre in DC. Christina holds her Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Iowa where
she trained in new work and physical theatre including mime, mask, clowning and Italian style Commedia Dell Arte. She is excited to be working on a project that so perfectly matches her style of acting.
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Christy Trapp
Christy Trapp is an Annapolis based singer, wife and mother of 3. She is a very accomplished juggler (of her life) on most days! Born and raised in Maryland, she has lived in the country and the city and loving aspects of both walks of life she settled on a town to have the best of both worlds.
To her performance, she brings honesty, warmth and vulnerability with a touch of feisty fun. “A good song allows me to feel the lyrics. They touch my heart, grab me, and then I have to let them spill out.” Although Christy has taken a break in her performing over the last 5 years to raise her 3 beautiful children she has kept a foot in the door as an active member of the DC Cabaret Network and has performed with them in the DC Cabaret Network Showcase, Stop the Presses II, A Holiday Cabaret, and Heartsongs. She has also performed at the Artomatic Arts Festival, Arena Stages Old Vat Room, and The Folger Shakespear Theatre.
Christy was a 2004 fellow at the Cabaret Conference at Yale. She has also participated in master classes with Sally Mayes, Wendy Lane Bailey, Laurel Masse’ and Lina Koutrakos.
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Colleen Daly
Soprano Colleen Daly is rapidly emerging as a “dramatically powerful” (The Washington Post) singer in today’s operatic arena. Miss Daly’s wide range of roles includes the title roles in The Academy of Vocal Arts’ productions of Lucia di Lammermoor, La Traviata, Kát’a Kabanová, and Manon, the title role in Opera Vivente’s production of Alcina, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Musetta in La Bohème, Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw and Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Maryland Opera Studio, Micaëla in La Tragédie de Carmen with Olney Theatre Center for the Arts, Die Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte with Opera New Jersey, the Annapolis Opera and Symphony Orchestra, and the In Series, Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Cunegonde in Candide at the Merle Reskin Theatre in Chicago, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring with Gotham Chamber Opera, and Sole in Giasone with the Aspen Opera Theatre Center. Miss Daly’s “glistening soprano” (The Washington Post) is also becoming well-known to concert and recital audiences, performing as a soloist in such works as the Mozart, Brahms, Fauré, and Rutter Requiem Masses, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Händel’s Messiah and Haydn’s Creation, and appearing in concerts with the Master Chorale of Washington (Kennedy Center debut), Washington Concert Opera, the Cathedral Choral Society (National Cathedral debut), the Maryland Philharmonic Orchestra, Annapolis Opera, Opera Lafayette, Concert Operetta Theater of Philadelphia, Ovation Artists, the Washington Arts Club, and the In Series. Miss Daly’s “superb vocalism and gorgeous tone” (The Capitol) have been recognized by numerous foundations and institutions, including the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Palm Beach Opera Guild, the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Annapolis Opera, the Bel Canto Foundation, Long Leaf Opera, the Kennett Square Symphony, the Howard County Arts Council, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She has had the opportunity to study with such distinguished performers and conductors as François Loup, Catherine Malfitano, Susanne Mentzer, Ashley Putnam, and Maestros Harry Bickett and Julius Rudel.
Colleen Daly received a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance at the University of Maryland in College Park, and an Artist Diploma from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has participated in the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar in Germany, the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s program in Treviso, Italy, been a Festival Artist for Opera New Jersey, a Young Artist at the Oberlin in Italy Scenes Program in Urbania, and a New Horizon Fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and School. She is currently a professor of voice at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Upcoming engagements include the role of Violetta in Opera Delaware’s production of La Traviata, and the soprano soloist for the New Dominion Chorale’s presentation of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Symphony No. 9.
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Darryl Winston
Darryl Winston is a consummate performing artist. After 7 years and 35 productions with excellent reviews as Managing and Artistic Director of DC's historic Mount Vernon Players we catch up to Mr. Winston in February 2010 singing the role of "Ned" in Scott Joplin's "Treemonisha" to excellent reviews for the Washington Savoyards which marked the completion of his 193rd production (including 56 operatic roles) of directing, acting, singing, or conducting.
He is a noted motion picture, television, theater and American Song historian, ex officio of the Opera Camerata of Washington, Artistic Director of the Maytime Light Opera Company, and former principal conductor and stage director of the Baltimore Municipal Opera. This does not include over 400 concerts and recitals. Maestro Winston is also the Washington DC Chapter President of the Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy Club (the Mac/EDDY Club).
Besides being a four-time recipient of the prestigious Victor Herbert Foundation Grant, Darryl is also a recipient of the Common Good of the Community Grant, The Farber Scholarship, the DC Music Educators' Vocal Award and the DePauw Scholarship, and holds the Governor of Georgia's Aide de Campe Citation for Valor.
He is a member of the Duzer Du Theatrical Fraternity and former Executive Board Member of the Actors' Center. Mr. Winston has studied voice with Jennie Tourel, George London, Jon Eddy (son of Nelson), and Augusta Willsonne. Mr. Winston has been musical assistant to composers Aaron Copland and Gunther Schuller. In 2008 D.W. was appointed Artistic and Managing Director of the Washington National Wagner Society as well as Music Director of Washington's Universalist National Memorial Church. Look for Darryl and his talented theatrical troupe as the The Darryl Winston Show, a salute to the "Golden Age of TV" premiers on cable TV this Fall. Please check: www.TheDarrylWinstonshow.com.
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David Zee
An accomplished television composer, David Zee has won several national awards for his work, including a 1994 New York Film Festival award for original music and the grand prize in the 2001 Music to Life competition for songs of social concern sponsored by Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary. His TV soundtracks have supported programs on the Discovery Channel, Home and Garden Television, and PBS.
released his debut CD "Can't Sit Still." The self- produced disk features the blues-swing- rock sound he has perfected for over 20 yearsin the clubs, bars and coffee houses of the northeastern U.S.
All of Zee's influences come into play on his newly released CD, "Can't Sit Still" - the boogie-woogie piano pounding that conjures up images of a long-haired Jerry Lee Lewis; the sharp, funny lyrics that were undoubtedly influenced by Zee's years on the road with Gross National Product, a nationally touring polical comedy troupe; and the hot swinging grooves absorbed from his insatiable love of old Elmore James and Louis Jordan records.
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Debbie Barber-Eaton
Debbie Barber-Eaton is a Chesapeake Bay girl, having been born and raised in Annapolis, MD. She takes pride in the fact that both sides of her family go back generations in this area. She is a performer and director, with a particular interest in the genre of cabaret, having created and performed 3 one-woman shows: Who’s That Lady?, The Fourth Woman and Rhapsody in Heels, which she presented at First Night Annapolis. Debbie has appeared onstage at various Equity houses, including Signature Theatre (VA), Rep Stage (MD), Bay Theatre (MD), and Riverside Theatre (FL). Locally she has performed at Toby’s, Pascal Center for the Arts, Chesapeake Music Hall, Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre and Colonial Players. Favorite roles include SWEENEY TODD (Lovett), GUYS & DOLLS (Adelaide), and MACBETH (Lady M), for which she won an acting award. Directing credits include ON THE TOWN and GOOD NEWS! for ASGT, ARSENIC & OLD LACE for Chesapeake Music Hall and THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM, for which she won a Colonial Players directing award. Debbie was a faculty member of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts for 15 years, directing numerous student productions. She holds a degree in Musical Theatre from Catholic University and is a graduate of the Cabaret Conference at Yale. Debbie is currently working on her first CD entitled Every OTHER Inch, a Lady and is looking forward to reprising her cabaret show of the same name at Germano’s in April, 2010. She is proud to be a founding board member of Standing O Productions, recently having directed john & jen as the second presentation of the inaugural season, but is proudest of her most amazing production, her son, Eddie. Debbie lives in Edgewater with her beloved husband, Neal Andrew, and their 2 spoiled-rotten pets.
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Diane Hoffman
Diane Hoffman was born and raised in Cambridge, Ma. where her maternal grandfather was a working musician. She was drawn to the thriving jazz and folk scene in Cambridge and it was there that the flames of self expression were kindled. Moving to California, she pursued the formal study of fine arts, spending a year of independent work with noted French painter, Jacques Fabert at “El Molino” in Erongaricuaro, Mexico before earning a BFA from the California College of Arts. All the while, she continued to play guitar and sing. She returned east, settled in NY and continued to paint and began a series of solo exhibits. She joined a choral society where she performed classic liturgical pieces. She eventually turned her energy full time to solo performing, debuting as a jazz singer at the legendary Sonny’s Place. Diane studied with trombonist Denis Wilson of the Count Basie and Carnegie Hall Orchestras, Holli Ross of String of Pearls, Bernard Fisher of the NYC Opera. She has appeared on television and radio, performed on cruise ships and sings regularly at clubs and public venues in the NYC area.
Diane Hoffman’s singing is filled with direct and truthful emotional expression. She is blessed with a rich textured voice, playful surefooted rhythm and an easy rapport with accompanists. A multitalented creative powerhouse, she is an accomplished painter as well as an exciting and dynamic jazz singer. Diane brings her painter’s passion for narrative and innate sense of tone and balance to jazz expression. In a world beguiled by style Diane Hoffman remains committed to authenticity.
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Doug Payne
Saxophone wizard Doug Payne has shared his lyrical playing with a who’s who of great artists from around the world, including Bruce Hornsby, Dr. John, Sarah McLachlan, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Larry Coryell, Chuck Leavell (Allman Bros., Clapton, Stones), Aaron Neville and the Neville Brothers, The Stylistics, Hugh Masekela, Al Kooper and many others on National Public Radio’s groundbreaking Mountain Stage radio program.
Doug has also forged a deep, ongoing collaboration with world-renowned jazz pianist Bob Thompson, touring, recording and composing with him for over 25 years. He is prominently featured on many of Thompson’s studio albums, along with a host of jazz luminaries.
Doug is the only musician to have played on all 16 editions of public radio’s annual international broadcast of “Joy To The World” – a glittering musical celebration of Christmas founded by Thompson. His playing is prominent on both “Joy To The World” CD’s, which are compilations of the best moments from those shows.
With Bob Thompson, Doug has been an opening act for artists such as Chris Botti, Branford Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Gladys Knight, Terence Blanchard, Isaac Hayes, Average White Band, Eric Marienthal, the Dixie Dregs and others.
A West Virginia native, Doug is an in-demand live and session player on woodwinds as well as keyboards. He received his formal music education at West Virginia and Marshall Universities, playing in the jazz ensembles at both schools.
Here are a few comments about Doug’s playing:
"Doug has performed on Mountain Stage many times over the years and has always delighted our audiences and impressed our guests. He's the perfect professional musician: extremely talented yet easy to work with. He's concerned with playing only what needs to be played but capable of dazzling even the most sophisticated tastes with his virtuosity. I give him the highest recommendation as a musician, and as a team player.
-Larry Groce, Host and Artistic Director, Mountain Stage
“I worked with Doug on my Mountain Stage performance in promoting my "Live In Germany" CD. Doug did his homework and totally rocked it when we went live. He's a monster player and lives in the groove”.
