Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Our Mission
Mayo Performing Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, presents a wide range of programs that entertain, enrich, and educate the diverse population of the region and enhance the economic vitality of Northern New Jersey. The 2015-2016 season is made possible, in part, by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support received from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation and other numerous foundations, corporations and individuals. As a courtesy to the artists and for the uninterrupted enjoyment of your fellow patrons, please turn off all cell phones, pagers, beepers and other electronic devices. Please unwrap any lozenges before the performance begins. No portion of this performance may be photographed, recorded, filmed, taped, broadcast or mechanically reproduced without the written consent of the Artist and/or the Presenter. Mayo Performing Arts Center is not responsible for lost or stolen items. FM KIRBY FOUNDATION
THE BLANCHE & IRVING LAURIE FOUNDATION
Media Partner
American Idol Live! 2015 Nick Fradiani There are many people who subscribe to the “10,000 hour rule” as a guidepost to success: the more you do something, the better you get at it. If you do reach the 10,000 milestone, it is believed that you’ve mastered something. Nick Fradiani has been playing guitar and singing since he was about ten years old; if he isn’t at the 10k mark yet, he’s awfully close. Nick grew up in suburban Connecticut, the oldest child of a teacher mom and a musician dad. Music was always part of the household as Nick recalls, “Before I could talk, my dad said I’d hum along to music.” It wasn’t long before Nick Sr. could tell that Nick Jr. had the bug. “My dad was my musical tour-guide, so he laid the groundwork for the type of music I liked. I never listened to any kid’s music, I gravitated toward The Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John and Tom Petty. My father gave me my first guitar because he could see I wanted to play along with what I was listening to. He taught me the basics and I took off from there.” While taking off included a lot of talent nights in grammar school, a few ‘battle of the bands’ and joining his dad onstage, Nick actually leaned toward sports more than music. In fact, his father, who made a living performing with his band on cruise ships and casinos, cut back on traveling as Nick got older so he could coach his teams and catch his games. Nick was such a good athlete that he went to Wheaton College to study history and play basketball, though an injury sidelined him his freshman year. While he never gave up on music, he suddenly found himself with a lot of time on his hands. “I’d written a few songs before, but nothing that I ever thought was worth showing anyone. When I was recovering from my ankle injury, I started writing original music and played the songs for my dad. He thought they were good enough to help me start booking club dates up and down the East Coast.” At first, Nick would play during breaks from school and was earning enough to forgo a summer job. “I not only became a better musician during this time, but I realized this was truly my passion. I graduated from college, and started my Masters Degree in teaching, but didn’t want to take the time off to student teach. I really wanted to keep
playing my music.” Around this same time Nick began fronting the band Beach Avenue, who had some local success. They appeared on a television show and went on to sell 20,000 singles on iTunes and gig regionally. Nick was working a day job, plus performing with his band at night, and he knew something had to give. “I was tired all the time, and I wasn’t giving 100% to my job or to my music. I wasn’t writing as well as I could because of how exhausted I was, and I knew I had to do one or the other. That’s when I decided to go all in on music. Two months later, I tried out for American Idol.” Interestingly, Nick tried out because friends and family encouraged him. “My mind frame was really ‘if it works out, it works out,’ which I think ultimately helped me because I didn’t overthink things. I was pretty relaxed until I was one of the Top 8 finalists, and then I thought, ‘Wow, maybe I could win this.” As the Season 14 winner, Nick will not only be headlining the Idol tour, but he is watching his first solo single, “Beautiful Life,” [written by Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba] climb up the Billboard charts. “I’ve always written music and thought my advantage over other singers was being a good songwriter. On the show, they choose a final song for you. I was nervous because my passion is performing my own music. Once I heard “Beautiful Life,” I was immediately comfortable because it connected with me right away. The song suited my style, so much so that I felt like I could have written it, which made it easy for me to really deliver it.” In addition to traversing the US promoting his single and visiting radio stations, Nick has already begun the creative process for his album, his first for Big Machine Records. He has been writing on his own, and will be doing some co-writing sessions up until he leaves to go on tour. Nick’s goal is to continue to write while on the road, and he is hoping to fit some recording sessions in between dates as well. After the tour wraps, Nick will solely focus on being in the Studio, readying his album for release. “I literally cannot wait to go in to the Studio and start writing. My favorite thing in the world is to perform original music live. When you write a song you’re proud of, and you know it’s good, there’s no better feeling. I am also
