APRIL-JUNE 2018 - thesoraya.org · Some Enchanted Evening (Reprise).....Nellie Honey Bun (Reprise)...
Transcript of APRIL-JUNE 2018 - thesoraya.org · Some Enchanted Evening (Reprise).....Nellie Honey Bun (Reprise)...
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A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
rand. A word that has infiltrat-
ed everyday vocabulary. Every
company and every product has a brand.
Apple, Nike, Disney – brands that are rec-
ognized worldwide. Brand. A byproduct
of consumer culture?
For an organization like ours, brand is
our way of connecting with you. You’re
not a customer in a faraway shopping mall.
You’re here with us, in the lobby and audi-
torium. You live nearby. You opt to spend
your valuable time with us. Our brand is a
way of distinguishing ourselves, of telling
our story, and of reflecting our shared
values and our precious differences.
As we prepared to launch our new name – The Soraya – we enjoyed the opportunity
to reflect on our brand. We visited the Nazarian’s home and admired dozens of Soraya
Nazarian’s sculptures. We explored features of the architecture of this beautiful venue.
We engaged in long conversations internally and with CSUN leadership. And we reflected
on the past few years, our growth in programming and community engagement, our arts
education programs, our artists, and our audience.
The first and most visible result is a new logo. We’re excited to unveil it as we launch
the upcoming 2018-19 Season. But a brand is so much more, and you are a part of that
story. Thank you for helping us shape our new brand.
Thor Steingraber, Executive Director
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts
B
WELCOMING YOU TO THE SORAYA!
Backstage, in the lobby, behind the ticket window, and in the office —
the staff of The Soraya deserves to take a bow. Their dedication to our
patrons and to quality performances is only surpassed by their shared
values. At The Soraya, diversity thrives everywhere, starting with the
staff. Please join us for the 2018-19 season. Everyone is welcome.
5www.TheSoraya.org4 TheSorayaStage
WELCOMING YOU TO THE SORAYA
CONTENTS
8 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific
24 Cécile McLorin Salvant
28 ¡La Nueva Cuba! The Next Generation
32 Amir ElSaffar’s Two Rivers Ensemble
36 LA Opera Presents Great Opera Choruses
38 Terence Blanchard Featuring The E-Collective
42 Quetzal With Flor de Toloache
48 An Evening with David Sedaris
52 Billy Porter: The Soul of Richard Rodgers
President, CSUNDr. Dianne F. Harrison
Vice President of Administration and
Finance, CSUNColin Donahue
Executive Director, The Soraya
Thor Steingraber
Associate Executive Director, The SorayaTerence McFarland
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE!Check-in on Facebook, tag us in your Instagram photos, Snapchat your moments, or trend with us on Twitter. / TheSorayaStage
Juliana AlvarezAnthony E. CantrellCarey ChristensenCrystal DiazJose FelixSheryl JonesLakhpreet KaurAnnikki LottaCharles MatthewDennis MillerZac NorthcraftCameron O’Hanlon
Nick OldhamMaria ParedesChristian ParkerKim E. ParkerRaechelle PedrajaJennifer SamselAlberto Sistos Joey SolanoJustin SouzaMegan Spellmeyer Nicki SunAnabel Villalobos
Davidson & Choy Publicity | Gary W. Murphy Public Relations
Cover: The Soraya Logo and pattern by Keith & Co; P.02: The Soraya Staff by Luis Luque; P.03: Thor Steingraber by Luis Luque; P.04-5: Pedrito Martinez Group by Danielle Moir; P.08: South Pacific artwork designed by Lisa Sarkissian; P.13-18: Kim Arnett, Brittany Bentley, Richard Bulda, Caitlyn Calfas, Hajin Cho, Justin Cowden, John Cudia, Marc Ginsburg, Lucas Jaye, Jodi Kimura, Adam Lendermon, Caryolyn Lupin, Dino Nicandros, Katie Perry, Araceli Prasarttongosoth, Matt Rosell, Michael Rothhaar, Jake Saenz, Brent Schindele, Brian Steven Shaw, Jeff Skowron, Shannon Stoeke, Alissa Tucker, and Stephanie Renee Wall courtesy of McCoy Rigby Entertainment; P.24: Cécile McLorin Salvant courtesy of The Kurland Agency; P.27: Sullivan Fortner courtesy of Sullivan Fortner; P.28: Pedrito Martinez Group by Danielle Moir; P.30: Daymé Arocena by Gabriel Guerra Bianchini; P.31: Roberto Fonseca by Arien Chang; P.32: Amir ElSaffar by Michael Crommett; P.36: Grant Gershon courtesy of LA Opera; P.38: Terence Blanchard by Greg Miles; P.41: Terence Blanchard by Henry Adebonojo; P.42: Flor De Toloache courtesy of Flor de Toloache; P.44-45: Quetzal courtesy of Riot Artists; P.47: Quetzal courtesy of Riot Artists; P.48: David Sedaris by Adam DeTour; P.51: David Sedaris by Ingrid Christie; P.52: Billy Porter by Ron Cadiz for Sony Music Entertainment; P.55: Billy Porter by Rebecca Sapp ; P.59: Porter Pavilion by Joey Solano; P.60: The Soraya Great Hall by Luis Luque; P.62: Mexico’s Past and Present: A Cultural Journey by Christopher Duggan; P.64: Usher Holding Tickets by Steve Babuljak; P.67: Bistro on the Terrace by Joey Solano.
PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP
7www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER RENAMEDin Honor of Younes and Soraya Sarah Nazarian’sTransformative Gift
“We found the perfect opportunity to impact theentire region by supporting two of our family’smost treasured values — education and the arts.” —Younes Nazarian
From left to right: Soraya Sarah, Younes, and Sharon Nazarian
171024_BookletAD_Nazarian_5.5x8.5.indd 1 10/24/17 1:40 PM
9www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
180312_SP_Program_Page.indd 1 3/13/18 11:33 AM
SOUTH PACIFIC
FRIDAY, APRIL 13 | 8PM SATURDAY, APRIL 14 | 3PM & 8PM
SUNDAY, APRIL 15 | 3PM**Sign Language Interpreted Performance
MEDIA SPONSOR: KPCC
OPENING NIGHT IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY THE ST. NICHOLAS FOUNDATION
RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S
DIRECTED BY GLENN CASALE LA MIRADA THEATRE & MCCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT
MUSIC BY RICHARD RODGERS
LYRICS BY OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II BOOK BY OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II & JOSHUA LOGAN ADAPTED FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNING NOVEL TALES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC BY JAMES A. MICHENER
THERE WILL BE A TWENTY-MINUTE INTERMISSION
www.TheSoraya.org10 11TheSorayaStage
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & MCCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT
PRESENT
RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S
SOUTH PACIFICMusic by RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN IIBook by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II and JOSHUA LOGAN
Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener
Starring
JOHN CUDIA& STEPHANIE RENEE WALL
WithKIM ARNETT, BRITTANY BENTLEY, RICHARD BULDA, CAITLYN CALFAS, HAJIN CHO,
JUSTIN COWDEN, MARC GINSBURG, LUCAS JAYE, JODI KIMURA, ADAM LENDERMON,CAROLYN LUPIN, DINO NICANDROS, KATIE PERRY, ARACELI PRASARTTONGOSOTH,
MATT ROSELL, MICHAEL ROTHHAAR, JAKE SAENZ, BRENT SCHINDELE,BRIAN STEVEN SHAW, JEFF SKOWRON, SHANNON STOEKE, ALISSA TUCKER
Scenery DesignROBERT KOVACH
Costume DesignMARY FOLINO
Lighting DesignJARED A. SAYEG
Sound DesignJULIE FERRIN
Hair/Wig/Makeup DesignEB BOHKS
Properties Design JOEL MARKUS
Casting DirectorJULIA FLORES
Technical DirectorMICHAEL ROMAN
General Manager
PATTI McCOY JACOB
Production ManagementANA LARA,
LINDSAY BROOKS,DAVID NESTOR
Production Stage ManagerJOHN W. CALDER, III
Assistant Stage ManagerLISA PALMIRE
PublicistDAVID ELZER/
DEMAND PRMusical Direction byBRENT CRAYON
Choreographed byPEGGY HICKEY
Directed byGLENN CASALE
SOUTH PACIFIC is presented through special arrangement with R&H Theatricals: www.rnh.com
PLACE & TIME
The action of the play takes place on two Islands in the South Pacific during World War II.
There is one week’s lapse of time between the two acts.
There will be one 20-minute intermission during this performance.
*Members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors
and Stage Managers in the United States.
Ensign Dinah Murphy/Ensemble ...........................................................................................KIM ARNETT*
Ensign Genevieve Martin/Ensemble ..................................................................BRITTANY BENTLEY
Ensign Rita Adams/Ensemble .......................................................................................RICHARD BULDA*
Ensign Rita Adams/Ensemble ...................................................................................... CAITLYN CALFAS*
Liat .............................................................................................................................................................. HAJIN CHO
Private Darrell “Doe Doe” Dean/Ensemble ............................................................... JUSTIN COWDEN
Emile de Becque ...............................................................................................................................JOHN CUDIA*
Stewpot .................................................................................................................................... MARC GINSBURG*
Jerome .....................................................................................................................................................LUCAS JAYE
Bloody Mary .................................................................................................................................... JODI KIMURA*
Radio Operator Bob MaCaffrey/Ensemble ....................................................... ADAM LENDERMON*
Lt. J. G. Sue Yaeger/Ensemble ............................................................................................CAROLYN LUPIN
Lt. Buzz Adams/Shore Patrolman/Ensemble ...................................................... DINO NICANDROS*
Ensign Cora MacRae/Ensemble ............................................................................................. KATIE PERRY
Ngana .........................................................................................................ARACELI PRASARTTONGOSOTH
Lt. Joseph Cable .............................................................................................................................MATT ROSELL*
Captain George Brackett .......................................................................................MICHAEL ROTHHAAR*
Seaman Tom O’Brien/Ensemble ............................................................................................... JAKE SAENZ
Cmdr. William Harbison ..............................................................................................BRENT SCHINDELE*
Seaman Eustis Carmichael/Ensemble ...........................................................BRIAN STEVEN SHAW*
Luther Billis ............................................................................................................................... JEFF SKOWRON*
Professor...............................................................................................................................SHANNON STOEKE*
Ensign Bessie Noonan/Ensemble ....................................................................................ALISSA TUCKER
Ensign Nellie Forbush .......................................................................................STEPHANIE RENEE WALL
Production Stage Manager....................................................................................... JOHN W. CALDER, III*
Assistant Stage Manager ..................................................................................DAVID JORDAN NESTOR*