-Chuck Leavell, of the Allman Brothers, George Harrison, and The Rolling Stones
"Doug is absolutely one of the finest saxophonists around today. His soulful soaring sounds add warmth and excitement to the sound of the Bob Thompson Unit”
-Bob Thompson, jazz pianist
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Dyana Neal
Dyana Neal has been the midday host at WBJC-FM since 1993. In addition, Ms. Neal has performed in operas, plays, and musicals throughout the Baltimore-Washington area. She was a member of the Baltimore Opera Chorus from 2002-09. Last summer, she received rave reviews as Sympathy the Learned and other characters in “The Arabian Nights” at Theatre Hopkins. Other favorite roles include the Fairy Queen (“Iolanthe”), Anne Boleyn (“Royal Gambit”), Peep-Bo (“The Mikado”), Eulalie MacKechnie Shinn (“The Music Man”) and the title character in “Move Over, Mrs. Markham”. Ms. Neal has done commercial and voice-over work for clients including Xerox and the American Visionary Art Museum. Her film and TV work includes two John Waters movies (“Pecker” and “Cecil B. DeMented”) and the role of Dorothy Dorr in an episode of “Arrest & Trial”. When not on-air or otherwise performing, she enjoys attending arts events, reading, travel, collecting vintage jewelry, spending way too much time online, and relaxing with her husband, Jim Knost, and their two cats, Winston & Carmen.
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Elisabeth Salkov
Elisabeth Salkov wears many performance hats: Singer, Actress, Model, and Writer. Past and present chapeaux include: Cantorial Soloist at Temple Beth Israel in York, PA, soloist at Zion Lutheran Church, and private voice teacher at StudioDans in Howard County. She has had the inestimable pleasure of working with Mr. James Harp, performing excerpts of arias at the Baltimore Opera Lecture Series at the Pratt Library. Favorite roles include Lusia in A Shayna Maidel and Izzy in Crossing Delancey. Other activities include modeling on the cover of the Jewish Times (with her head in a box) and Barry Levinson’s Avalon (yes, he keeps his hat on while directing). Author of Eva’s Journey, produced by the Baltimore Playwright’s Festival IX. Most recently, she appeared in Follies at Theatre Hopkins, playing a "gracefully" aging soprano. Ms. Salkov’s passion is to continually grow as an artist, ensconcing herself inside each character, and inviting the audience to join her there.
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Elizabeth Hart and Siobhan Kolker
Two generations of talent. See individual bios.
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Eric Haskins
Eric Haskins has been playing the drums since the age of 6 and since the age of 12 he has been a working musician. He has been voted one of the best church drummer in the D.C. area on the 93.9 Sunday morning gospel show in 2001.He has played with Gospel artist like Ernest Pugh, Lashun Pace Rose and many others. He also has sit in with jazz great Cyrus Chestnut. He has his own band called The Eric Haskins Project and is working on has first alum entitled My First Child.
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Eric Richardson
ERIC RICHARDSON (Dean Martin)
Eric Richardson is quickly becoming one of the most sought after Dean Martin impersonators on the East Coast of the USA. Eric is an actor, vocalist, celebrity impersonator and an overall master of “character” having played diverse roles ranging from Fagin in Oliver, to Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls, to that homespun lawyer, Atticus Finch, from To Kill a Mockingbird. He has appeared on stage, in film and on several TV series. His approach to any character lies in his pursuit of detail, which makes every one of his characters unique and whole. As a great fan of Dean Martin, Eric's pursuit of Dino's essential being is on-going and most rewarding.
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Erin Donovan
As a teacher of mathematics in Baltimore City, Erin is very busy, but still finds time to perform and pursue her passion of musical theater. This summer in bare the Musical, was her first full-length performance, although she has been seen at numerous cabarets since May of 2007. She is pleased to continue to work with Michael and FUZZ and wishes to send her love to her friends and family.
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Frances Notley
Frances Notley graduated from the University of Maryland as a voice principal, in Music Education. She also studied privately for 16 years. She is a versatile singer, having performed as a paid church musician/soloist in the Washington metropolitan area, community opera and musical theater, and as a free lance singer for special events. She performed with the University of Maryland Chorus in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, and toured with them in England. She also performed with the Paul Hill Chorale, and most recently with the City Choir of Washington. She especially enjoys the Irish folk music of her heritage. Some of her favorite roles on stage were Yente,of Fiddler on the Roof, the Wicked Witch, from the Wizard of Oz, Mrs. Paroo, of The Music Man, and Mother Abbess from Sound of Music.
Frances has also loved the backstage world of set and scenic design artist, as well as costume mistress, design, and construction. She has created special effects costumes such as Ms. Potts and the French Feather Duster in Beauty and the Beast. She also designed various costumes for Blue Sky Puppet Theater, Hallam Players, and First Players. She designed and created costumes for a puppet display, “America in Time of War”, at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. She also designed set and scenic works for community productions of Harvey, Hello Dolly, and Carousel, among others. She enjoys introducing set and costume work to young people in Prince George’s Summer Teen Theater, First Players, and Bowie High School Productions.
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Gary Rubin
Gary Rubin is originally from Baltimore and has always had the dream of being a singer. After many life experiences he gave it a try, he has just released his third CD in just over a year. Gary performs regularly in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area, he has two upcoming concerts in January 2009. When Gary is not living out his dream of being a singer he is a Vice President at Towson University. He has nineteen years of experience in higher education, both as a professor and administrator. He has also served as Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Broward County, Florida, and was the Executive Vice President of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Norfolk, Virginia.
Gary is also an author of the book, "Quit Your Job and Grow Some Hair; Know When to
Go, When to Stay." He has also written a variety of publications and articles, and
has been the recipient of many distinctions.
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Gittel King
Gittel King has performed frequently with her father in Cantorial concerts, and was most recently featured at a Cabaret Evening at Temple Oheb Shalom. This past year, Miss King, an 8th grade student at Bais Yaakov School for Girls, was the head of the Middle School Choir and accompanied the choir on guitar as well. In 2004, Miss King made her debut at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, performing the child’s solo part in Cantor Thom King’s symphonic work, “Havein Yakir Li Efraim”. Miss King also serves on the makeup crew at Peabody Opera Theatre. Gittel will also perform with her family this summer in Grand Junction, Colorado.
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Gli Amici Perduti
Gli Amici Perduti are a group of Baltimore friends who started singing together on New Year’s Eve 2001 and haven’t stopped since. They specialize in music of the Renaissance, but are open to all eras. They especially enjoy singing pieces composed by members of the group. They perform regularly at Baltimore-Washington hurches,charity events, hospitals, retirement communities,nursing homes, and house concerts.
Gli Amici Perduti are nurse/writer Savitri Gauthier (soprano), symphony orchestra manager Edie Stern (alto), actual professional singer Clay Welch (tenor), vision researcher Gislin Dagnelie (tenor), and lawyer/composer Paul Schlitz (bass).
Photo, left to right: Paul Schlitz, Savitri Gauthier, Gislin Dagnelie, Edie Stern, Clay Welch
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Greg Coale
Greg Coale has performed as Renfield (Dracula); Rev. Jeremiah Brown (Inherit The Wind) & The Rabbi in (Fiddler on the Roof). Other roles include Modern Major General Stanley (The Pirates of Penzance); Scrooge (A Christmas Carol); Bob Cratchit (Scrooge); Juror #9 (12 Angry Jurors) & Old Man Strong/Hot Blades Harry (Urinetown). Film credits include a featured role in Serial Mom and principal roles in 3 award winning indies, a children's fantasy feature (Max Magician and the Legend of the Rings); a sci fi feature, (Signals) and a dramedy short, (Compacted). Other credits include long running local commercials and voiceover for Sid Meyer's video game, Pirates! Dedicated to his "Abigail", who understands that "freedom to perform" is what drives her "John Adams".
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Heather Lockard-Wheeler
Heather L. Lockard-Wheeler is a native of the Maryland area, Germantown, Maryland to be exact. Upon graduation from Seneca Valley High School, Miss Lockard spent three years enrolled at Montgomery College where she obtained her A.A. in Theatre. Heather then matriculated to The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she received her B.F.A. degree in Music Theatre. After graduating from the University of the Arts, Miss Lockard performed with such companies as the Opera Company of Philadelphia, The Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, and the Spoleto Festival Choir in Italy.
While working as a professional singer in Philadelphia, Heather was accepted to the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland.
Studying in the voice studio of Steven Rainbolt with Robert Muckenfuss as vocal coach, Miss Lockard enrolled in the Graduate Performance Diploma Program. While at Peabody, Heather has been involved in productions such as; Papagano! with the Peabody Opera Roundabout where Miss Lockard sang the roles of Queen of the Night and First Lady, as well as Ravel's, L 'enfant les sortileges, where the roles of Nightingale and Fire were sung by Heather. Towards the end of Miss Lockard's enrollment, she sang the role of Cunegonde in Bernstein's Candide. Plus, Heather also made her professional debut in The Baltimore Opera Company's production of Die Fledermaus in the role of Ida.
For the 2003 Peabody commencement ceremonies Miss Lockard was asked to sing for honored guest, Andre Previn. The honor was all Miss Lockard as she sung I Want Magic! from Streetcar Named Desire. During Heather's enrollment at Peabody, she has been awarded talent, merit, and career development scholarships as well as the George Castelle Memorial Award.
Miss Lockard sang the role of Elsie Maynard in the Young Victorian Theatre Company's production of Yeomen of the Guard where the following was said about Heathers performance; Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun said, " . .. her sure, vibrant singing complemented a winning characterization" and Mike Giuliano of the Towson Times commented that, " Lockard is the most consistently impressive, with a clearly enunciated and heartfelt performance that makes Elsie come to life on stage". Heather had the pleasure of working with the Young Victorian Theatre Company the very next season in their production of the Pirates of Penzance singing the festive role of Mabel.
Heather had the honor, again, of singing with the Baltimore Opera Company as Stella in their production Les Contes d'Hoffman. As well as performing in Artscape 2005 where she sang the role of Nellie Mae in The Tale of Johnnie S. Kickey composed by Giacomo Puccini with New English translation and adaptation by James Harp.
Most recently, Heather had the wonderful opportunity to sing with Opera Columbus in their production of The Three Penny Opera as the role of Lucy Brown. Then it was back to the wonderful Young Victorian Theatre Company to sing to role of Inez and Assistant Direct in The Gondoliers. Heather resides in Hampden (Hon!) with her fantastic husband and daughter.
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Hui-Chuan Chen
Pianist Hui-Chuan Chen was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and began piano lessons at age six. She attended Kaohsiung Senior High School for young musicians, and later she entered the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei. While in school, she won second place in the Kaohsiung City Competition, third prize in the University Piano Competition and placed fourth in the Kawai Competition. She was also engaged as rehearsal pianist for Taiwan’s National Symphony Orchestra for two years. Upon graduation, she moved to Baltimore to pursue graduate studies at The Peabody Institute.
