Kuana Torres Kahele 1.11
Jerry Herman The Broadway Legacy Concert 1.12
Mireya Mayor Pink Boots and a Machete 1.13
Fred Hersch Trio 1.17
JazzReach
Metta Quintet
Photo by Martin Harvey
1.18
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater 1.19
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WELCOME IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU TO AN AWARD-WINNING SEASON AT THE BARCLAY.
Happy New Year! And thank you for being here at Irvine Barclay Theatre. This season, the Barclay has managed to do the nearly impossible. We’ve curated a season with artists who, collectively, have garnered an extraordinary number of high caliber awards and nominations. 117 Grammy nominations; 49 Grammy Award wins; 21 Tony nominations; 12 Tony Award wins; 18 Emmy nominations; 4 Emmy Award wins, 5 Oscar nominations. Plus, there’s even one Pulitzer Prize and one Royal Knighthood. It’s a season steeped with top-notch artists, including Broadway luminary Sutton Foster, flamenco great Diego el Cigala, and a rising star from Hawai’i, Kalani Pe’a. The expanded Jazz@theBarclay, and our signature Contemporary Dance series feature first-class talent from across the nation and around the world. As always, we are indebted to all who help us maintain the Barclay as a unique community resource: our staff and our Board of Directors; our public partners—the City of Irvine and UCI; and you, the audience. I especially want to thank our 2018–2019 season sponsor, City National Bank, for its enthusiastic support. We look forward to working together to make Orange County an even better place to live. Please check out the Barclay patron guide, available in the lobby. There is a lot to discover in the new year. We hope you’ll join us.
Jerry Mandel, Ph.D. President, Irvine Barclay Theatre
Board of Directors CHAIR Ken Rohl Founder ROHL LLC Ramona Agrela Associate Chancellor University of California, Irvine Francisco J. Ayala Community Leader
Michelle Grettenberg Deputy City Manager City of Irvine Jennifer Klein Community Leader
Liza Krassner Manager of Facilities and Academic Programs University of California, Irvine
Stephen Barker Dean, Claire Trevor School of the Arts University of California, Irvine
Jeff Lefkoff Associate Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor University of California, Irvine
Karen Cahill Community Leader
Danielle Oakley Partner, O’Melveny
William Parker Professor Emeritus Physics and Astronomy University of California, Irvine Penelope Parmes Parmes Law, Inc.
Greg Rohl ROHL VP of Marketing ROHL LLC Mickie L. Shapiro Community Leader Gary Singer Senior Advisor RSI Holding LLC
Venus Soltan Attorney at Law
Julia Stannard Vice President/Private Banker City National Bank Lynn O’Hearn Wagner Community Leader HONORARY Donald P. Wagner Mayor City of Irvine Howard Gillman, Ph.D. Chancellor University of California, Irvine IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE | 3
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An exciting place is coming to life at the edge of the Orange County Great Park. And we at FivePoint invite you to be a part of this new way to live in Irvine. New homes from the low $700,000s to the high $1,000,000s Mature trees (the big shade-producing kind) Irvine Unified School District Crazy cool parks Bike power! Places to work, play and connect Decidedly anti-cookie-cutter Start your tour at our newest neighborhood, Cadence Park, located at Irvine Blvd and Modjeska.
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1/11
KUANA TORRES KAHELE Sponsored by: The Hiland Foundation The Richard & Elizabeth Steele Fund Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
January 11, 2019 | Cheng Hall This performance will include a 15-minute intermission.
Kuana Torres Kahele Guitar
Glenn Mayeda Lead Guitar
Ioane Burns Bass
Special Guests
Hālau Hula Nā Meakanu ‘O Laka ‘O Hawai’i and
Hālau ‘O Kahealani IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE | 5
KUANA TORRES KAHELE Born in Hilo, Hawai’i, Kuana Torres Kahele is a composer, performer and cultural practitioner with 25 years of professional experience in hula and Hawaiian music.
Kuana’s hula roots begin with Kumu Johnny Lum Ho of Hālau Ka Ua Kani Lehua and continue today with several of his own hula and Hawaiian cultural schools abroad. With the meteoric success of his band, Nā Palapalai, Kuana and his band members Keao Costa and Kehau Tamure helped revitalize traditional Hawaiian music, giving it a larger mainstream audience. Newly imagined and freshly arranged versions of Hawaiian classics expanded the group’s popularity with radio listeners and kumu hula alike.
Known for his original compositions for hula, Kuana undertook an unprecedented four-year songwriting project: to write an album of new, original music for each of the Hawaiian Islands. The first album in the series, Music for the Hawaiian Islands Vol. 1: Hawai’i Keawe, honored his birthplace. Subsequent volumes in the series, Kahelelani Niihau; Pi’ilani Maui; Manookalanipo Kaua`i; Lana’ika’ula Lana’i; and ‘Aina Momona Molokai have debuted at the top of Billboard’s world music chart. With over 100 new songs
written and recorded for Hawai’i, this is a historic achievement in both Hawaiian music and American songwriting. The final installment, Vol. 7: O’ahu was released in the summer of 2018.
Kuana gained worldwide notoriety in June 2015, starring as both the narrator and the male lead, Uku, a lovesick volcano in Disney-Pixar’s hit movie, Lava. Kuana’s theme song from Lava debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s soundtrack chart and remained there for several months.
Kuana teaches and performs continuously, taking Hawaiian music and Hawaiian culture workshops to the far reaches of the globe. His hope is to introduce others to the beauty and diversity of Hawai’i and its people through music, hula and lei making. Artist Representation: Kuana Music Marc Turner mturnerfineart@yahoo.com
Your gift is really an investment. An investment • In our community • In our youth • In the future of the arts in Orange County Irvine Barclay Theatre has been serving the community for over two decades as a leading presenter of diverse and exceptional artists, offering award-winning educational programs, and providing a state-of-the-art venue for community arts and cultural organizations. Together we can continue creating a stronger, more vibrant community, nurturing tomorrow’s leaders with innovative arts education programs, encouraging the development of emerging artists, and of course, presenting powerful performances that will move, touch, and inspire audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference and is deeply appreciated.
Please invest with us today! For information contact: Lori Grayson, Director of Development grayson@thebarclay.org | 949.854.4186 | 949.527.2700
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1/12
January 12, 2019 | Cheng Hall This performance is presented without an intermission.
All music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.
Songs will be announced from the stage. Producer
Director
Producer
Scott Coulter
Associate Producer
Vocalists
Company Manager
The ASCAP Foundation
Spot-On Entertainment Klea Blackhurst Scott Coulter Jason Graae Debbie Gravitte Ron Raines Piano
John Boswell
Michael A. Kerker Shelly Fuerte
Original Orchestrations
Don Pippin
New Orchestrations
Ryan Shirar
Special thanks to Don Pippin and Terry Marler
IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE | 7
LETTERS FROM THE ARTISTIC TEAM Letter from Jerry Herman I have been so blessed to be able to spend my creative life in the theatre and to give musical voice to such wonderful characters as Dolly Levi (Hello, Dolly!); Georges and Albin (La Cage aux Folles); and Mame Dennis (Mame). I always wrote for specific characters and specific situations. To know that my songs could also have a life outside of their respective shows was always a welcoming surprise to me.
When The ASCAP Foundation approached me about presenting a new program consisting of nationwide concerts featuring my songs with symphony orchestras and a series of master classes targeting university/college students in writing and performing for the musical theatre, I was thrilled. And I couldn’t have asked for a more sterling cast to sing my songs. They are some of Broadway’s most acclaimed talents: Debbie Gravitte, Ron Raines, Jason Graae, Klea Blackhurst and Scott Coulter.
I am delighted to have them representing my musical legacy and bringing my songs to you this evening. Clearly, for me, the “Best of Times is Now.”
Letter from Associate Producer Michael A. Kerker Jerry Herman’s love affair with musical theatre began as a very young child when his parents took him to see Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun. Jerry was so engaged by the musical’s score that when he returned home from the theatre, he went straight to the piano and was able to play some of the songs from the show.
Knowing that he wanted to be a songwriter, Jerry Herman could not have asked for a better master teacher than Irving Berlin. Mr. Berlin’s influence is clearly evident when you listen to the songs of Jerry Herman. Like Mr. Berlin, Jerry’s songs couple deeply heartfelt lyrics with gorgeous, strong melodies. They go straight to the listener’s ear with a heft of emotion and sincerity. This accounts for the love affair that audiences have with the music and lyrics of Jerry Herman.
