Digital programs for events at Wharton Center for Performing Arts. 

Digital Programs

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A Musical from *Something Rotten*\
      **All participants**

Welcome\
      **Paul Canaan, Executive Director of Take It From The Top**

When You're A Wimp from *A Christmas Story*\
      **Group One**

Solos\
      **Announced from stage**

Larger Than Life from *& Juliet*\
      **Group Two**

Scenes\
      **Announced from stage**

C'mon Everybody from *All Shook Up*\
      **Group One**

Solos\
      **Announced from stage**

Improv\
**Group One**

The Music That Makes Me Dance from *Funny Girl*\
      **Gretchen Shope, 2024 Sutton Foster Awards and Jimmy Awards winner**

Corn from *Shucked*\
      **Group Two**

Building Momentum from *How To Dance in Ohio*\
      **All Participants**

program

## **Staff**

**Assisting Artists** \
Dave Howland, music director\
Ron Pietrantoni, rehearsal accompanist\
Tim Edinger, drums\
Tim Paul, Bass

**Stage Manager**\
Emma Garrett 

**Wharton Center Institute Intern**\
Hope Still 

**Group Leaders**\
Emily Wilson\
Ethan Rogers  

Staff

## **Participants** 

Aaron Jackson\
Addison Chapman\
Addison Danke\
Addison Webster\
Alaina Carlson\
Alexander Cline\
Allie Garnham\
Amelia Knapp\
Annalise Urek\
Benjamin West\
Brooke Tomlinson\
Carmen Ness\
Christian Salgado\
Cody Segerlind\
Dane Calnicean\
Dominik Davis\
Eleanor Malosh\
Ella Flumignan\
Ella Hendel\
Elliott Cox\
Emma Rosenzweig\
Eva Wassom\
Gabrielle Tuttle\
Honora Perez\
Isabella Harris\
Jackson Vanderhorst\
Jacob Mayer\
James Johnson\
John Howland-Streng\
Jordan Scott\
Julie Sai\
Karisa Green\
Katie Huprich\
Kennedy Schultz\
Kenzie Davis\
Laura Stoll\
Lauren Sandborn\
Lilly Montgomery\
Lily Renaud\
Lucille Dodd\
Lucy Kearns\
Malu Trice\
Megha Shahani\
Nolan Filzek\
Nyla Rozzell\
Riley Chu\
Ronin Bruster\
Rory Oginsky\
Samantha Neu\
Selah Kolasa\
Sophie Clemence\
Sophie Garnham\
Tierney Tocco\
Vivian Eljawa

Participants 

## **Faculty**

![TIFTT-2024-Canaan-4952-1d73566f91.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/wharton-center/image/upload/v1723041867/TIFTT_2024_Canaan_4952_1d73566f91_b982895887.jpg)

**PAUL CANAAN**: Broadway: *Kinky Boots* (dance captain / original Angel), *Miss Saigon, Thoroughly Modern Millie, La Cage Aux Folles, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Legally Blonde*.   

He recently partnered with director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell to launch The Original Production Inc. A dance licensing company that offers high schools and theaters the opportunity to learn and perform original Broadway choreography.   

He founded the arts organization Take It From The Top, which provides professional mentoring to aspiring young artists. Served as artistic director of The Broadway Dreams Foundation and also serves as a judge for The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (The JIMMY AWARDS).  

![TIFTT-2024-Jessica Lee Goldyn.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/wharton-center/image/upload/v1723046736/TIFTT_2024_Jessica_Lee_Goldyn_9d149acf98.jpg)

**JESSICA LEE GOLDYN** is best known for playing Nini in Broadways *Moulin Rouge* & for her portrayal of Val and Cassie in the Broadway Revival of *A Chorus Line* and the documentary film *Every Little Step* about the audition and casting process for the show.  Some of her other Broadway credits include *Hello Dolly, Finding Neverland & Tuck Everlasting*.  Jessica has performed as Ivy Smith in City CenterEncores! production of *On The Town* and she also toured both nationally and internationally in *Fosse*. Some of her favorite rolls includes playing both Roxie & Velma in *Chicago*, Charity *In Sweet Charity*, Adelaide in *Guys & Dolls*, Elizabeth in *Young Frankenstein*, Polly in* Crazy For You*, Nelly in *South Pacific*, Lola in *Damn Yankees*, and Brooke in *Legally Blonde*.  She has taken part in labs for the Broadway production of *Beetlejuice & Some Like It Hot*.  In 2019, Jessica played the role of Lindsay in the film *King Of Staten Island*, directed by Judd Apatow.  Her television appearances include *Drop Dead Diva, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, All My Children* & the reoccurring role of Lucy on the hit series *Smash* on NBC. 

![TIFTT-2024-Kamp-Greg-HEADSHOT-2021-a597b931f8.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/wharton-center/image/upload/v1723041867/TIFTT_2024_Kamp_Greg_HEADSHOT_2021_a597b931f8_188a631b1c.jpg)

**GREG KAMP**: Greg Kamp is a performer and producer whose career has spanned stage, screen, and concert venues across the country and internationally. Management and producing credits include How to Dance in Ohio on Broadway and work with National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Theatre Communications Group, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, Mariah Carey’s Christmas Spectacular, Maestra, Ogunquit Playhouse, Wharton Center, 54 Below, Green Room 42, Broadway Dreams Foundation, Atlanta Workshop Players, Dallas Summer Musicals and more. He is the lead Agent for LML Music Presents, a boutique concert booking agency, representing a roster of leading Broadway and Cabaret artists and the Co-Founder and Producer of MT Shorts, an award-winning production company dedicated to producing original musical films (mtshorts.com). Greg is a graduate of University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). gregkamp.com  

![TIFTT-2024-Eloise-2a38688339.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/wharton-center/image/upload/v1723041867/TIFTT_2024_Eloise_2a38688339_6d8cacb1ad.jpg)

**ELOISE KROPP**: Broadway: Cats (JennyAnyDots), Dames At Sea (Ruby), On The Town (Claire U/S), The Music Man (Ensemble) Tv/Film: *Fosse/Verdon, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and West Side Story*. All the love to my family, CGF, Jonathan, Amy, and my pups Polly and Doc!  

## **Guest Artists**

![TIFTT-2024-guest-artists.jpg](https://res.cloudinary.com/wharton-center/image/upload/v1723042253/TIFTT_2024_guest_artists_4b1a2f87f3.jpg)

**ADAM BASTIEN** and **JEROME BELL**: Rising from the stage lights of The Voice (Season 15), Bell Bastien is a powerhouse vocal duo blazing a trail in the music scene. Formerly known as OneUpDuo, Adam and Jerome Bell-Bastien ignited hearts as the show’s first-ever featured LGBT couple, captivating audiences with their electrifying harmony and unforgettable performances. Since then, this Detroit-based duo has set stages across the US ablaze, from intimate clubs to sprawling arenas. Their dynamic energy landed them a coveted spot on Sirius XM Radio’s BPM with the infectious “TRN IT UP (Stonebridge and DJ Lil’ Joey Remix),” and they’re gearing up to set music streaming platforms on fire with their upcoming EP, “Embers,” dropping in Spring 2024. Get ready to be swept away by Bell Bastien – the sound of love, passion, and pure musical fire.  

Faculty

Take It From The Top Detroit

# **Take It From The Top**

## **Advanced Workshop Between the Lines**

Kyle Pleasant\
Director

Carlos Encinias\
Associate Director/Choreographer

Dave Wendelberger\
Music Director

Emma Garrett\
Production Stage Manager

Travis Hunt\
Program Assistant

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# **Musical Numbers**

- Another Chapter
- Deliliah, Company
- Between The Lines
- Delilah, Prince Oliver
- Happily Ever After Hour
- Frump, Queen Maureen, Rapskullio, Oliver, Ensemble
- Inner Thoughts
- Allie, Martin, Janice, Ryan, Ensemble
- When I'm Talking To Oliver
- Delilah, Ensemble
- Mr. Darcy and Me
- Ms. Winx
- Crazy Chemistry
- Allie, Ryan, Ensemble
- Butterflies
- Rapskullio, Francine, Butterflies
- A Whole New Story
- Delilah, Ensemble
- Best Day Ever
- Rapskullio, Queen Maureen, Delilah, Ensemble
- Do It For You
- Mermaids, Ensemble
- Butterflies (Reprise)
- Rapskullio, Francine, Butterflies
- Something To Hold Onto
- Prince Oliver, Delilah, Ensemble
- Something To Hold Onto (Reprise)
- Prince Oliver, Delilah
- Leaps and Bounds
- Grace
- Allie McAndrews
- Jules, Delilah, Ensemble
- Can't Get 'Em Out
- Jessamyn, Delilah, Ensemble
- Between The Lines (Reprise)
- Prince Oliver, Delilah
- Finale
- Delilah, Company


Program

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# **Cast**

- Delilah (reality)
- Brenna Cloutier
- Delilah (fantasy)
- Lucy Prush
- Ms. Winx
- Amelia du Plessis
- Prince Oliver
- Andrew Hardy
- Princess Seraphima
- Natalya Flores
- Jules
- Chloe Collins
- Allie McAndrews
- Nadia Cuthrell
- Ryan
- Tyler Atkin
- Martin
- Luca Cerilio-Encinias
- Rapskullio
- Ethan Rogers
- Process Server
- Gabriel Nadeau
- Grace Mom
- Delaney Murphy
- Queen Maureen
- Lyndsey Camp
- Lady in Waiting
- Annlyn Acheson
- Frump
- Hannah Roman
- Troll	
- Miles Brewer
- Ondine
- Makayla Chillers
- Fairy
- JJ Fleming
- Janice
- Sidra Sundberg
- Mr. Darcy/Doctor
- Keegan Schmitt
- Mrs. Brown
- Romeo Caterino
- Francine - Butterfly u/s Grace/Jessamyn
- Josephine Polasek
- Kyrie
- Jadyn Ross
- Marina
- Brienna Russ
- Jessamyn Jacobs
- Paige Trionfi
- Butterfly
- Xerem McAuley
- Student #5
- Riley Leinbach
- Butterfly
- Tatum Noud
- Fairy Solo
- Anna Pearson
- Student #1
- Ash Vivo
- Fairy Solo 2/ u/s Queen
- Emberlynn Dilley
- Student #2 u/s Allie
- Emily Constan
- Mermaid Solo u/s Mermaids
- Evelyn Johnston
- Student #3
- Jolie Damer-Daigle
- Student #4 u/s Janice/Marina
- Kara King


cast

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**Special Thanks**\
Chandra Polasek and Portland High School


Special Thanks

Take It From The Top Advanced Workshop 

# **Take It From The Top**

## 2024 Showcase

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**“A Musical” From Something Rotten**\
	Five Day Intensive Participants