Hui-Chuan has performed widely throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. An active chamber musician, In 2003, she accompanied soprano Shou- Hua Su in concert at the National Recital Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. In 2004, she collaborated with mezzo-soprano Chi-Chun Chan in the same hall. Hui-Chuan has also participated in many festivals, including the Chigiana Accademia in Siena, Italy, and Universität Mozateum in Salzburg. This past summer, Hui-Chuan was awarded the fellowship in the field of instrumental collaborative artist to attended the Aspen Festival of Music, where she was under the instruction of Rita Sloan. At Aspen, Hui-Chuan performed with the Apsen Festival Percussion Ensemble in Harris Concert Hall. She was also the only festival student to perform on Aspen’s annual Beethoven series alongside Festival faculty members, playing Beethoven’s [12 variations on Handel's “See the conqu'ring hero comes” from Judas Maccabaeus, WoO 45] with cellist Tavi Ungerleider.
Hui-Chuan has had opportunities to work with many great musicians, including pianists Leon Fleisher and Sergei Dorensky. In terms of chamber music, she has coached with Christian Tezlaff, Pamela Frank, Victor Danchenko, Roberto Diaz, Laurence Lesser, Richard Aaron, Herbert Greeberg, Stephen Wyrczynski, Amit Peled and Marina Piccinini. Hui-Chuan also regularly accompanies singers. She was appointed by many outstanding performers or teachers as their class accompanist, including Thomas Grub、John Shirley-Quirk、Phyllis Bryn-Julson, and William Sharp.
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Jaared
Versatile saxophonist and vocalist Jaared is one of the most in-demand instrumentalists in the United States. His talents on the EWI, alto,
> soprano, and tenor saxophones, not to mention his exceptional talents on vocals, have been utilized by such artists as Peter White, Deborah
> "Debbie" Gibson, Robbie Dupree, Howard Scott (from the band "War"), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (from the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan), Nils Lofgren (from Bruce Springsteen and the "E" Street Band), and Rhian Benson just to name a few. Jaared is signed with Trippin 'N' Rhythm Records/Sony. Jaared's debut CD for the Trippin label, entitled "Addiction", was released world wide February5,2008. "Addiction" was PRE-nominated for two Grammy Awards and is now available for downloads on ITunes! Also available at FYE, Best Buy, Amazon, and most CD music stores world wide!
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James Fitzpatrick
James R. Fitzpatrick has worked as musical director with Broadway performers Mary Stout, Ray Roderick, and Betsy Morgan. He has also accompanied a variety of celebrities including Norma Zimmer, Dottie West, Grandpa Jones and Ramona, Roy Acuff, Boxing Champion Joe Frazier, and television and film artists Robert Urich, Deborah Tranelli, Harry Murphy, Carol Mansel, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. He music directed Cabaret revues at The Speakeasy in Sydney, Australia. He was a founding member of ”Gonzo Theatre”, the comedy revue company in Nashville that gave rise to the Ernest films with Jim Varney. He has written shows for Opryland Productions, appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, and even did a st int on “Hee Haw”. Closer to home, he has music directed shows for Baltimore's Everyman Theatre and the Prince Theatre in Chestertown, MD. Currently he serves as music director for several Cabaret artists in DC including Sally Martin, Byron Jones and Will Heim. The City of Annapolis recently commissioned him to write an oratorio in celebration of that city's 300th anniversary. The resulting work, “The Chartered Course” premiered in Annapolis in 2008.
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James Parks
James Parks is [finally] in his fourth year of undergraduates studies in vocal performance under William Sharp. He has won the Shepherd College Vocal Competition, The Maryland Distinguished Scholar: Vocal Performance Award, and received an honorable mention from the Sue Goets Ross Memorial Competition. Performance credits include opera, musical theater, improvisational theater, film, video game music, and one summer on a cruise in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore. While not on stage or teaching, James enjoys reading or finding ways to get in trouble or perform… whichever comes up first.
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Jeffrey Williams
Baritone, Jeffrey Williams is originally from Bangor, Pennsylvania. Mr. Williams has a B.A. in Music magna cum laude from Muhlenberg College and a M.M. in Voice Performance from the Peabody Conservatory. He studied abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and spent the last two summers at Middlebury College’s German School and German for Singers Program. He has received the George Castelle Memorial Award in Voice, the Baltimore Music Club Prize in Performance, a Peabody Career Development Grant, the Werner Neuse Scholarship, the Max Kade Scholarship, and the Lillian and Anthony Fiddler Memorial Award in Music. Most recently, Mr. Williams has appeared as Tiger Brown in Die Dreigroschenoper, Marchese d’Obigny in La Traviata, Badger/Priest in The Cunning Little Vixen, and the Armchair/Tree in L’enfant et les sortileges. AGMA and AFTRA affiliated, he performs frequently with the Baltimore Opera Chorus, Washington National Opera Chorus, and Baltimore Choral Arts Society. Mr. Williams currently studies with Dr. Steven Rainbolt
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Jenna Balderson
Jenna is 13 years old who began singing before she could talk. She is presently taking voice lessons with Tessie Riebling. She has participated in Howard County GT Chorus and Junior All State Chorus. Jenna can be seen in local cabaret events and various musical theaters in the Baltimore and Columbia area. Her favorite roles are Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden, Annie in Annie and Amaryllis in The Music Man. Jenna is currently portraying Mrs. Mayor in Seussical, The Musical at Red Branch Theater until 10/24. She is preparing to audition for the Baltimore Performing School for the Arts in January.
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Jesse Carrey-Beaver
Jesse Carrey-Beaver has been acting, dancing, and singing since age 7. In 2009, he graduated from Baltimore School for the Arts in Theatre.
Jesse is now a Musical Theatre major at Carnegie Mellon University. Past credits include: Alex in Wonderland (Prince Valentine, Wolf) at the Kennedy Center where he worked with Debbie Allen; Songtime Theatre Arts (London): Our Town (George); Baltimore Shakespeare Festival: Much Ado About Nothing; Baltimore School for the Arts: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Lysander). AWARDS: Best of Baltimore 2009: Best Supporting Actor in High School Musical. This past summer, Jesse spent three weeks at the 2009 Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre, where he worked on a new musical called Tamar and the River.
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Jesse T. Grant
Jesse T. Grant is a graduate from Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts. He's a Baltimore native and attended Baltimore School for the Arts. His credits are 2009-10 Join Us! commercial for Centerstage, Parade(Riley/Ensemble) directed by Michael Reupert, Anase and the Glueman(Dancer/Ensemble) directed by Bill Nunn, Starmakers 08/09 for Point Park University, Pops Concert at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh directed by Marvin Hamlish, Mary Shelly and her Frankenstein(Alphonse/Sailor), and Once on this Island(Agwe).
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Jim Lockard
Jim Lockard took his first saxophone lesson at age 14. At age 16, he began performed with local jazz players and found his musical home. He has performed with O'Donel Levy, Charlie Ables, Vince DiLeonardi (co-leader), Steve Novasel (his bassist), Bill Byrd, Eddie Crocetti, Don Patterson, Albert Dailey and many other notable jazz artists. Jim's major influences are Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, and Sonny Stitt. Jim is a happy guy who plays the music he loves - jazz.
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John Oliver
John Oliver has been performing such programs for over 35 years. He
received a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance with the Performer's Certificate in
Opera from the Eastman School of Music. Operatic roles have included Don Giovanni
and the Count in "The Marriage of Figaro". Local performances include "Cole", a
musical revue, with the Maryland Arts Festival; "Scarlet Letter", an opera, with the
Carver Center for the Arts(Towson); and "Dracula", a musical at Chesapeake Arts
Center. John is married to Meg Oliver, an attorney and musician. They have two
adult sons, Isaac and Nathan. John is grateful to Carolyn Black-Sotir for
introducing him to Germano's. Carolyn, Meg, and John all sang in the same church
choir in Rochester, NY back in the 1970's.
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Jon Wikstrom
Songwriter/Singer Jon Wikstrom got a late start in the music game; he was a 20-year old Charleston, West Virginia native halfway through college at Duke when the music bug bit and he picked up a guitar for the first time.
Jon remembers, "I had just taken an end-of-the-school-year trip to Key West with three friends. We all had crammed into a Volkswagen beetle and driven 3,000 miles with maybe one clean shirt each, and cassettes of ten Jimmy Buffett albums to pass the time. In fact, we went to Key West to hang out with Jimmy Buffett. Mr. Buffett was likely not even there, nor had he been informed that four morons were expecting to vacation with him. I returned home powerfully sick of Jimmy Buffett songs. And then about a week later, I realized I was really missing Jimmy Buffett songs - to the point that I decided I needed to buy a guitar right then and start learning to play some of them. So I did."
Then, after graduating from Duke (with a degree in history of all things), Wikstrom began to ply his musical craft, playing bars and coffeehouses from West Virginia to Florida before settling into the Washington/Baltimore music scene. He worked on Capitol Hill by day, and by night watched local musicians like Mary-Chapin Carpenter reach for the brass ring in Nashville. A move to Music City soon followed for Jon.
This turned into nearly eight years as a working songwriter in Nashville for Jon, who says, "I loved it there, but never really fit in. I wasn't nearly country enough for Nashville". Despite Wikstrom's lack of boots, twang and appropriate headwear, Jon nonetheless enjoyed successful songwriting stints with Sony Music Publishing and worked with some of the top songwriters on Music Row and up and coming artists of the time including Sara Evans.
Passion to do his own music, his own way led Jon back to the Washington/Baltimore area as a base. Jon made frequent trips home to West Virginia to record his debut CD "Reckless Devotion", an album full of romance, longing and love in the vein of James Taylor and Billy Joel. The album also features guest musicians and songwriters from Jon's Nashville days, as well as ace production from Ron Sowell of Public Radio International's hugely influential "Mountain Stage" program.
Today, Jon, his wife Katherine and their two kids live between Baltimore and Washington in a home filled with music, laughter and Jon's Taylor Guitars.
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Julie Hall
Popular and critically acclaimed vocalist, Julie Hall, is a dynamic performer. She has a gift for conveying the emotion and intelligence of great lyrics and beautiful melodies. Her captivating style is the result of years of private voice training, combined with natural born abilities, proper work ethic, and the dedication needed to be truly heralded by a discerning audience.
Julie began performing in her youth, forming her own Top 40 Band at 15 in her native Baltimore. By 18, she had worked with the group Sister Sledge and recorded the theme for a PBS Television production, all while continuing to cultivate her stage presence, appearing in musical theater. Julie graduated with honors from Howard University.
Julie developed her vocal style as a solo artist, performing to capacity audiences as an opening act for Whitney Houston, Natalie Cole, Bebe Winans, Grover Washington, Jr. and Les McCann. She came into her own, as a singer and performer, by entertaining audience big and small in concert in as well as during her long running weekly engagements at venues in the Baltimore/Washington/Virginia area. From posh hotel lounges to hip music clubs, Julie Hall has captured a following that loyally patronizes the venues where she can be seen.