Military Advisor ..................................................................................................................... LARRY MOWLES
(formerly L. Mowles, MM2, United States Navy, 1964–1968, Vietnam)
www.TheSoraya.org12 13TheSorayaStage
BR ENT CR AYON - Musical Director/Conductor/Keyboard 1
ROBERT PETERSON - Violin IGER RY HILER A - Violin II
JASON BONHAM - ViolaEVGENY TONKHA - Cello
EILEEN HOLT - Flute/PiccoloL AR RY HUGHES - Clarinet
JOHN MITCHELL - Clarinet/BassoonADAM BHATIAL - Trumpet
CHAR LIE MORILL AS - TromboneDANIELLE ONDAR ZA - French Horn
PAUL BAKER - HarpMAR K CONVERSE - Percussion
TIM CHRISTENSEN - Bass/Contractor
ORCHESTRA
MUSICAL NUMBERSACT I
Overture……………..............................................................................................................................OrchestraDites-Moi ................................................................................................................................Ngana and JeromeA Cockeyed Optimist……………………...……….….....................…………………………………NellieTwin Soliloquies......................................................................................................................Nellie and EmileSome Enchanted Evening.........................................................................................................................EmileDites-Moi (Reprise) .............................................................................................Ngana, Jerome and EmileBloody Mary...................................................................................................Sailors, Seabees and MarinesThere Is Nothin’ Like A Dame .................................................. Billis, Sailors, Seabees and MarinesBali Ha’i ..............................................................................................................................................Bloody MaryCable Hears “Bali Ha’I” ................................................................................................................................CableI’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.....................................................Nellie and Nurses Some Enchanted Evening (Reprise) ..............................................................................Emile and NellieA Wonderful Guy .................................................................................................................Nellie and NursesBali Ha’i (Reprise)....................................................................................................French and Native GirlsYounger Than Springtime ........................................................................................................................CableI’m In Love With A Wonderful Guy..................................................................................Nellie and EmileThis Is How It Feels................................................................................................................Nellie and EmileI’m Gonna Wash That Man .......................................................................................................................EmileFinale Act I ......................................................................................................................................................Emile
ACT IIEntr’Acte..................................................................................................................................................OrchestraOpening Act II (Dance)............................................................................................Nellie, Nurses and G.I.’sHappy Talk. ....................................................................................................................Bloody Mary and LiatHoney Bun .......................................................................................................... Nellie, Billis and EnsembleYou’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught.........................................................................................................CableThis Nearly Was Mine ................................................................................................................................EmileSome Enchanted Evening (Reprise).....................................................................................................NellieHoney Bun (Reprise) ......................................................................................................................................... AllFinale Ultimo ..........................................................................................Nellie, Ngana, Jerome and Emile
KIM ARNETT
(Ensign Dinah
Murphy/Ensem-
ble) joins McCoy/
Rigby for her 9th
production. She
was a part of the
‘97-‘00 Broadway/National Tour of Peter
Pan which was filmed for A&E. Other MRE
shows include: Little Mermaid, Mary Pop-
pins, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Evita,
Unsinkable Molly Brown, Crazy for You, and
Annie Get Your Gun. Also, the Dance Cap-
tain for Mamma Mia! (Vegas/1st National).
BRITTANY
BENTLEY
(Ensign Genevieve
Martin/Ensem-
ble) most recently
was the female
swing and dance
captain for the National Tour of Rudolph
the Red Nosed-Reindeer: The Musical. Film/
TV credits: James Corden’s Carpool
Karaoke, Glee, and The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button. Thank you to all who
have served or currently serve in our
military. Special thanks to Anthony Boyer/
DDO Artists Agency, her real life military
man: Joshua, the South Pacific creative
team, and McCoy Rigby Entertainment.
She dedicates her performance in loving
memory of Richard Dunn.
RICHARD BULDA
(Henry/Seabee
Morton Wise/
Ensemble) was last
seen as Max in
Cabaret, and as
Pomahac in the
world premiere of Empire the Musical.
Favorite roles include CATS (Macavity),
West Side Story (Bernardo), and Seven Brides
for Seven Brothers (Benjamin). He has also
danced for California Ballet (Cinderella), and
has performed with LA Opera, L.A. Philhar-
monic, and Dallas Opera. Thank you Peggy,
Glenn, and McCoy Rigby Entertainment!
CAITLYN CALFAS
(Ensign Rita
Adams/Ensemble)
is thrilled to be
back with McCoy
Rigby after
appearing in
Empire the Musical. Favorite credits include
Nina in In the Heights (Moonlight), Hattie in
Ella Enchanted (South Coast Rep), The Who’s
Tommy (East West Players), Serena in
Legally Blonde (Cabrillo), and Anytime
Annie in 42nd Street (MTW). Caitlyn is a
proud graduate of UCLA (insert 8-clap here).