This evening’s concert features many of those Jerry Herman classics that are certain to have you beaming with the recognition of meeting an old friend. These will be the songs from his biggest hit musicals: Hello, Dolly!; Mame; and La Cage aux Folles. We also wanted to possibly introduce you to a few songs from musicals you may not have seen: Dear World; Milk and Honey; Mack and Mabel; and The Grand Tour. All these shows represent the golden legacy that accounts for the durability and timeless quality of Jerry’s enormous catalogue of songs. These shows and songs have earned Jerry virtually every award imaginable: Tonys; Grammys; the Richard Rodgers Award; the Johnny Mercer Award; the Oscar Hammerstein Award; and the richly deserved Kennedy Center Honors.
I have known Jerry Herman for over 30 years. I can tell you for a fact that the joy and love that is in his musical legacy is also in the man himself. His musical genius and his stature as one of the most beloved Broadway icons is what we are celebrating this evening!
ABOUT THE ARTISTS Klea Blackhurst (Vocalist) is an actress, singer and comedienne known for her award-winning tribute to Ethel Merman, Everything the Traffic Will Allow. She starred in the highly acclaimed production of Hello, Dolly! at The Goodspeed Opera House in 2013 and The Nutty Professor in 2012, which premiered in Nashville, directed by legendary comedian Jerry Lewis and featuring a score by Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes. Klea also played Rose in Gypsy at the Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago, garnering rave reviews in 2012. She has performed with symphony orchestras and in theatrical productions across the country and abroad, including the London Palladium presentation of Jerry Herman’s Broadway with Angela 8 | IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE
Lansbury, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, 15 Cabaret Conventions produced by The Mabel Mercer Foundation, The Town Hall in New York, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Lyrics & Lyricists series at 92nd Street Y in New York, The Chicago Humanities Festival, and as Ado Annie in the BBC Proms concert of Oklahoma! in London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Klea’s nightclub engagements include tributes honoring the Broadway career of composer Vernon Duke at the Café Carlyle with a subsequent sold-out engagement at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater; and Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael, a collaboration with Billy Stritch. Television and radio credits include: Shelby Cross on the IFC Channel comedy series, Onion News Network; Law and Order: SVU; Sesame Street; and A Prairie Home Companion.
Theater credits include: New York: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; Bingo; By Jupiter; Radio Gals; Oil City Symphony. Regional: Call Me Madam; Chicago; The Great American Trailer Park Musical; Red Hot and Blue; and Anything Goes. Klea’s albums are on the Ghostlight Records label and are available at www.ghostlightrecords.com. She is featured on Jule Styne in Hollywood on PS Classics; the original cast recordings of Bingo and Radio Gals; Lost in Boston IV, Unsung Irving Berlin, and The Best of Off Broadway. Klea is a distinguished alumna of The University of Utah and a member of Trinity Boxing Club NYC. Scott Coulter (Director/Vocalist) is one of New York’s most honored male vocalists. For his work in cabaret, Scott has received five MAC Awards (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs), five Bistro Awards and two Nightlife Awards for Outstanding Vocalist and has performed at most of New York City’s top rooms, including Birdland, 54 Below, The Oak Room at the Algonquin, and Feinstein’s at The Regency, where he spent a record-setting eight months performing the revue 11 O’clock Numbers At 11 O’clock, which he also co-created, directed and musically arranged. His self-titled debut CD won the 2003 MAC Award for Outstanding Recording and was chosen as the best recording of the year by TheaterMania and Cabaret Scenes magazines. Scott was director and star of A Christmas Carol: The Symphonic Concert in its world premiere with the Baltimore Symphony and reprised his role in the Emmy-nominated PBS production, which debuted in December 2013. He has appeared in concert with symphonies all over the world, including San Francisco, Baltimore, Seattle, Phoenix, Winnipeg, St. Louis and Calgary. Since 1999, he has performed around the world with Oscar and Grammywinning composer Stephen Schwartz in the revue Stephen Schwartz & Friends, alongside Liz Callaway and Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte. Schwartz has said, “One of the greatest things that can happen to a composer is to have his music interpreted by Scott Coulter.”
As a director, Scott’s credits include many shows for The Town Hall in New York (Broadway By the Year series, Broadway’s Rising Stars, Broadway Originals, Broadway Unplugged) and Broadway By the Year for The Berkshire Theatre Festival and Broadway by the Bay. Along with Michael Kerker and ASCAP, he’s produced and directed several installments of Michael Feinstein’s Standard Time at Carnegie Hall. He is the creator, arranger and director of several touring shows, including You’ve Got A Friend:
Carole King, Neil Sedaka & The Music of the Brill Building, Blockbuster Broadway! and his critically acclaimed solo show, The Fella Sings Ella, which honors the life of the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. His concert creation, The King: The Music of Elvis, premiered with the Calgary Philharmonic and is currently playing symphony halls across America and Canada. Scott is the creator of his own unique group vocal coaching series called Songbook. He recently wrote the book for the new musical Got To Be There, which celebrates the life and music of songwriter Elliot Willensky.
Scott is the founder/owner of Spot-On Entertainment (www.Spot-OnEntertainmnet.com). He’s a resident director of programming at 54 Below (Broadway’s Supper Club) in New York City and is a graduate of the Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music. Jason Graae (Vocalist) has starred on Broadway in A Grand Night For Singing; Falsettos; Stardust; Snoopy!; Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?. Off-Broadway shows include Forever Plaid; Olympus on My Mind; All in the Timing; Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (Drama Desk Nomination—Best Actor in a Musical) and many more.
Jason made his Metropolitan Opera House debut as the male vocalist in Twyla Tharp’s Everlast with American Ballet Theatre. Jason has performed his one man show all over the country, from Rainbow and Stars and Birdland in New York City to Feinstein’s and the Plush Room in Los Angeles and San Francisco, winning four Bistro Awards and a New York Nightlife Award (also making TimeOut NY’s top cabaret shows of the year). His current critically acclaimed show with Faith Prince, The Prince and the Showboy, was seen at Feinstein’s/54 Below, and the pair won a second Nightlife Award for Best Duo.
Jason won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award—the 2007 Joel Hirschhorn Award for outstanding achievement in musical theatre. He won an Ovation Award for Forbidden Broadway Y2KLA!, an Artistic Director’s Achievement Award for Fully Committed and a Santa Barbara Indie Award for High Button Shoes. Jason originated the role of Houdini in the Los Angeles production of Ragtime at the Shubert Theatre. At the Hollywood Bowl, he was Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls and Marcellus in The Music Man. He was seen in See What I Wanna See at the Blank and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at La Mirada. He played the 7 Sid Caesar roles in Little Me at the 42nd Street Moon in San Francisco; and Jerry/Daphne in Sugar with Sacramento Music Circus. He was told he was not an attractive lady.
IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE | 9
On television, Jason has appeared on many shows, including Six Feet Under; Rude Awakening; Friends; Frasier; Sabrina the Teenage Witch; Living Single; Caroline in the City; Providence; etc. On PBS, he was a guest soloist twice with the Boston Pops and once with Marvin Hamlisch and the National Symphony on Holiday for the Troops at The Kennedy Center and in Words and Music by Jerry Herman.
Movie appearances include the title role in Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms (2008 Toronto and London Film Festivals), Disney’s Home on the Range, On Edge, Gepetto, The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood! and Awakening of Spring. He has been heard on many cartoons; and for 5 and 1/2 years, he was the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun for Lucky Charms cereal. Jason made his Los Angeles Opera debut as Njegus in The Merry Widow, repeating the role with the Dallas Opera, New Orleans Opera and Houston Grand Opera. Also, with L.A. Opera, he was featured as Offenbach in The Grand Duchess, directed by Garry Marshall. He played Frosch in Die Fledermaus with the Washington National Opera, the Manhattan School of Music and the Houston Grand Opera.
Jason has recorded over 45 CDs, including original cast albums, concerts, compilations, and his three solo CDs, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile—Jason Graae Sings Charles Strouse; Jason Graae LIVE at The Cinegrill (Fynsworth Alley), and Perfect Hermany—the songs of Jerry Herman. His upcoming recordings include: And the World Goes Round (Kritzerland) and Roberta (New World Records).