Pamela Hayashi, music editor for The Quartet, the Baltimore Washington JAZZfest Newsletter wrote, "Some performers require a lot of listening concentration from their audiences. And there are some performers that simply enchant, which. for artists, is often more difficult to do. Charm is not a given, it is a gift, and Ms. Julie Hall has just the right charm to excite her fans."
Julie's new CD has that charm. It's an adventurous live recording of her extraordinary performance at The Montpelier Cultural Arts Center in Laurel, Maryland. It truly captures her unique and expressive voice, and displays talent and poise that can only be attained from years of experience. It exemplifies a deep connection with the spirit of lyric and melody coupled with superb phrasing and outstanding delivery. Julie Hall s a joy to see and hear.
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Justin Ritchie
“On My Way Here” is a wonderful, eclectic set of music from country to pop to the American Popular Songbook. The show is directed by the always wonderful Lina Koutrakos and music directed by the amazing Rick Jensen.
Justin Ritchie is a cabaret performer based in Washington, DC. He is a 2009 alumnus of both the Cabaret Conference at Yale University and Perry Mansfield Art of Cabaret Intensive. Justin recently performed his show at New York’s Metropolitan Room in his New York debut to rave reviews. Jenna Esposito of BroadwayWorld.com writes, “Mr. Ritchie lent his warm, smooth, powerful voice - as well as a heartfelt rendering of the lyrics - to each and every song. One can only hope that Mr. Ritchie makes a return trip to the big apple very soon!” “He is a smart and gifted performer who indeed is “On His Way” states Gwendoline Warner of Cabaret Scenes magazine.
Justin will be performing his show several times this summer at different venues and has been asked to bring the show back to the Metropolitan Room later this year. He is more than excited to be making his solo debut tonight at Germano’s.
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Karla Chisholm
A charming Southern Belle in both manner and spirit, Karla was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and studied vocal performance at the storied music program at the University of North Texas. After stints in Washington and Los Angeles, she now makes her home on the west side of Baltimore, not far from the old vaudeville theaters and chitlin circuit clubs where Billy Holiday cadged drinks from lovestruck hustlers and sang her soul out to the salty-aired night. Karla plays gigs all over the Baltimore-Washington area, including spots with musicians who regularly round out sessions with the likes of Prince, Justin Timberlake, Al Dimeola, Bebe Wynans and Eva Cassidy. At 18, Karla debuted at Switzerland's famous Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2009, she shared a stage with Mary Wilson of the Supremes. She has toured in the Greek Isles and Dubai, but feels just as comfortable reinvigorating the standards in front of a hometown crowd at Baltimore's Federal Hill Jazz and Blues Festival. Karla's debut album, Live at Domenica's, was released in 2009.
The sound of her voice is full of delicious contrasts. It's strong and strident, but soft and smooth as caramel when it drops down to the breathy low register. She pulls dead-accurate notes seemingly out of thin air, the way Ella did, but then she'll swing breezily into soul mode, bending and smearing blue notes so naturally you think you're hearing Aretha.
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Karla M. Wynn Diouf
Karla M. Wynn Diouf [pronounced ‘Juif’] is a lifelong student of the performing arts and African history and culture. Karla has studied with the Nubian Arts Performing Society, KanKouran West African Dance Company; and performed with Mary’s First Child, a.d.
in two plays written and directed by Charisma Wooten in at the National Theatre in Washington - Burning Up the Night: A Clutch of Torch Songs and African Divas: Abishag - A Song of Solomon. She returns to Cabaret Theatre at Germano’s as The Fabulous Flaming Diva in “Charisma and Friends.”
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Killer Stilts
Killer Stilts is a new project founded and written by musician and playwright, Susan Faucon. This new genre, coined by Faucon, Theatrical Jazz, is a blend of original music and scripted dialogue, not to be confused with musical theatre. What distinguishes this genre from traditional musical theatre, is that it is performed like any concert might be with the added element of scripted dialogue interlaced between songs to share a storyline. Killer Stilts does not offer a storyline necessarily, it offers a line of ideas, a conversation between 3 women sharing about beauty, love, sex and what goes on in the minds of contemporary women.
Killer Stilts has some of the greatest musicianship Washington DC has to offer. Its players have performed individually and together at some of the best known venues in the Metropolitan area including and not limited to Strathmore Hall, Blues Alley, Signature Theatre, Germano's Cabaret, Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, Rams Head, State Theatre, Kennedy Center, Madams Organ, Chesapeake Arts Center, York Theatre, Silver Spring Stage and Dreamwrights Theatre.
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Kristen Zwobot
Kristen is very excited to be performing with these lovely ladies, and the fabulous Michael Tan, this evening. She has been performing in the Baltimore/DC area for two decades now. Some of her favorite roles include Nadia in Bare the Musical with Conejo Productionts, the Narrator in Joseph...Dreamcoat at Chesapeake Music Hall, Pickles in Great American Trailer Park Musical and the Waitress/Nancy D (the thin nurse) in A New Brain at Spotlighters, and as a guest soloist with Marc Shaiman in the Kennedy Center's “Broadway A New Generation presents Hairspray!”. She would like to thank Michael for this opportunity and she'd like to thank her amazing boyfriend Brett for all of his love and support. MWAH! "No day but today!"
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Lauren Billingsley
Lauren Billingsley is pleased to make her debut with the Ruzante Project. She has been in Baltimore for a year, but was last seen on stage in the Gaithersburg one-act festival in "Mortek Wins the Day" as Anna, and at Vpstart Crow in Manassas, VA in "Don Quixote" as Teresa Panza and "Ghost Sonata" as the maid. She also appeared in "TheGoodCleanFuns: The Movie" as Steffi, an independent film soon to be released, and the soon-to-air web series "Eden Lost" as Eden. A graduate of Hull University with a BA in Drama, she's excited to be working in the Baltimore theatre scene after a one-year hiatus, and hopes to be involved in future productions.
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Leneida Crawford
Mezzo soprano, LENEIDA CRAWFORD was acclaimed as "an exceptional new performer" by Andrew Porter in The New Yorker and the San Francisco Chronicle described Crawford as "a fine-grained mezzo-soprano of remarkable agility with violalike colors." The "Washington Post" agreed, characterizing her as a "rosy, unblemished mezzo..."
Dr. Crawford made her New York solo debut at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Solo assignments soon followed with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Eric Leinsdorf, the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall and the National Chorale. She has appeared with the Santa Fe Opera, Maryland Opera Studio, Music from Bear Valley, and Eastern Opera. Most recently she has appeared as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Opera Fairbanks and presented a recital of arias for the Juneau Lyric Opera both in Alaska.
Dr. Crawford is well known to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore audiences as a soloist in both oratorio and recital venues. She is an advocate of American music and has presented recitals of American Art songs throughout the United States. Currently she and collaborative pianist, Susan Ricci, are completing production of a CD of American Art Songs. Internationally, Dr. Crawford presented American song recitals in Beijing and Shanghai, China, Vienna and Mürzzuschlag, Austria, and Mexico City.
Dr. Crawford has appeared as a soloist at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall with Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Kennedy Center with The Paul Hill Chorale, Washington Oratorio Society and The Choral Arts Society of Washington Avery Fisher Hall with the National Chorale, and Carnegie Hall. In addition, she has performed with the Fairfax Symphony, the Handel Choir of Baltimore, the Virginia Chamber Orchestra, the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the Cayuga Chamber Symphony. Crawford has recorded on the Albany (Boris Blacher’s Romeo and Juliet) and VOX labels and has appeared on CBS and PBS.
Dr. Crawford is Professor of Voice and chairperson of the advising program in the department of music at Towson University in Baltimore Maryland. She teaches applied voice and vocal diction. She also team teaches Vocal Literature and Pedagogy and is the assistant director for Music for the Stage (opera workshop). In the summers of 2007 and 2008, she was on the faculty of the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria.
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Liz Briones
Liz Briones has been captivating audiences locally and abroad with her soulful voice for over ten years. Originally from Ecuador, Liz grew up in the United States, developing an equal love for Latin and Brazilian music as well as for American Jazz, Pop, and R & B. A truly bilingual vocalist, Liz possesses a versatility which enables her to perform authentically in a wide range of musical styles, moving effortlessly from the sultry sounds of Jazz and R & B to the fiery rhythms of Salsa and Merengue. Her vocal excellence has taken her overseas to perform at top venues in Singapore, South America, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. She has been a member of Truth Groove since 2004, lending her dynamic talents to complete an already stellar cast of musicians. www.kissmyjazz.biz
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Lonny Smith
Lonny Smith has been an active cabaret and theater artist since moving to the Washington DC area seven years ago. Some of his recent cabaret
credits have included "In Full Light," "A Good Man is Hard to Find," "Pyscho Cabaret," and two editions of "Naked Cabaret" as well as cabaret
appearances at the Kennedy Center, Artomatic, The Warehouse Theater, and Sigature Theatre. In addition to participating in the 2005 Cabaret
Conference at Yale, he has studied cabaret performance with Lina Koutrakos and Sally Mayes. After receiving a B.A. in Political Science
at Carleton College (where he also was the vocal performance winner of the Senior Concerto Competition), he completed an M.A. in Theater
Research at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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Loyola University
Loyola University Maryland is a Jesuit, Catholic university committed to the educational and spiritual traditions of the Society of Jesus and the development of the whole person. Accordingly, the University inspires students to learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world. At Loyola, this means that the curriculum is rigorous and faculty expectations are high. In addition to academic coursework, the Jesuit mission is carried out through a variety of programs and events sponsored by various University departments, including Campus Ministry and the Center for Community Service and Justice. Loyola aims to lead students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends forward to pursue an examined life of intellectual, social, and spiritual discernment.With majors and minors in more than 40 academic fields, Loyola offers an undergraduate program grounded in the liberal arts, focused primarily on developing undergraduate students as well-rounded scholars and leaders who are distinctly prepared to succeed in every aspect of their lives.
Loyola has been included in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine 2009 list of Best Values in Private Universities as well as being ranked in the top 10 in the North region for U.S. News’s “Great Schools, Great Prices.” Loyola’s residence halls also ranked second in the country, its athletic facilities ranked 10th, and its study abroad program ranked 14th.
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Lydia Beasley
Lydia Beasley, soprano, graduated from Shenandoah Conservatory in May 2006 with a vocal performance certificate. The following summer she attended Operafestival di Roma, where she was featured as the soprano soloist of Vivaldi's Gloria under the direction of Francesco Carotenuto. In 2007, Ms. Beasley maintained a studio of sixteen students at Southern Virginia University, as well as a choral directing position at Belmont Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. During this time, she performed the roles of Adele in Die Fledermaus and Peep-bo in The Mikado in local productions. Ms. Beasley began her graduate studies at The Peabody Institute in the fall of 2007, where she performed as Les Bergère and La Chouette in Peabody's production of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortileges. In the spring of 2008 she portrayed Dana Perino in Bush: The Last 100 Days, an original one-act opera written by Peabody composer Chris Whittaker. The following fall she was seen on Peabody’s stage as Cathleen in Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Riders to the Sea. Ms. Beasley received the Annie Wentz Prize in voice upon graduation from Peabody this spring. Most recently she performed in Steamboat Springs, Colorado as Lucy in Menotti’s The Telephone with the Emerald City Opera Artist Institute. Ms. Beasley has studied with Charlotte Aiosa, Beverly Hay, Sandra McClain, and Pamela Beasley and is currently in the studio of Stanley Cornett.