Many thanks to her supportive friends and
family, Anthony/DDO, Glenn, Peggy, Brent,
Julia, and the entire South Pacific team.
www.TheSoraya.org14 15TheSorayaStage
HAJIN CHO (Liat)
is thrilled to be
making her La
Mirada debut as
Liat in South
Pacific. Most
recently she
played Marcy Park in The 25th Annual
Putnam County Spelling Bee and voices the
role of Saturday in an animated series called
The Weeklings. You can find her singing as
Mulan in the Disneyland show Mickey and
the Magical Map. Training: USC School of
Dramatic Arts. Many thanks and love to her
agent Anthony, managers at Cinterra,
friends and family.
JUSTIN COWDEN
(Private Darrell
“Doe Doe” Dean/
Ensemble) is
honored to be
making his
McCoy Rigby/La
Mirada debut with South Pacific. Recent
credits include MTW’s Carousel (Enoch
Snow), Miracle on 34th Street (Fred) with
Plan B Entertainment, and the Ova-
tion-nominated hit Memphis with
Cabrillo Music Theatre (Perry Como/
Huey u/s). Love to his amazing agent
Anthony Boyer, his family and, most of
all, his phenomenal wife Lexi, and their
daughter Layni Rose for being his
constant rock of support.
JOHN CUDIA
(Emile de Becque)
holds the distinct
honor of being
the first and only
actor to have
appeared on
Broadway as both the Phantom and Jean
Valjean. He received the Joseph Jefferson
award for his portrayal of Valjean at the
Marriott Theatre in Chicago. Also on
Broadway, Evita. For Vancouver Opera:
Cassio in Othello and Juan Peron in Evita.
Curley in Oklahoma! at Lyric Opera of
Chicago. Other credits include Jesus in
Jesus Christ Superstar, Tony in West Side
Story, Freddy in My Fair Lady, Emile and
Lt. Cable in South Pacific. As a featured
soloist he has appeared in concert with
orchestras nationwide. A classical lyric
tenor, John studies voice in New York City
with Mark Oswald, is married to Broad-
way actress Kathy Voytko, and is the
proud father of Alena Joyce and Evelyn
Rose. www.johncudia.com
MARC
GINSBURG
(Stewpot) is happy
to return to La
Mirada/McCoy
Rigby Entertain-
ment after his
Ovation Award-nominated performance
as Aaron in First Date and the Foreman
in Les Misérables. Other favorite roles
include Che (Evita – Ovation Nomination),
Chauvelin (The Scarlet Pimpernel), and
Fagin in the First National Tour of Cam-
eron Mackintosh’s Oliver! Thank you to
Glenn, Tom, Cathy, BT, Julia, Kelley, Peggy,
Brent, John, Steven, and everyone behind
the scenes and offstage at La Mirada/MRE.
All my love, forever, to Liza, Phoenix, and
Egon! www.marcandliza.com
LUCAS JAYE
(Jerome) started
acting at the age
of six, starring in
several national
and regional
commercials.
Lucas is most known for his role as Taylor,
the recurring and delightful “frenemy” of
Max Fuller on the Netflix Original series,
Fuller House. He has also enjoyed working
on projects such as The Gilmore Girls: A
Year in a Life, Angie Tribeca, CBS’s Pure
Genius and can be seen on an upcoming
episode of TVLand’s hit comedy, Teachers.
JODI KIMURA
(Bloody Mary)
was most recently
seen as Mrs.
Kipfer in Tim
Rice’s new
musical From
Here to Eternity at the Ogunquit Playhouse.
Broadway/Tour: First National US Tour:
South Pacific (Helen Hayes nominee, Bloody
Mary), First National UK Tour: South Pacific
(Bloody Mary). Regional: If All the Sky Were
Paper (Testuko Tanaka, Kennedy Center,
and Kirk Douglas, LA with Annette Ben-
ning), Another Side of the Island (Juno,
Orlando Shakespeare Festival, and Alpine
Theatre Project with Olympia Dukakis).
Mahalo to Dustin and The Mine, to Tom,
Cathy, Glenn, Peggy, Brent, Julia, and all the
folks at La Mirada. And love to my family,
friends, and Amber-Sky. jodikimura.com
ADAM
LENDERMON
(Radio Operator
Bob MaCaffrey/
Ensemble) re-
cently moved to
LA after 17 years
in NYC and is thrilled to be working with
McCoy Rigby/La Mirada. Off Broadway/
NYC: The Anthem (Lynn Redgrave
Theatre), Cinderella (Avery Fisher Hall).
Regional: Thoroughly Modern Millie
(Performance Riverside), A Midsummer
Night’s Dream (Repertory Theatre of St.
Louis), H.M.S. Pinafore (Guthrie - filmed
for PBS), and The Who’s Tommy (Arkan-
sas Rep.) He has toured nationally with
Cats (Skimbleshanks) and international-
ly with West Side Story (Big Deal).
CARYOLYN
LUPIN (Lt. J. G.