Debbie Gravitte (Vocalist). One of Broadway’s biggest personalities, Debbie Gravitte has found herself in demand from the Broadway stage to the concert stage and beyond. She won the prestigious Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, along with a Drama Desk Award nomination and New York Showstopper Award. After making her Broadway debut in the original cast of They’re Playing Our Song, she went on to appear in: Perfectly Frank (Drama Desk Award Nomination); Blues In The Night; Ain’t Broadway Grand; Zorba; Chicago; and Les Miserables. Debbie has appeared in the ENCORE’S series productions of The Boys From Syracuse, Tenderloin, and Carnival at New York’s City Center. Debbie has performed her nightclub act worldwide, from New York’s Rainbow and Stars, 54 Below, to London’s Pizza on the Park, and back home again at Atlantic City, where she’s had the honor of performing with Jay Leno, Harry Anderson and the legendary George Burns. A favorite with
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symphony audiences, she has sung with over 100 orchestras around the world. She has toured with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops, appeared with Lang Lang and the Chinese Philharmonic in Beijing, along with Peter Nero and The Philly Pops, National Symphony (with Marvin Hamlisch), the New York Pops with the Legendary Skitch Henderson, Atlanta Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Utah Symphony, St. Louis, Houston, Dallas and San Diego symphonies. On television, Debbie co-starred on the CBS series Trial & Error, was seen on NBC’S Pursuit of Happiness, and has starred in several specials for PBS, including Live from the Kennedy Center, The Boston Pops Celebrate Bernstein; The Rodgers & Hart Story: Thou Swell, Thou Witty; and Ira Gershwin at 100, A Celebration at Carnegie Hall.
Debbie has three solo CDs to her credit: Defying Gravity, The MGM Album, and Part of Your World: The Alan Menken Album. Her other recordings include: Calamity Jane; Unsung Sondheim; Lucky Stiff; Miss Spectacular; Louisiana Purchase; A Broadway Christmas; Mack & Mabel In Concert (Live from the Drury Lane Theatre), among others. Her latest album, Big Band Broadway, was released in 2017. Debbie has sung with the New York City Ballet in Peter Martin’s Thou Swell at Lincoln Center, appeared with Bette Midler in the Universal feature Isn’t She Great? and can be heard as one of the voices in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Debbie is the proud mother of three beautiful children. For more info, please visit www.debbiegravitte.com or www.debbietunes.com.
Ron Raines (Vocalist). A Tony Award nominee for the acclaimed production of Follies, Ron has had an illustrious international career spanning musical theater, opera, concert and television. Born and raised in Texas, Ron Raines attended Oklahoma City University and The Juilliard School. He was a three-time Emmy and Soap Opera Digest Award nominee for his role as villain Alan Spaulding on CBS’s longest running daytime drama Guiding Light. Ron has appeared on Elementary and Person of Interest. He starred on Broadway in Annie, Newsies, Chicago and Show Boat, and originated the role of Nick Longworth in Teddy and Alice with Len Cariou. He has delighted audiences around the world with his memorable starring roles in virtually every major American musical and operetta, including A Little Night Music; The Unsinkable Molly Brown; South Pacific; Annie; Kismet; Sayonara; Kiss Me, Kate; The King and I; Naughty Marietta; The Merry Widow; Brigadoon; Rose Marie; Oklahoma!; Carousel; Side by Side by Sondheim; Guys and Dolls; and Man of La Mancha at the
Covent Garden Festival. He has soloed with over 50 major American and international orchestras, including the Boston Pops, the Philly Pops, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Jerusalem Symphony, and the Israel Philharmonic, and has performed at Carnegie Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Tanglewood, the London Palladium, Rainbow and Stars, and Royal Festival Hall. He has appeared on four PBS Great Performances, and has made two solo recordings on Jay Records and numerous cast albums. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter. (ronrainesonline.com) John Boswell (Piano) has served as musical director for Judy Collins, Andy Williams and Bob Newhart, as well as the concert tours of Cinema Toast; That’s Life: A Toast to Sinatra; Blockbuster Today; Three Men and a Baby Grand; Blockbuster Broadway!; and The Spy Who Loved Me starring Sheena Easton. John played the role of Moose in the national tour of Crazy for You. Broadway/ Off-Broadway credits include Crazy for You; The Secret Garden; Back to Bacharach and David; and The Kathy and Mo Show: Parallel Lives. Most recently, John composed music for the HBO special Kathy and Mo: The Dark Side. John has six CDs of original music on Hearts of Space Records: The Painter; Kindred Spirits; Count Me In; Festival of the Heart; Trust; and Love. The ASCAP Foundation (Producer), established in 1975, is a publicly supported charitable organization dedicated to nurturing the music talent of tomorrow, preserving the legacy of the past and sustaining the creative incentive for today’s creators through a variety of educational, professional and humanitarian programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, public service projects for senior composers and lyricists, and providing grants to other 501(c)(3) organizations engaged in educational programs for aspiring songwriters and composers. The ASCAP Foundation supports programs in all musical genres that are national and regional in scope. In the 40 years since its inception, The ASCAP Foundation has granted over $18 million to support countless music creators and over 2,000 organizations nationwide. And it continues to find new ways to nurture and develop music creators of all kinds.
The ASCAP Foundation is funded by contributions, bequests and grants from music lovers throughout the United States. All contributions toward supporting the talent of tomorrow are tax deductible and greatly appreciated.
Spot-On Entertainment (Producer), a concert production/ booking company based in New York City, is owned and founded by Scott Coulter. Original Spot-On productions created for theaters and symphonies include: The King: The Music of Elvis and ReImagined: The Music of the Beatles (both produced with TCG); Music of the Knights: Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John; The Fella Sings Ella!; You’ve Got a Friend: Carole King; Neil Sedaka and the Music of the Brill Building and Blockbuster Broadway! Other shows include: Defying Gravity; Stephen Schwartz & Friends; Southern Comfort; Cinema Toast: The Music of the Movies; and Jerry Herman: The Broadway Legacy Concert, which is co-produced by Spot-On and The ASCAP Foundation. (www.Spot-OnEntertainment.com) Michael A. Kerker (Associate Producer) has been director of musical theatre for ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) since 1990. In addition to coordinating the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, he works with Universal Theatrical Group to produce the ASCAP/Universal Theatrical Group Musical Theatre Workshop in Los Angeles (both of which are led by composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz). Together with Michael Feinstein, he produces a regular series of concerts at Carnegie Hall highlighting the catalogue of both legendary and contemporary songwriters. Michael is also producing a regular series of interview programs entitled Broadway: Up Close and Personal for The Kennedy Center. Michael’s onstage conversations with some of our nation’s most prominent songwriters have included evenings with Jerry Herman, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Charles Strouse, Sheldon Harnick, Marvin Hamlisch and Stephen Schwartz. Michael produced The ASCAP Foundation Jerry Herman Legacy Program, which is a series of seminars, master classes and concerts featuring the legendary composer/ lyricist. The program has been presented nationwide in such cities as Chicago, Sundance, San Francisco, Phoenix, Savannah, Miami and Pittsburgh. Michael is proud to be a member of the boards of The Actors Fund and The Johnny Mercer Foundation. Artist Representation: ASCAP American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers www.ascap.com
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18–19 Season Sponsor
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IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE | 13
February 15 & 16, 2019 8:00 p.m.
Kei Akagi & Friends: An Evening of Modern Jazz with the Tokyo Trio
photo by Paul R. Kennedy
Winifred Smith Hall $19 | $14 | $6
Arts Box Office (949) 824-2787 | www.arts.uci.edu/tickets
IBT_2018_7.5x4.5_Book5_JD.indd 1
12/5/2018 5:46:52 PM
The City of Irvine plays an invaluable role in the successful operation of Irvine Barclay Theatre. We thank the City for its generous support.
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MIREYA MAYOR
PINK BOOTS AND A MACHETE
January 13, 2019 | Cheng Hall
Expedition Africa (Photo by Brent Stirton)
This program is presented without an intermission.
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MIREYA MAYOR A scientist, explorer, wildlife correspondent, anthropologist, author, and inspirational speaker, Dr. Mireya Mayor, a Ph.D. in anthropology, has reported on wildlife and habitat issues to worldwide audiences for more than a decade. A former NFL cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins, Mireya grew up in a big city and as the only daughter of Cuban immigrants, she couldn’t join the Girl Scouts as a little girl because her family thought it was too dangerous. In spite of this, she went on to become the first female wildlife correspondent for the Ultimate Explorer series on National Geographic Television, and has spent more than fifteen years exploring some of the wildest and most remote places on earth, often armed with little more than a backpack, notebooks and hiking boots. Since then, Mireya has slept in remote jungles teeming with poisonous snakes, gone diving with great white sharks, been charged by gorillas and chased by elephants — and that’s just in the last few months.