**Welcome**\
	Paul Canaan, Take It From The Top Executive Director

**“When You’re A Wimp” from A Christmas Story**\
    Group One

**“Footloose” from Footloose**\
	Group Two

**Solos**\
	Announced from Stage

**“The Heart of Rock and Roll” from The Heart of Rock and Roll**\
	Group Four

**“Little Shop of Horrors” from Little Shop of Horrors**\
	Group Three

**Acting Scenes**\
	Announced from Stage

**“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Monty Python’s Spamalot**\
	Creative Kids Group B

**Solos**\
	Announced from Stage

**“Welcome to Rosas” from Wish**\
	Creative Kids Group A

**“The Music That Makes Me Dance” from Funny Girl**\
Gretchen Shope, 2024 Sutton Foster Award and National High School Musical Theatre (Jimmy) Award winner

**“C’mon Everybody” from All Shook Up**\
	Group One

**”Let Me Be Your Greatest Star” from Funny Girl and Smash**\
	Group Two

**Solos**\
	Announced from Stage

**“Corn” from Shucked**\
	Group Four

**“Larger Than Life” from &Juliet**\
	Group Three

**Closing Remarks**\
	Eric Olmscheid, Wharton Center Executive Director

**“Building Momentum” from How to Dance in Ohio**\
	All Participants

David Wendelberger, music director

Seth Burke, accompanist 

Kait Wilson, accompanist 

Dr James Sullivan, accompanist

Travis Hunt, Creative Kids teaching artist 

Jess Connelly, dance assistant 

Tim Edinger, drums 

Elyse Gray, Bass 

Emily Wilson 

Emma Garrett 

Ethan Rogers 

Jillian Armstrong 

Lane Soupal 

Maceon Betts

Reagan Shook 

Travis Williams  

Adalina Hasselback-Frank\
Addison Smith\
Alex Perkins\
Alex Townsend\
Aria Manning\
Audrey Roberts\
Breslyn Tryon-Stephan\
Brynne Winter\
Campbell Cotti\
Carson Schertzing\
Catherine Wu\
Ceci English\
Cecily Going\
Claire Kacsor\
Claire Stuible\
Dashiell Barron\
Dorothy "Dot" Jordan\
Ellie Parker\
Evangeline Zack\
Evelyn Polasek\
Genevieve Nielsen\
Harper Grolle-Rudolph\
Hazel Shiver\
Henry Kimmerly\
Karoll Arens\
Kayla Cartwright\
Lila Orr\
Lily Richard\
Madelyn Hendrickson\
Maeve Gallagher\
Margot Stone\
Maria Arens\
Marisol Vanderstelt\
Mila Vanderstelt\
Nora Clark\
Quinn Schafka\
Riley Haughey\
Rohan Felton-Hingwe\
Ruby Stuible\
Sophia Dolan\
Winter Gierhart

Adalynn Mogg\
Aila Pisha\
Alejandro Diaz\
Amelia Szymusiak\
Anora Lloyd\
Ashley Blaszczynski\
Audrey Hillman\
Ava Oppenhei\ 
AvaGail Rogers\
Bailey Atkin\
Bailey Cartwright\
Beatrice Strutz\
Benjamin Besch\
Brenleigh McCort\
Bryn Murphy\
Callie Muncaster\
Camila Gernaat Santana\
Carmen Roberts\
Caroline Butterwick\
Christopher Matyas\
Clara Fajardo\
Colleen Johnson\ 
Daphne Elder\
David Flores\
Dessa Gallagher\
Dylan Evjen\
Eden Bourland\
Ella Redman\
Ellee Barnes\
Elliot Ward\
Emerson Deyarmond\
Emily Smith\
Emma Welsch\
Evelyn Going\
Evie Martin\
Fiona Baldwin\
Gabriella Flores\
Genevieve Andersen\
Gianna LaFave\
Gracie Jordan\
Hannah Shilakes\
Harper Noud\
Jack Rushton\
Jameson Marsh\
Jonah Ward\
Josefina Isbell\
Kaitlyn Rademacher\
Katherine Hansen\
Kendall Karfis\
Kensington Hanson\
Laura Heriford\
Laura Sayers\
Leah Kaczanowcke\
Lilah Voci\
Loretta Stuible\
Luca Schertzing\
Lucas Kramer\
Lucia Thompson\
Lucy Gee\
Lydia Schroeder\
Madison Frazier\
Mailee Greiter\
Marie Deyarmond\
Megan Hardenbergh\
Mia Lyons\
Michelle Phelan\
Mimi Voci\
Molly Ries\
Natalya Flores\
Olesia Mankowski\
Olivia Masih\
Olivia Smith\
Paige Zack\
Parker Dang\ 
Quinn Rosales\
Rainha Hasselback-Frank\
Reid Mullins\
Rosie Burrack\
Rosie Johnston\
Sadie Unkovich\
Sam Arthur\
Sanvi Patel\
Scarlett Hubert\
Sebastian Buda\
Sella Dolan\
Sophia Marr\
Vienna Krusky\
Zoe Isball

Take It From The Top Showcase

# **SUTTON FOSTER AWARDS**

- **Host**\
Carlos L. Encinias
- **Director**\
Brad Willcuts 
- **Music Directors**\
Steven Cuevas\
Jonathan K. Parks

1. **Choreographers**\
Natalie Malotke\
Morgan Rose 
2. **Music Arrangers**\
Steven Cuevas\
Jonathan K. Parks
3. **Lighting Designer**\
Donald Fox

- **Stage Manager**\
Lauren Lenz
- **Assistant Stage**\
**Manager**\
Elaina Veasey 
- **Judges**\
Penelope Ragotzy\
Brian Taylor\
Ann White

&nbsp;

1. Donell Snyder\
Reeds
2. Steven Wulff\
Percussion 
3. Chuck Newsome\
Guitar
4. Hank Horton\
Bass


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Tribute Medley to Musical Comedy\
Welcome: Host Carlos Encinias\
Character Medley Performances\
2024 Technical Theatre Awards\
Tribute Medley to Michigan

**INTERMISSION**

Finalists Announced\
Executive Director Eric Olmscheid\
Finalists’ Individual Performances\
Weekend One Production Number\
2024 Excellence in Musical Theatre Education Award\
Weekend Two Production Number\
2024 SFA Winners/Jimmy Award Nominees\
Closing Number

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Today’s performance will run approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

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Sponsored by MSU Federal Credit Union; Piper & Gold Public Relations; with additional support from Nancy Passanante.

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## **SUTTON FOSTER AWARDS**

The Sutton Foster Awards program is a state-wide educational initiative celebrating Michigan high school musical theatre. The program is open to all Michigan high schools, regardless of location, school size, or musical budget. The year-long program culminates in the Sutton Foster Awards Showcase that you will see today.
The Sutton Foster Awards program has grown significantly over the past two years, from 23 schools in 2022 to 52 schools the following year, and now 61 high schools represented today. 
Today’s program features 121 high school students performing selections from their school musicals and a variety of Broadway medleys.

## **THE NOMINEES’ JOURNEY**

All of today’s performers are hoping to become Michigan nominees for The National High School Musical Theatres Awards (The Jimmy Awards®) to be held in New York City later this spring. Performers were selected based on their participation in their respective high school musicals; each musical was reviewed by a panel of three expert adjudicators, who selected students to appear in today’s showcase. Once nominated, students were also invited to participate in one of two Workshop and Audition Weekends held earlier in May. During these weekends, the students experienced one-on-one vocal coaching with voice professionals, learned music and choreography for a musical theatre arrangement, custom-designed for each weekend, and auditioned for a panel of judges.
All 121 students came together yesterday to rehearse and stage today’s 2024 Sutton Foster Awards Showcase.

---

about

**Morgan Rose**\
Morgan is so grateful and overjoyed to be a back at this year's Sutton Foster Awards. Broadway: *School of Rock* (Dance Capt/Swing); Off-Broadway: *Dear Edwina* (Dance Capt/Swing)*;* National Tours: *Evita* Revival 1st Nat'l Tour (Swing), *Shrek The Musical* 1st Nat'l Tour, *Elf The Musical.* In addition to performing, Morgan is a passionate arts educator. You can find her teaching all around New York City and on faculty at Broadway Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet School's Musical Theatre Intensive, MTCA and AMDA. She has been incredibly fortunate to work alongside some of New York's most inspiring choreographers including  Al Blackstone, Natalie Malotke, Ricky Hinds and Josh Bergasse. BFA Music Theatre Florida State University. Michigander at heart. Proud AEA Member. Love to her incredible husband, Trey, and their sweet not-so baby boy, Theo. @nycmoro

**Natalie Malotke**\
Natalie Malotke is a director, choreographer, creative event producer and teaching artist living in New York City. Associate Directing and Choreography credits include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Choreography Team on Broadway and Second National Tour), Bygone Love for China Broadway Entertainment, Candide at Carnegie Hall, and I Married an Angel at City Center all alongside Joshua Bergasse. Little Dancer at Lincoln Center with Susan Stroman, Really Rosie at City Center with Leigh Silverman, and the developmental lab of Monopoly: The Musical with Donna Feore. Regional directing and choreography credits at Pittsburgh Music Theatre, Northern Stage, The Engeman, and Wagon Wheel Theatre and the national tour of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live!. Resident director and choreographer for Nickelodeon Experience Design events worldwide. Industrial and corporate events for Hermès, Target, and The Robin Hood Foundation. TV: PBS, A Capitol Fourth. Faculty at Broadway Dance Center, AMDA and MTCA. University of Michigan grad.

**Steven Cuevas**\
Steven Cuevas (he/him) is a NYC-based music director, musician, orchestrator, and arranger. Broadway: *The Notebook*; *The Who's Tommy*; *Days of Wine and Roses*; *New York, New York*; *Dancin'*; *& Juliet*; *Moulin Rouge!*; *Tina: The Tina Turner Musical*; *Once On This Island*; *Anastasia*; *Kinky Boots*. Select Off-Broadway: *The Connector*, *Hell's Kitchen,* *Kinky Boots*, *Little Shop of Horrors*, *We Are The Tigers*, *Closer Than Ever*. Tours: *Tina*, *Moulin Rouge!*, *Once On This Island*, *Kinky Boots*, *How the Grinch Stole Christmas!*, *Spring Awakening*. Regional: *Eighty-Sixed* (Diversionary Theatre), *Macbeth in Stride* (A.R.T., Shakespeare Theatre Company, Philadelphia Theatre Company). Recordings: *Once On This Island*, *How the Grinch*..., *Monstersongs*. Orchestrations: *Macbeth in Stride*, *Gold Mountain*. Proud member: Local 802 AFM, AEA, Recording Academy, Filipino American community. @StevenMCuevas

**Brad Willcuts**\
Brad's credits as a director, choreographer, movement director, fight director, and assistant/associate span Broadway, National Tours, International Theaters, Regional Theaters and the Metropolitan Opera. He most recent credit was as Associate Director/Choreographer for the new Dolly Parton musical entitled *Here You Come Again* which got its start at Delaware Theatre Company and is now touring the United Kingdom.