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Marc Irwin
Pianist and composer Dr. Marc Irwin lived and worked in NYC until moving to Baltimore in 1992 to pursue his doctorate in composition at the Peabody Conservatory.
Mr. Irwin’s Broadway credits include The Rink, Sunday In The Park With George, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Romance, Romance, City Of Angels, Crazy For You, Cats, and The Mystery Of Edwin Drood. In 1982 he was on the production staff of Comden and Green’s A Doll’s Life and in 1983 he was Assistant Musical Director for Mrs. Farmer’s Daughter by Jack Eric Williams, produced at the Pepsico Summerfare, SUNY, Purchase, New York. Mr. Irwin was Sound Designer and Keyboardist for Harry Belafonte from 1983-88, performing in the United States, Europe, Asia and Africa. Since 1993 Mr.Irwin has performed in over a dozen musicals at The Kennedy Center, The National Theatre and The Lyric Opera, including Beauty and the Beast, Showboat, Cats, Annie, Dream Girls and Damn Yankees. Mr. Irwin was Assistant Conductor for Merrily We Roll Along at the Kennedy Center in 1998 as part of the Sondheim Festival. In 2002 he was Assistant Conductor for the Kennedy Center’s production of Words And Music, a musical trilogy including Bells Are Ringing with Faith Prince, Where's Charlie, and Purlie with Stephanie Mills. In 2002 he conducted for The Three Mo’ Tenors with performances at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and at the Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ. From 1993-2000, Irwin was an accompanist and arranger/composer for The Peabody Children’s Chorus under the direction of Doreen Falby, compiling over 35 choral arrangements and compositions.
Irwin released 2 jazz CDs in 1986 and 1988, Crossing of The Spirit and A Child’s Play with guitarist Dan Carillo. These were followed by the release of Suite For My Father, in 1997 and in 2006 Urbnergy, a jazz trio CD with bassist Marty Confurius and drummer Don Mulvaney. Since 1999, Irwin has been a pianist/musical director with The Capitol Steps, performing political satire throughout the 50 United States and Canada.
From 1993 to 2000 Dr. Irwin taught courses in music theory, ear training, class piano, and a studio of private students in piano and composition at Frederick Community College in Frederick, Maryland. At the Peabody Conservatory’s Preparatory Division he taught courses in theory and composition for commercial music as well as a studio in jazz and classical piano. Since 2004 he has been a co-director of jazz ensembles at The Park School in Baltimore, Maryland and has a studio of private students.
In 1975 Marc received his Bachelor of Music with a major in Music Theory from The Manhattan School of Music, studying music theory with David Lewin, composition with Ludmilla Ulehla and piano with Ada Kopetz-Korf. In 1992, he earned an M.A. with a major in Music Composition from The Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College, SUNY, studying composition with Thea Musgrave, and in 2000 Marc earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in Music Composition from the Peabody Conservatory, Johns Hopkins University, working with composer Robert Hall Lewis. His doctoral areas of specialty include the keyboard music of J.S. Bach, the nine Beethoven Symphonies, the choral music of Arnold Schoenberg, and the compositions and improvisations of Bill Evans. While at Peabody he was awarded an Assistantship in Music Theory with Dr. Vern Falby, emphasizing Schenkerian analysis and the work of contemporary music theorist and author Edward Cone. Additional studies at Peabody include Tom Benjamin in Modal Counterpoint.
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Maris Wicker and Lonny Smith
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Marisa del Campo
Soprano, Marisa del Campo, a native of Long Island, New York, is currently in her last year at the Peabody Conservatory studying voice with Phyllis Bryn-Julson and Marianna Busching. Marisa has performed numerous recitals of arias, art songs, and musical theater material, and has also done a number of cabaret performances. In 2006 Marisa was cast in her first opera: the world premier of The Furies at Catholic University. Marisa was also found singing at The Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Vietri Sul Mare, Italy where she performed in Die Zauberflöte at the Serici Theater of the Royal Belvedere Palace - San Leucio (Caserta) as well as singing in numerous concerts. Recently Marisa discovered a love for directing as well. She was chosen to direct an abridged version of La Calisto by Cavalli for The Peabody Opera Workshop. Since then she has co-directed (as well as performed in) the musical, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and was the drama director at CW Post Univer
sity’s Summer Day Camp. This summer Marisa was found singing on Entertainment Cruise Lines, Spirit of Baltimore!
When not on a stage, directing, or now cruising, Marisa can be found dancing, doing yoga, scrapbooking or is in the kitchen baking!
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Mark Russell
Mark Russell of Baltimore, MD, engineered and played bass on Cabo Frio's Late Return.
From working with Spike Lee, to Bob Fosses Dancin, and A Chorus Line, 3 Mo' Tenors Mark Russell is a multitalented individual. Some more of the artists he has worked with include Melba Moore, Ken Navarro, Stephanie Mills, Cab Calloway, Lloyd Price (Personality), Dave Valentine (flute), Cissy Houston, Della Reese (Touched By an Angel), Kevin Toney, Eugene Wilde (Ooh Baby, Gotta Get You Home with me tonight), Dennis Chambers, Alexander O'Neal (If You Were Here Tonight, Fake), Bernard Purdie ("The World's most recorded drummer"), Ted Curson (Jazz Trumpeter), Ethel Ennis (Jazz Vocalist), and Ozzie Davis & Ruby Dee (Actors)and many more.
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Mary Sugar
Mary Sugar spent 11 years as a musical director, pianist, and teacher in New York City, where she worked on and off-Broadway, at Lincoln Center, and in many other venues. She went around the world as conductor/pianist for Leslie Uggams, and has worked with Clay Aiken, Connie Francis, James Naughton, Larry Gatlin, Charles Strouse, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Sheldon Harnick, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones, Marni Nixon, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Barbara Cook, Lonny Price, Shirley Jones, Martin Vidnovic, Sandy Duncan, Bruce Vilanche, The Diamonds, Lillias White, Adrian Zmed, Charo, Cathy Rigby, The Irish Tenors, The Syracuse Symphony, and many, many others. Mary has taught at New York University, Mannes College of Music, Fordham University, Pace University, Musical Theater Works Conservatory, Syracuse University, SUNY Cortland, and many other places; teaching classes in musical theater performance, scene study, and audition technique. She also played keyboards for the national tours of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, The King and I, The Producers, Peter Pan, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sweet Charity, Annie, Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Elton John’s Aida.
Mary is new to the Washington, D.C. area, where she has worked for The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, the D.C. Cabaret Network, American Century Theater, and other venues. She was most recently seen playing for The Kennedy Center’s productions of Broadway: Three Generations and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
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Matt Macis
MATT MACIS (Jerry Lewis)
Matt Macis began his professional career while still in high school when he was cast in one of the original companies of Ken Davenport’s Off-Broadway and regional smash hit, The Awesome 80s Prom. At age 19, he was deemed “a genuine find” by the Washington Post for his work in Bat Boy: The Musical (Landless Theatre Co., DC). Now 20, his resume includes a national tour, lots of other theatre, TV, film, recordings, and work as the “comic” half of The Crooner and The Comic – A Tribute to Martin & Lewis. Although you won’t find this feat in the Guinness Book of World Records, Matt is the world’s youngest working professional Michael Jackson tribute artist (…really).
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Matthew Schleigh
Matthew Schleigh is an actor and musician of the greater Washington,DC metropolitan area. His recent credits include Much Ado About Nothing with Everyman Theatre, Peter Pan at Olney Theatre Center, and the world premiere production of Looking for Roberto Clemente at Imagination Stage. For several years, Matthew performed in various productions for Toby's Dinner Theatres of Columbia and Baltimore, including Ragtime, It's a Wonderful Life, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, and West Side Story. His portrayal of the ncomparable rock and roll title character in The Buddy Holly Story for Toby's earned him a Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Musical in 2007.
He earned a Bachelor's of Music from the Catholic University of America and spent his spring semester abroad in England enrolled at the London Dramatic Academy. Collegiate and student productions include Assassins, Merrily We Roll Along, The Pirates of Penzance, The Cherry Orchard, Baby, and The Secret Garden. During his senior year, Matthew submitted and performed a recital for faculty and peers showcasing the culmination of his tenure at CUA. In 2006, Matthew was privelaged to perform Defiant Requiem with the Catholic University Chorus in Prague, a program intergrating Verdi's Requiem Mass with
interviews and accounts of Holocaust survivors. When not performing, he teaches pre-school alternative classes in Rockville.
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Maurice L. Johnson
This native of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, began his career as a featured model in Essence and Gentlemen’s Quarterly Magazines and the Ebony Fashion Fair in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Johnson won the leading roles of Cuchulan in The Cuchulan Ccle by W.B. Yeats and Belize, in his graduating thesis play, Angels in America by Tony Kushner which was produced at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC. He has performed with the Back Alley Theatre in Washington, DC in Native Son and Flowers for the Trashman by Richard Wright.
Mr. Johnson is a Managing Partner and Senior Executive Producer with Marshall, Johnson and Torrey Television where he produces broadcasts for PBS, BET and other commercial networks. Recently, he produced the PBS special Journey: The Black Astronaut. This documentary received the Program of the Year Award from the American Association of University Women, was nominated for Best Direction and Best Editing from the Washington Council on Film and Television and was nominated for an Emmy in Houston, Texas.
Mr. Johnson has also produced many specials The Conscience of Congress, The National Town Hall Meeting on Homelessness and A Matter of Race for PBS and BET; and was nominated for an Emmy the PBS broadcast of Straight Talk: Sex, Teens & the 90's.
Mr. Johnson is currently an educator in the Montgomery County Maryland School System where he teaches Television Production. He is a co-founder and a Director of In Living Poetry Performing Arts Company which is based in Washington, DC. Mr. Johnson received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and a Master of Instructional Systems with an emphasis in television production from the University of the District of Columbia; and a Master of Fine Art in Acting from the Catholic University of America.
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Michael Angelucci
American pianist Michael Angelucci is highly regarded for his exciting and engaging musicianship. A prize winner in the California International Young Artist Competition, his dynamic playing has garnered first place awards in the Mu Phi Epsilon, Minnesota Music Teachers Association, San Jose Music Club, and Music Teachers Association of California competitions, among others. He is also the recipient of merit awards including the Helen McGraw Scholarship, the Lydia and Richard Gillespie Endowed Scholarship Fund, an Associated Italian-American Charities of Maryland scholarship, and a Peabody Career Development Grant.