Sue Yaeger/
Ensemble) Credits
include Jesus
Christ Superstar
at Performance
Riverside, Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat at 5 Star Theatri-
cals, The Scarlet Pimpernel with Contempo
Productions, South Pacific at Candlelight
Pavilion, My Fair Lady at the Welk Resort
Theatre, Picnic at Oceanside Theatre
www.TheSoraya.org16 17TheSorayaStage
Company, and Sweeney Todd with South-
gate Productions. Carolyn holds a Master’s
of Music in Musical Theatre from Oklaho-
ma City University and a BA in Vocal
Performance from Pepperdine University.
DINO
NICANDROS
(Lt. Buzz Adams/
Shore Patrolman/
Ensemble) is ex-
cited to return to
the McCoy Rigby
family. Previous credits: Hunchback of
Notre Dame (Voice of Quasimodo), National
Tours of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:
The Musical (Boss Elf), and Les Misérables
(Ensemble). Regional credits: Young
Frankenstein (Frederick): 3-D Theatricals,
How to Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying (Finch): Candlelight Pavilion, The
Addams Family (Lucas): 3-D Theatricals.
Endless thanks to Glenn, Brent, Peggy,
Julia, Tom, Cathy, Anthony, and Jonathan.
KATIE PERRY
(Ensign Cora
MacRae/Ensem-
ble) is thrilled to
be making her
debut with McCoy
Rigby Entertain-
ment! Recent credits include: Little Women
(Beth), The Pirates of Penzance (Mabel),
Beauty and the Beast (Belle), The Wizard of
Oz (Ensemble), A Christmas Carol (Sally), La
Cage aux Folles (Anne), Carousel (Julie u/s),
and Carrie (Swing). She has also appeared at
54 Below in NYC in Bartram and Hill’s new
musical, The Theory of Relativity (Mira) and
Susan Egan: The Belle of Broadway (Soloist).
Katie has a BFA in Musical Theatre from
University of Oklahoma.
ARACELI
PRASARTTONG-
OSOTH (Ngana)
made her broad-
cast TV debut on
the season one
finale of Lethal
Weapon on FOX. Recently she shot the short
film American, starring George Takei, due
out this year. Her first professional gig was
as 4-year-old Tommy in The Who’s Tommy
at East West Players. Araceli attends a Man-
darin dual language immersion school and
she is working toward her black belt in the
Korean martial art hapkido.
MATT ROSELL
(Lt. Joseph Cable)
A Los Angeles
native, this is
Matt Rosell’s first
production with
La Mirada
Theatre/McCoy Rigby Entertainment.
His most recent credits include Les
Misérables (Broadway and National Tour),
A Wall Apart (NYMF) music by
Air Supply, and various other regional
productions. TV/Film: Marvelous Mrs.
Maisel and Glee. Matt is beyond excited
to be in his hometown performing after
spending eight years in NYC.
MICHAEL
ROTHHAAR
(Captain George
Brackett) Michael
is happy to return
to La Mirada
Theatre. Previ-
ously he appeared in Spring Awakening,
Last Night of Ballyhoo, and King O’ The
Moon. Broadway: The Front Page and The
Corn is Green. Off-Broadway: Frankenstein
and Brand, the San Francisco company of
The Foreigner, and appearances at various
regional theatres. Film and TV include
Bones, True Blood, The Nutty Professor,
and Modern Family. He served as the
Artistic Director of Pennsylvania’s
Allenberry Playhouse 1987 to 1992.
JAKE SAENZ
(Seaman Tom
O’Brien/Ensem-
ble) Regional:
Legally Blonde
(3-D Theatricals),
Big Fish (Musical
Theatre West), All Shook Up (Moonlight
Amphitheater), Shrek (Moonlight Amphi-
theater), Young Frankenstein (Palos Verdes
Performing Arts), Grease (The Welk
Resort). National Tour: Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical (McCoy
Rigby Entertainment). You can currently
catch Jake performing at the Disneyland
Resort with The Red Car Trolley Newsboys!
Love to Mom, Dad, Joey, and Team KMR!
BRENT
SCHINDELE
(Cmdr. William
Harbison) just
played Frank
Butler at the
Candlelight
Pavilion and is happy to be back with
McCoy-Rigby. He toured the country as
Tony in West Side Story and in Jack
O’Brien’s national company of The Sound
of Music. Off-Broadway: the Leading Man
in The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!
and originated the role of Johnny Blue in
South Street at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Musical credits: Guys & Dolls (Sky
Masterson), The Music Man (Harold Hill)...
and of course South Pacific (Joe Cable).
BRIAN STEVEN
SHAW (Seaman
Eustis Carmi-
chael/Ensemble)
National Tour:
The Little
Mermaid.