Mireya’s curiosity and love for animals started very early on as a child. Since she could crawl, Mireya had birds, fish, dogs, cats, parrots, rabbits, turtles, and a little chicken named Maggie. But it was in 1996, while attending the University of Miami that she realized that her passion for animals could become a career. In order to fulfill a science credit, Mireya wanted to register for a woman’s biology course, but the class was full. After scrolling down the course list, she chose an anthropology course, not entirely knowing what that meant. That choice would forever change her life. Anthropology fascinated her, particularly her professor’s stories of chasing monkeys in the wild. After learning of wild animals on the brink of extinction whose most basic behavior and habits were unknown, Mireya, then only 22, applied for her first grant. Though a Miami Dolphins Cheerleader and model, she received the grant and went on to spend that summer in the remote jungles of Guyana, one of the most unexplored regions of the world at that time. The following year she journeyed to the wilds of Madagascar into areas so remote, that she often found herself surrounded by local villagers who had never seen a foreigner before her arrival. Against all odds, and following in the footsteps of renowned scientists who had tried and failed, Mireya completed the first ever long-term and genetic studies of two of the most critically endangered primates in the world, Perrier’s sifaka and the Silky sifaka. Feeling as if she had found her calling, Mireya has spent anywhere from 3 to 10 months at a time in Madagascar since then.
In 1999, National Geographic was doing a story in Madagascar and asked Mireya to say a few words about the lemurs. Impressed by her passion for the subject, down to earth delivery of scientific knowledge and distinct background of NFL cheerleader-turned-scientist, National Geographic offered Mireya the opportunity of a lifetime and her dream job: a staff wildlife correspondent position, complete with her own office. She has since gone underwater with six-foot 16 | IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE
Humboldt squids, scoped out gorillas in Central Africa, swam with great white and six-gilled sharks, and worked with leopards in Namibia (just to name a few projects).
In 2005, Mireya received two Emmy Award nominations for her work on the television series Ultimate Explorer. Mireya was later named an ”Emerging Explorer” in 2007 by the National Geographic Society which selects rising talents, “the next generation of visionaries,” who push the boundaries of adventure and global problem solving, inspiring people to care about the planet. Mireya is now one of the hosts on Nat Geo WILD! You can currently catch her series Wild Nights with Mireya Mayor and her documentary special Mystery Gorillas.
For more than a decade, Mireya has dedicated her life to unlocking the mysteries of the natural world. She ventures into previously unexplored parts of the planet to study rare creatures, working closely with indigenous people in the process. In 2000, Mireya co-discovered a new species of mouse lemur in Madagascar and eventually convinced the African island nation’s leaders to declare the new species’ habitat a national park. Mireya says: “Television has the power to help people know and connect with these animals and habitats that are disappearing. We may be facing the largest mass extinction of our time, so awareness is crucial. If we don’t act now it will be too late.”
Mireya is a Fulbright Scholar, National Science Foundation Fellow and published author with a Ph.D. in anthropology from Stony Brook University. She authored her memoir, Pink Boots and a Machete, and has written articles for National Geographic’s kids magazines Explorer and Extreme Explorer, and is working closely with National Geographic’s School Publishing on videos and textbooks for classrooms nationwide.
Mireya has made numerous appearances on The Today Show, MSNBC, CNN, and Despierta America, and has been profiled in People, Marie Claire, Latina, National Geographic Adventure, Vanidades and Elle magazines. Mireya divides her time between research in the rainforests of Madagascar, lecturing at schools and universities and traveling the world as a wildlife correspondent. Mireya’s talks are inspiring for all ages, but she is an especially powerful presenter for student audiences. When not deep in the jungle or on assignment, Mireya lives in Connecticut and is the mother of five young children. They share their home with an ever-growing menagerie of wonderful creatures. Artist Representation: IMG Artists Toby Tumarkin ttumarkin@imgartists.com www.imgartists.com
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FRED HERSCH TRIO January 17, 2019 | Cheng Hall This performance is presented without an intermission.
Series Sponsor:
Ken and Helene Rohl
Fred Hersch Piano
John Hébert Bass
Eric McPerson Drums
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FRED HERSCH TRIO Through more than 30 years and five incarnations, the Fred Hersch Trio has remained at the pinnacle of modern jazz, venerated as the epitome of thrilling interplay and dynamic spontaneity. The Wall Street Journal calls the trio “one of the major ensembles of our time,” while The New Yorker has applauded it for playing with “high lyricism and high danger.”
The current trio, in which renowned pianist Fred Hersch is joined by bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson, kicked off its tenth year together in the summer of 2018. In less than a decade, the three have released six acclaimed albums, garnering two Grammy nominations and countless accolades. The trio was voted the #2 Jazz Group in the 2018 DownBeat magazine’s critics poll, recognizing its unique ability to traverse a wide range of styles and approaches while maintaining profound depths of emotion and the exhilarating spark of invention. The trio’s latest Grammy nominated release, Live in Europe (Palmetto), has been hailed as its best to date, considerable praise for an ensemble that consistently plays at such a staggeringly high level. The album, essentially, is lightning in a bottle; it documents one remarkable evening that just happened to be captured. Collecting six Hersch originals and two stellar compositions apiece from jazz giants Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter, Live in Europe was recorded at Flagey Studio 4 in Brussels’ former National Institute for Radio Broadcasting on the penultimate night of the trio’s three-week European tour in November 2017. All About Jazz awarded the album 5 stars, while DownBeat’s 4-star review lauded, “Improvisation doesn’t engage the listener any more playfully than this.” Hersch, Hébert and McPherson came together in 2009, shortly after the pianist’s recovery from a medically-induced coma. The trio’s debut release, Whirl (2010), met with wide acclaim, reestablishing Hersch as one of the music’s premier artists following his life-threatening illness. The trio’s follow-up, Alive at the Vanguard (2012), received a 4½ star review in DownBeat, and 2014’s studio recording, Floating, was nominated for two 2014 Grammy Awards — for Best Jazz Album and Best Improvised Solo. A return to the Village Vanguard for 2016’s Sunday Night at the Vanguard netted another pair of Grammy nominations, again for Best Jazz Album and Best Improvised Solo. Prior to working with Hersch, Hébert and McPherson had served as legendary pianist Andrew Hill’s final rhythm section. The near-telepathic communion formed during that experience has enhanced their work with the very different Hersch, whose restlessly eclectic tastes often lead the trio from tightly-constructed compositions to freewheeling improvisatory ventures, hushed balladry to lively playfulness, boisterous swing to crystalline angularity. They’ve honed their magical chemistry on stages around the world, from New York’s iconic Village Vanguard to major venues and elite festivals in Europe, Asia and the United States. 18 | IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE
A select member of jazz’s piano pantheon, Fred Hersch is a pervasively influential creative force who has shaped the music’s course over more than three decades as an improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator and recording artist. A twelve-time Grammy Award nominee, he has earned an impressive number of the music world’s most prestigious awards, including recent distinctions as a 2016 Doris Duke Artist, 2016 and 2018 Jazz Pianist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association and the 2017 Prix in Honorem de Jazz from L’Acádemie Charles Cros for the totality of his career.
Hersch’s memoir, Good Things Happen Slowly, was published in September 2017 by Crown Archetype Books/Random House. It was featured in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and on NPR’s Fresh Air, was named one of 2017’s Five Best Memoirs by The Washington Post and The New York Times, and was named 2018 Jazz Book of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association. The feature documentary, The Ballad of Fred Hersch, premiered at the prestigious Full Frame Film Festival in March 2016 to a sold-out house and is now streaming on Vimeo.
A native of New Orleans, John Hébert attended Loyola University before moving to the New York area in 1993, where he quickly established himself as a highly soughtafter bassist. He has worked alongside such renowned artists as Andrew Hill, Lee Konitz, Paul Bley, John Abercrombie, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Motian, Joe Maneri, Mary Halvorson, Tomasz Stanko, David Liebman, Uri Caine, Greg Osby, Bill Stewart, Marc Copland, Toots Thielemans, Maria Schneider, and many others.
In recent years, Hébert has taken on the role of bandleader of various projects. His group Byzantine Monkey received a 4-star review from DownBeat for its 2009 debut, and the John Hébert Trio (with French pianist Benoit Delbecq and drummer Gerald Cleaver) has released two well-received albums on Clean Feed Records. Hébert’s latest release, Rambling Confessions (Sunnyside) features vocalist Jen Shyu, pianist Andy Milne and drummer Billy Drummond and was awarded 4½ stars by DownBeat.
A native of New York City, Eric McPherson began studying with master drummer Michael Carvin at the age of 12. He would go on to study with alto legend Jackie McLean at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music. While still a student, McPherson came to international prominence playing professionally and recording with this extraordinary
saxophonist and educator. He would later go on to work and record with the innovative pianist and composer Andrew Hill. Learning from these seminal figures, he has developed a highly personal and creative approach to music.
