The Hit Men Program

The Hit Men -

Classic Rock Supergroup

CHRISTENSEN PERFORMANCE HALL on

The Madeline Janis Courter Stage

MARCH 15, 2024 8:00PM

Graciously Sponsored By CHARLES AND GAIL SHEETZ & BOB AND KATHY WIESEMANN

A M essage for our Friends

BIG ARTS, now in its fifth decade, was created by and for the community. Time has not diminished our devotion to a fundamental purpose and principle: To provide a warm and welcoming place that celebrates the arts, and the artist in all of us, and helps remind us of our shared humanity.

Throughout the recent rough years of closures and cancellations, we never closed our doors. We flung them open to host several free gatherings, complete with entertainment, food and beverages, and to offer a space in which we can revel in the joy of being together again.

Now, a full season of great lectures, workshops, films, fine arts exhibits and performing artists is back! It is deeply rewarding for us to see the hallways, galleries, seats and classrooms filled with new and old friends enjoying all that BIG ARTS offers.

Our commitment to community extends to the stewardship of our donors’ dollars. While our foundation is strong, we took a financial “hit” during the canceled seasons. With a brand-new season up and running, we look to our loyal friends and patrons to help us weather the changes and continue to flourish.

Thank you for including BIG ARTS in your charitable giving. Every dollar is deeply appreciated. Your support signals your belief in our mission and ensures that BIG ARTS continues to be a vibrant community partner in Sanibel and Captiva’s enduring quality of life – now and for decades

Lee Ellen Harder Executive Director

THE HIT MEN

CLASSIC ROCK SUPERGROUP

Come with us back to a time when Rock was King. A time when we were young and aspiring… exploring life, underscored by the greatest music ever recorded.

Relive Rock’s greatest hits with The Hit Men— the real guys who performed with legendary artists including members of Foreigner, Journey, Styx, The Hooters, Steely Dan, Cheap Trick, The Rascals, Alan Parsons, Three Dog Night, Cream, Grand Funk and The Who.

In their exciting multi-media concert, The Hit Men celebrate their associations with these mega-stars, share their first-hand experiences as eyewitnesses to rock history, and perform classic hits you know and love… “Layla,” “Don’t Stop Believin,” “I Want To Know What Love Is,” “Feels Like The First Time,” “Sunshine of Your Love,” “Eye in the Sky” and many more… just the way you remember them!

In 2019, The Hit Men were recognized by the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville with the organization’s first-ever “Road Warriors Award,” given to honor “their years of dedication to the music and the countless miles they have traveled in delivering so many hits throughout the world.”

MEET THE BAND

STEVE MURPHY

DRUMS/VOCALS

Steve Murphy is a drummer/singer/producer/engineer and has been heavily involved in the NY music scene since the late '80s. The artists he has performed and recorded with are some of the most famous and recognizable names in music over the last 60 years. He became passionate about music and performing at an early age. His first big break came in 1998 when he was asked to work as a vocalist in the studio with legendary producer Phil Ramone on a project for Elton John. His voice was featured on dozens of national commercials, including the Army's "Be All You Can Be" campaign. He was a member of The Alan Parsons Live Project, touring over 40 countries. He has also toured with Jack Bruce (Cream), Eric Burdon and the Animals, Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night), Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), Dave Mason, Todd Rundgren, Steve Augeri (Journey) and more.

TOMMY WILLIAMS GUITAR/VOCALS

Tommy Williams is a guitarist/vocalist who has worked with rock and pop music’s most influential names. He was the musical director and guitarist for Debbie Gibson, the music prodigy who burst on the Billboard Pop Charts at the tender age of 16; featured on Debbie’s #1 hit “Lost in Your Eyes,” Tommy did two world tours with Debbie and directed three of her bestselling albums. Tommy has also performed with The Hooters, Tommy Shaw of Styx, Steely Dan, Denny Laine of Paul McCartney & Wings, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen and Robin Zander and more.