Regional Favorites: Cabaret, Cats, Billy
Elliot (McCoy Rigby), La Cage Aux Folles,
South Pacific, Brigadoon (Sacramento
Music Circus), Legally Blonde (3-D
Theatricals), Frozen - Live at the Hyperion,
Aladdin A Musical Spectacular! (Disneyland
Resort). Commercial: Frozen Fun (Disney-
land, Bell Hop).
www.TheSoraya.org18 19TheSorayaStage
JEFF SKOWRON
(Luther Billis)
co-stars as
Dorfman opposite
Billy Bob Thorn-
ton in Bad Santa
2. Broadway:
Enron, How the Grinch Stole Christmas,
The Lion King, Beauty and The Beast,
High Society. With MRE: Cabaret (Emcee,)
Pride and Prejudice (Mr. Collins/Ovation
Nomination), Les Miserables (Thenardier/
Ovation Nomination), Lend Me a Tenor
(Bellhop); With 3DT: Parade (Leo Frank/
Ovation Award Lead Actor in a Musical). Jeff
won Best Actor in a Drama at the 2017 New
York Television Festival for his work as the
title role in Max Riddle, a pilot he co-cre-
ated/directed with Matt Yeager. They also
co-created and co-star in Greg And Donny
(www.greganddonny.com) which landed
them a development deal with IFC.
SHANNON
STOEKE (Profes-
sor) Last season Dr.
Carrasco in Man of
La Mancha. Tour
and regional:
Camelot (Mordred,
national tour and
Arthur, Pasadena Playhouse), Peter Pan
(Starkey and Hook national tour), Hair
(Claude, European tour), Emma (Mr. Knightly),
Wizard of Oz (Tin Man), Hunchback (Jehan),
Les Miserables (Bishop), Love to Mom, Dad,
BB, Smee, and Gracie.
ALISSA
TUCKER (Ensign
Bessie Noonan/
Ensemble) moved
to NYC to study
at Broadway
Dance Center and
performed in several regional theater produc-
tions, including West Side Story (Graziella),
Peter Pan (Tiger Lily), and Cats (Silabub). Alissa
is a NASM certified personal trainer and a
Senior Trainer at AKT InMotion. Most recently
Alissa was seen in the 5-Star Theatricals pro-
duction of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat. Alissa is thrilled to be joining
the cast of South Pacific and making her
La Mirada debut!
STEPHANIE
RENEE WALL
(Ensign Nellie
Forbush) Cur-
rently: Michele in
the pre-Broad-
way production
of Romy and Michele’s High School
Reunion: The Musical (Seattle’s 5th Ave
Theatre), Elsa in Frozen - Live at The
Hyperion (Disney California Adventure).
Broadway: Marilyn Wald in Beautiful: The
Carole King Musical. Regional: Elle Woods
in Legally Blonde (3-D Theatricals), Mary
Poppins in Mary Poppins (Performance
Riverside), Louise in Gypsy (West Coast
Ensemble), Cindy Lou in The Marvelous
Wonderettes (original LA company).
GLENN CASALE (Director) Broadway:
Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby (Tony
Award nomination Best Revival) which
was filmed by A&E and garnered two
Emmy Awards. Off-Broadway: The Prop-
erty Known as Garland starring Adri-
enne Barbeau, and Dragapella at Studio
54 (Drama Desk Lucille Lortel Award
nominations for Best Production). Inter-
national: Disney’s The Little Mermaid,
Beauty and the Beast (The Netherlands,
Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Russia),
and The Wiz. Regional: Disney’s Hunch-
back of Notre Dame, The Little Mermaid,
Ballroom, Camelot with Rachel York and
Lou Diamond Phillips. Wrestlers starring
Mark Harmon and George Clooney, Bingo!,
M, From the Top starring Carol Burnett.
Los Angeles Ovation Award-winning Best
Musical Anything Goes starring Rachel
York, Brent Barrett, Sally Struthers, and
Fred Willard, Camelot starring Michael
York, The Prisoner of Second Avenue
with Jason Alexander. Television: ABC’s
The Faculty starring Meredith Baxter
and The Wayans Brothers.
BRENT CRAYON (Musical Director) has
had the privilege to work with such notable
artists as Stephen Schwartz, Daisy Prince,
John Caird, Paul Gordon, Robert Longbot-
tom, John Bucchino, and Richard Maltby,
Jr. Favorite theatrical productions include
Dreamgirls in Tokyo, Japan and the West
Coast premieres of First Date, Songs For
a New World and Tick, Tick…BOOM!, as
well as the world premiere productions of
Stephen Schwartz’s Snapshots, John Buc-
chino’s It’s Only Life, and Bubble Boy, The
Musical. An accomplished and multi-fac-
eted musician, Brent has been a featured
soloist in ensembles throughout Southern
California, including the Santa Monica
Symphony Orchestra, the Long Beach
Symphony Orchestra, and the Ventura
Chamber Orchestra. www.brentcrayon.com
PEGGY HICKEY (Choreographer) Broadway:
Anastasia, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love &
Murder (Astaire and Outer Critics Circle
Nomination, Best Choreography, 2014 Tony
Award for Best Musical); National Tour: A
Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Di-
rected & Choreographed). Lincoln Center:
My Fair Lady (NY Philharmonic), The Most
Happy Fella, Lucky to Be Me, The Music Of
Leonard Bernstein (New York City Opera).