looking forward to co-writing with people. I love collaborating, and the whole process of recording music is just so exciting to me.” Nick Fradiani is not an overnight success, which turned out to serve him well since he had time to earn those ten thousand hours. “I know I am in the right place, at the right time. Obviously, I didn’t know all this was going to happen, but I always truly believed in my heart that I’d make my mark in music. I never got worried, I knew I’d get there. I never lost faith.” Jax Born in East Brunswick, New Jersey to John and Jill Miskanic, Jax has been singing since the age of 5 and, according to her parents, has been entertaining since she was small. Jax, who taught herself to play piano, grew up watching the show and dreamed of being on it but admits that she never pictured herself in this place right now. Jax and her younger brother, Matt Miskanic, were homeschooled all of their lives. And Jax says that Matt misses a lot of school because of American Idol. Jax auditioned for American Idol in January 2015. Jax auditioned with The Beatles' classic song, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". The judges, loving her unique voice, said that nobody sounded like her, and that she was the real thing. All judges gave her a yes to go to Hollywood. Hollywood Week, Part 1, Jax was first up to sing "Toxic" by Britney Spears. By many viewers, this was her best performance by far. Hollywood Week, Part 2 was Group Performance. Jax and her group, "Sal's Gals", were about to perform when contestant Alexis Granville passed out due to an anxiety attack right before. The next night, she felt better and they could perform. Jax and Alexis were the only two to move on from their group. Hollywood Week, Part 3, Jax performed another The Beatles classic, "Let It Be". Jax sang to her parents who were in the crowd watching. Some said that her performance was edgy, but others say differently. Showcase Week, Jax performed "You & I" by Lady Gaga. Jax's performance wasn't that good, with her inentional pause in the middle. The judges said that was a risk, but in the end, Jax moved on to the Top 24. Top 24, Jax performed Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)". This is shown to be her best performance after "Toxic". For Top 16, Jax decided to jazz up the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell classic "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". While the judges were mixed on her performance, Jax did attract attention
on social media due to her wearing a certain dress that had caused a debate over whether it was black and blue or white and gold. Despite that, Jax made the top 12. For top 12, Jax reprised her audition song, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles. The judges loved her performance, which earned her a spot in the top 11. For "Get The Party Started" week, Jax sang the Taylor Swift hit "Blank Space". Despite mixed reviews from the judges, she made it to the next week. For "Songs from The Movies" week, Jax sang "Grow Old with You" by Adam Sandler from his movie The Wedding Singer. While Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez enjoyed her performance, Harry Connick, Jr. didn't seem to like it. However, despite that, Jax made it to the next week. During the Top 9, she performed "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi and advanced into to the Top 8. For Kelly Clarkson Week, she performed Kelly's "Beautiful Disaster", which resulted in her making the top 8. For Billboard Top 100 Hits week, Jax took on "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga and was voted into the Top 6. For the Top 6, she performed the Janis Joplin version of "Piece of My Heart" by Erma Franklin and "Beat It" by Michael Jackson, which helped her earn a spot on the American Idols Live tour. For "Arena Anthems" week, she took on "Are You Gonna Be My Girl"(she sang it as "Are You Gonna Be My Guy?")by Jet and "White Flag" by Dido. Her result the week after was safe. For the "Judge's Hometown" week she performed "Empire State of Mind" by Alicia Keys and her "Soul" performance was "Human" by Christina Perri. Those performances earned her a spot in the Top 3. The next week, Scott Borchetta's song choice for her to perform was "My Generation" by The Who. Later on that night, for the "Hometown Dedication" theme, she performed "My Immortal" by Evanescence. Her last performance of the night was the Judge's pick for her, which was "Misery Business" by Paramore. She was eliminated finishing in 3rd place on May 12, 2015. Clark Beckham Before trying out for Idol, Clark graduated from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee and was also working as a street musician. He had intended to audition for Idol when he was 18 but decided against it. Beckham auditioned in Nashville with James Brown's "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" and earned a ticket to Hollywood. While in Hollywood he advanced passed the Group Rounds and sang "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Reding for his final Hollywood