Broadway and National Tour: *Amazing Grace* (Assistant Fight and Military Movement Director), International: *Legende Holmes* (Holmes the Legend) at the Karlin Theater in Prague, Czechia (Dance, Movement and Fight Assistant), Met Opera: *Porgy and Bess* (Assistant Violence Director), *Mother Courage and Her Children*, starring Kathleen Turner (Assistant Movement Director) at the Tony Award Winning Arena Stage in Washington D.C., *Hello, Dolly* (Director/Choreographer) at San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre. He recently choreographed the World Premiere of *The Fantasticks* at Flint Repertory Theatre.  Brad is Associate Professor of Musical Theatre and Choreography at Michigan State University where he also serves as the Head of Acting. As a tenured professor, Brad has won multiple awards and grants including the All-University Teacher/Scholar Award, the AT&T Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award, The Fintz Award for Excellence in Teaching and multiple Catalyst Grants to continue working with new media practices for actors and dancers in the classroom.

**Jonathan K. Parks**\
Jonathan K. Parks is a Manhattan-based music director, educator, and pianist. Broadway: *Chicago.* National Tours: *Chicago, Young Frankenstein, The Four Phantoms in Concert*. NYC: Metropolitan Opera, Big Apple Circus. Regional: Barrington Stage Company, Ogunquit Playhouse, Gateway Playhouse, Northern Stage, New London Barn Playhouse, Lake Dillon Theatre Company, Short North Stage, Amarillo Opera. He is a proud graduate of Florida State University and has served on the faculties of New York University and Marymount Manhattan College. [jonathankparks.com](https://www.jonathankparks.com/)

**Carlos L. Encinias**\
Carlos is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico and has been a proud New Yorker since 2000. His career as an actor on Broadway spans more than two decades and includes How to Dance in Ohio, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia!, Good Vibrations and Scandalous starring Carolee Carmello, plus a run in the hit Off-Broadway production of Altar Boyz.

Carlos is a passionate educator and teaches Theatre and dance at the Professional Performing Arts High School in Manhattan and for the Dreamyard Project.

As a director, he's worked at Pittsburgh CLO, North Carolina Theatre, The Gateway and Adirondack Theatre Festival. 

As a writer, his short story, Luca's Journey, has been performed at several events and on Houses On the Moon's podcast. He is currently developing Numbe Whageh with fellow New Mexican writer/actor, Jennifer Sanchez and is passionate about bringing Latin, Indigenous and Queer stories to the stage. [carlosLencinias.com](http://www.carloslencinias.com/)

**PROGRAM STAFF**\
Laurie Briseño\
Steve Heinrich\
Ben English\
Kelly Stuible-Clark

**Additional Support**\
Travis Hunt\
Jess Randall\
Connor Reilly\
Hope Still\
Nick Wilders


SUTTON FOSTER AWARDS

Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes, George Stiles, and Kevin McCollum in association with Chicago Shakespeare Theater present

# **SIX**

THE MUSICAL

### **by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss**

with

- **Kristina Leopold**
- **Cassie Silva**
- **Kelly Denice Taylor**
- **Danielle Mendoza**
- **Alizé Cruz**
- **Adriana Scalice**

1. Aryn Bohannon
2. Wesley Carpenter
3. Taylor Sage Evans
4. Carlina Parker
5. Amaya White

- Scenic Design\
Emma Bailey

- Costume Design\
Gabriella Slade

- Lighting Design\
Tim Deiling

- Sound Design\
Paul Gatehouse

- Orchestrations\
Tom Curran

- Music Supervision (U.S.)\
Roberta Duchak

- Associate Director\
Galia Backal

- Associate Choreographer\
Eliza Ohman

- Production Management\
Brian Lynch

- Casting\
Tara Rubin Casting\
Peter Van Dam, CSA

- Music Director\
Jane Cardona

- Production Stage Manager\
Sara Gammage

- Tour Booking\
The Booking Group\
Meredith Blair & Kara Gebhart

- Tour Marketing & Publicity Direction\
Bond Theatrical

- Advertising\
The Pekoe Group

- Company Manager\
Michael Camp

- Associate Producer\
Sam Levy

- General Management\
Theater Matters\
John E. Gendron

- Executive Producer (U.S.)\
Lucas McMahon

Music Supervision\
Joe Beighton

Choreography by\
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille

Directed by\
Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage



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## **MUSICAL NUMBERS**

- “Ex-Wives”
- The Queens
- “No Way”
- Catherine of Aragon
- “Don’t Lose Ur Head”
- Anne Boleyn
- “Heart of Stone”
- Jane Seymour
- “Haus of Holbein”
- The Queens
- “Get Down”
- Anna of Cleves
- “All You Wanna Do”
- Katherine Howard
- “I Don’t Need Your Love”
- Catherine Parr
- “Six”
- The Queens

---

SIX WILL BE PERFORMED WITHOUT AN INTERMISSION.


MUSICAL NUMBERS

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Kristina Leopold

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Cassie Silva

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Kelly Denice Taylor

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Danielle Mendoza

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Alizé Cruz

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Adriana Scalice

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Aryn Bohannon

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Wesley Carpenter

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Taylor Sage Evans

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Carlina Parker

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Amaya White

- Catherine of Aragon
- KRISTINA LEOPOLD
- Anne Boleyn
- CASSIE SILVA
- Jane Seymour
- KELLY DENICE TAYLOR
- Anna of Cleves
- DANIELLE MENDOZA
- Katherine Howard
- ALIZÉ CRUZ
- Catherine Parr
- ADRIANA SCALICE

&nbsp;\
**ALTERNATES**\
Alternates never substitute for the listed performers unless a specific announcement is made at the time of the appearance.

ARYN BOHANNON, WESLEY CARPENTER, TAYLOR SAGE EVANS, CARLINA PARKER, AMAYA WHITE

**DANCE CAPTAIN**\
ARYN BOHANNON

**THE LADIES IN WAITING**\
Music Director/Keyboard—Jane Cardona\
Bass—Sterlyn Termine\
Guitars—Rose Laguana\
Drums—Kami Lujan

Associate Conductor—Kelsi Fulton

Music Technology: Phij Adams\
Synthesizer Technician: Randy Cohen Keyboards\
Music Coordinator: Kristy Norter

Cast

**GENERAL MANAGEMENT**\
THEATER MATTERS\
John E. Gendron\
Ashley Berman

- Bella Cordova 
- Franny Fernandez
- Wes Haskell
- Andrew McLaughlin
- Katie Pope
- Eric Rothstein
- Michelle Tamagawa
- Annie Van Nostrand

---

**COMPANY MANAGER**\
Michael Camp\
Stephanie Smith, Associate Company Manager

---

**ASSOCIATE PRODUCER**\
Sam Levy

---

**PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR**\
Molly Meg Legal

**PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT**\
THEATRE TECH\
Brian Lynch

---

**TOUR BOOKING AGENCY**\
THE BOOKING GROUP

- Meredith Blair
- Kara Gebhart
- Laura Kolarik
- Stephanie Ditman
- Sophie Tiesler

thebookinggroup.com

---

**TOUR MARKETING & PUBLICITY DIRECTION**
BOND THEATRICAL\
bondtheatrical.com

- DJ Martin   
- Temah Higgins   
- Mollie Mann
- Marc Viscardi   
- Wendy Roberts
- Melissa Cohen   
- Hannah Wallace
- Harrison Mootoo

---

**ADVERTISING/SOCIAL MEDIA**\
THE PEKOE GROUP

- Amanda Pekoe   
- Jessica Ferreira   
- Christopher Lueck   
- Connor Santos   
- Jenny Dorso   
- Kiernan Matts   
- Briana Lynch   
- Ryan Meitzler   
- Kelly Ganning   
- David Blaakman   
- Audrey Armacost   
- Ashley Steinberg

---

**CASTING**\
TARA RUBIN CASTING\
Tara Rubin CSA

- Merri Sugarman CSA
- Claire Burke CSA
- Peter Van Dam CSA
- Xavier Rubiano CSA
-  Kevin Metzger-Timson CSA
- Louis DiPaolo
- Spencer Gualdoni CSA
- Olivia Paige West
- Frankie Ramirez

---

**LEGAL COUNSEL**\
LEVINE PLOTKIN & MENIN, LLP

- Loren Plotkin   
- Conrad Rippy  
- Susan Mindell
- Daniel Watkins   
- Emily Erstling
- Kevin Hess   
- Cris Criswell

---

- Production Stage Manager	
- Sara Gammage
- Stage Manager	
- Amber Johnson
- Assistant Stage Manager	
- William Collins
- Associate Director	
- Galia Backal
- Associate Choreographer	
- Eliza Ohman
- Resident Choreographers	
- Taylor McMahon, Elizabeth Racanelli
- Resident Director	
- Cristina Angeles
- Associate Scenic Designer	
- Meredith Ries
- Associate Costume Designers	
- Lisa Zinni,
- Amanda Jenks
- Assistant Costume Designer	
- Courtney Irizarry
- Associate Lighting Designer	
- Timothy Reed
- Assistant Lighting Designer	
- Victoria Bain
- Associate Sound Designers	
- Joseph Haggerty, Josh Millican
- Production Carpenter	
- Andy Cappelli 
- Head Carpenter	
- Dylan Dineen
- Assistant Carpenter	
- Dani Taylor
- Production Electricians	Jimmy Fedigan, Patrick Johnston
- Associate Production Electrician	
- Brian Messina
- Head Electrician	
- Edgar Vanegas
- Assistant Electrician	
- Kate E. Raymond
- Head Props	
- Jennifer Kramer 
- Production Sound	
- Dillon Cody
- Head Sound	
- Mike Rukstad
- Assistant Sound	
- Alicia Martin
- Advance Sound	
- Josh Davis, Dan Scheivert
- Production Wig Supervision	
- Charles G. LaPointe
- Associate Production Wig Supervision	
- Loren Skora
- Wardrobe Supervisor	
- Kearney Starr
- Hair & Makeup Supervisor	
- Deb Parr
- Crew Swings	
- Vince Goga, Casandra Maher
- Moving Light Programmers	
- Paul Toben, Scott K. Tusing
- Music Technology	
- Phij Adams
- Synthesizer Technician	
- Randy Cohen
- Associate Synthesizer Technician	
- Nicolas Schenkel
- Costume Craftspersons	
- Matthew Freeman, Eve Guttman
- Ticketing Manager
- Annie Van Nostrand
- General Management Assistant	
- Bella Cordova
- Tour Marketing & Publicity Office	
- Bond Theatrical/Phillip Aleman, Nilesha Alexander, Jenny Bates, Bailey Ford, Steph Kelleher, Scotland Newton, Elisabeth Reyes, Laura Rizzo, Madison St. Amour, Linda Stewart, Jacob Stuckelman, Janiya Wade
- National Press Office	
- Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Adrian Bryan-Brown, Susanne Tighe, Angela Yamarone
- Diversity and Culture Partner	
- Tiffanie Claude
- International Executive Producer	
- Sarah Stribley
- International Brand Manager	
- Mark Jones
- General Manager, International Projects	
- Andrew Morgan
- International Production Coordinator	
- Liv Marshall
- International Social Media	
- Josh Bird for Global Musicals
- 6 Music Co-Producer	
- Paul Lisberg
- Licensing Consultant (for Ex-Wives Ltd)	
- Sacha Brooks
- Original Graphic Design	
- Rebecca Pitt
- Banking	
- Flagstar Bank 
- Insurance	
- The Arts Insurance Program, LLC/Bob Middleton, Meghan Coleman, Toni Preto
- Housing and Travel	
- Road Rebel
- Visa Consultants	
- Wiskoff Law, PLLC
- Accounting	
- Withum Smith + Brown, PC
- Controller	
- Galbraith & Co./Jeffrey Vincent
- Payroll Services	
- Checks and Balances Payroll
- Physical Therapy	
- Neuro Tour/Jocelyn Hall
- Production Photography	
- Joan Marcus
- Production Videography	
- HMS Media
- Merchandise	
- Platypus Productions LLC