Selected Regional: Romy & Michele’s High
School Reunion (5th Avenue Theatre), Kiss
Me, Kate (Hartford), A Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Old Globe), Carnival (Goodspeed),
Oklahoma! (Paper Mill). Selected Opera: LA
Opera (Wonderful Town), Washington Opera
(Die Fledermaus), Lyric Opera of Chicago
(Celebrating 100 Years of Bernstein). Film:
Woodshock, The Brady Bunch Movie (MTV
Nomination, Best Choreography). Televi-
sion: Hansel and Gretel (Live from Lincoln
Center), Die Fledermaus (Live from The
Kennedy Center), Beck’s The New Pollution
(MTV Award, Best Choreography), Hot in
Cleveland, General Hospital (ABC), 90210
(The CW), Days of Our Lives, Passions (NBC).
www.peggyhickey.com
JULIA FLORES (Casting Director) Twen-
ty-four seasons with McCoy Rigby Enter-
tainment and La Mirada Theatre for the
www.TheSoraya.org20 21TheSorayaStage
Performing Arts. MRE productions include
touring productions of The Little Mermaid,
Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby, Camelot
starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Jesus
Christ Superstar starring Carl Anderson.
Onstage Series productions include Amer-
ican Idiot, Spring Awakening and Floyd
Collins. Additional credits include produc-
tions for Boston Court Theatre, A Noise
Within, The Pasadena Playhouse, Theatre-
works, Denver Center Theatre, Ensemble
Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage,
B Street Theatre, Universal Studios, Los
Angeles Philharmonic, 24th Street Theatre,
San Jose Repertory Theatre and Reprise!
JARED A. SAYEG (Lighting Design) is a
four-time Ovation Award Nominee and
winner of the Ovation, StageRaw, and
Garland Award. For McCoy Rigby: Mary
Poppins, Empire the Musical, Hunchback
of Notre Dame. Broadway designs: The
Illusionists (Neil Simon Theatre, Pan-
tages, and US Tour), Gotham Glory at
Carnegie Hall. Regional: Center Theatre
Group, Pasadena Playhouse, Sacramento,
and CLO of South Bay. On the West End
he designed Rolling with Laughter at Her
Majesty’s Theatre. He was on the design
teams for the Broadway productions of
The Woman in White and the national
tour of Blithe Spirit starring Angela
Lansbury. Other credits include 18 pro-
ductions for Holland America Line, the
2011 NBA All Star Game, Neil Diamond’s
world tour, and in 2008 had the honor of
lighting Pope Benedict XVI for the Papal
Rally in NYC. In 2010 he was appointed
Principal Designer for the prestigious
USA International Ballet Competition
held every four years. Jared creates the
lighting for the nationally touring music
group, The Company Men, and has served
as designer to artists such as Jason Alex-
ander, Barbara Cook, Martin Short, and
Betty Buckley. His architectural designs
are in restaurants and exhibits as well as
the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific.
Jared became the youngest member of
the United Scenic Artists-Local 829 and
serves as a trustee to the executive board.
JULIE FERRIN (Sound Design) is honored
to be designing South Pacific with this
awesome cast and crew! Julie recently
designed Million Dollar Quartet with
3-DTheatricals and Seussical the Mu-
sical and Mary Poppins with Encore of
Southbay. Ms. Ferrin is president of Sound
Advice LLC, a sound design, engineering,
and rental company. Please visit www.
soundadvicedesigns.com for more infor-
mation and follow us on Facebook at Sound
Advice LLC. Julie is a proud member of USA
829 and IATSE Local 504. Thank you for
supporting the arts and enjoy show!
EB BOHKS (Hair/Wig/Makeup Design)
studied at Fullerton College in the The-
atre Arts program then moved on to their
Cosmetology program, graduating and
receiving her State Board Certification in
the summer of 2013. You may have seen
her work before in and around Orange
County. Past credits include: Sister Act,
Ain’t Misbehavin’, A Funny Thing Hap-
pened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney
Todd, Bonnie and Clyde, Into the Woods,
The Glass Menagerie, Kiss Me, Kate, The
39 Steps (wig designer); Rudolph the Red-
Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, West Side
Story (Supervisor); Man of La Mancha,
The Little Mermaid, Dreamgirls, Empire
the Musical, Side Show, Ragtime (wig assis-
tant); Sweeney Todd and One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest (makeup designer). Thanks
and love to the family and friends that
support her and everything she does. She
would also like to dedicate this show to her
late grandmother, Lois Gentzler, I love you
more! Follow her on Instagram @wigsbyeb
JOHN W. CALDER, III (Production Stage
Manager) Equity member since 1980.
McCoy Rigby/La Mirada Theatre: Four Sis-
ters, End of the Rainbow, West Side Story,
Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. LA
Credits: Forbidden Broadway-2 (Ovation
Winner), Roger and Hammerstein’s Cin-
derella, Light in the Piazza, She Loves Me,
The Piano Lesson (Tonya Pinkins). National
Tours: Les Misérables, Hal Prince’s Show-
boat, West Side Story, White Christmas (7
years), A Chorus Line (Donna McKechnie),
Dreamgirls (Jennifer Holliday), Anything
Goes (Chita Rivera), Hello, Dolly! (Madeline
Kahn). He’s worked with President Bill
Clinton, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Al Gore,
Madonna, Michael Jackson, Muhammad
Ali, Gwen Verdon, Meryl Streep, Angela
Lansbury, Jane Powell, Barbara Cook, and
Julie Andrews. Musical theater collector
(+10,000 recordings). JWCalder3@gmail.