MIKE DIMEO KEYS/VOCALS

Mike DiMeo is a gifted multi- keyboard expert and singer. His years as the organist for Tommy James and The Shondells opened the door to his long list of collaborations, including performances with Deep Purple, Johnny Winter, Bonnie Tyler, to name just a few.

GREG SMITH BASS/VOCALS

Gregory Smith is a bassist and vocalist who has collaborated with so many rock legends that it’s hard to keep track. His resume reads like a “who’s who” of classic rock, including work with Billy Joel, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Alan Parsons, Blue Oyster Cult, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Turtles, Dokken, Denny Laine of Wings, Glen Frey of the Eagles, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night and more. Greg appeared in the film Wayne's World as a member of Alice Cooper's band, performing "Feed My Frankenstein".

MARK NEWMAN GUITAR/VOCALS

An ace stringman (guitar, mandolin, lap steel and dobro), Mark is the type of singer whose warm and expressive voice sounds like an old friend. Mark’s musical journey has taken him around the world several times, sharing the stage with notables, such as soul legend Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, John Oates of Hall & Oates, Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds, Bobby Whitlock of Derek & The Dominoes and the inimitable Sam The Sham.

Save the Date!

BIG ARTS 45 TH ANNUAL BENEFIT MARCH 22, 2024

Lavish pre-show buffets & open bars followed by post-concert desserts, dancing, drinks & more in the BIG ARTS Malone Family Sculpture Garden!

THE DOO WOP PROJECT

featuring stars of Broadway’s smash hits

Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical

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Name

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Benefit Sponsors

EXCLUSIVE PRODUCERS

Gustav and Vibeke Christensen

Jim and Gaye Pigott

EXCLUSIVE CORPORATE PRESENTER Bank of the Islands

INDIVIDUAL PRESENTERS

James and Susen Berg

Jim and Carmen Courter

Barb and Tom Dunham

PACESETTERS

Edward and Catherine Anderson • Dick and Mary Butler • Jack and Fay Chestnut

Ralph and Carolyn Clark • Linda and Gordon Coons • Jim and Dulce Doss

Susan and John Freund • JoAnn and Bob Glick • George and Susan Heisler

Maureen and Gary Saage

Sanibel Home Furnishings, Diane, Ray and Carl Knight

Jeff and Rene Savarise

Architectural Land Design

Robert and Betty Van Tassel

FANS

John and Mary Ann Boorn • Barry and Judy Bronstein

Gift Shop Team: Anni, Jan, Libby & Linda • Jackie and David Lurio

Don and Nancy Rolley •Michael Samet & Elissa-Karasin Samet

Law Office of Janet M. Strickland P.A • Ed & Virginia Stringer

Michael and Marilee Wood

GROUPIES

Charlie and Linda Adams

Judith Adler

Melissa and Scot Congress

Doug and Sherry Gentry

Janice Block Chaddock and Ron Chaddock

Lousie Sinclair Eastman

Mardi Glenn

John and Darnell Fatigati

John and Jean Halligan • The Health Whisperer

Robin and Barbara Lee • John and Barbara Lies • MHK Architecture

David and Nora Mimms

Rob and Mindy Pierce

Chip and Nancy Roach

Bill and Barbara Millar

Vincent and Celina Monte-Sano • Phillip and Diane Olsson

Susan Ramser and Chris Bowman

Kris and Doug Ryckman

Susie Tweddell • Tom and Linda Uhler

Nancy Traylor

Joyce and Don Rice

Cathie and Bill Thiede

Douglas and Priscilla Viets

Molly and Ted Wiedeman

Cathy and Joel Vogel

Bob and Kathy Wiesemann

Penny Wilkinson and Dick Boehning

Gene and Margaret Zelek

COMING UP AT BIG ARTS

STACEY KENT

April 6, 8:00PM

Sponsored by Tom and Linda Uhler

BIG ARTS FAMILY DAY

April 13, 4:00-7:00PM

ARTIST RECEPTION ART AS THERAPY, HOPE AND HEALING THROUGH ART

ART VIBE

May 3, 5:00-7:00PM

June 15, 5:00-8:00PM

Meet Our Supporters

Thank you to our loyal donors. Your support is needed now, as never before.