---

**KENNY WAX, LTD.**\
Kenny Wax

- Lettie Graham   
- Sarah Whiteside   
- Lauri Cryan   
- Katie Wilmore   
- Jennifer Amey   
- Amanda Sutton

---

**GLOBAL MUSICALS LTD.**

- Andy Barnes   
- Wendy Barnes
- Josh Bird   
- Debbie Hicks

---

**GEORGE STILES**\
George Stiles

- Larah Simpson  
- Hugh Vanstone

---

**ALCHEMATION**\
Kevin McCollum\
Lucas McMahon
- John Ban   
- Jack Eidson   
- Lyndsay Borko   
- Evan Shalat
- Rachel Bonner   
- Breanne Jackson   
- Charles Jackson Jr.

---

**CREDITS**\
Scenery built, painted, and electrified by Hudson Scenic Studio. Automation and show control featuring Hudson Motion Control by Hudson Scenic Studio. Sound Shop: Sound Associates. Lighting equipment provided by PRG Lighting. Costumes executed by John Kristiansen New York Inc. Custom shoes by LaDuca. Custom Jewelry by R.Kaye Lmtd. Hosiery by Bratenders and Capezio. Wigs constructed by Chuck LaPointe.

Rehearsed at Gibney Center

---

**SPECIAL THANKS**\
We’d like to thank all the Queens and Ladies in Waiting past and present; the staff at Chicago Shakespeare Theater; the staff at American Repertory Theater; the staff at Citadel Theatre; the staff at Ordway Center of the Performing Arts; Grace Taylor; Franny-Anne Rafferty; Freya Sands; Melody Sinclair; Katy Richardson; Justin Allin; Mieka Van Der Ploeg; Lauren Dix; Jamie Platt; Charlie Smith; Steve Gage; Lotte Wakeham; Cressida Carré; Andy Graham; Roberto Surace; Rebecca Fry; Jimmy Jones; the staff at the Arts Theatre; Kevin Wilson; Martin Barrow; Helen Snell; James & Rosie Pearson; Genevieve Ampaduh; Stephen Crocker and all the staff at Norwich Theatre; Andy Barnwell; Sylvia Addison; Pippa Ailion.

---

SIX was originally performed by the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society and featured Megan Gilbert, Ashleigh Weir, Holly Musgrave, Tilda Wickham, Annabel Marlow and Shimali De Silva.

This production is presented under license from Ex-Wives Ltd. London, the exclusive worldwide licensor for SIX © 2017 Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. All rights reserved. All rights inquiries to rights.sixthemusical.com. SIX logo © Ex-Wives Ltd.

---

For all tour booking inquiries, please contact The Booking Group, thebookinggroup.com

---

We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples. In particular, the University resides on Land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. The entire team at SIX acknowledges these indigenous communities, the original stewards of this land; their elders both past and present; as well as future generations.

---

Actors’ Equity Association\
The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the united states.

---

ATPAM\
ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents & Managers (IATSE Local 18032), represents the Press Agents, Company Managers and House Managers employed on this production.

---

I.A.T.S.E.\
Backstage and Front of the House Employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (or I.A.T.S.E.).

---

American Federation of Musicians\
The musicians employed in this production are members of the American Federation of Musicians.

---

SDC\
The Director and Choreographer are members of the STAGE DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

---

United Scenic Artists\
Local USA 829 of the I.A.T.S.E. represents the Designers & Scenic Artists for the American Theatre.



## **CATHERINE OF ARAGON**

**BIRTH AND DEATH**\
December 15, 1485 – January 7, 1536c

**MARRIAGE**\
ONE: to Arthur (Henry’s older brother), November 14, 1501 (aged 15)\
TWO: to Henry VIII, June 11, 1509 (aged 23)

**CHILDREN**\
Mary, born February 18, 1516 (later Queen Mary I).\
Catherine also had two other children who died as infants, three stillborn children, and several miscarriages.

**INTERESTS**\
Religion, sewing, dancing, a bit more religion.

**CAUSE OF DEATH**\
Probably a type of cancer.

**REMEMBERED FOR...**\
Her refusal to accept that her marriage was invalid; her faith; her dramatic speech to Henry when he had her brought to court to seek the annulment of their marriage.

**DID YOU KNOW?**\
While Henry fought in France in 1513, Catherine was regent during the Battle of Flodden; when James IV of Scotland was killed in the battle, Catherine wanted to send his body to Henry as a present.

**QUEENSPIRATION**\
Beyoncé and Shakira.

---

## **ANNE BOLEYN**

**BIRTH AND DEATH**\
1536c. 1501 – May 19, 1536

**MARRIAGE**\
January 25, 1533 (aged 31)

**CHILDREN**\
Elizabeth, born September 7, 1533 (later Queen Elizabeth I). Anne also had at least two miscarriages.

**INTERESTS**\
Fashion, dancing, flirtation, collecting evangelical works.

**QUEEN LINKS**\
Lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon.

**CAUSE OF DEATH**\
Executed on Tower Green, London.

**REMEMBERED FOR...**\
Headlessness; bringing about England’s break with the Pope; having a sixth fingernail.

**DID YOU KNOW?**\
Because she was fluent in French, Anne would have acted as a translator during the visit of Emperor Charles V to court in 1522.

**QUEENSPIRATION**\
Lily Allen and Avril Lavigne.

---

## **JANE SEYMOUR**

**BIRTH AND DEATH**\
1507 or 1508 – October 24, 1537

**MARRIAGE**\
January 25, 1533 (aged 31)

**CHILDREN**\
Edward, born October 12, 1537 (later King Edward VI).

**INTERESTS**\
Religious faith, obedience.

**QUEEN LINKS**\
Lady-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn.

**CAUSE OF DEATH**\
Hemorrhage after the birth of Prince Edward; her child with Henry.

**REMEMBERED FOR...**\
Being the “only one he truly loved”; having two troublesome brothers who fought over the regency of the young Prince Edward after King Henry’s death.

**DID YOU KNOW?**\
While Anne Boleyn was still alive, Henry sent Jane a gift of money which she refused, apparently saying there “was no treasure in this world that she valued so much as her honor.”

**QUEENSPIRATION**\
Adele and Sia.


---

## **ANNA OF CLEVES**

**ALSO KNOWN AS**\
Anne of Cleves (the Anglicisation of her name)\
She is referred to as Anna here to distinguish between the two Annes & to honor the name she would have called herself in her own language.

**BIRTH AND DEATH**\
1515 - July 16, 1557

**MARRIAGE**\
January 6, 1540 (aged 24)

**CHILDREN**\
None.

**INTERESTS**\
Staying alive.

**QUEEN LINKS**\
Anna visited Katherine Howard once she became queen and bowed down to her.

**CAUSE OF DEATH**\
Probably cancer.

**REMEMBERED FOR...**\
Being chosen from her portrait and then rejected when Henry met her.

**DID YOU KNOW?**\
When Henry first met Anna of Cleves, he disguised himself, possibly imagining some sort of a romantic reaction. According to a witness, when Henry kissed Anna, she turned away coldly from the hideous stranger molesting her. The witness, Lord Russell, observed that he “never saw His Highness so marvelously astonished.”

**QUEENSPIRATION**\
Nicki Minaj and Rihanna.

---

## **KATHERINE HOWARD**

**BIRTH AND DEATH**\
c. 1523 – February 13, 1542

**MARRIAGE**\
July 28, 1540 (aged 17)

**CHILDREN**\
None.

**INTERESTS**\
Religious faith, obedience.

**QUEEN LINKS**\
Lady-in-waiting to Anna of Cleves; cousin to Anne Boleyn.

**CAUSE OF DEATH**\
Executed on Tower Green, London.

**REMEMBERED FOR...**\
Being completely used (and abused) by those with power over her.

**DID YOU KNOW?**\
From her arrest on November 8, 1541 until her execution three months later, Katherine stayed under house arrest at Syon House; in late January of 1542, an act was passed in Parliament that rendered it treason for a woman to become the king’s wife without “plain declaration before of her unchaste life,” meaning Henry could have her killed.

**QUEENSPIRATION**\
Ariana Grande and Britney Spears.

---

## **CATHERINE PARR**

**BIRTH AND DEATH**\
c. 1512 – September 5, 1548

**MARRIAGE**\
ONE: to Sir Edward Burgh, a courtier, 1529 – 1533\
TWO: to John Neville, Lord Latimer, 1534 – 1543\
THREE: to Henry VIII, July 12, 1543\
FOUR: in secret to Thomas Seymour, May, 1547

**CHILDREN**\
A daughter (to Thomas Seymour) who died as an infant.

**INTERESTS**\
Writing books, encouraging education, the Reformation.

**QUEEN LINKS**\
Catherine’s mother was lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon and Catherine was friendly with Aragon’s daughter, Princess Mary.

**CAUSE OF DEATH**\
Childbirth.

**REMEMBERED FOR...**\
Surviving.

**DID YOU KNOW?**\
Catherine was the first woman in England to publish books under her own name and in English.

**QUEENSPIRATION**\
Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé.


Please be advised that smoke, haze, and strobe lights are used during the performance.

