OC - Celtic Nights

Celtic Nights A Journey of Hope

SINGERS

Peter Corry Derek Collins Naoise Stuart Kelly Derek Ryan Sarah Gannon Colette Lennon

MUSICIANS Ben Gunnery Stephen O’Connor DANCERS

Mariam Elbadri Owen McAuley Nawl Elbadri Siobhan O’Connor Tanya Baird Gavin Boyle

WED, FEB 29, 2012 | Overture Hall This program is part of Overture’s Take 10 Series for students and educators. Funding for Take 10 is provided by Overture Center Foundation contributors. Learn how you can help make arts experiences real for hundreds of thousands of people in the greater Madison area at overturecenter.com/contribute This program is part of Overture’s Community Ticket Program. Funding for the Community Ticket Program is provided by American Girl’s Fund for Children, a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by Overture Center Foundation contributors. Learn how you can help make arts experiences real for hundreds of thousands of people in the greater Madison area at overturecenter.com/contribute. media partner

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A TomcAT ProducTs ouTside The Box series evenT

sun, apr 15, 7:30 pm tickets starting at $12 overture Hall

Luma Theater

What started on Madison’s east side 20 years ago is now “a rare show, bedazzling, truly magical.” (San Francisco Chronicle) post-performance Q&a $10 tickets for k–12 students and educators with ID

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WHO’S WHO PETER CORRY (Singer), from Belfast, has travelled the globe with his unique sound and timeless classics and is today considered one of Ireland’s leading international stars.

His astonishing talent spans the great musicals, opera, rock, jazz and the haunting melodies of his native isle. Having starred in Night of 1,000 Stars at the Royal Albert Hall and performed in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Peter’s musical gift was quickly recognized and he presented his own TV series, The Peter Corry Show with BBC Northern Ireland, singing alongside a host of international personalities.

A superb vocal range complemented Peter’s casting in the opera productions of Cosi fan tutte, as Guglielmo, The Marriage of Figaro as Figaro and The Beggars Opera as Captain MacHeath.

Peter spent three years in the formidable role of Inspector Javert, which he made his own in the West End, and then the UK tour of the Schonbert and Boubil’s hit, Les Miserables. His dream during those years was to take the music of Les Miserables to the people of Ireland and in 2001 internationally renowned producer, Cameron Macintosh gave permission for and entrusted Peter with the production of this major event in a concert version performed at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena, playing to over 15,000 people. Following on from this success, Peter’s company, PC Productions brought One Enchanted Evening to delighted audiences once again at the magnificent Odyssey venue. A glittering array of stars from Broadway, the West End and beyond including Joanna Ampil and Barbara Dickson shared the stage with Peter and a breathtaking choir of 850! Peter also appeared at the Odyssey Arena in 2004, taking the lead role in the premiere of On Eagles Wing. In 2007 he again returned to the Odyssey Arena to perform in The Night of 1000 Voices along with Sir James Galway and David Essex.

On several occasions Peter has been featured in Washington at the St Patrick’s Day Celebrations. He has also performed at The MGM Grand Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas and recently in the unique setting of The Vanderbilt Hall Grand Central Station, New York.

Over the last few years, Peter has performed throughout the world on tours to the U.S., China, Russia, Poland, Spain, Latvia, Denmark, Cyprus, Sweden and Holland. He is delighted to be returning to the U.S. for the upcoming Celtic Nights tour.

BEN GUNNERY (Musician) is a multi-instrumentalist who studied at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music, graduating with a first class degree in classical violin performance. Ben has gone on to tour internationally with various companies, bands and orchestras such as Barrage, Riverdance, Dance Masters, Celtic Legends, Lost Music of the Gaels, Incantation, Shane MacGowan and The Popes, Calgary Philharmonic (to name a few) and is a regularly booked musician for orchestral/classical sessions in London for film, TV and contemporary composers.

In 2011 Ben had been offered a place and is a current member of the internationally renowned Michael Nyman Band (Composer renowned for the film soundtrack to ‘The Piano’).

He is also a member of Gerry Diver’s speech project who has collaborated in part with various Irish artists involved,

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WHO’S WHO including Christy Moore, Paddy Maloney, Martin Hayes, Damien Dempsey, Shane MacGowan and Danny Meehan.

Always interested in diversity, Ben is passionate about learning a variety of styles that the violin can lend itself to: Irish traditional music, Jazz, Swing, Indian traditional music, Chinese traditional music and a wide variety of classical music.

In his early years Ben received awards for violin competitions such as the Vera Kronovitch award for solo Bach, Soloist Concerto competition at Trinity, and numerous fiddle competitions. These sets of skills have been paramount in Ben’s success as a teacher, performer and session musician.

Europe, Asia and Central America. She also toured the US.. and Canada with The Three Irish Tenors as their guest artist.