PREMIERE

Gustav & Vibeke Christensen

Leslie Fleischner

Florida Department of State

Ken Nees

Jim & Gaye Pigott

Bob & Kathy Wiesemann

PACESETTER

Sanibel Captiva Trust Company

Dr. Michael & Mrs. Marilee Wood

Bank of the Islands

BENEFACTOR

James C. & Susan H. Berg

Ginny Bowen

Andrew & Ruthelen Burns

Dick & Mary Butler

Congress Jewelers

Janice Devitt

Barb & Tom Dunham

Kathleen & John Green Jr.

Dorothy & Seth Hemming

Bob & Marilyn Klaskin

Dorothy Lichtenstein

Northern Trust

Sue Pick

Jeffrey & Rene Savarise

Charlie & Gail Sheetz

Patricia Thurber

Linda & Tom Uhler

Linda & John Wulff

GRAND PATRON

Edward & Catherine Anderson

Lore Bahnik, The Bahnik Foundation

David and Judy Baum

Mary Buck

Jack & Fay Chestnut

Nancy Dehmlow

David Filkins

Doug & Sherry Gentry

Laurie & Steve Hafener

Melissa & Jason Halliburton

George & Susan Heisler

David Huggin

Peter & Ann Lambertus

Vicky & John Lettmann

Bruce & Antonette McDonald

Philip & Roberta Puschel

Richard & Nathalie Pyle

Gary & Maureen Saage

Vreni Scheu

Dawn Schumann

Chris & Crystal Smith

Dr. Robert & Betty Van Tassel

Anni & Jack Wellauer

Penny Wilkinson & Dick Boehning

Gene & Margaret Zelek

PATRON

Charles & Linda Adams

Elaine & T.P. August

John & Mary Ann Boorn

Barry & Judy Bronstein

Linda & Gordon Coons

Anonymous

Mr. & Mrs. Manny Fernandez

Susan & John Freund

Emily (Lee) Haines

Brenda & Marty Harrity

Tony & Angie Lapi

William & Barbara Millar

Stephanie Rahe

Dick & Peggy Raney

Don & Joyce Rice

Chip & Nancy Roach

Ed & Virginia Stringer

Morton & Betty Tavel

Law Office of Janet M. Strickland, P.A.