---

**WARNING**\
The photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographing or sound recording inside this theatre, without the written permission of the management, is prohibited by law. Violators may be punished by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for money damages.

warnings

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# **DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA**

## MOZART & THE SEASONS

Jader Bignamini\
Conductor

Robyn Bollinger\
Violin


small_Detroit-Symphony-Orchestra.jpg

thumbnail_Detroit-Symphony-Orchestra.jpg

Detroit-Symphony-Orchestra.jpg

- MICHAEL ABELS\
(b.1962)
- ***More Seasons***

- ASTOR PIAZZOLLA\
(1921 – 1992)\
Arr. Leonid\
Desyatnikov 

- ***The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires***\
Otoño Porteño (Buenos Aires Autumn)\
Invierno Porteño (Buenos Aires Winter)\
Primavera Porteña (Buenos Aires Spring)\
Verano Porteño (Buenos Aires Summer)

**INTERMISSION**


- WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART\
(1756 – 1791) 

- **Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551, “Jupiter”**\
        I. Allegro vivace\
        II. Andante cantabile\
        III. Allegretto\
        IV. Molto allegro   

---

Run time is approximately 90 minutes with an intermission.


---

Flash photography, extended video recording, tripods, and cameras with detachable lenses are strictly prohibited. 

Flash photography

# **DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA**

Jader Bignamini, Music Director, Music Directorship endowed by the Kresge Foundation\
Jeff Tyzik, Principal Pops Conductor\
Terence Blanchard, *Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair*\
Na’Zir McFadden, Assistant Conductor, Phillip & Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador\
Leonard Slatkin, Music Director Laureate\
Neeme Järvi, Music Director Emeritus 


**FIRST VIOLIN**

Robyn Bollinger, Concertmaster, *Katherine Tuck Chair*\
Kimberly Kaloyanides Kennedy, Associate Concertmaster, *Schwartz And Shapero Family Chair*\
Hai-Xin Wu, Assistant Concertmaster, *Walker L. Cisler/Detroit Edison Foundation Chair*\
Jennifer Wey Fang, Assistant Concertmaster\
Marguerite Deslippe\
Laurie Goldman\
Rachel Harding Klaus\
Eun Park Lee\
Adrienne Rönmark, *William and Story John Chair*\
Alexandros Sakarellos, *Drs. Doris Tong and Teck Soo Chair*\
Laura Soto\
Greg Staples\
Jiamin Wang\
Mingzhao Zhou


**SECOND VIOLIN**

Adam Stepniewski\
Acting Principal, *The Devereaux Family Chair*\
Will Haapaniemi, *David and Valerie McCammon Chairs*\
Hae Jeong Heidi Han, *David and Valerie McCammon Chairs*\
Elizabeth Furuta\
Sheryl Hwangbo Yu\
Daniel Kim\
Sujin Lim\
Hong-Yi Mo\
Marian Tanau\
Alexander Volkov\
Jing Zhang

**VIOLA**

Eric Nowlin, Principal, *Julie and Ed Levy, Jr. Chair*\
James VanValkenburg, Assistant Principal, *Janet and Norm Ankers Chair*\
Caroline Coade, *Henry and Patricia Nickol Chair*\
Glenn Mellow\
Hang Su\
Hart Hollman\
Han Zheng\
Mike Chen\
Harper Randolph, African American Orchestra Fellow

**CELLO**

Wei Yu, Principal\
Abraham Feder, Assistant Principal, *Dorothy and Herbert Graebner Chair*\
Robert Bergman\
Jeremy Crosmer, *Victor and Gale Girolami Cello Chair*\
David LeDoux\
Peter McCaffrey, *Joanne Deanto and Arnold Weingarden Chair*\
Una O’Riordan, *Mary Ann & Robert Gorlin Chair*\
Cole Randolph, *Mary Lee Gwizdala Chair*

**BASS** 

Kevin Brown, Principal, *Van Dusen Family Chair*\
Stephen Molina, Assistant Principal\
Christopher Hamlen\
Peter Hatch\
Vincent Luciano\
Brandon Mason

**HARP**

OPEN

Principal, Winifred E. Polk Chair 

**FLUTE**
 
Hannah Hammel Maser, Principal, *Alan J. and Sue Kaufman and Family Chair*\
Amanda Blaikie, *Morton and Brigitte Harris Chair*\
Sharon Sparrow (on sabbatical), Assistant Principal, *Bernard and Eleanor Robertson Chair*\
Jeffery Zook

**PICCOLO**

Jeffery Zook, *Shari and Craig Morgan Chair*

**OBOE**

Alexander Kinmonth, Principal, *Jack A. and Aviva Robinson Chair*\
Sarah Lewis, Assistant Principal\
Monica Fosnaugh 

**ENGLISH HORN**

Monica Fosnaugh 

**CLARINET**

Ralph Skiano, *Principal, Robert B. Semple Chair*\
Jack Walters, *PVS Chemicals Inc./Jim and Ann Nicholson Chair*\
Shannon Orme 

**E-FLAT CLARINET**

OPEN 

**BASS CLARINET**

Shannon Orme, *Barbara Frankel and Ronald Michalak Chair*

**BASSOON**

Conrad Cornelison, Principal, *Byron and Dorothy Gerson Chair*\
Cornelia Sommer\
Marcus Schoon 

**CONTRABASSOON**

Marcus Schoon 

**HORN**

OPEN, Principal, *David and Christine Provost Chair*\
Johanna Yarbrough\
Scott Strong, *Ric and Carola Huttenlocher Chair*\
David Everson, Assistant Principal\
Mark Abbott 

**TRUMPET**
 
Hunter Eberly, Principal, *Lee and Floy Barthel Chair*\
Austin Williams\
William Lucas 

**TROMBONE**
 
Kenneth Thompkins, Principal, *Shari and Craig Morgan Chair*\
David Binder\
Adam Rainey 

**BASS TROMBONE**
 
Adam Rainey
 
**TUBA**
 
Dennis Nulty, Principal 

**TIMPANI**

Jeremy Epp, Principal, *Richard and Mona Alonzo Chair*\
James Ritchie, Assistant Principal 

**PERCUSSION**

Joseph Becker, Principal, Ruth Roby and *Alfred R. Glancy III Chair*\
Andrés Pichardo-Rosenthal, Assistant Principal, *William Cody Knicely Chair*\
James Ritchie\
Luciano Valdes, African American Orchestra Fellow

**LIBRARIANS**

Robert Stiles\
Principal\
Ethan Allen

**LEGACY CHAIRS**
 
Principal Flute *Women’s Association for the DSO*\
Principal Cello *James C. Gordon*

**PERSONNEL MANAGERS**

Patrick Peterson, Director of Orchestra Personnel\
Benjamin Tisherman, Manager of Orchestra Personnel\
Nolan Cardenas, Auditions and Operations Coordinator 

**STAGE PERSONNEL**

Dennis Rottell, Stage Manager\
Zach Deater, Department Head\
Issac Eide, Department Head\
Kurt Henry, Department Head\
Matthew Pons, Department Head\
Jason Tschantre, Department Head 

---

Some members may voluntarily revolve seating within their section on a regular basis.


### **JADER BIGNAMINI**

Music Director

Jader Bignamini was introduced as the 18th music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in January 2020, commencing with the 2020--2021 season. His infectious passion and artistic excellence set the tone for the seasons ahead, creating extraordinary music and establishing a close relationship with the orchestra. A jazz aficionado, he has immersed himself in Detroit's rich jazz culture and the influences of American music.

A native of Crema, Italy, Bignamini studied at the Piacenza Music Conservatory and began his career as a musician (*clarinet*) with Orchestra Sinfonica La Verdi in Milan, later serving as the group's resident conductor. Captivated by the music of legends like Mahler and Tchaikovsky, Bignamini explored their complexity and power, puzzling out the role that each instrument played in creating a larger-than-life sound. When he conducted his first professional concert at the age of 28, it didn't feel like a departure, but an arrival.

In the years since, Bignamini has conducted some of the world's most acclaimed orchestras and opera companies in venues across the globe including working with Riccardo Chailly on concerts of Mahler's Eighth Symphony in 2013 and his concert debut at La Scala in 2015 for the opening season of La Verdi Orchestra. Recent highlights include debuts with Opera de Paris conducting *La Forza del Destino* and with Deutsche Opera Berlin conducting *Simon Boccanegra*; appearances with the Pittsburgh and Toronto symphonies; debuts with the Houston, Dallas, and Minnesota symphonies; Osaka Philharmonic and Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo; with the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Dutch National Opera (*Madama Butterfly*); Bayerische Staatsoper (*La Traviata*); *I Puritani* in Montpellier for the Festival of Radio France; *Traviata* in Tokyo directed by Sofia Coppola; return engagements with Oper Frankfurt (*La forza del destino*) and Santa Fe Opera (*La bohème*); *Manon Lescaut* at the Bolshoi; *Traviata*, *Madama Butterfly*, and *Turandot* at Arena of Verona; *Il Trovatore* and *Aida* at Rome's Teatro dell'Opera; *Madama Butterfly*, *I Puritani*, and *Manon Lescaut* at Teatro Massimo in Palermo; *Simon Boccanegra* and *La Forza del Destino* at the Verdi Festival in Parma; *Ciro in Babilonia* at Rossini Opera Festival and *La bohème*, *Madama Butterfly*, and *Elisir d'amore* at La Fenice in Venice.

When Bignamini leads an orchestra in symphonic repertoire, he conducts without a score, preferring to make direct eye contact with the musicians. He conducts from the heart, forging a profound connection with his musicians that shines through both onstage and off. He both embodies and exudes the excellence and enthusiasm that has long distinguished the DSO's artistry.

### **ROBYN BOLLINGER**

Concertmaster

Daring, versatile, and charismatic, American violinist Robyn Bollinger is Concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Equally at home as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader, and pedagogue, Bollinger is an artist at the forefront of classical music. She made her debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra at age 12, and regularly performs with orchestras across the United States. Past highlights include engagements with the Boston Pops and the symphony orchestras of Brevard, California, Charleston, Grand Tetons Music Festival, Helena, Illinois, Indian Hill, Knoxville, and Symphony in C. In 2019, Bollinger gave the world premiere of *Artifacts*, a four-movement violin concerto commissioned by the California Symphony by composer Katherine Balch and written specifically for Bollinger.