performance. He advanced into Showcase Week where he performed "Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles. He was given a spot in the Top 24 and performed "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge. He advanced into the Top 16 where he performed The Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears" and was voted into the Finals. During the Top 12, he performed "It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" by James Brown and advanced to the Top 11. During the Top 11, he performed "Takin' It to the Streets" by The Doobie Brothers and "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5. He advanced to the Top 9 where he sang "Every Breath You Take" by The Police. For the Top 8, he performed "The Trouble with Love Is" by Kelly Clarkson for Kelly Clarkson week, which resulted in him making it to the next week. He then took on "Make It Rain" by Ed Sheeran for Billboard Hits Week and was voted into the Top 6. With much praise, he performed "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder and "Moon River" by Audrey Hepbrun and was declared safe. For the Top 5, he performed "Yesterday" by The Beatles and "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber. After being voted through to the Top 4, he performed "Living for the City" by Stevie Wonder and Josh Turner's "Your Man". During the Top 3, the contestants had to perform songs of Scott Borchetta's Choice, the Judges' Choice, and their Hometown's Choice to compete in the finale. For Scott Borchetta's Choice, he performed "Beautiful Day" by U2. For the Judges' Choice he performed "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. Finally, for his Hometown's Choice he performed "Earned It" by The Weekend. He was voted into the Final 2 with fellow contestant Nick Fradiani on May 12, 2015. For the Top 2, he performed "Georgia on my Mind" by Ray Charles, "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers, and his winner single "Champion". He was announced as the Runner-Up of Season 14 making fellow contestant Nick Fradiani the winner on May 13, 2015. Tyanna Jones Tyanna Jones is a 16 year old Jacksonville native whose dreams of using her voice to connect with people all over the world came true when she was chosen as a contestant on Season 14 of American Idol. And while Tyanna’s American Idol experience has allowed her to perform before national television audiences, on such renowned stages as the Orpheum & Dolby theaters’, and eventually leading her to claim one of the Top 5 spots on the American Idol tour, her journey has not been without struggle or sacrifice.
It was while growing up in a household that was always filled with love, laughter and loud music that Tyanna, and her 10 brothers and sisters (parents-Timothy & Tamara Jones) took on an appreciation for good music. During some of the most difficult times in their lives: homelessness, no lights or water and even struggling to purchase food; their love for God, one another & music allowed them to pull together, persevere and overcome. Such a genuine “old soul”, Tyanna began singing in the church choir at the tender age of 5 under the tutelage of her mother, Tamara Jones, who served as choir director in their church. The way that Tyanna lit up when she got a microphone in her hands, coupled with a voice that is mature beyond her years, her undeniable confidence and commanding stage presence, it didn’t take long for her mother to recognize that Tyanna had something special. Eventually others within the choir, and without began to recognize the youngster’s raw talent and she soon became the lead vocalist for many of the songs sung during services and at special events. From there Tyanna’s talents and her love of singing would not only earn her several first place and runner-up prizes in local singing competitions and talent shows around Jacksonville; but would also become a comfort for her as she dealt with being bullied and began to question her worth. Tyanna Jones is the epitome of an overachiever and a firm believer that with her unwavering faith, and her family, she has been blessed to accomplish as much as she has, and because of the same she knows that the sky is the limit to what she can attain! Rayvon Owen Before trying out for Idol, Rayvon was working as a vocal coach in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Rayvon auditioned for American Idol Season 14 with "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry and earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood. While in Hollywood, he advanced passed the judgement and group rounds and performed "Ordinary People" by John Legend for the final solo round. During the Top 24, he performed "Lay Me Down" by Sam Smith and was voted into the Top 16. He performed "My Girl" by The Temptations during the Top 16 and was eventually voted into the finals. During the Top 12, he performed a reprise of his audition song and advanced to the Top 11. He performed "Burn" by Ellie Goulding during the first week of the Top 11 and performed "Stayin'
Alive" by The Bee Gees the second week. After escaping the Bottom 3, he performed "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears only to enter the Bottom 2. After a new twist with the "Fan Save" with Twitter, he was declared safe while fellow contestant Daniel Seavey was sent home. For the Top 8, he performed "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson, which resulted in him making the top 8 thanks to the Idol Fan Save. For Billboard Hits week, Rayvon sang "Set Fire to The Rain" and received the Idol Fan Save for a third consecutive time. For the Top 6, he performed
"Long Train Runnin'" by The Doobie Brothers and "Always on My Mind" by Brenda Lee. For the Top 5, he performed Sam Smith's "I'm Not the Only One" and "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac and was declared safe after being in the Bottom 2 or 3 for six consecutive weeks. For the Top 4, he performed "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum and "Believe" by Justin Bieber. He was eliminated finishing in 4th place on May 6, 2015.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 AT 8 PM
BEWITCHED
BROADWAY Four former stars of Wicked perform songs from the hit musical and other Broadway shows.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30 AT 8 PM