Hazel Barber

Curtis A. Barton

Lynn Bernard

Walter & Wendy Berninger

Naomi Bloom

Robert & Dixie Bowden

Philip & Helen Bradbury

Dan & Donna Casey

Ralph & Carolyn Clark

ANGEL

Aaron J. Cohen

Coile Foundation

Lillian Decker

Dana DiCarlo

Yvonne & Phillip Dressel

Boomer Duvin

Kim Eastman & Louise Sinclair Eastman

Dave & Linda Essig

Cecy Faster

Robin

Ron

CONTRIBUTOR

Mark McQuade & Ellen Mayeron

Howard & Ruth Menken

Scott & Arlene Mowry

Robert & Mary Ellen Paulson

Steve & Susan Peltzman

Carol & Ron Periard

Mike & Anna Puma

Mr. & Mrs. David Rappaport

Robert & Lorraine Rippe

Cecily I. Robinson

Scott & Marianne Rogers

Lawrence & Phyllis Sager

Marcel & Jane Saghir

Sanibel Historical Museum & Village

Francie & Larry Schenck

Shirley Schlossman

Howard & Pam Shaw

Frank & Jeanne Speizer

Chris & Janis Swain

August & Maureen Thoma

Nancy Trimbur

Ken & Virginia Trudell

Thomas & Kathleen Veratti

Douglas H. & Priscilla B. Viets

John & Beverly Voorhees

Ellen Wersan

The Buckman Family

George C. Witte

FRIEND

Don & Betty Abbott

Corrine & Art Addie

Judith Adler

Susan Ahlcrona

Clare Almack

Amejo Amyot

Judie Anderson

Leslie & Joe Anding

Susan Andrews

Mary S. Arceneaux

Dr. Donald Bachman & Dr. Karen Back

Suzanne & Randy Baker

Charles & Ann Balch

George & Molly Barbee

Dr. Ann Tice & Dr. Joe Barkmeier

Richard & Madeline Baron

Mary & Dan Bell

Tom & Laura Bernhardt

Kathryn Bielefeld

Virginia Bisby

PJ Blankenhorn & Tony Wagner

Cindy Bixler Borgmann

Dick & Victoria Bourdow

Robert Rauschenberg Foundation

Raymond L. Brennan

John & Catherine Bridge

Kathryn Brintnall

Jo & Arthur Brisbane

Leslie Brunn

Peter & Connie Bukowick

Rodger & Mary Jo Bunnell

Deborah Butler

Melissa & Mark Calkin

Richard & Marcy Calkins

Mr. & Mrs. John Campbell

Ron & Janice Chaddock

Carl & Mary Ann Chambers

Mrs. Marcia Chauvet & Mr. John Dolan

Leslie Cimino

Michele Classe

Janice Udesen Cohen

Robin & David Coleman

Mark & Doreen Bolhuis & Maureen Corpron-Vel

Rabbi

Barbara

Raf

Bev

Fred

Brenda

Lisabet

Nancy

Ron

Anonymous

Thomas LaFond

Melissa Laidlaw & Menashe Ben-David

Linda Laird

Virginia & Tim Lattner

Mr. & Mrs. Paul R. Lawrence

Annie Layman

Ann Lindberg

Karen Holder & Randy Lisk

Maryann L. Loh

Gary & Margot Long

Howard Lorsch & Tracy Dwyer

David & Kelly Lowden

David & Jackie Lurio

Janet MaGirl

Marla Manning

Joan M. Martyn

Pamela M. Mascio

John & Jennifer Masters

Roy & Judith McCloskey

John & Janet McLaughlin

Dana Mehlig

Michele Messenger

Sarah Ashton & Jim Metzler

Eleanor Miller

Rene & Margarethe Miville

Joseph & Linda Mondelli

Mike & Debbie Morgan

Mary Beth & Scott Morrison

Drs. John & Gwendolynn Newman

Randall & Marilyn Niehoff

Fred C. Nordstrom

Mr. & Mrs. John L.S. Northrop

Jim & Barbara O’Hare

Bruce & Catherine Odlaug

Tom & Barbara Olson

Carl Ordemann

Enid Packard

Jim & Nancy Patterson

Mica Pennington

Nathan Perkins

Mr. & Mrs. Erich Pfanzelt

Dr. Allen & Wendy Pois

Isabella Rasi

Marianne Nyhan Ravenna

Debra & David Ray

James Reynolds

Jan Rice

Rob & Debbie Rizzo

Carlos & Mary Roche

Carol & Bill Rosenberg

Margaret Ross

Carolyn Ruff

Jolene & Kooroush Saeian

Di Saggau

Mr. & Mrs. Peter Saltz

Michael Samet & Elissa Karasin-Samet

Pat Santucci, M.D.