Over the past 25 years, McPherson has produced, recorded, engineered and toured worldwide with his own projects and collaborations and has worked with a wide array of today’s leading contemporary creative musicians. An educator himself, McPherson continues the legacy left to him by teaching private students and conducting master classes and workshops. He is also on the jazz studies faculty at the Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division of the University of Hartford Hartt School and at The New School in New York City. Artist Representation: Rainmaker Music Management Bryan Farina bryan@rainmakermanagement.net www.rainmakermanagement.net
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Irvine Barclay Theatre is truly your home for the arts. We exist to serve you and yours – to provide joy, inspiration, education, and a cherished place to celebrate life through the arts. Like you, we believe: • Art has the power to transform lives. • Everyone deserves the right to experience and be inspired by the arts. • Through shared experiences in the arts, we create more open-minded communities, a kinder, more productive world, and a brighter future for everyone. But we can’t uplift our community through the arts without your help! Please invest with us today. Every gift, no matter how small, makes a difference.
Want to create a brighter future? The Barclay has just the ticket! We’ve expanded our acclaimed Arts Reach programming to give more students the opportunity to learn with our featured artists — at the theatre, in classrooms, and throughout the community. Master classes, Q&A’s, interactive workshops, and so much more!
Arts Reach programs change lives, and your generous support makes all the difference. Questions? For more information, contact: Lori Grayson, Director of Development Irvine Barclay Theatre | grayson@thebarclay.org | 949.854.4186
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JAZZREACH:
MILES DAVIS AND THE BLUE FLAME INCIDENT FEATURING NEW YORK’S METTA QUINTET
January 18, 2019 | Cheng Hall This performance is presented without an intermission.
METTA QUINTET Greg Ward Alto Saxophone
Beresford Bennett Narrator
Liya Grigoryan Piano
Steve Lillie Production Manager
Lucas Pino Tenor Saxophone Rashaan Carter Bass
Ron Cephas Jones Voice of Miles Davis
Hans Schuman Drums
These activities are supported, in part, with funds provided by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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The Metta Quintet visiting an elementary school in Irvine, California, in 2018.
ABOUT JAZZREACH Established in 1994, JazzReach is a nationally recognized New York City-based 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, performance, creation and teaching of jazz music.
Through the presentation of innovative, widely acclaimed live multi-media educational programs for young audiences, captivating main-stage concerts for general audiences and informative clinics and master-classes for student musicians and ensembles, JazzReach is steadfastly dedicated to fostering a greater appreciation, awareness and understanding of this rich, vital, ever-evolving American art form. Since premiering our debut educational program in 1997, JazzReach has successfully positioned itself as one of our nation’s leading arts organizations dedicated to jazz. Our dynamic, innovative programs have triumphantly served over 255,000 young people nationwide in partnership with many of America’s most prominent performing arts presenters and have received unanimous praise from students, teachers, parents, the media and arts professionals alike. All of JazzReach’s artistic programming is carried out exclusively by the organization’s official resident ensemble, the Metta Quintet.
METTA QUINTET
A cohesive, tight-knit unit featuring some of today’s most esteemed, creative artists, Metta Quintet is fueled by a collective, open-minded musical curiosity and dedicated to exploring new artistic territory while maintaining a passionate commitment to arts education, fostering new audiences and nurturing young talent. 22 | IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE
Through the commissioning of all-new works and the creation of immersive, live multi-media concert programs for the Main Stage, Metta Quintet is committed to challenging convention and expanding the boundaries of the live jazz experience.
The quintet released its critically acclaimed debut recording, Going to Meet the Man (Koch) in 2002, featuring eight commissioned works by the then-emerging, now-renowned composers, Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Larry Goldings and George Colligan. All works were inspired by short stories by celebrated American author James Baldwin. In July 2006, Sunnyside Records released the quintet’s second critically lauded CD, Subway Songs, which features eight all-original commissioned compositions inspired by the sociological dynamism of the New York City subway experience. In early 2012, the quintet, in partnership with the digital music distributor, The Orchard, released the globallythemed Big Drum/Small World to unanimously positive reviews! The project features a diverse array of all-new music by renowned composers from eight different countries, including Lionel Loueke, Miguel Zenon, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Yosvanny Terry, Omer Avital and Metta Quintet’s very own, Marcus Strickland. The project explores the globalization and ever-broadening definition and sound of jazz.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Hans Schuman (Drums and Founder, JazzReach). Born in Lansing, Michigan, Hans Schuman began playing drums at the age of 13 while growing up in Tucson, Arizona.
A graduate of Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of Music, Hans has performed with world renowned artists, including
Benny Green, Cyrus Chestnut, Eric Reed, Wynton Marsalis, Brad Mehldau, Larry Goldings, Antonio Hart, Christian McBride, Marcus Strickland, Stefon Harris, Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Seamus Blake, Geoffrey Keezer and Joshua Redman, among many others.
In 1994, Schuman founded JazzReach Performing Arts & Education Association, Inc. with proceeds from the reluctant sale of an inherited Steinway grand piano. Since inception, Schuman has successfully positioned the organization as one of our nation’s leading providers of live educational content for young audiences. As founder, he has overseen the organization’s day-to-day operations; as artistic director, he has conceived, developed, written and produced the organization’s entire repertoire of touring programs and has participated as a performing member of Metta Quintet in its 20+ year history.
Greg Ward (Alto Saxophone) began playing saxophone as
a young boy growing up in Peoria, Illinois. Currently based in New York City, Ward has had the opportunity to perform and record with a varied group of distinguished peers and luminaries, including Prefuse 73, Lupe Fiasco, Tortoise, William Parker, Andrew D’Angelo and Mike Reed.
Carl Allen, Benny Green, David Sanborn, Takuya Kuroda, Jonathan Batiste, Darcy James Argue, Alan Ferber and Nick Finzer, among others.
Based in New York City, Pino is the leader of the No Net Nonet, a distinct and innovative nine-piece acoustic jazz ensemble. His band has become an established part of today’s scene through a monthly residency at Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village. In September 2017, Pino released his second album with the Nonet, The Answer Is No (Outside in Music), a follow-up to its 2015 debut, No Net Nonet (Origin Records). In January 2017, Lucas received a Herb Alpert ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award for his composition, “Golden Rule, Turing Test.”
Liya Grigoryan (Piano) was born in Yerevan, Armenia,
and grew up in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. At age five, Grigoryan began taking part in piano competitions and performance tours throughout Russia, the Ukraine, Germany and Scotland. In 2010, she moved to Amsterdam to pursue degrees at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. Grigoryan has won highprofile international competitions and awards, including the Leiden Jazz Award and the Keep an Eye International Jazz Award, and has taken part in exchanges at the Manhattan School of Music and the Hudson Jazz Workshop. She performs actively in the Netherlands and across Europe, and has appeared on top stages, including Bimhuis, the Concertgebouw and the North Sea Jazz Festival.
A 2004 graduate of Northern Illinois University, Ward spent years cutting his teeth on the Chicago jazz scene, taking advantage of every opportunity that was offered to him, including projects for the International Contemporary Ensemble, Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Music Series, the Peoria Ballet Company and the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Since his arrival on the New York City scene in 2009, he’s produced a number of adventurous, widely praised recordings as a bandleader and composer.
Rashaan Carter (Bass) grew up in the Washington D.C.
Lucas Pino (Tenor Saxophone) has performed at some of
Since moving to New York, Rashaan has become entrenched in the jazz scene and has worked with Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller and Louis Hayes, Wallace Roney, Marc Cary, Cindy Blackman, Doug and Jean Carn, Antoine Roney, Sonny Simmons, among others. He’s also studied with one of his prime influences, Ron Carter. Rashaan regularly performs with a myriad of artists in and outside of New York and can be found on various recordings as well.
In recent years, he’s composed and performed a commission for the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, was selected as one of the two New Music USA Van Lier Fellows and was commissioned by New York City’s Jazz Gallery to write a visionary multi-media piece for a septet inspired by the life and work of renowned artist/sculptor Preston Jackson. He also collaborated with composer, sound designer and performer Caleb Willitz on the film score for Beresford Bennett’s film, Pinch, and on an electro-acoustic project, Gaps and Spaces: Synoptic Optiks.
the world’s most esteemed festivals and venues. As a tenor saxophonist and multi-woodwind player, his unmatched musical prowess and unique approach make him one of the most in-demand side musicians across generations. A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Lucas graduated from some of the country’s top music programs, including the Brubeck Institute, The New School and The Juilliard School.
