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'A Night on Broadway' to Open 10th Anniversary Season of Music by the Lake
6/4/2010
AURORA, Ill. — "A Night on Broadway," featuring leading New York City baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell, award-winning conductor Paul Gemignani and 40 Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, will open the 10th annual Music by the Lake series on Saturday, June 26, at 7:30 p.m. in The Ferro Pavilion at George Williams College of Aurora University, 350 Constance Blvd. in Williams Bay, Wis.
Dubbed "The Last Leading Man" by The New York Times, Mitchell has enjoyed a rich and varied career on Broadway and in television and film, along with appearances in the great American concert halls. His musical versatility has kept him in demand by some of the finest conductors and orchestras in the country. His resonant baritone voice has been heard at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Disney Hall, Town Hall, Tanglewood and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
His long television career began with a seven-year stint on "Trapper John, MD." Mitchell's numerous more recent film and TV appearances include "One Last Thing," recurring roles on "Crossing Jordan" and "Frasier," PBS's "Great Performances" and "The Singer and the Song" from the White House. Just a few of his Broadway credits include "Man of La Mancha," "Kiss Me Kate," "Ragtime," "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and "Mail," which earned him a Theatre World award for outstanding Broadway Debut. This distinguished and multi-talented artist continues to perform as both soloist and guest star at concerts all over the U.S
Conductor and Music Director Gemignani has distinguished himself in a repertoire of more than 40 Broadway and West End Shows while leading many of the country's finest orchestras. He has won numerous theatre awards, including a 2001 Tony for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, as well as the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award (1994), a special Drama Desk Award (1989), and an honorary Doctorate of Musical Arts from The Manhattan School of Music.
In 2006, he received a Primetime Emmy award for "best musical direction on Great Performances presentation of Rogers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific." Maestro Gemignani has worked with virtually every major operatic and Broadway luminary, including Renee Fleming, Placido Domingo, Thomas Hampson, Marilyn Horne, Samuel Ramey, Frederica Von Stade, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Reba McEntire, Bernadette Peters, Betty Buckley, Angela Lansbury and Madeline Kahn, to name just a few!
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is consistently hailed as one of today's leading international orchestras, with performances greeted by enthusiastic audiences both at home and abroad. The celebrated Italian conductor Riccardo Muti begins his tenure as music director in September 2010; French composer-conductor Pierre Boulez continues his service as conductor emeritus. The orchestra performs more than 150 concerts each year at its home, Symphony Center, and in summer residency at the Ravinia Festival. Music lovers outside Chicago enjoy the sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra not only through its radio broadcast series and recordings, but also through sold-out tour performances around the globe.
The performance is underwritten in part by the generous support of Don and Marilyn Hedberg.
The Main Stage series continues with:
- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, fusing classic American sounds from jazz, swing, Dixieland and big band music, will perform Saturday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m.
- Verdi's operatic masterpiece, "La Traviata," will be presented onSaturday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m. Christine Flasch, executive director of Music by the Lake, will direct the production to be sung in Italian with supertitles. The performance is supported in part by Young Artist Underwriter Harold Hartshorne, Jr. A special dinner featuring an Italian menu prepared by a guest chef will be available prior to the performance.
- Singer, composer, pianist Ann Hampton Callaway will perform her signature songs with Jeff Lindberg's Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Saturday, Aug. 7, at 7:30 p.m. This performance is underwritten in part by the generous support of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation.
Sundays at 4 Concerts are:
- Guitarist John Jorgenson, a pioneer of the American Gypsy Jazz movement, will perform classic standards and original compositions in this year's Jazz Café, Sunday, July 18, at 4 p.m. Jorgenson will lead his quintet with dazzling guitar, clarinet, and masterful vocal selections.
- Verdi's operatic masterpiece opera, "La Traviata," will be presented onSunday, July 25, at 4 p.m. Christine Flasch, Executive Director of Music by the Lake, will direct the production to be sung in Italian with supertitles. The performance is supported in part by Young Artist Underwriter Harold Hartshorne, Jr. A special dinner featuring an Italian menu prepared by a guest chef will be available prior to the performance.
- Frank Almond, acclaimed concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and renowned violinist, will perform with internationally recognized, award-winning pianist William Wolfram in a stunning duo recital, Sunday, Aug. 1, at 4 p.m. Both are Juilliard trained soloists. Almond will play a 1715 Stradivarius violin in a spectacular program showcasing the artist in solo and duet repertoire.
The Sundays at 4 Series is underwritten in part by the generous support of the Judith and John Graff Charitable Fund.
The season finale Pritzker Spotlight Concert is:
- Grammy Award winner Peter Frampton will be featured on Saturday, Aug. 14, at 7:30 p.m. Frampton, one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history, has one of the top selling live records of all time. He received a 2006 Grammy Award for the all-instrumental work, "Fingerprints" and his most recent album, "Thank You Mr. Churchill," is an autobiographical collection. This performance is generously underwritten by The J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation.
Single and season tickets are on sale. Season ticket packages range in price from $395 to $90 and single ticket prices for the Main Stage Series and Sundays at 4 Series range from $80 to $15. Tickets for the Spotlight Concert range from $100 to $15. Seating is available in the Dress Circle, Orchestra, Rear Orchestra and Terrace for each performance, except Terrace seating is not available for Sundays at 4 Series performances on July 18 and Aug. 1. Outdoor lawn seating is available at all Saturday evening performances for $15 per ticket.
For more information or tickets, call 866-843-5200 toll free or 262-245-8501, or e-mail mbtl@aurora.edu. Visit the Web site at www.musicbythelake.com for secure online ordering.
The 2010 Music by the Lake concert series is generously supported by Platinum sponsors Fairwyn Investment and Development; Gold sponsors Grand Geneva, Keefe Real Estate (Honorary Presenting Sponsor), and Scherrer Construction; Silver sponsors Aurora Health Care, Balestrieri Development and Environmental, Inc., Community Bank Delavan, HGA Architects and Engineers, Lake Geneva Cruise Line and Gage Marine, M&I Bank, Sodexo Campus Services, Voyager Capital Management, LLC, Walworth State Bank, and Wells Fargo Private Bank.
Aurora University is an inclusive community dedicated to the transformative power of learning. Approximately 4,000 degree-seeking students are enrolled each year on the university's Illinois and Wisconsin campuses, and the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral levels. The George Williams College campus offers 16 academic programs, unique conference facilities, and is home to Music by the Lake and other education and enrichment programs.
Note: Media may download print-quality photos by going to the Music by the Lake press room at www.musicbythelake.com/press.