A sought-after collaborator and recitalist, Bollinger is a popular figure on chamber music stages around the world. She is a returning participant at the acclaimed Marlboro Music Festival and has been featured in numerous national tours with Musicians from Marlboro. She has toured in Midori's Music Sharing International Community Engagement Program "ICEP" in Japan, performing in recital in Osaka's Phoenix Hall, Tokyo's Oji Hall, and Tokyo National Arts Center. A prizewinner at the 2007 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Bollinger has appeared at the chamber music festivals of Halcyon, Highlands-Cashiers, Lake Champlain, Monadnock, and Orcas Island. She has presented recitals at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, National Sawdust, Emory University, Kalliroscope Gallery, Live from Indian Hill, the California Symphony, and more. She appears regularly with the Chameleon Arts Ensemble in Boston, the Boston Chamber Music Society, Mistral Music, Spruce Peak Chamber Music Society, and Glissando Music, among others. 

Bollinger has been recognized for both her innovation and entrepreneurship. She received a prestigious Fellowship from the Lenore Annenberg Arts Fellowship Fund for her multimedia performance project, "CIACCONA: The Bass of Time," later releasing a commercial CD and DVD of the project and presenting a national tour of the program. An examination of the history and legacy of the Bach's famed chaconne for solo violin, the program received critical acclaim from *The New York Times*, *The Boston Globe*, and the *San Francisco Chronicle*, among others. Bollinger has also been recognized with an Entrepreneurial Musicianship Grant from New England Conservatory for her ground-breaking "Project Paganini," a performance project featuring the twenty-four Caprices of Paganini. She was recently awarded a historic Early-Career Musician Fellowship from Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, DC, to research and prepare her next multimedia project, "Encore! Just One More," to be debuted in future seasons. 

A noted leader and ensemble player, Bollinger has been a frequent Guest Concertmaster with the Pittsburgh Symphony and has made Guest Concertmaster appearances with the Indianapolis Symphony and St. Bart's Music Festival Orchestra. She is a former member of A Far Cry, the Boston-based, democratically run chamber orchestra, and she has appeared on commercial recordings with both the Pittsburgh Symphony and A Far Cry, all of which were nominated for Grammy Awards.

Bollinger is a devoted educator, having presented masterclasses at the Cincinnati Conservatory, the Longy School of music, University of California Bakersfield, Temple University Preparatory School, and a unique masterclass examining classical music in the context of Aristotle at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. She is a former faculty member at New England Conservatory Preparatory School in Boston and Brandeis University. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees with academic honors from the New England Conservatory of Music. Her major teachers included Soovin Kim, Miriam Fried, Paul Biss, Paul Kantor, and Lyle Davidson. Bollinger currently plays on a 1697 G. B. Rogeri violin on generous loan from a private collector and a 2013 Benoit Rolland bow commissioned specially for her.

### **DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA**

The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world's foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a performance schedule that features the PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People's Family Concert series. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in metro area venues, as well as eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking *Live from Orchestra Hall* series of free webcasts.

Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.

Bios

**More Seasons**\
Composed 1999\
MICHAEL ABELS\
B. 1962\
Scored for 2 flutes (one doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, keyboard, and strings.

2023 Pulitzer Prize winner and Emmy and Grammy-nominated composer Michael Abels is best known for his genre-defying scores for the Jordan Peele films  *Get Out, Us,* and *Nope.*  The score for *Us* won a World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award, a Critics Choice nomination, and multiple critics' awards, and was named "Score of the Decade" by  *The Wrap.*  Both *Us* and *Nope* were shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Original Score. In 2022, Abels's music was honored by the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Middleburg Film Festival, and the Museum of the Moving Image.  *Nope*was awarded Best Score for a Studio Film by the Society of Composers & Lyricists. Other recent projects include the films  *Bad Education, Nightbooks,*  and the docu-series  *Allen v. Farrow.*  Current releases include  *Chevalier*(Toronto International Film Festival) and  *Landscape with Invisible Hand*(Sundance 2022), his second collaboration with director Cory Finley. Current projects include *The* Burial (Amazon) and a series for Disney Plus. 

Abels's creative output also includes many concert works, including the choral song cycle  *At War With Ourselves *for the Kronos Quartet, the Grammy-nominated*Isolation Variation*for Hilary Hahn, and  Omar, an opera co-composed with Grammy-winning recording artist Rhiannon Giddens, which was named by  *The New York Times*  as one of the 10 Best Classical Performances of 2022. Abels other concert works have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and many others. Recent commissions include *Emerge*  for the National Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and a guitar concerto, *Borders,*  for Grammy-nominated artist Mak Grgić.

Abels is co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, an advocacy group to increase visibility of composers of color in film, gaming, and streaming media.

Abels describes More Seasons as his "own spin" on early Baroque music, subjecting the themes of Vivaldi's "Spring" and "Summer" "to maniacal, Minimalist abuses," and calling it "Vivaldi in a Mixmaster." 

**The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires**\
Composed 1969 | Premiered 1969\
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA/ARR. DESYATNIKOV\
B. March 11, 1921, Mar del Plata, Argentina\
D. July 4, 1992, Buenos Aires, Argentina\
Scored for solo violin and strings.

When music lovers hear the phrase "The Four Seasons," they immediately associate them with Antonio Vivaldi's memorable work. Vivaldi ingeniously uses a colorful, programmatic musical language to interweave natural topics into a tapestry of sound that infuses the listener with the sense that they are there, that they are actually experiencing each season in turn. Composers ever since have referenced his masterpiece; Astor Piazzolla joined these ranks when he composed his own  *Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires).* 

Piazzolla was a marvelous composer with a distinctive musical sound that combined jazz and the Argentinian tango of his native land together with classical forms and 20th century harmonic ideas. In its final shape,*The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires*  takes a tango-inspired work by Piazzolla and combines it with elements easily recognizable from Vivaldi's model. Not only does it share with Vivaldi the general concept of depicting four seasons in music, but it also presents a solo violin featured within an orchestral texture in highly virtuosic style. Yet initially, this work was written for a folk ensemble, not at all for virtuoso violin. The first to perform it was the composer's own folk/chamber ensemble, specialists in *nuevo tango.* 

In Vivaldi's  *The Four Seasons,*  each season includes three short movements. Piazzolla's variation gives each season only one movement. Each of Piazzolla's seasons, however, contains several sections that depict different moods within the single movement. The "Summer" movement, for example, contrasts the sassy, rhythmic tango with remnants of the Italian Baroque. An extended, melancholy cello solo dominates the first section of the "Fall" season. Slow, sultry, yet intensely rhythmic, "Winter" gives the solo violinist the perfect opportunity for cadenza-like displays of virtuosity. Even more quotes from Vivaldi, this time from his "Summer," are woven seamlessly into Piazzolla's intensely emotional "Winter" tango. In contrast, "Spring" in Buenos Aires is filled with excitement and a rhythmic electricity that propels the work to its brilliant conclusion. —*Dr. Beth Fleming*

**Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, "Jupiter"**\
Composed 1788 | Premiered circa 1791\
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART\
B. January 27, 1756, Salzburg, Austria\
D. December 5, 1791, Vienna, Austria\
Scored for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, and strings.

When Mozart began writing symphonies at the age of eight, the form was in its infancy and was not at all the exalted musical expression it later became. He was not necessarily an innovator, but over the years his genius turned the once humble form into one of great subtlety, variety, and expressive power, and the symphony rose from an insignificant concert opener to become the focal point of orchestral programs.  

The title "Jupiter" was not attached to Mozart's C major symphony by the composer himself but was reportedly the idea of a concert organizer named Johann Peter Salomon, who added the title after Mozart's death. Salomon's sobriquet after the Roman god Jupiter Optimus Maximus ("Jupiter Best and Greatest") is considered particularly appropriate to the triumphant quality of the symphony's two outer movements and is a meaningful (if not entirely intentional) nod to Mozart's fame, which would begin to skyrocket shortly after his passing. 

The first movement of "Jupiter" contrasts strident militaristic themes with gentle, tender ones, developing elaborately over nearly 100 measures. Typical of Mozart, it is rich in the number and variety of thematic ideas. The slow movement is delicate, tinted with muted violins lacy melodies. It is at once poignant and deeply felt. The minuet and Trio are also notably gentle, both built around yearning chromatic melodies. Whether consciously or not, the first four melody notes of the Trio anticipate the shape of the four-note theme that dominates the finale. 

The finale is celebrated for Mozart's feat of superimposing fugal counterpoint upon a sonata movement. At various points in the movement, Mozart takes themes presented earlier and lets them chase each other as in a fugue. This display of contrapuntal wizardry has held audiences, composers, and musical scholars in awe for more than two centuries.

notes

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

# **PUBLIQuartet**

## What Is American



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PUBLIQuartet - MIND | THE | GAP: What is American? (2016)\
*improvisations on Antonin Dvorak’s “American” Quartet (Op. 96)*\
I. Allegro ma non troppo

PUBLIQuartet - MIND | THE | GAP: Pavement Pounding Rose (2019)\
*improvisations on Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose"*

Henry Threadgill - Sixfivetwo (2018)

PUBLIQuartet - MIND | THE | GAP: Wild Women (2021)\
*improvisations on Tina Turner’s “Black Coffee,” Betty Davis’ “They Say I’m Different,” Alice
Coltrane’s “Er Ra,” and Ida Cox’s “Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues”*

**Intermission**

Fodé Lassana Diabaté - Sunjata’s Time (2015), arr. Jacob Garchik

Rhiannon Giddens - At the Purchaser’s Option (2016), arr. PUBLIQuartet (2021)

Vijay Iyer - Dig the Say (2012)\
I. carry the ball\
IIa. this thing together\
IIb. up from the ground\
III. to live tomorrow

---

Run time is approximately 110 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.

