Sat.,
OCTOBER 19th, 2013 7:30 pm
Upper
St.
Clair
HS
Auditorium
SHE'S GOT
THE BLUES, starring Jessica Lee and The Rick Purcell "Little"
Big Band
A musical journey from the early days of jazz and blues
traveling through many decades, remembering the greats; Bessie
Smith, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank
Sinatra, Ray Charles, Gladys Knight and others.
Sat.,
NOVEMBER 9th, 2013 7:30 pm
Upper
St.
Clair
HS
Auditorium
GRANDE
ROMANZA, Broadway Love Songs featuring Stefano & Nina Tanchietti
Stefano
and Nina Tanchietti, the magical American Dramatic Tenor and
Soprano Duo, have been blessed with many talents which, when
combined together, offer a powerful and unforgettable
experience. They both possess glorious operatic voices,
extraordinary physical beauty, incomparable acting ability and
innate artistic expressiveness. From their first joint venture
as college sweethearts as Marco and Gianetta in Gilbert and
Sullivan’s “The Gondoliers”, to their first operatic pairing as
Don Jose and Micaela in Bizet’s “Carmen”, to their spellbinding
performances as Otello and Desdemona in Verdi’s “Otello”, their
audiences have marveled at the special chemistry they share
onstage.
Their story
began in Massachusetts where they were born and raised. They
both showed exceptional musical gifts at very early ages.
Stefano’s beautiful boy alto gradually developed from a baritone
into a young dramatic tenor with world-class potential. His
formal musical studies began at age seventeen, his voice teacher
proclaiming that he had a great talent that would someday propel
him to the top. He won a full scholarship to Boston University
School of Fine Arts where he was the pride and joy of the Music
Department, receiving both his Bachelor of Music and Master of
Music degrees there.
Nina’s
musical development began with ballet lessons at age eight,
piano lessons at age ten and voice lessons at age fourteen.
Dancing was initially her principal love and when she auditioned
for the Boston Ballet Company at age sixteen the director told
her that she had the talent to become a great ballerina. But the
following year the beauty of her young dramatic soprano also won
her a scholarship to Boston University School of Fine Arts. The
Fates had decreed that Stefano and Nina would meet, fall in love
and marry. They are soul mates that are inseparable,
complementing each other in everything they do.
Stefano
and Nina soon realized they had very unusual dramatic voices
that had to be carefully nurtured and allowed to develop at
their own pace. With this in mind, they accepted engagements
throughout the United States, Europe, and South Africa, taking
the time to perfect their vocal techniques and refine their art.
They have built extensive repertoires in opera, light opera and
musical comedy and are equally at home in all three mediums.
They are uncommon individualists with very distinctive talents.
Because of
their tremendous versatility and their love for various types of
musical expression, this remarkable couple decided to create a
special show that would highlight their numerous gifts. They
also wanted to reach out to audiences that are not accustomed to
experiencing the thrill of live voices coming directly at them
without microphones and amplifiers, something now only heard in
classical venues.
Thus was
born “GRANDE ROMANZA®”, musical scenes of love and
passion from Broadway, Operetta and Opera, performed with either
piano or full orchestra. This totally unique act consists of
seven different programs of fully staged, choreographed and
costumed duets, solos and dances designed to suit the many and
varied tastes of every music lover. From the Broadway tunes of
Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Bernstein and Webber, to
the Operetta melodies of Lehar, Kern, Herbert and Romberg, to
the Opera arias and duets of Verdi, Puccini and Bizet, “GRANDE
ROMANZA®” performances are events that should be seen by
everyone.
Sat.,
DECEMBER 7th, 2013 7:30 pm Upper
St.
Clair
HS
Auditorium
GOLDEN
DRAGON ACROBATS
Sat.,
MARCH 8th, 2014 7:30 pm
Southminster Presbyterian Church
MONA GOLABEK: The
Pianist of Willesden Lane
Set in Vienna in 1938 and London
during the Blitzkrieg, The Pianist of
Willesden Lane is directed by Hershey
Felder. It tells the true story of Lisa Jura, a
young Jewish pianist who dreams of a concert
debut at the storied Musikverein concert hall.
When Lisa is swept up in the Kindertransport to
protect her from the Nazi regime, everything
about her life is upended except her love of
music and her pursuit of that dream.
Mona
Golabek,
Lisa Jura's daughter, tells her mother's story
and performs some of the world’s most beloved
piano music in this poignant tribute to her
remarkable mother.
Based on the book
The Children of Willesden Lane,
written by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen,
The Pianist of Willesden Lane
is one young girl's story of survival and how the most beautiful
music in the world saved her life.
Sat.,
APRIL 12th, 2014 7:30 pm Upper
St.
Clair
HS
Auditorium