David Scheiber

Laurence & Jeanie Schiffer

John & Lisa Schmidlin

Craig & Lynn Schneider

Bob & Caren Schoen

Steve & Laurie Schulz

Walter & Betsy Schuman

Michelle Schweber

Debbie Scray

Mr. Terry See & Mrs. Theresa Shea-See

Mr. Juan Serret & Mrs. Karen Serret

Jack & Karen Shaw

Sally & Dwight Shelton

Bradford Shingleton

Joseph Shuster & Barbara Bazzone

Karen Shutway

Cathy Simon

Dennis & Brooke Simon

Anonymous

Joyce & Joe Sirkin

Ellen Smiley & David Bollinger

Jon & Kathryn Sternburg

Priscilla Stevens

Betsy Sugerman

Dr. Anjanette Stoltz & Mr. Anthony Bango

Dennis Sutherland

Al & Monica Taylor

FRIEND

Kathleen Taylor & Bruno Notari

Lynn Thelen

Kersti Thompson

Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Timson

Kay Trainor

Karr & Joan Van Nordstrand

Janice VanBuskirk

Kelli Vestal

Gary & Linda Vroegindewey

David Waks & Sandra Teger

Anne Walter

Bob & Roberta Washlow

James Weddell

Ina Weissblatt

Lyman & Deana Welch

Lynne Wesolowski

Berta & Carroll Wetzel

Helene Weyant

Brian & Susan White

Patricia Pombo Wilson

Elaine & Sanford Winer

Linda & Jim Winn

J Pamela Weiner & James Wittenberg

E. Blake Wood

The Dunham Children

Nancy Zeedyk

Mr. & Mrs. Jeffry Zimmer

LEGACY SOCIETY

Jack T. Bailey

Jerry Churchill

K. Ann Dempsey

Elizabeth Eagleton

Ruth F. Frank

Roni Freer

Deborah & John La Gorce

Kenneth L. Nees

Don & Joyce Rice

John Schork

Penny Wilkinson & Dick Boehning

Please remember BIG ARTS in your estate planning.

GIFTS IN HONOR OF

Chuck Bonser

Donna Leahy

The Dunham Family

Kris Gurall

Patrick Harder

David and Ann Hedges

George & Susan Heisler

Ken Nees

Dan & Gerri Perkins

Jim & Gaye Pigott

Carol Rosenberg

Elmer Stilbert

Janet M. Strickland, P.A.

Monica Taylor

Ellen Whitten

GIFTS IN MEMORY OF

Suzanne Crawford

Blake Devitt

Henry Foltz

Dave Havrilla

Beth Murphy

Dr. Laurence Oberhill

Bea Pappas

Tom Pick

Paul Powers

Karen Shaw

Davis Thurber

Ronald Glenn Wallace

Pat Whitaker

IN-KIND DONORS

Landgraphics Sanibel-Captiva David M. Platt, PA

Meet Our Staff

Lena Baranova - Staff Accountant

Denise Dillon - Events Assistant

Marina Dowling - Office Manager

Barbara Freeman - Executive Assistant

Meghan Govoni - Marketing Manager

Melody Hampton - Database and Information Manager

Lee Ellen Harder - Executive Director

Charlotte Hardt - Customer Service Associate

Wendy Harriman - House Manager Aimee Harrison - Workshops Manager

Richard Jones - Technical Director

David Kolson - Chief Financial Officer

Greg LeBlanc - Facilities and Maintenance Supervisor

Kelly Lowden - Customer Service Associate

Wilson McCray - Gallery Director

Michelle Schweber - Development Director

Olga Semreen - Staff Accountant

Meet Our Board

Chair - Rene Savarise

Vice Chair - Bob Wiesemann

Treasurer/Secretary - David Lowden

Past Chair - Don Rice

Executive Director - Lee Ellen Harder

Gustav Christensen

Scot Congress

Mike Wood

Great communities create great organizations – not the other way around. In 1979, BIG ARTS was created, by, and for the community, and owes its rich history to a small band of dedicated artists who drew inspiration from each other and from the breathtaking island beauty that infused their work with grace and authenticity. They set out to create a special gathering place where artistic and educational experiences were accessible to all. Today that vision is alive and well. With the help of our loyal donors and supporters, BIG ARTS will carry that vision forward –providing joy, inspiration and a sense of community for generations to come.

Vision

To create great arts, entertainment and learning experiences that always inspire, enrich and delight.

MissionProvide an array of quality entertainment, arts and education programs that enrich and nurture the lives of Sanibel and Captiva residents and visitors through:

• professionally led arts and enrichment classes and workshops for students of all ages

• stimulating and informative lectures and group discussions with renowned national thought leaders and educators

• dynamic visual and performing arts presentations of the highest caliber

INFORMATION & TICKETS:

IN PERSON: 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, Florida 33957

BY PHONE: 239.395.0900

ONLINE: BIGARTS.org