Mr. Angelucci has appeared in major cities across the continental United States including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and New York. He has been a featured soloist in important venues such as Northrop Auditorium and Carnegie-Weill Hall. Awarded a full fellowship through Foundation La Gesse, Mr. Angelucci made his European debut in France at the historic Bemberg Museum (Toulouse) and Auditorium de la Salle du Dome (Carcassonne), and was subsequently invited back for a special performance in honor of the foundation’s twenty-fifth anniversary. In addition to his national and international appearances, Mr. Angelucci is a familiar face on the local concert circuit where he appears often as soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative pianist.
Mr. Angelucci balances performing with a variety of other professional activities. He devotes much of his time to teaching and is currently on faculty at the International School of Music in Bethesda and the prestigious McDonogh School in Baltimore. His students have consistently earned high distinction in National Piano Guild exams and perform frequently in student recitals. In addition, Mr. Angelucci is also the director of music at St. Joseph Monastery Parish in Baltimore. Under his leadership the church has sponsored concerts, seminars, and other liturgical programming and is increasingly recognized throughout the community for its quality and innovation.
A native of Minnesota, Michael studied with Dr. Paul Wirth of the Central Minnesota Music School. He began his undergraduate studies with Hans Boepple at Santa Clara University before continuing his training with Ann Schein, Benjamin Pasternack, and Brian Ganz at the Peabody Conservatory, where he received the bachelor and master of music degrees in piano. He has attended summer programs including the Aspen Music Festival and the Mannes Beethoven Institute, and has played in lessons and master classes for Leon Fleisher, Bengt Forsberg, Leslie Howard, Robert MacDonald, John Perry, Thomas Sauer, and Herbert Stessin. Mr. Angelucci resides in the Baltimore-Washington area.
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Michael Tan
MICHAEL TAN (Musical Director/Keyboard Player) Michael has been organizing and accompanying cabarets for The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre (“Spotlighters”) and other venues for the last 4 years. He is now the musical director for the BTA Post-Showcase Cabarets. His musical direction credits include Hats! A Musical for the Rest of Your Life; Elegies for Angels, Punks And Raging Queens; Bare; Zombie Prom; Six Dead Queens and An Inflatable Henry (an American Premiere); The Great American Trailer Park Musical; Falsettos; The Music Man; Sunday in the Park with George; Clue: The Musical; and The Spitfire Grill. He composed and arranged music for Six Dead Queens and Spotlighters’ production of Angels in America: Perestroika. His favorite onstage roles include Murray (The Odd Couple), Gregor/The Arbiter/Papa (Chess), Officer Murphy and u/s for Frank Maurrant (Street Scene), The Senator (Hello Again), and Beverly Carlton (The Man Who Came to Dinner). He is currently working as musical director for Romance/Romance at Vagabonds (opens January 9, 2009). Michael also does some vocal coaching, teaches periodic workshops on auditioning for musical theater and reading music for the singer/actor. He has also worked with teens on voice projection, basic singing technique, and music interpretation at Spotlighter’s Summer Youth Academy. Love to Fuzz and my wonderful ladies!
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Morgan State University Baltimore Summer Opera Workshop
Baltimore Summer Opera Workshop
Two-week Intensive Opera Workshop
Vincent Dion Stringer, Artistic Director
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The Baltiomre Summer Opera Workshop (BSOW) presents a comprehensive performance calendar includes: a concert in a dinner theater setting, a traditional recital, an evening of one-act operas and a concert with orchestral accompaniment. The BSOW's training schedule is comprised of acting classes, yoga and conditioning classes, and one-on-one coaching with members of the of North Carolina/Chapel Hill vocal music faculty and of the Morgan State University and University music faculty--the same faculty who coach the members of the acclaimed Morgan State University Choir. Guest lecturers/instructors will also be a part of the BSOW team. In addition to the intensive classroom training, the schedule includes six master classes (which are also open to the public). The master classes will be taught by professional operatic performers.
Performances (open to the public)
Tuesday
June 22
7:00 PM
"Dinner and an Aria"
Germano's Trattoria
300 South High Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
A special collection of well- known, well-loved Arias
$10 Cover Charge; patrons can order from the menu
www.germanostrattoria.com
Thursday
June 24
7:30 PM
Guest Artist Recital
Featuring Mr. Davron Munroe, Tenor
Murphy Fine Arts Center
Recital Hall
2201 Argonne Drive
Baltimore, MD 21251
Free and open to the public
Saturday
June 26
6:00 PM
An Evening of One-Act Operas
Murphy Fine Arts Center
Recital Hall
2201 Argonne Drive
Baltimore, MD 21251
Free and open to the public
- Dream Lovers by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
- A Hand of Bridge by Samuel Barber
- The Telephone by Gian Carlo Menotti
Friday
July 2
7:00 PM
An Evening of Opera Scenes
with Orchestra
Murphy Fine Arts Center
Gilliam Concert Hall
2201 Argonne Drive
Baltimore, MD 21251
CYSO Summer Opera Orchestra
Conducted by Julien Benichou
Free and open to the public
BSOW Master Classes (free and open to the public)
Monday
June 21
9:30 AM-NOON
"Make your First Impression"
Wednesday
June 23
9:30 AM-NOON
"The Art of Recitative and Aria" with Louise Toppin
Friday
June 25
9:30 AM-NOON
"Working with a Conductor"
with Julien Benichou - Director, Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra
Monday
June 28
9:30 AM-NOON
"Life on the Opera Stage" - with Marquita Lister, Soprano
Wednesday
June 30
9:30 AM-NOON
"African American Music Traditions"
with Ms. Devonna Rowe, Mr. Vincent Stringer, and Ms. Louise Toppin
Friday
July 2
10:00 AM-NOON
"Wisdom from the Journey"
with Mrs. Charlotte Hollemon, Mr. Daniel Comegys, and Mr. William Ray
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Nathan Wyatt
Baritone Nathan Wyatt is currently completing his fourth year of undergraduate studies at Peabody. A native of North Carolina, Mr. Wyatt began studying music with the North Carolina Boys Choir and is a former member of the Durham Choral Society. In 2007 and 2008, he received second and first place honors in the classical vocal division of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. At Peabody, Mr. Wyatt has performed the role of Guglielmo in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte and the Forester in Janacek’s The Adventures of Sharp-Ears the Vixen with the Peabody Opera Theatre, as well as Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni) and Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) in undergraduate scenes. In the summers of 2008 and 2009, Mr. Wyatt was a featured vocalist at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, performing scenes from Cosi fan tutte, La Traviata, and The Tender Land. Recent oratorio performances include Simon in Haydn’s Seasons with the Maryland Choral Society, the bass soloist in Haydn’s “Mass in the Time of War” at the University of Chapel Hill, and the bass soloist in Bach’s “Magnificat” with the Peabody Concert Orchestra. Upcoming performances include Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Mosaic Concert Series. Mr. Wyatt is currently in the voice studio of Steven Rainbolt.
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Nicholas Werner
Nicholas Werner is a composer, pianist, organist and singer. He recently studied composition at the Peabody Conservatory of Music here in Baltimore, but he originally hails from Long Island, NY. Nicholas is a musical director as well, having directed I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change with JMN Theatricks in Baltimore, and is currently directing A Chorus Line in York, PA with the York Little Theatre. As a singer, Nicholas has studied classical voice as a tenor for 5 years, most recently with Carol Cavey-Miles at Peabody. As a composer he has had many premieres at Peabody, including an opera scene written for the Opera Etudes program, which was given a special second premier at the Peabody 150th Anniversary Gala in April 2008. He is currently working on several projects, one of them being a musical. Nicholas is glad to be back at Germano's, having played for Marisa del Campo and James Parks in their Two Lost Souls cabaret.
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Pam Parker
Pam began her career singing at ubiquitous peace and justice rallies in her native Washington, DC, and since then has performed Blues, Swing, Jazz R & B and Folk with a seven piece band. She has become a fixture on national progressive and local jazz radio and has a reputation for sweet soulful vocals. She and her band mates have played at Blues Alley, Signature Theater, Twins, Bangkok Blues and other venues of note in the DC area. She has also performed at the New School and the Community Church in New York; Little Ochi Hideout in Richmond; the World Cultural Center in North Carolinas; at the Evergreen Arts and Humanities concert series in Ohio and in Los Angeles. She has also performed at a birthday tribute to Pete Seeger in Memphis, TN and for the Congressional Black Caucus at the Washington Convention Center. She was a lead in a Jazz Opera entitled the Forgotten and is currently producing her 4th CD - Lemonade. Dirty Linen Magazine wrote that “Parker has a big voice, but can also whisper a sweet lullaby.” www.pamparker.com
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Patricia Hengen
Patricia Hengen is a 2010 graduate from the Vocal Music Department from the Baltimore School for the Arts. She was a participant of the Washington National Opera's Summer Institute for Young Singers in 2009. While at the Institute, shehad the oppertunity to sing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Patricia has appeared in numerous opera scenes, concerts, musical theater productions, and cabarets, including an appearance with "Cold Case" star, Tracie Thoms at Germano's. Patricia has sung in opera scenes from Cosi fan tutte (Dorabella and Despina), Lakme (Mallika), Gianni Schicchi (Zita), Hansel and Gretel (Hansel), and many opera choruses. She has been in over 20 musical theater productions including Cinderella (Portia), Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts), Annie Get Your Gun (Winnie Tate), Annie (Annie), The Sound Of Music (Brigitta), and Scrooge (Martha Cratchit). Patricia has been accepted to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York and the Shenandoah Conservatory, where she will be attending in the fall.
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Peabody Institute Cabaret Class
Cabaret artist Jennifer Blades is joined by her students of the inaugural Cabaret Class at the Peabody Institute:vocalists Stephanie Miller, Britt Olsen-Ecker, Sarah Mahon, James Parks, Lizz Dow, Lindsay Thompson, Laura Reaper, Elizabeth Cooper, Maggie Finnegan, Jeff Williams, Jennifer Hamilton, and Marisa del Campo with pianist Yoohee Shin.
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Phil McCusker
Baltimore native, Phil McCusker began playing music at home accompanying his Dad who played violin (when he wasn’t arguing in court ).
After an offer to play in a local soul band(The Admirals), Phil dropped the poly sci
major to play six night a week. This move qualified him for a promotion to buck private in the US Army. The upside was University of Miami via the GI bill.
Returning to the DC area from Miami, Phil freelanced and ended up in Tim Eyermann’s East Coast Offering where he performed and composed travelling the East Coast from upstate New York to Miami, Florida. (Inner City record label).
Phil subsequently formed an original jazz/fusion group with some of the Eyermann alumni: Wade Matthews, Bruce Harrison, and George Honea. Blue Lunch was the name of this band.
Phil is also active teaching in the area at American University and the Bullis School.
Other credits include show work at the Kennedy Center, National Theater, Wolf Trap, Center Stage, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and Strathmore Hall, plus studio recording sessions in the area.
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Ro Cube
Keyboard player, musical director, producer and performer whose seasoned musicianship, sophisticated skills and relentless reportorial versatility have allowed him to maintain a long and active career. Ro has worked with many well-known musicians such as Mannekin, The Platters, The Temptations, Mary Wilson, Freda Payne, Phil Flowers, Blue Funk, Heatwave, and many others. www.rocube.com
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Robin Samek
Robin has always loved performing and is currently playing Columbia in GAC's
"The Rocky Horror Show". Some of her other favorite roles include Tanya in
"Bare: the Musical", Candy in "Zombie Prom", Tina Jo/GJ in "Dearly Beloved" and
Wendy Jo in "Footloose". As always, she thanks her family and friends.