Lucas’ past performance experience includes Dave Brubeck, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Christian McBride,
area. It was there, with the nurturing of his father, a saxophonist, and his mother, a jazz radio programmer, that Rashaan forged an interest in music. After stints with various instruments, the bass became the voice for his musical expression. Rashaan worked and gained experience in the local scene in Washington D.C. and after high school, moved to New York City to attend The New School, where he studied with Buster Williams and Reggie Workman. While attending The New School, he also began to work with many of the faculty, including Joe Chambers and Jimmy Owens, among others.
Beresford Bennett (Narrator) is an actor, writer, director, filmmaker, musician and teacher. He has narrated many audiobooks of varied genres, and has appeared in several movies, television shows, and on stages across the country. He is also an award-winning screenwriter. IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE | 23
MILES DAVIS Born: May 26, 1926 | Died: September 28, 1991
Over six full decades, from his arrival on the national scene in 1945 until his death in 1991, Miles Davis made music that grew from his uncanny talent to hear the future and a headstrong desire to play it. From his beginnings in the circle of modern jazz, he came to intuit new worlds of sound and challenge. While the vast majority of musicians find the experimental charge and imperviousness of youth eventually running down, Miles forever forged ahead, trusting and following instinct until the end.
In doing so, Miles became the standard bearer for successive generations of musicians, shaping the course of modern improvisational music more than a half-dozen times. This biography attempts to explain those paradigm shifts one after another, through his recordings and major life changes. The factors leading to that process are now the foundation of the Miles Davis legend: the dentist’s son born in 1926 to middle-class comfort in East St. Louis. The fresh acolyte, learning trumpet in the fertile, blues-drenched music scene of his hometown. The sensitive soul, forging a seething, streetwise exterior that later earned him the title, Prince of Darkness. The determined teenager, convincing his parents to send him to New York’s famed Juilliard School of Music in 1944, a ploy allowing him to locate and join the band of his idol, bebop pioneer Charlie Parker.
It wasn’t long before the headstrong young arrival grew from sideman to leading his own projects and bands of renown, from the restrained, classical underpinning of the famous Birth of the Cool group (Miles’ first foray with arranger Gil Evans) to the blues-infused hardbop anthem, Walkin’, to his first famous quintet (Coltrane, Chambers, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones) with whom his recordings on muted trumpet helped him develop a signature sound that broke through to mainstream recognition. His subsequent jump from recording with independent labels (Prestige, Blue Note) to Columbia Records, then the Tiffany of record companies, propelled his career further, and a series of late ’50s albums (Miles Ahead, Porgy & Bess, Miles Ahead, Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain) secured his widespread popularity. Miles’ group shifted and morphed through the early ’60s until he settled for a four-year run with his classic quintet, a lineup that is still hailed today as one of the greatest and most influential jazz groups of all time. Their albums together — from Miles Smiles, ESP and Nefertiti to Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro — traced a pattern of unparalleled growth and innovation.
Had Miles stopped his progress at that point, he’d still be hailed as one of the greatest pioneers in jazz, but his creative momentum from the end of the ’60s into the ’70s would not let up. He was listening to the world around him — the amplified explosion of rock bands and the new, heavy-onthe-one funk of James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone. From the ambient hush of In a Silent Way to the strange and unsettling, yet wildly popular, Bitches Brew, he achieved another shift in the musical paradigm and a personal career breakthrough.
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Bitches Brew was controversial, a best-seller, and attracted another younger generation into the Miles fold. Thousands, whose musical tastes respected no categorical walls, flocked to hear Miles, and a slew of fusion bands were soon spawned, led by his former sidemen: Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever. The studio albums that defined Miles’ kaleidoscopic sound in the ’70s included a series of (mostly) double albums, from Bitches Brew to 1971’s LiveEvil, ’72’s On the Corner and ’75’s Get Up With It. The covers listed populous line-ups that reached up to 11 musicians, adding new names to an ever-widening circle of on-call talent. By the end of 1975, Miles was tired — and sick. A period of seclusion ensued, full years to deal with personal demons and health issues, bouncing between bouts of self-abuse and boredom. It was the longest time Miles had been off the public radar — only amplifying the appetite for his return.
When Miles reappeared in 1981, expectation had reached a fever pitch. A final series of albums for Columbia reflected his continuing fascination with the funk of the day (Rose Royce, Cameo, Chaka Khan and later, Prince) and the sounds of synthesizer and drum machines (Great Miles Shift Number 8). The Man with the Horn, We Want Miles and Decoy found him still working with Teo Macero and still surrounding himself with young talent, including bassist Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones). In 1985, his album You’re Under Arrest — with unexpected covers of recent pop charters (Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time”) — brought the long Davis-Columbia association to a close. He embarked on a new relationship with Warner Bros. Records and producer Tommy LiPuma, scoring successes with Tutu (written in a large part by his bassist Marcus Miller), Music from Siesta (also with Miller), Amandla (featuring a new breed of soloists, including alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, tenor saxophonist Rick Margitza, guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly, keyboardist Joey DeFrancesco, and others) and Doo-Bop (his collaboration with hip-hop producer Easy Moe Bee). Those titles proved Miles’ farewell — still pushing forward, still exploring new musical territory. Throughout his career, he had always resisted looking back, avoiding nostalgia and loathing leftovers. “It’s more like warmed-over turkey,” the eternal modernist described the music of Kind of Blue twenty-five years after recording it. Ironically, in 1991, only weeks after performing a career-overview concert in Paris that featured old friends and collaborators from as early as the ’40s, he died from a brain aneurysm. Like his music, Miles always spoke with an economy of expression. And for Miles, it had to be fresh, or forget it. “I don’t want you to like me because of Kind of Blue,” he insisted. “Like me for what we’re doing now.”
Artist Representation: JazzReach 718-625-5188 www.jazzreach.org
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POPOVICH COMEDY PET THEATER January 19, 2019 | Cheng Hall This performance is presented without an intermission.
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A LETTER FROM GREGORY POPOVICH I’d like to take a moment to share a few thoughts with you. Throughout my years as a pet trainer, I have developed a new way for animals to participate in show business. I try to encourage each pet to open up and display his/her personality; then I build the skits and acts in the show around the personalities and talents of the pets. This allows each pet to fully play the part of the actor in my theater. For this reason, I believe that my Comedy Pet Theater is quite an unusual show, because the pets are the main actors, while the human cast merely helps out.
To date, all my performing cats and dogs are strays that have been saved from animal shelters. Just like your pets, my four-legged companions are very special to me. Years ago, when I came up with the idea to create a show with many animals, I began looking for furry performers for my show. At the suggestion of a friend, I visited an animal shelter to see if I could find a talented pet to adopt. While I was visiting the shelters, I was sad to see SO many wonderful cats and dogs without a home and without the love of a family. I was motivated more than ever to create my show with animal actors! I could adopt some of the shelter’s cats and dogs, and let these once-homeless creatures enjoy their lives — and perhaps experience a little bit of stardom. At the same time, featuring animal actors in my show would allow me the opportunity to spread the message that there are hundreds of thousands of animals in shelters, just like my four-legged performers, who are simply hoping and waiting to share their talents and love. In fact, I sometimes think that my show should be called A Second Chance, because that’s exactly what my animals, and any of your adopted pets, have been given—a second chance to live their lives while enriching ours.
As I briefly mentioned, I don’t believe that I “train” the animals to do a certain trick or stunt for the show. Instead, I teach and encourage the animals to perform on stage by allowing them to show off their individual personalities and talents. Just like people, pets have a special quirky little thing that they naturally like to do. This thing, or trait, allows the pet to show his/her owner a unique part of his/her personality. Simply put, the special thing each pet does, the natural habits he/she exhibits, is what makes each pet who they are — it is what makes every cat and dog unique. For example, one of my cats, Mischa, loves to jump. So, I incorporate his love for jumping into my show by building an act around his jumping abilities. Another cat of mine, Sugar, loves to climb. So, I let him show off his climbing skills onstage, allowing him to be in the spotlight in his very own climbing act. By allowing my pets to perform the stunts they naturally like to do, they enjoy performing as much as the audience loves watching them! My show is indeed a “theater,” because when my furry actor family members perform for you, they are showing you their very favorite trick! As a lover of animals, I am an advocate for pet owners to spay and neuter their four-legged friends. Naturally, I also strongly promote the practice of adopting a dog or cat from a local shelter. The contribution this practice makes to the animal world is indeed a life saver, and Jerry, Rex and the other rescued dogs in my show can attest to the fact that it is never too late to “teach an old dog new tricks.” Thank you for your support, and remember, Animals are People Too!