As a recording artist, Naoise is featured on the multi-platinum selling album Voice of Hope (PBS TV, CD & DVD) and in 2010 compiled a special edition CD (Whisper of Angels) comprising Irish classics such as “Carrickfergus” and “Danny Boy”. Naoise made her West End debut in An Enchanted Evening at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane alongside Dame Judi Dench and renowned soprano Leslie Garrett in 2002. She performed at Her Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Classical Concert in Buckingham Palace (BBC TV) and has played leading roles in many stage DEREK RYAN (Singer) is a native productions including Sondheim’s Into of Tipperary and is currently widely The Woods, The Mikado, The Sound of known as one of Ireland’s leading Music, Songs For a New World, Listen to bass baritones. Based in Dublin, he My Heart, The Pirates of Penzance and also spends a great deal of his time in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

London and the United States.

Following her critically acclaimed His singing career has spanned many role in the musical comedy I Love You, genres of music, from opera to a more You’re Perfect, Now Change, Naoise was contemporary singing style. Performing involved in workshop recordings for with Opera Ireland, he has had Boublil & Schoenberg’s The Pirate Queen, numerous lead roles, the most recent before it transferred to Broadway in being in Il Trovatore.

2007. More recently, she appeared He played The Beast in Beauty and with the RTE Concert Orchestra in the Beast and has had principal roles Jesus Christ Superstar at the National in Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma and Concert Hall, Dublin. Naoise has just Jesus Christ Superstar. He appears completed playing the part of Belle regularly with the RTE Concert Orchestra in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast over and also co-wrote and starred in a Christmas 2011 at Dublin’s National tribute show to Paul Robeson (a life Concert Hall. She looks forward to long hero of his). Derek has previously performing in Celtic Nights in 2012. toured the east coast of America and had appearances in Carnegie Hall.

DEREK COLLINS (Singer) is Derek’s delivery and performance of regarded as one of the most versatile songs and melodies from his native land and passionate tenors in Irish musical will touch the heartstrings of audiences theatre. He proudly starred, to wide from Tipperary to Manhattan. critical acclaim, as Harry Boland, a role he created, in the world premiere NAOISE STUART KELLY (Singer) of Bryan Flynn’s epic musical Michael studied Musical Theatre at the Royal Collins. Previously, Derek featured as Academy of Music in London and lead vocalist in Riverdance,The Show; classical singing with Dr. Veronica Dunne traveling to Canada, the U.S., Europe, in Dublin. As lead vocalist with Riverdance, Australia and New Zealand whilst on she toured the world, performing in tour for many years. During this time 4

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WHO’S WHO he also thoroughly enjoyed performing on the majestic ocean liner, the QEII. Some other favourite musical theatre roles to date include, Chucky in Jerry Springer:The Opera, Freddy Trumper in Chess, Citizen Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel, Perchik in Fiddler On The Roof, Gary in A Slice Of Saturday Night and the dual roles of Hanrahan and Heffernan in Seagull’s Dance. In concert Derek has performed in Follies with Lorna Luft, Millicent Martin and Mary Miller. He has also performed in Jesus Christ Superstar with Steve Balsamo, Porgy and Bess, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, and as support vocalist to Smokie. Derek regularly performs with Druid and The Irish Tenors in Ireland and on their world tours. With various projects both running and forthcoming, Derek is looking forward to a busy 2012, where he will once again perform across Europe and America.

COLETTE LENNON (Singer) started her professional career at the age of ten as the lead in Dah Dit Dah directed by N.G. Bristow, which was produced with the BBC. Colette studied musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Through her musical theatre career she has performed in shows in Africa and India, and has portrayed Mary Poppins whilst on a European tour. She has also toured Germany, India and Spain, taking the lead in many musicals. In theatre, Colette has recently played the role of Ros in Henna Night directed

by Martin McSharry (Rawlife), which was performed at the Black Box and the Ulster Hall. Her other roles include Anna in Yahlta Game performed in London and Olenna, which toured the North West. Her TV and Film work includes Claire in Covet, produced

by Screenwriters Ink, the Coach in a Northern Ireland Fire Service ad, and Eimear in The Curse of Macha.

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pLATInUM SpOnSOrS Madison gas & electric gOLd SpOnSOrS The Bruce Company University of Wisconsin of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics CUnA Mutual group University of Wisconsin proVideo Medical Foundation Unity University research park SILVer SpOnSOrS Bell Laboratories Moe’s & Icon restaurants Capital newspapers, Inc. Murphy desmond, S.C. deWitt ross & Stevens SVA Food Fight, Inc. Supranet Communications gammex TOMCAT products Madison Investment Holdings Webcrafters BrOnze SpOnSOrS goodman’s Jewelers Smart Motors J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. Stafford rosenbaum, S.C. Outrider Foundation State Bank of Cross plains pepsi Cola of Madison TdS Telecommunications COrpOrATe SpOnSOrS Steve Brown Apartments Custer Financial Services Von Briesen & roper The Fiore Companies, Inc. Wheeler, Van Sickel & Anderson, S.C. Hovde properties Whyte Hirschboeck dudek, S.C. Mullins group WISC-TV park Bank The robert H. Keller Co. *List current as of January 31, 2012

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A bell lAborAtories celebrity series event

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Itzhak Perlman

The undisputed reigning virtuoso of the violin — and Kennedy Center honoree — takes the Overture Hall stage in an intimate solo recital.

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PATRON SERVICES AND INFORMATION

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