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Ronald Giddings
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Sara Collison
Sara has been acting in local theatre for over 8 years, and has performed with
many groups including the Talent Machine Company, Merely Players, Annapolis
Summer Garden Theatre, 2nd Star Productions, and Conejo Productions. Favourite
roles include Ginger (Zombie Prom), Diane Lee (bare: the musical), Eleanor
Dunbar (Footloose), and Aphra (Children of Eden). You may also have heard her
sing in various cabarets around Baltimore. She thanks everyone who has given her
opportunities, and everyone that has motivated her. Love to family and friends.
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Sara Glancy
Sara is a Baltimore-born actor, singer and playwright who recently graduated the drama program at Carver Center for Arts and Technology. She is currently a drama major at TISH School for the Arts in the prestigious musical theatre studio, CAP21.
Sara performs all over the Baltimore region with the Carver Theatre Company, Children’s Playhouse of Maryland, Spotlighter’s Theatre, and the Baltimore Opera Company. In 2008, she co-wrote and performed in a play for the international Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
As a playwright, Sara has been recognized both locally and nationally. Her first play, “The Cheshire Smile”, received a staged reading at Center Stage during their Young Playwright’s Festival. It then went on to become a finalist in the Young Playwright’s Inc. national playwriting competition and subsequently received an off-Broadway staged reading at the Cherry Lane Studio Theatre.
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Sarah King
Sarah King has been a member of the Beth El Choir since 2004, and has performed as a soloist in several synagogue events. She has also performed as a soloist at Bais Yaakov School for Girls, where she is completing her Junior year. Miss King is the recipient of an Honorable Mention Award from the Concerto Competition at the Jewish Community Center. Sarah performs frequently as a harp soloist, and served as Principal Harpist with the JCC Festival Orchestra. This summer, Miss King travels to Grand Junction, Colorado to perform in The Sorcerer of Gilbert and Sullivan.
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Shakespeare
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Shakespeare 2009 Scenes and Cast
Twelfth Night
Act I sc. 5 (Lines 138 – 312)
Malvolio Abe Hartman
Olivia Julia Klavans
Viola Sarah Arroyo
Maria Jamilah Muhammad
Act III sc. 1 (Lines 95 – 165)
Olivia Christian Flippen
Viola Abe Hartman
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Act II sc. 7 (entire scene)
Julia Norah Walker
Lucetta Susannah Brown
Act IV sc. 2 (Lines 85 – 133
Proteus Raenard Weddington
Julia Nicole Daniels
Sylvia Ayanna Parker-Morrison
Act IV sc. 4 (Lines 39 – 203)
Proteus Raenard Weddington
Julia Nicole Daniels
Launce Christian Flippen
Silvia Ayanna Parker-Morrison
Ursula Lynae Pindell
As You Like It
Act III sc. 2 (Lines 290 – 422)
Rosalind Lynae Pindell
Orlando Mikhail Hellerbach
Act III sc. 5 (entire scene)
Silvius Marcus Downer
Phebe Cleo Rahman
Rosalind Susannah Brown
Act IV sc. 1 (Lines 28 – 208)
Orlando Tyell Martin
Rosalind Jamilah Muhammad
Celia Norah Walker
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Stacey D. Schell
Stacey D. Schell is a singer, actor, and dancer from Harrisburg, PA. She has worked with such theatres as The Fulton Opera House, Open Stage of Harrisburg, York Little Theatre, Capital Performing Arts Center, and Oyster Mill Playhouse, all theatres native to Pennsylvania. She has performed with such names as Sally Struthers in Grease and Sherman Helmsly in The Wiz. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to perform at Germano's, it being her first performance here in Baltimore.
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Steve Glasser
Dr. Steve Glasser, renowned internist and hematologist, is also a talented tenor who is a favorite guest soloist at events for local clubs and non-profit organizations. Dr. Glasser trained at the Peabody Preparatory School. He is a versatile performer who delights his audiences with his unique renditions of opera and Broadway, folk songs and ballads.
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Steven Lampredi
Steven Lampredi (Tonin) studied Commedia del'Arte and Clown Theatre in Chicago and New York. He created New Old Theater to revive 19th century plays, including THE VAMPIRE (1820) this October. Last December, he co-created THE CRUSTY BAKERS at The Creative Alliance. Steven created and performed DOCTOR PRIMO- WORLDS GREATEST MAGICIAN, and BRAIN SURGERY WHILE-U-WAIT. A favorite project was acting in the Washington, D.C. Warehouse Theatre production of LYSISTRATA PROJECT 3-3-03. Steven recorded a Book on Tape and was a featured extra in the TV programs QUEST FOR CAPTAIN KIDD, 100 GREATEST DISCOVERIES and MASONIC MYSTERIES. He will soon be seen as a founding father in the Imax film WE THE PEOPLE. He is also One-Armed Jack in the CD Rom game SEARCH FOR THE GOLDEN DOLPHIN.
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String Theory
Sarah Mahon is a 22-year-old singer and actress who is just breaking into the
Baltimore music scene. This past May, she completed her bachelor of music in
voice performance at the Peabody Institute of Music under the tutelage of Ah
Hong, as well as her bachelor of arts in anthropology from Johns Hopkins
University. As a classically trained soprano, Sarah sings and performs opera,
but also loves performing musical theater, jazz, and pop music. An experienced
stage performer, some of her past roles include Ida in Die Fledermaus, Joanne in
Company, Cinderella in Into the Woods, Lola in Damn Yankees, and Ronette in
Little Shop of Horrors. In June, she made her Germano's debut with James Harp,
in which she performed favorite songs from classic musical theater, operetta,
and opera. Upcoming performances include Opera Vivente's productions of
Donizetti's Lucy of Lammermoor and Handel's Rinaldo. In her spare time, Sarah
enjoys reading good books (especially memoirs), dancing, and playing with her
two cats.
Russ Arlotta, from Takoma Park, MD, is a fiddler, guitarist and singer/songwriter (2007 release: "The Road We Travel.") As a fiddler, Russ has enjoyed playing many different styles of music and has toured with the Rod Garcia Band (Hawaii and the Philippines, June 2007.) He comes to String Theory for the joy of adding a fiddler’s violin ornamentation to what Russ calls: "this very cool jazz repertoire. These tunes are classic, beautiful, and compelling pieces of music that present a wonderful challenge to a fiddler!"
Gus Russo has played guitar since the age of nine. Often described as an icon of the “Derriere Garde” movement, Gus went on to master a variety of styles, including Early Sumerian Samba, Depression era Tahitian Hip-Hop, jazz-folk, and the equally daunting folk-jazz. Now a relatively mature twelve-year-old, Gus feels he has at last found the muse of muses: Torch Songs of the Gregorian Monks, interpreted on the un-tuned one-string banjolin. His unerring internal cultural barometer tells him that there is a huge “silent majority” quietly hoping for this vast catalogue to be made available in a live setting to the 21st century’s Gen-Y’ers. And, really, who could disagree?
Joshua Rettenmayer has a B.A. in music from UMBC and extended study in jazz and jazz theory from Towson University. He has been a professional guitar instructor for the last 12 years and is currently teaching at Woodbridge Music Center in Ellicott City as well as running an on-the-road teaching business. He taught at Bill's Music House in Catonsville for 5 years, and has played in the Baltimore area for 10 years, playing for many churches, weddings, animal charities, and parties.
Jon Rosen is a 23-year-old bassist and graduate of the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City. While studying in New York, Jon had the opportunity to study with world-renowned musicians such as Reggie Workman, William Parker, Junior Mance, Andrew Cyrille and many others. Since relocating to Baltimore in January 2010, Jon has been quickly finding work as a bassist and educator. He is currently the head teacher and artistic director of the Baltimore Talent Education Center, a non-profit music program that offers discounted music lessons for Baltimore City Public School students. In addition to teaching and performing in String Theory, Jon performs with the Baltimore based experimental metal band, Questioner, which performs around the East Coast. In addition to bass, Jon plays and teaches guitar, piano and cello. Aside from being a musician, Jon is also an animal lover, craft beer enthusiast and mixed martial arts fan.
The son of a physicist and a choreographer, pianist/vocalist Monte Montgomery disappointed his parents early on by rejecting both pursuits in favor of plunking on his mom's old Steinway. Monte's first major musical breakthrough came when his tone-deaf father purchased an album called "Anyone Can Yodel" from a mail-order company. "That record changed my life," he recalls. "It was awful. I knew there had to be something better out there." After graduating from Michigan State University, Monte packed up his instruments (he also plays guitar, bass, vibes, synthesizers, ocarina, and nose flute) and headed for Hollywood, where in collaboration with his wife, Claire, he established multiple careers as screenwriter, children’s-book author, and musician. He has performed at such venues as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Hollywood Bowl for such luminaries as President Clinton, Charlton Heston, Larry King, and Bob Hope. Based since 2009 in the DC neighborhood of Columbia Heights, Monte divides his time among music, film directing, and existential angst.
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Susan Ricci
SUSAN RICCI is a highly sought-after collaborative pianist in the Washington, D.C. area. She earned her Master of Music degree in Vocal Accompanying and Instrumental Chamber Music from the University of Maryland. Ms. Ricci also received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Maryland, graduating summa cum laude. She has collaborated in concerts held at the Kennedy Center, DAR Constitution Hall, The Barns of Wolf Trap, Strathmore Hall, as well as many college and university setting throughout the United States. Ms. Ricci is an adjunct music faculty member and staff accompanist for Prince George’s Community College, accompanist for the Chesapeake Chorale and Music Director at Christian Community Presbyterian Church. She resides in Bowie, Maryland with her husband, two daughters and two rambunctious cats.
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Terri Allen, Justin Ritchie, and Lonny Smith
Terri Allen, Justin Ritchie, and Lonny Smith explore the angst of modern life (and a roller coaster economy) in their new show, In Full Light. Featuring songs by contemporary songwriters such as Jason Robert Brown, Dave Frishberg, Susan Werner and William Finn, the show takes a humorous, but honest look at our world as it falls apart in plain view.
Songs like Blizzard of Lies, When It Ends and Help may describe the uncertainty of life right now, but other more optimistic songs -- Life on Earth and May I Suggest, remind us that times surely will get better.
Musical direction is by Mary Sugar, who recently appeared as pianist for the shows, Broadway: Three Generations, and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Kennedy Center.
The three are terrific performers and I loved them singing their songs . . . Mary Sugar provided fabulous musical support.
Michael Miyazaki, reviewer for Cabaret Scenes in his blog.