GREGORY POPOVICH Gregory Popovich grew up in a unique environment, as the child of Russian circus performers, Alex and Tamara Popovich. In addition to their juggling and performing skills, Gregory’s parents were dog trainers. Gregory formed a special bond with animals at a very young age. Eventually, the connection he formed with his mother’s show dogs led to his participation onstage, assisting with Tamara’s dog act. At the age of six, Gregory began to learn the art of juggling. Eight years later, he prepared his first solo act — juggling on a free-standing ladder. After the public debut of this feat, Gregory became a member of the Great Moscow Circus Group at the age of 17.
For the next few years, Gregory traveled the world with the Moscow Circus. He eventually became the star of the circus, and was asked to be its representative at international circus competitions worldwide — in Paris, Brussels, Mexico City and Monte Carlo. During this time, Gregory completed a special five-year course, earning a degree of Circus Creator and Producer. He continued to work as a circus performer and also appeared in Soviet films, in three starring roles. 26 | IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE
In 1990, Gregory was invited to join the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the United States. He performed his juggling act in the center ring, the first Russian artist to ever appear in the Greatest Show on Earth.
In 1992, Gregory was invited to perform as a featured artist at the Circus Circus Las Vegas. While practicing for the show, Gregory and his wife, Izolda, also a performer, decided to use their family kitten, Snowbird, in Gregory’s clown act. The audience response to the kitten act was so great that Gregory began to think about building an entire routine based on performing cats. Now, it was just a matter of finding the right cats.
A friend encouraged Gregory to visit an animal shelter and look for cats that could become the additional performing pets. Gregory decided to follow his friend’s advice and look for new animal talent at the shelter. Upon his visit, Gregory was dismayed and stunned to see so many animals without a home or a loving family — animals that had so much potential, but had been discarded. He began to adopt and
train cats from the shelter, and when they were ready, he introduced them as a part of his show. This venture eventually became the amazing Cat Skills act.
The Cat Skills act, combined with Gregory’s superlative juggling, equilibrist balancing on the rola bola, his cigar box routine, and slack-wire expertise ultimately led to the formation of The One Man Moscow Circus. In 1995, Gregory took a short break from Circus Circus, and went on an overseas tour, focusing solely on Japan. The One Man Moscow Circus and his cats performed to much acclaim in many of Japan’s major cities, including Hiroshima, Yokohama, Sapporo and Tokyo. When Gregory returned to Las Vegas and Circus Circus, he decided to expand the animal portion of his show. In addition to his popular cat act, Gregory began building an impressive dog act. Gregory adopted all the show’s dogs from shelters and incorporated their unique talents into his act. The show played for the next several years and was voted as the Best Family Attraction in Las Vegas. In 2000, Gregory took his show on the road, or rather, the world. Gregory and his cast thrilled audiences in over 20 countries, including France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Israel, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela and Canada.
Additionally, the show was performed in numerous U.S. cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and Miami.
The world tour concluded in 2005, at which point Gregory decided to once again return to Las Vegas. During the tour, Gregory had adopted a few more cats and dogs as he visited shelters across the country. He had started training all the animals for a new show, a new production which he was going to introduce as The World Famous Comedy Pet Theater. The addition of doves, white rats and ferrets, balanced out the animal portion of the show. In June 2006, the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater made its debut at the V Theater located in the Miracle Mile Mall at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino (formerly the Aladdin Resort and Casino). Gregory’s wife, Izolda, and daughter, Anastasia, are both performers in the show. The Popovich family lives in Las Vegas, along with their 26 performing furry family members, as well as several other “camera shy” pets. Artist Representation: The Brad Simon Organization Inc. brad@bsoinc.com www.bsoinc.com
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Annual Fund for
THANK
EXCELLENCE
YOU
Irvine Barclay Theatre gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions of our donors who help support the “big talent” in our “small hall.” Gifts to the Annual Fund for Excellence assist the Barclay in presenting an international roster of performers while keeping tickets reasonably priced. They also support our ArtsReach programs provided to the schools at little or no cost and “family-friendly” programming on stage. The Barclay’s mission also embraces making its beautiful facilities available to diverse community organizations, UCI, and other educational institutions. Thank you to all of our generous donors listed here for their contributions during the previous 12 months! If you would like to join the ranks of those who make it all possible at the Barclay, you may make a donation online at www.thebarclay.org or call 949.854.4607. PUBLIC PARTNERS
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BRAVO BARCLAY PRESENTING SPONSOR $10,000+
An Anonymous Fund of the Orange County Community Foundation Drs. Francisco and Hana Ayala Bruce and Karen Cahill Haskell & White LLP The Hiland Foundation HumanKind Philanthropic Fund Bill and Carolyn Klein Jennifer Klein Liza and Stuart Krassner Toni and Terry McDonald National Endowment for the Arts Danielle Oakley William and Janice Parker Family Fund Penelope Parmes Gregory and Mishel Rohl 28 | IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE
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The Allergan Foundation Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine and Cocktails Roland and Jacquelynn Beverly Carol and Les Elliott Gartley Charitable Foundation Fund Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa Jewish Federation & Family Services, Orange County Lugano Jewelers Jerry and Whitney Mandel Salwa and Sabri Rizkalla Judy and Wes Whitmore Charlie and Ling Zhang
BRAVO BARCLAY BENEFACTOR $2,500 – $4,999
ENCORE CIRCLE ENTHUSIAST $250 – $999 David and Janet Henze Oscar R. Aguirre Richard Alexander Heritage Pointe Diane and Dennis Baker Tom Nielsen John W. Ballantyne Mike Peak Robert and Delphi Ballinger Chiyo and Stanton Rowe Lindy Balmer Gary and Melanie Singer Richard Bergstrom Linda I. Smith Foundation Western States Arts Federation Scott and Cheryl Berry Leia Bowers Ellen Breitman and BRAVO BARCLAY Brien Amspoker PATRON Clifford and Jennifer Cheng $1,000 – $2,499 Bruce and Karen Clark Douglas Bradley Susan De La Parra Tom and Paula DeMars In Memory of Irene DeNoia Arlene and Steven Fienberg Joan M. Donahue Bill and Marjorie Fleming Don and Debra Drysdale Douglas and Kathleen Forde Gary Fabian and Deb Solon Ken and Patricia Janda Frederic and Aviva Forster Yvonne and Damien Jordan Mark A. Franzen Jack and Joy Kayajanian Julie Garn Robert Kazer and Jill Richter Eleanor Jaffy The Lewis Family Charitable Dave and Peggy Kelleher Gift Fund Leslie Levine Peter and Alexandra Neptune Chunhong Li Amy Opfell and Vladimir Lange Pablo Martinez Christopher and Lynne Ramsey Nancy and Mike Meyer Nancy Smith Greg and Laura Mickelson Diane Stovall Bruce and Esmeralda Ogilvie Orange County Community Gayle Widyolar Foundation Charles and Marilyn Wright PayPal Giving Fund Majid and Sohaila Zarrinkelk
Yvette Pergola Dorcas Preston William Redmond Susan Rhodes and Goran Matijasevic Stephen M. Rochford Joel B. Rothman Frank and Deborah Rugani The Saywitz Company Jeff and Linda Schulein Louise Schwennesen Thelma Seki Thomas and Marilyn Sutton Angelo and Marilyn Vassos Kathy Vickers and Jeremy Freimund John and Judy Vinke Mary Watson-Bruce Kurt and Ellen Youngs
Keali’i Ceballos Joe and Barbara Chamberlain Cathy Chang Nancy Chase Grace Chen Rita R. Chenoweth Denise Chilcote Susie Clausen William Cline Mary Cobb Richard and Jewel Colfer Michael and Diane Coon Kathleena Cordano Joe Cowan Anahid Crecelius Madeleine and Alan Crivaro Toby Curry Vivian Daniel Charles Davison Pamela Deily Donald Delaney Nancy Dewsbury Steve Dickler Maria Dona Roger du Plessis Scott and Monica Duggan Lenore Duncan Toni Dwyer Penny Emmons Peggie Fariss Byron Fennema Cathie Fields Ruby Foo Roberta Fox Keri Fujii Ellen Fujikawa James and Della Gabelsberg Margaret Gates Michael Gelormino S. Glass Family Anneke Glore Ben and Sandie Goelman Kevin Gomez Kathleen Green Sanjiv and Geeta Grover Cary Hairabedian Carole S. Harrison Ken Hartline Karl and Doretta Haushalter Dan and Nicole Honigman Michael Hornyak