### **EATS**

**THE LUNCHABLE** | $20\
Spiral Ham, Smoked Turkey, Soppressata—Fresh Cheese Curds, Red Onion Cheddar, Wildfire Bleu Pepperoncini Three Cheese Dip—Woven Wheat Crackers, Gluten Free Toasts, Croccantini—Chocolate Bark

**BIG SIGNATURE SLIDERS** | $10\
Sesame Brioche Bun, MSU Beef Patties, Colby Jack Cheese, Bacon, Fried Pickles, Caramelized Onions, and Secret Sauce, with Roasted Potato Wedges or Hawaiian Sweet Roll, Plant-Based Patteez and Cheeze, with Fried Pickles, Caramelized Onions, and Secret Sauce, with Roasted Potato Wedges (GF/V)

**CHOPPED** | $10\
Grilled Endives (GF/VG)—Roasted Butternut Squash (GF/VG)—Moscato Macerated Dried Cherries (GF/VG)—Walnuts (GF/VG)—Blood Orange & Shallot Vinaigrette—Herb Marinated Chicken (GF) or Maitake (GF/VG)

**SUPER BAR POTATO** | $12\
Hasselback Potato, Curry Crème Fraiche, Candied Bacon, Smoked MI Cheddar, and Chives (GF) or Hasselback Potato, Curry Oat Whip (VG), Plant-Based Chorizo and Cheeze, and Chives (GF/VG)

### **SWEETS**

**APPLE PIE ROLL** | $10\
Fried Apple Pie Roll, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Bourbon Caramel, Whipped Cream, and Streusel (V) 

**APPLE PIE CRISP** | $10\
Apple Pie Crisp, Plant-Based Vanilla Ice Cream, Bourbon Caramel, Plant-Based Whipt Kream (GF/VG)

### **SIPS**

**VOODOO DOLLS** | $12\
Vodka—Lemon Juice—Lavender + Spice Syrup—Ginger Tea—Cucumber Soda

**FIG THE SAY** | $12\
Sotol—Triple Sec—Lemon—Fig—Thyme

**MIDDLEGROUD MOCKTAIL** | $12\
Lyre’s Orange Sec—Basil Syrup—Sparkling Lime + Yuzu

Applauded by *The Washington Post* as "a perfect encapsulation of today's trends in chamber music," and by *The New Yorker* as "independent-minded," multi-Grammy-nominated PUBLIQuartet is an improvising string quartet whose repertoire blends genres and highlights American multiculturalism. PUBLIQuartet rose on the music scene as winner of the 2013 Concert Artists Guild New Music/New Places award, and in 2019 garnered Chamber Music America's prestigious Visionary Award for outstanding and innovative approaches to contemporary classical, jazz, and world chamber music. PQ's genre-bending programs range from newly commissioned pieces to re-imaginations of classical works featuring open form improvisations that expand the techniques and aesthetic of the traditional string quartet. 

PUBLIQuartet has held artist residencies at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Sawdust and has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to the Montreal, Newport, and Detroit Jazz Festivals. Their 2016 appearance on *The Colbert Report,* "Requiem for a Debate"—in which they improvised a live soundtrack to the third presidential debate—not only received over a million views but prompted *The Washington Post* to declare them "the winner...indubitably." 

Their 2023-2024 season includes performances at USC and the Library of Congress; with the New York City Ballet; and with jazz artists including Hiromi, Diane Monroe, and Magos Herrera. The quartet's latest album, the Grammy nominated *What Is American*, released in June 2022 on the Bright Shiny Things label, explores resonances between contemporary, blues, jazz, freely improvised, and rock-inflected languages, all of which trace their roots back to the Black and Indigenous musical traditions that inspired Dvorak's "American" String Quartet (Op. 96). The album also includes "CARDS 11-11-2020," written by Roscoe Mitchell for PUBLIQuartet, as well as works by Ornette Coleman, Rhiannon Giddens, and Vijay Iyer. Committed to creating an inclusive performance space, supporting living composers of varying genres, and expanding the classical canon, PUBLIQuartet was the inaugural ensemble-in-residence for Carnegie Hall's PlayUSA program in 2021-2022, working with high school music classes across the country on a large-scale creative project called *Reflections on Resilience*. 

Their innovative PUBLIQ Access program has promoted emerging composers by presenting a wide variety of underrepresented music for string quartet—from classical, jazz, and electronic, to non-notated, world, and improvised music. Other unique projects include MIND | THE |GAP, a series of creative projects developed by PQ that weave together different styles of music via group composition, arranging, and improvisation. These unique works range from "Bird in Paris" (Claude Debussy meets Charlie Parker) to more recent extended works including *Reflections on Beauty*, a multimedia celebration of the life and legacy of Madam C.J. Walker featuring visual projections and narration by Walker's great-great-granddaughter, A'Lelia Bundles. 

Founded in 2010, PUBLIQuartet is based in New York City.

About

**MIND | THE | GAP: What is American? (2016)**

*Improvisations on Antonin Dvorák's "American" Quartet (Op. 96)*

I. Allegro ma non troppo

Antonin Dvorák wrote his "American" Quartet during the summer of 1893 in the Czech enclave of Spillville, Iowa, following his first year directing the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York City. One of Dvorak's students at the Conservatory was the baritone and composer Harry T. Burleigh, who introduced him to Black spirituals, leading Dvorak to conclude that "The future of this country must be founded upon what are called the Negro melodies. This must be the real foundation of any serious and original school of composition to be developed in the United States."

This MIND | THE | GAP project weaves together excerpts of Dvorák's original score with improvisation in various styles, with the aim of connecting the Black and Indigenous musics that inspired Dvorák to the blues, jazz, rock, and hip hop styles that these traditions would ultimately inform. Incorporating various extended techniques, the work's opening also evokes the prairie soundscape that might have surrounded Dvorak as he composed.

**MIND | THE | GAP: Pavement Pounding Rose (2019)**

*Improvisations on "Honeysuckle Rose" by Fats Waller*

This piece is an excerpt from PUBLIQuartet's larger project *Reflections on Beauty*, which celebrates the life of Madam C.J. Walker, the pioneering Black entrepreneur, self-made millionaire, and activist. Inspired by Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose," these improvisations evoke Madam Walker's entrepreneurial hustle in Harlem in the early years of the 20th Century.

**Henry Threadgill - Sixfivetwo (2018)**

Commissioned by Kronos Quartet as part of their *50 for the Future *project, Henry Threadgill's *Sixfivetwo*, a fifteen-minute work for string quartet, includes ample opportunities for players to improvise. "The improvisational component is very important," he said in an interview while describing his philosophy which guided the creation of this piece, "Kronos knows it's important and I know it's important. It's a shame that the classical concert world doesn't understand how important it is... Everything is about exploration. We get to where we are because of exploration. That's why improvisation is so important... We won't improve anything unless we have an improvisational approach to life." (*excerpted from*  *50ftf.kronosquartet.org*)

**MIND | THE | GAP: Wild Women (2021)**

*Improvisations on music by Tina Turner, Betty Davis, Alice Coltrane, and Ida Cox*

Inspired by Ida Cox's 1924 feminist blues anthem "Wild Women Don't Have the Blues," this MIND | THE | GAP also spotlights the work of Tina Turner ("Black Coffee"), Betty Davis ("They Say I'm Different"), and Alice Coltrane ("Er Ra"). In the spirit of Ida's lyrics, this set celebrates the legacy of independent women who hold their own.

**Fodé Lassana Diabaté - Sunjata's Time (2015), arr. Jacob Garchik**

Also commissioned by Kronos Quartet as part of their *50 for the Future *project, *Sunjata's Time *is dedicated to Sunjata Keita, the warrior prince who founded the great Mali Empire in 1235, which at its height stretched across the West African savannah to the Atlantic shores. Sunjata's legacy continues to be felt in many ways. During his time as emperor, he established many of the cultural norms that remain in practice today, including the close relationship between patron and musician that is the hallmark of so much music in Mali. The word "time" is meant to denote both "rhythm," an important element in balafon performance, and "epoch," since the composition sets out to evoke the kinds of musical sounds that might have been heard in Sunjata's time, drawing on older styles of balafon playing which Lassana Diabaté has learned while studying with elder masters of the instrument in Guinea. (*excerpted*  *from 50ftf.kronosquartet.org*)

**Rhiannon Giddens - At the Purchaser's Option (2016), arr. PUBLIQuartet (2021)**

Inspired by an 1830s advertisement announcing the sale of a Black woman and her child, Rhiannon Giddens' "At the Purchaser's Option" is a meditation on the hard truths of American history; the song is reimagined here in an original arrangement by PQ that includes whispers, sung excerpts of Giddens' original lyrics, and various extended techniques.

**Vijay Iyer - Dig The Say (2012)**

I. carry the ball\
IIa. this thing together\
IIb. up from the ground\
III. to live tomorrow

Commissioned by Brooklyn Rider in 2012, Vijay Iyer's *Dig The Say* is an homage to the "Godfather of Soul," James Brown. Describing his inspiration by Brown's music, Iyer says: "[...] of course it's best to enjoy it with your body and soul, but there is also much to learn from analyzing his music's interlocking bass, drums, guitar, horn, and vocal parts. As a composer and bandleader, I have strived for years to put some of his tactics into practice. He brought a lot of ideas to the table about groove, communication, form, and space. Each song has its own vivid and distinct identity, beginning with the intricacies in the rhythm section."

Much of the excitement and challenge of Iyer's quartet lies in his distribution of such intricate, driving rhythmic textures among multiple players; there are even moments where the score asks a single player to stomp or tap one rhythm while playing another. The titles of the work's four continuous movements refer to lyrics delivered emphatically by Brown in his 1969 song "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I'll Get It Myself)."

PUBLIQuartet

# **123 Andrés**


Christina and Andrés


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The program will run approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.

---

Are you ready for the show? We are, too! 

We are Christina and Andrés and our duo is called 123 Andrés. (A duo is a band made up of two people.) We love performing for kids and families, and we started when we were kids, too! Christina acted in plays and did dance, like ballet and Mexican folclórico dancing. Andrés started playing the recorder and the guitar and performed music with youth ensembles.

We have performed all over the USA, from New York and North Carolina to Oregon and Florida, and we’re happy to be right here in your city! We’ve also performed in other countries like Puerto Rico, México, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. 

Andrés was born in Colombia, which is a country in South America. Christina's parents were born there, too! Now, we live in Virginia, near Washington, DC.

Have you ever won a prize at school for something special you did? We have won special prizes like the GRAMMY and the Latin GRAMMY for our music and that makes us feel super proud. 

**What do YOU like to do for fun?** 

When we are not performing concerts or traveling, here are some of our favorite things to do:

**Andrés:** making and editing videos, writing new stories, and taking care of our plants.

**Christina:** listening to podcasts and doodling, and she recently started learning Japanese!

**Both:** trying foods from other countries and playing with our friends' cats and dogs (because we don't have any pets of our own).

---

¿Están listos para el concierto? ¡Nosotros también! 

Somos Christina y Andrés y nuestro dúo se llama 123 Andrés. (Un dúo es un grupo de músicos con dos personas.) Nos encanta hacer conciertos para chicos y grandes. Empezamos a hacer música y arte cuando éramos niños! Christina actuó en obras de teatro y estudió baile, como ballet y baile folclórico. Andrés empezó a tocar la flauta dulce y la guitarra, y hacía música en conjuntos juveniles.

Hemos tenido conciertos en muchos lugares de Estados Unidos – desde Nueva York y Carolina del Norte, hasta Oregón y la Florida, ¡y estamos felices de estar aquí contigo! También nos hemos presentado en otros países como Puerto Rico, México, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panamá y Colombia.

Andrés nació en Colombia, que es un país de América del Sur. Los padres de Christina también nacieron allí. Ahora vivimos en Virginia, cerca de Washington, DC.

¿Alguna vez has ganado un premio en la escuela por algo especial que hiciste? Nosotros ganamos unos premios especiales como el GRAMMY y el Latin GRAMMY por nuestra música y eso nos hace sentir muy pero muy orgullosos.