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The Lyric Opera House
On the evening of October 31,1894, Emil Paur led the Boston Symphony Orchestra into the prelude to "Die Meistersinger von Nurenberg." It was the opening number of the gala concert celebrating Baltimore's new "Music Hall." Nellie Melba was to crown the evening with her rendition of Handel's "Sweet Bird" aria. Mr. T. Henry Randall, architect for the building joined the throngs backstage to be congratulated by Madame Melba on the hall's perfect acoustics.
No one could have had the foresight to predict the many and varied sounds to ring through this building during its first 75 years. Just 11 years later, Mike Sullivan of Boston and Joe Gans fought a draw at the Lyric Theater. Gans, the lightweight champion suffered an injured left eye which eventually ended his career. In 1905, Baltimoreans were treated to a first exhibition of cooking by electricity at the Food Show in the Lyric.
Also in 1905, Ignace Jan Paderewski gave his third Baltimore performance. Enrico Caruso came to the Lyric with the Metropolitan Opera Company's production of "Marta." Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt and her party came from Washington to hear the celebrated tenor.
The list of speakers who have taken the spotlight in the Lyric is a chapter in American history. It includes William Jennings Bryan, Roald Amundsen, Richard E. Byrd, Charles A. Lindbergh, Calvin E. Coolidge, Amelia Earhart, Clarence Darrow, Will Rogers, and Herbert Hoover. Among the great names... the world-famed performers... there appear little known personages out of the past. Gus Schoenlein (known as Americus) wrestled with George Hackenschmit, the world's champion, in the Lyric late in 1906.
In 1908, Mr. Frederick Gottlieb offered the Lyric for sale to the city for the new Polytechnic Institute. (The offer was not accepted.)
Two years after its opening, Mr. Kilpatrick rode his two-wheeler bike down a flight of 150 steps as part of a bike festival. On summer evenings, the theater was decorated in beer garden fashion and polkas filled the air. General William Booth and Aimee Semple McPherson found converts in Lyric audiences, as did Col. Robert Ingersoll who lectured on "How to Reform Mankind" in 1898.
Other great artists were to testify the to the auditorium's superb acoustics. Conducters such as Pierre Monteux, Charles Munch, Eugene Ormandy, Fritz Reiner, Leopold Stokowski, Sir Thomas Beecham, and Erich Leinsdorf have complimented the exceptional sound qualities. Leopold Stokowski said, "May I tell you that I and my orchestra enjoy playing to the audience in this hall more than to any audience in this country." Sir Thomas Beecham rated it first in America.
Todays acoustical experts rank the Lyric as one of the best acoustical auditoriums in the world. Leo L. Beranek, John Wiley and Sons, in his book "Music, Acoustics, and Architecture," writes:
"The Lyric Theater has a clear, warm, intimate sound with good brilliance. The hall is reasonably uniform acoustically, and orchestral music played in it is adequately loud..
Two Music critics who know the Lyric Theater well find the sound very clear and beautiful and at the right loudness. For opera, because of its smaller size, they believe it to be superior to Metropolitan Opera House in New York.
The Lyric Theater is one of the better halls in our country. Let us hope that time will preserve it from the unceasing demand for new buildings with ever-larger seating capacities."
Thomas D. Perry, manager of the Boston Symphony Orchestra sums it up well with this statement, "I've always been so great an admirer of the Lyric Theater, which it seems to me is one of the few halls in this country not only with good sound, but with a certain style and atmosphere and a tradition, if you will, that I hope we can help preserve."
Hypnotists, hindu fakirs, and "Rasslers," the Lyric has seen them all. But the glory of the Lyric has always been music... the scores of musical greats, the world's great orchestras, opera companies, soloists, ballet stars and conductors... taking advantage of its world-renowned acoustics.
Over the years, many showcased events have been hosted at the Lyric (For a list of the stars to have appeared at the Lyric, click on entertainment). Operas and Broadway plays and musicals are among a long list of featured events at the Lyric. Comedians, magicians, motivational speakers, graduations, and even hypnotists have at one time or another performed at the theatre.
The Lyric's first 100 years of existence has included an array of highs and lows. In 1920, for instance, a group of Marylanders raised $250,000 to prevent the theatre from becoming an auto dealership. In the 1960's, Mayor Thomas D'Allesandro recommended it to be demolished because it had become extremely rundown. Then in 1982, the Lyric lost its primary tenant, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Yet on October 31, 1994, the Lyric Opera House reached its 100th anniversary, a milestone that cultural establishments rarely achieve. What makes the Lyric different than other theatres is that it changes with the times. An example of this is evident in 1982 with the move of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from the Lyric to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Without the Symphony, the Lyric was left a large hole in its schedule. The hole was plugged with additional operas (performed by the Baltimore Opera Company), Broadway musicals and plays, and touring entertainers. Broadway productions like "Showboat", "Evita", "Cats" and "The King and I" along with the magic of David Copperfield, the comedy of Jackie Mason, are just some of the events that filled the Lyric's 2,564 seats almost every night.
When the Symphony left in 1982, the Lyric became a more viable facility for a variety of shows. By the early 1990's, the Lyric had a new identity - the Baltimore home of Broadway and opera. During the 1993-1994 season, 200 dates were utilized for the first time. The Lyric has also undergone several renovations and expansions. After a $14 million renovation that began in 1979, the Lyric reopened in 1982 as a major multipurpose venue, specializing in grand opera and Broadway style shows. A new entrance, lobby, seating arrangement, boiler room and backstage facilities were completed by the end of the decade. In 1997, a three story building was constructed that houses new stage level dressing rooms, a rehearsal room, new ticket offices, and administrative offices for the Baltimore Opera Company and the Lyric.
Unfortunately, at the end of 2008 the Baltiimore Opera Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Since then the Lyric has been making strives to continue bringing quality opera to Baltimore as will as opera outreach and education under the direction of Mr James Harp.
The acoustics of the Lyric are world-renowned, and conductors and performers alike have attested to this fact from the beginning. Indeed, it is because of these unique acoustical qualities that so many people, over the years, were anxious to renovate the Lyric.
The Lyric's auditorium was registered on the National Register of Historical Places in 1986. The exterior of the facility, however, remains free so modernization can continue without restrictions. Not only is the theatre a cultural and architectural landmark, it is a world landmark when judged in terms of its sound. Baltimore¹s Lyric Opera House has a steady stream of great moments since 1894 and will continue to be the cultural and entertainment capital of the state of Maryland.
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Thomas Williams
Thomas Williams, bassist and arranger, has traveled the globe performing with the legends of the Jazz world. As the bassist for the Airmen of Note, one of the country’s premier jazz ensembles, he has shared the stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Bellson, and Slide Hampton. As a show musician, Mr. Williams has backed such top-name entertainers as Bob Hope, Steve Allen, and The Drifters.
Applauded for his superb jazz style, Mr. Williams has also been recognized as a gifted composer and arranger throughout the musical community. His playing, original compositions, and arrangements have been enthusiastically received at some of the most prestigious musical events, such as the Detroit Cool Jazz and The Toronto Jazz Festivals. His music can be heard in many different venues, from the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference, to Walt Disney’s Epcot Center, to the nationally broadcast television program, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Mr. Williams, a member of George Washington University’s and Shepherd College’s jazz faculty, conducts workshops on the jazz style, has authored various articles on the basics of jazz bass, and co-authored an instructional video on the function of the rhythm section in the big band.
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Trevor Joyner
Trevor Joyner is a native Washingtonian who began honing his comedy skills in Friendship Collegiate Academy High School by hosting almost every event from talent shows to pep rallies to fashion shows. He credits his former teacher, Miss Kamil Hazel, who inspired him take his gift of comedy and performing seriously. Elijah’s Story, Kamil Hazel. This allowed him to discover his passion for acting.
Trevor became a finalist in the August Wilson Monologue Competition at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC hosted by Kenny Leon, and Phylicia Rashad.
Trevor enrolled in South Carolina State University as a Theatre Arts Major. Trevor returns to Germano’s with Charisma and Friends and continues to pursue his career as an actor and comedian. You can catch Trevor as a regular in Washington, DC at Indulj.
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Viki Ryan
A reviewer once said Viki could, "recite the dictionary and make it interesting!" With years of experience, coupled with dynamic enthusiasm, Viki brings a performance piece to life. She has a wealth of musical theatre, film, TV and voiceover experience spanning a lifetime. Viki captivates her audience with a depth and soulfulness that can only be achieved through a lifetime of rich experiences.
While she has done a wealth of creative work in other genres, Viki considers the musical theatre stage her home. And she has played powerhouse roles to prove it; Rose in Gypsy, Dolly in Hello Dolly, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, as well as favorites in Baby, Closer Than Ever, and Ann Collier in 1940’s Radio Hour. Most recently, Viki has developed STAGES; Confessions of a Theatre Junkie and audiences are saying; BRAVA....KUDOS.....your show is terrific....loved loved loved it! The Show looks great, and you sound great. BRAVA! Wow!!!! This is sooo good. …her humor is very sharp.
Viki Ryan is an accomplished entertainer whose experience and talent have made her a polished performer. She has graced stages from Chicago to New York, and along the east coast with her singing and acting talents. She was a Star Search Regional finalist, and has 2 Billboard Pick Hits to her credit. Wherever she performs, audiences rave about her charismatic talent, dynamic energy, and connection with the audience. Wait till you see what she can do with complete sentences!
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Vikki Jones
Vikki Jones is an artist with exceptional musical ability. A graduate of the Catholic University of America, she has been cited in the Baltimore Sun for both her “rich and warm sound” as well as her “brilliant coloratura”.
Ms. Jones is a versatile soprano and performs a wide range of repertoire from opera to oratorio. Her roles include Anna in Verdi’s Nabucco, Sister Lillianne in Dead Man Walking, Elvira in L’Italiana in Algeri, Bianca in La Rondine, Sandrina in La Finta Giardiniera, Poppea in Agrippina, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Mimi in La Bohème, and Pamina in the Die Zauberflöte.
Ms. Jones has appeared with the Baltimore Opera Company, Opera Vivente, Municipal Opera Company of Baltimore, Opera North of Philadelphia, the Maryland Lyric Opera, Concert Artists of Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins Orchestra of Baltimore, and the Baltimore Symphony.
She has also sung for various churches and cathedrals throughout the United States and performed for two years as a soprano soloist with the National Spiritual Ensemble, formerly the New England Spiritual Ensemble of Boston, Massachusetts.
Most recently she was an ambassdor for the Baltimore Opera’s education outreach program, in which she toured schools throughout Maryland, and presented the lives and careers of both Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price.
Always the consummate perfectionist about her work, Ms. Jones continues to perfect her craft under the tutelage of Elizabeth Daniels in Silver Spring, Maryland.
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Vince DiLeonardi
Drummer Vince DiLeonardi, a native of Baltimore, has performed with a myriad of prominent musicians. The impressive list includes the great jazz organists Brother Jack McDuff and Richard "Groove" Holmes; Saxophonists Red Holloway and Eric Kloss; and guitarist George Benson. He can be heard on the "Moon Rappin" album by Jack McDuff. A driving "groove" player with grits and soul, Vince's influences are drummers Joe Dukes, Max Roach, Elvin Jones, and Mel Lewis.
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