Charles Hunter Robert Ingold Laurie Jacobsen Karen Kewell Jacoby Kimo Jarrett Gail Judd Arlene Kato Judy Kaufman and George Farkas Bruce Kerr and Ann Patterson Kerry Krisher Paul Kuliev Dr. and Mrs. John LaGourgue In Memory of Dr. Martin Langer Robert Langer Tracy Laulhere Dean Laws Kim Smith Lazarus Robert E. Lee Vicki Lee Hilary Lemansky Neal Littlejohn Anne Llewellyn Claire Mackay Bart Maeda Cory Mann Christine A. Marx Duane and Kathleen Mauzey Greg McCaffrey Lauri and Mike Mendenhall Vivian Mendoza Mela and Ricardo Miledi Tom Miller William Miller David Moehring Lisa Monette Hiroko and Yoshiharu Moriwaki Reiko and Mitsuhiko Nakano Julie Nakata June Nelson Steven Nelson Gregory Newland John Newlander Mike and Pat Noggle Rowell and Daisy Nueva Jane Olin In memory of Vera Ostroff Randall Pacheco Lauren and Richard Packard Mary Phillips Christopher Pollick Judith Posnikoff
Lois Rake Elaine Ramsay Brad Rawlins Claudia Redfern Dennis Repp Shane Reyna Joe Risser Margaret Rumsfeld Keitha Russell Nancy Lee Ruyter Irene A. Sakioka Kazuhiko Sato Walter Scacchi and Christine Fluor-Schacci Frances Segal Trudy Vermeer Selleck Tully Seymour Robert Shephard Megan Silveira Cheryl Simpson Alison Singer Dorothy J. Solinger Paul Spas William Spurgeon Steve Stauff Hugh Stevenson and Jan Burns Barbara Stirrat Arthur Strauss – Neonatal Associates, Long Beach, CA Ingrid Strayer Richard and Jane Sungaila Rene Suzuki Celia and Julio Taleisnik Cindy Thomas Earleen Thomas Johanna Tilley Gary and Peranza Topjon Winnie Tse Tony and Nancy Vasek Michael Voronel John Walker Robert Walters Anne Walthall Mark and Lou-Ann Weltman Brian West Justin White George and Flo-Ree Woodruff Patricia Yeckel Susan Yee Richard and Mary Yoo
NATIONAL CHOREOGRAPHERS INITIATIVE
David and Beverly Carmichael Cheng Family Foundation Concierge Podiatry Newport Beach Bobbi Cox Sophia and Larry Cripe Bronwynn Daniels Diane Diefenderfer Hanlon and David Hanlon Roger du Plessis Gale Edelberg and Bob Butnik Henry and Janet Eggers David Emmes and Paula Tomei Fran Farrer Cliff Faulkner and Shigeru Yaji Gilian Finley and Robert Labaree Roberta Fox Mary and Andrew Franklin Sandy and Don French Judith A. Gorski Gale A. Granger and Barbara S. Granger Dr. and Mrs. Denis Gray Dana Huff
Dr. Burton L. Karson Joanne and Dennis Keith Michael Kerr Robert Labaree and Gillian Finley Don and Grace Laffoon Dr. Martin G. Langer Kathryn Lynch and Robert McDonnell Molly Lynch and Alan Andrews Sharon McNalley Britt Meyer Nancy Meyer John Miller Ed Moen and Janek Schergen John and Marjorie Murray Mr. and Mrs. Mitsuhiko Nakano Carl Neisser Tom and Marilyn Nielsen Anne B. Nutt John and Charlene Pasko James Penrod Janice and Richard Plastino Dolly A. Platt, Ph.D.
Edward and Diana Putz Salwa Rizkalla, Festival Ballet Theatre Barbara Roberts Robinson Foundation Michelle Rohe Andrew Rose Geoffrey and Debbie Sampson Jack and Katy Schellerman Sally Anne and Don Sheridan Igal and Diane Silber Ann Sim Jackie Smiley Elizabeth Stahr Richard and Elizabeth Steele Fund Olivia Stroud Jennifer Szabo Karen and Gary Thorne Barbara and Jack Tingley Lynn Weiser Max and Peggy Weismair Mary Vensel White William Gillespie Foundation
ENCORE CIRCLE SUPPORTER $100 – $249 Michele and Richard Africano Steven and Alexandria Allan Robert Allgeier AmazonSmile Foundation Scott Arbuckle Debbie Aslanian Carol Bardia Stuart Baron Vickie Becker Matthew Bell Scott and Gwen Beltran Linda Berquist Richard H. Bigelow Stephen Biskar Annette Blaney Christopher Blank Michael and Margaret Bodeau Suzanne Boras Scott Brinkerhoff Margaret and James Brumm Douglas T. Burch, Jr. Sandra Bursten Roland and Linda Bye James Byrne Luisa Cano Harold and Eleanor Carpenter Natividad Castillo Terry Causey
As a partner in the annual National Choreographers Initiative, Irvine Barclay Theatre is also pleased to acknowledge all those who support this important contribution to American dance.
Betty B. and Roy Anderson Betsy Andrews and Alex Moad David Anderson Mrs. Alan V. Andrews Diane and Dennis Baker Ballet Barres West William H. Bardens Dr. Michael Bear Beau Corps Studio Helene Belisle Paul Blank Stacie Brandt Laurie and Bart Brown
IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE | 29
For Your Information Ticket Services Order online 24/7 at www.thebarclay.org or www.facebook.com/IrvineBarclay/events
Call the Box Office at 949.854.4646 Monday through Friday from 10am until 6pm; Saturday and Sunday from noon until 4pm. On days of a performance, the Box Office generally remains open through the first half of a performance. MasterCard, VISA, American Express, and Discover accepted. Late Seating To prevent disruption of a performance in progress, patrons who have not entered the theatre when the performance begins may be asked to wait in the lobby until there is a suitable interval. Ushers Ushers are located at each auditorium entrance and at designated stations in the lobby. Please consult an usher if you need assistance. If you are interested in joining the usher staff, please contact the Patron Services Manager at: 949.854.4193; darling@thebarclay.org. Public Parking Parking is managed by UC Irvine and is available for a fee. The parking structure is located at the corner of West Peltason and Campus Dive.
Restrooms Restrooms are located on the main lobby level near the box office. For your convenience, diaper changing stations are located in both the men’s and women’s restrooms. Drinking fountains are located on either side of the main lobby staircase and on the second level. Listening Devices Listening devices for amplifying stage sound are available at the concessions bar free of charge.
Staff
Jerry Mandel, Ph.D.
Mobile Phones, Pagers, Smart Watches and Electronic Alarms As a courtesy to all patrons, please turn these units to off or non-audible before the performance begins. Please adjust the light-up notifications and screen brightness of all devices to a dimmest setting. Cameras and Recording Equipment The taking of photographs and use of any mechanical or digital recording devices are strictly prohibited.
Children Children are welcome. However, not all events are appropriate for small children. A paid ticket is required for everyone entering the theatre, including infants and children. The box office can provide advice regarding an event’s suitability.
Theatre Tours Backstage tours of the Barclay are offered through the theatre’s ArtsReach program. For information, or to reserve tours for schools or community groups, please call 949.854.4193.
Irvine Barclay Theatre Online Get the latest information on what’s happening at Irvine Barclay Theatre by joining the Barclay’s E-list to receive email updates and special offers. Go to the Barclay’s website at www.thebarclay.org or email us at info@thebarclay.org.
Theatre Safety & Security To ensure the safety of our patrons and clients, IBT continually evaluates security measures for those entering our venue. All patrons attending an event at IBT are subject to screening by IBT staff. This may include, but is not limited to, a visual inspection, a bag inspection, metal detection and/or an interview. At this time, no large bags are permitted in the venue.
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President
Gary Payne
Karen Wood
Karen Drews Hanlon
Lori Grayson
Ginny W. Hayward
Production & Facility Manager
Communications Assistant Program Book Editor
Development Associate
Chief Operating and Finance Officer Director of Programming, Board Liaison
Lu Bauer
Box Office Manager
Josh Roberts
Assistant Box Office Manager
Ingrid Strayer
Finance Assistant 30 | IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE
General Manager
Jeff Stamper Tim Owens
Associate Production & Facility Manager
Robin Darling
Patron Services Manager
Director of Communications
Helena Danovich
Michelle Maasz Brouwer Marketing & Programming Associate Manager
Amber Power
Outreach Coordinator
Director of Development
Fatima Rizvi-Flores Olivia Stroud
Development Assistant
T H E STO RY CRAFT TELLS We believe distinctive stories are what make life exceptional. At the House of Rohl, we pursue the discovery of timehonored craft that opens the door to stories unlike any other. Stories of place and provenance. Stories of dedication and
passion.
Stories
of
artistry
and
heritage. And the closer you look, the more you’ll see, the details of your own story of a life well crafted.
HOUSEOFROHL.COM
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Proud Supporter of the Arts and Irvine Barclay Theatre