**¿Qué te gusta hacer?**

Cuando no estamos dando conciertos o viajando, estas son las cosas que más nos gustan hacer:

**Andrés:** crear y editar videos, escribir nuevas historias, y cuidar de nuestras plantas

**Christina:** escuchar podcasts y dibujar, y hace poco empezó a aprender japonés

**Ambos:** probar comidas de otros países y jugar con los perros y gatos de nuestros amigos (porque nosotros no tenemos mascotas)

---

Act One Family Series Media Partner: WKAR 



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Bluey’s Big Play

123 Andrés

# **Catherine Russell**

Vocals


- **Matt Munisteri**\
Guitar and\
Music Director
- **Domo Branch**\
Drums
- **Tal Ronen**\
Bass
- **Ben Paterson**\
Piano



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Program will be announced from stage.


The performance will run approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.


Media partner: WKAR


### **Catherine Russell**

Vocalist Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer/bandleader. Louis Armstrong fronted the Luis Russell Orchestra on recordings and gigs in 1929-30 and from 1935-1940. Her mother, the late Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with the all-female swing orchestra, The International Sweethearts of Rhythm; pianist/composer/arranger Mary Lou Williams; and Sy Oliver, among many others. 

Catherine's professional life began early. She performed as a child dancer with Katherine Dunham's company, dancing for four seasons with the Metropolitan Opera's production of *Aida*. In 1980, Catherine graduated with honors from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She has toured and/or recorded with Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, Toshi Reagon and Rosanne Cash, appearing on over 200 albums.

Her 2006 debut album, *Cat* (World Village/Harmonia Mundi), garnered rave reviews, paving the way for her 2008 sophomore release, *Sentimental Streak*.  Catherine was a guest on *Late Night with Conan O'Brien,* PBS-TV's *Tavis Smiley Show*, and NPR's *Fresh Air,* Marian McParland's *Piano Jazz; Mountain Stage;* *World Café,* and *Jazz Night in America*. Catherine Russell's third album, *Inside This Heart of Mine*, reached #1 on *JazzWeek* and Roots Music Report radio charts, while also charting on *Billboard* and reaching #1 on iTunes jazz charts. A fourth album, *Strictly Romancin'* was released in February 2012, and was awarded Prix du Jazz Vocal (Vocal Album of The Year) by the French Jazz Academy, Grand Prix du Hot Club de France, and a Bistro Award for Outstanding Recording. Also in 2012, Catherine Russell received a Grammy Award as a featured artist on the soundtrack album for the HBO-TV series, *Boardwalk Empire.*

In 2013, Catherine contributed three songs to the soundtrack of the film, *Kill Your Darlings*. Her 5th solo album, *Bring It Back*, was released worldwide in 2014 on the Jazz Village label, receiving a 5-star Review in *Downbeat* Magazine. In 2016, Catherine released her sixth solo album, titled *Harlem* *On My Mind*, featuring songs from the Great African American Songbook, for which she received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Her seventh album as a band leader, *Alone Together*, was released in 2019 on Dot Time Records, and held the #1 position on the *JazzWeek* 2019 Year End chart for national airplay and received her second Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Also in 2019, Catherine appeared in the feature film *Bolden,* and contributed vocals to the soundtrack album by Wynton Marsalis. She appears as featured vocalist on three tracks on *Big Band Holidays II*, accompanied by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. In 2022, Catherine released her eighth album as a leader, *Send For Me*.

Catherine Russell has performed on four continents. She's been a hit at major jazz festivals including Monterey, Newport, North Sea, JazzAscona, Montreal, Bern, Rochester International, Panama, Tanglewood, and at sold out venues like The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Scullers in Boston, The Dakota in Minneapolis, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in NYC, SFJazz in San Francisco, and Pasadena Pops in Los Angeles. *All Music Guide* says, "Russell emerged as a retro old school vocalist for the ages." 

Catherine's repertoire features a selection of gems from the 1920s through the Present; vital interpretations, bursting with soul and humor. With an off-the-beaten-path song selection, sparkling acoustic swing, and a stunning vocal approach, Catherine Russell has joined the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song.

### **Matt Munisteri, Music Director/guitar**

Matt Munisteri is a guitarist who has performed on several chart-topping jazz CDs. Matt is also a critically lauded songwriter and lyricist, an urban banjo-warrior and a sometime session musician, a sideman, singer, frontman, and an arranger whose ear-pulling re-inventions of well-traveled songs have contributed to Grammy winning CDs for artists such as Loudon Wainwright and Catherine Russell.

After serving as the guitarist and principal songwriter for The Flying Neutrinos in the late '90's, Matt quietly self-released his debut CD *Love Story* in 2003. Word-of-mouth saw to it that it wound up on several critic's "Best Of" lists and garnered the number two slot on Amazon's Top Ten Jazz CDs of The Year. A formidable lyricist ("*Jazz musicians aren't supposed to be able to write lyrics that good*" —*The Village Voice*) his songs have been compared to Randy Newman, Mose Allison and Bob Dorough. Matt has been featured on France's ARTE television, profiled in *Downbeat* Magazine, honored with *Acoustic Guitar* Magazine's Editor's Choice award, and been the subject of several broadcasts on *NPR.*

When not working on his own projects his primary sideman gigs for the last few years have been playing with violinist Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing; Henry Butler & Steven Bernstein's Hot Nine; and with Catherine Russell, for whom he also currently serves as Music Director.

Though an instrumentalist of prodigious technique and a relentless improviser, Matt has always felt a primary connection to songs, to their forms and emotional landscapes, and his skills and originality as an accompanist have led to calls to record with some of today's most soulful and individual singers. These include Holly Cole, Madeleine Peyroux, Lizz Wright, "Little" Jimmy Scott, Geoff Muldaur, Sasha Dobson, and Kat Edmondson. Outside of the jazz world, Matt was a key player on Loudon Wainwright's 2010 Grammy-winning CD, *High Wide and Handsome—The Charlie Poole Project*, to which he contributed arrangements, guitar, and 5-string banjo. He is credited on over 70 CDs, including new releases by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, and guitarist Howard Alden. In mainstream jazz contexts he has performed with The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Kenny Davern; Andy Stein; Matt Glaser; Tim Kliphuis; Vince Giordano's Nighthawks; Frank Vignola; Jon-Erik Kellso; Evan Christopher; Duke Heitger; Bob Wilbur; Bucky Pizzarelli; and Dick Hyman. 

Matt's CD, [S*till Runnin' Round In The Wilderness*](http://mattmunisteri.com/recordings/still-runnin-around-in-the-wilderness/), (2012) is the first volume of two planned CDs to explore the "lost" compositions of the under-recognized, but truly prototypical, American singer-songwriter Willard Robison.  Matt is also a featured performer on the new release, [*Hell Among the Hedgehogs*](http://mattmunisteri.com/recordings/hell-among-the-hedgehogs/), (2012) a smoking hot twin guitar CD with The Hot Club of Cowtown's Whit Smith, and a CD from Musette Explosion, a decade-old band with accordionist Will Holshouser and tuba player Marcus Rojas. A 2023 CD release, *Jon-Erik Kellso and The EarRegulars, Live at the Ear* *Inn*, was featured on NPR's *Fresh Air* with Terry Gross, with Matt Munisteri and Jon-Erik Kellso being interviewed about the group they co-lead while also performing in studio.

### **Domo Branch, drums**

Domo Branch is a New York-based  drummer, composer, and producer who  grew up in Portland, Oregon. A graduate of  Grant High School, Branch was active on  the Portland music scene throughout his  teenage years, playing with Thara Memory's  prestigious Pacific Crest Sinfonietta, numerous groups through the Alan Jones Academy  of Music, and The Devin Phillips Quartet. He  has worked with Jeff Hamilton, Taylor Eigsti,  Kendrick Scott, and Sean Jones, among others, and earned the Presidential Scholarship  from the Manhattan School of Music, where  he graduated in 2022. Branch has performed  and/or toured with Catherine Russell, Dianne Reeves, Mike  Phillips, Wynton Marsalis and the JLCO.  In 2022, he released his first album *We Are Made* featuring Stefon Harris. In Portland,  he is part of the Noah Simpson Quartet and  co-leads an ensemble with longtime friend  Charlie Brown III called The Brown Branch  Jazz Orchestra.

### **Tal Ronen, bass**

Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1981, Tal Ronen is an accomplished young bass player living and working in New York City. As a highly sought-after sideman, Tal has been a frequent band member with many notable musicians such as Frank Wess, Jimmy Cobb, Harry Whitaker, Sheila Jordan, and many more. Ronen also leads his own group featuring his own original compositions, as well as being a main collaborator and songwriter for up and coming artist Dida Pelled.

Ronen has played at many prominent New York venues, most notably Jazz at Lincoln Center, Village Vanguard, Iridium, the Kitano, Smalls and Mezzrow. He is a frequent presence on the world stage, participating in various international festivals around the world including the Sibiu Jazz Festival (Romania), the Gyor International Art Festival (Hungary), Jazz-en-Tete in Clairmont-Ferrand (France) and many other acclaimed venues, such as the North Sea Jazz Club in Amsterdam and Sunset Jazz Club in Paris. In Israel, he has been a frequent participant of local jazz festivals such as the international Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat, the Israel Festival in Jerusalem, the Tel Aviv Jazz festival, the Haifa Jazz festival and others.  His style has been described as "swinging and lyrical... I was delighted by the big warm sound he got... His pulse was absolutely right, although never obtrusive, and his solo lines were worthy of being transcribed" (Michael Steinman, *Jazz Lives*) "Easily one of the best bassists of his generation ... a truly gifted accompanist ... with exuberant, swinging solos" (*Arts America*).

Ronen graduated from the prestigious art high school Thelma Yellin in Israel and served the Israeli Army as a bassist in the Army Jazz ensemble, enjoying an outstanding musician status. A two-time scholarship recipient from the American-Israeli Cultural Foundation, he also won several competitions for ensemble playing at the Rimon Jazz School. He received his BFA from The City College of New York, Magna Cum Laude, in 2009. 

### **Ben Paterson, piano**

"As soulful a pianist/organist as exists anywhere." —*Downbeat Magazine*

Combining a joyful swing with an impeccable touch, Steinway Artist Ben Paterson has established himself as one of the most exciting pianists on the jazz scene today, garnering international acclaim for his superb musicianship and engaging performances. He has led his own groups on both piano and Hammond B3 at premier clubs and festivals around the world and is regularly called upon to work with some of the top names in jazz. Notable collaborations include work with Catherine Russell, Bobby Broom, Houston Person, Samara Joy and NEA Jazz Master Von Freeman to name a few, with performances opening for groups like Steely Dan and B.B. King. More info at [benpaterson.com](https://benpaterson.com/).