com
DAVID ELZER (Publicist) represents Cabril-
lo Music Theatre, Independent Shake-
speare Co., Laguna Playhouse, La Mirada
Theatre for the Performing Arts, and The-
atre of NOTE. He is also an Ovation, Drama
Desk, Los Angeles Critics Circle, LA Weekly,
and Garland Award-winning theatrical pro-
ducer and the proud recipient of the LADCC
Joel Hirschhorn Award for Outstanding
Achievement in Musical Theatre. His most
recent productions include Justin Love
(Best Production – LA Drama Critics Circle
Award; Best Performance – LA Weekly
Award) which he conceived, commissioned,
and co-wrote, The Color Purple, and the
multi-Ovation-nominated, critically ac-
claimed world premiere musical Having It
All. He also produced the record-breaking,
19-month run of The Marvelous Wonder-
ettes and Winter Wonderettes at the El
Portal Forum Theatre and the smash-hit
production of Life Could Be A Dream,
which ran for a year at the Hudson Main-
stage in Hollywood. Many thanks to Tom,
Cathy, BT and Jane for having me along
for the ride and thank you for supporting
La Mirada Theatre!
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA),
founded in 1913, represents more than
49,000 actors and stage managers in the
United States. Equity seeks to advance, pro-
mote, and foster the art of live theatre as an
essential component of our society. Equity
negotiates wages and working conditions,
providing a wide range of benefits, including
health and pension plans. AEA is a member
of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an
international organization of performing
arts unions. The Equity emblem is our mark
of excellence. www.actorsequity.org
www.TheSoraya.org22 23TheSorayaStage
McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION STAFF
McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT
(Tom McCoy & Cathy Rigby McCoy,
Executive Producers) Celebrating its 24th
Anniversary season at La Mirada Theatre
for the Performing Arts, McCoy Rigby
Entertainment (MRE), is one of the world’s
premier theatrical production companies.
Headed by Executive Producers Tom McCoy
and Cathy Rigby, MRE has produced over
one hundred musicals, plays, and concerts
featuring some of the biggest stars in
the industry today. In addition, MRE has
launched several Emmy Award-winning
and Tony Award-nominated Broadway,
international, and national touring produc-
tions including Peter Pan, Seussical the Mu-
sical, and Annie Get Your Gun, all starring
Cathy Rigby; Frank Wildhorn’s Jekyll and
Hyde starring American Idol contender and
Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis
along with Grammy Award nominee and
R&B superstar Deborah Cox; Jesus Christ
Superstar starring Carl Anderson and
Sebastian Bach; Camelot starring Michael
York and Lou Diamond Phillips, and Happy
Days written by Gary Marshall and Paul
Williams. Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby
has made four stops on Broadway and
received four Tony Award nominations in-
cluding Best Revival of a Musical and Best
Actress in a Musical. The A&E TV network
premiere of Peter Pan, starring Cathy
Rigby, received one Emmy Award and four
Emmy Award nominations. MRE’s other
credits include numerous award-winning
documentaries and stadium events.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE
PERFORMING ARTS Winner of the Los
Angeles Ovation Award for 2012-13 “Best
Season of the Year,” La Mirada Theatre
for the Performing Arts, now celebrat-
ing its 40th Anniversary, has been hailed
by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the
best Broadway-style houses in Southern
California.” This beautiful state-of-the-
art theatre has been producing quality
productions for its Southern California
audiences since 1977. The theatre has
produced several national tours and is
the recipient of many accolades includ-
ing Ovation and Emmy Awards and Tony
Award nominations.
TOM McCOY AND CATHY RIGBY ......................................................................... Executive Producers
ANA L AR A ..................................................................................................................................... Office Manager
PATTI McCOY JACOB .............................................................................................................General Manager
DAVID NESTOR ................................................................................................ Contracts, Payroll Manager
MICHAEL ROMAN ................................................................................................................Technical Director
KELLEY DORNEY ....................................................................................................................Casting Assistant
DONNA MacNAUGHTON .......................................................................................... Wardrobe Coordinator
KEVIN WILLIAMS.......................................................................................................Properties Coordinator
DAVID PATRICK ..............................................................................................................Lighting Programmer
MOLLY ATKINS ................................................................................................................ Production Assistant
ELISSA SZIEFF ..............................................................................................................Production Accountant
KATE KING, PAUL ZELHART ..................................................................................Accountant Assistants
LINDSAY BROOKS ........................................................................................................................... Social Media
JARED SAYEG ........................................................................................................................... Lighting Designer
BO TINDELL .........................................................................................................Assistant Lighting Designer
MEGHAN HONG ........................................................................................2nd Assistant Lighting Designer
DAVID PATRICK ............................................................................................................. Lighting Programmer
Lighting Equipment Supplied by PRG Lighting
“A SHOW OF RARE ENCHANTMENT.”
– New York Times
JAS LIGHTING DESIGN STAFF
25www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18 | 8PMTHURSDAY, APRIL 19 | 8PM
MEDIA SPONSOR: KJAZZ
THIS PERFORMANCE IS GENEROUSLYSPONSORED BY CAROLYN C. POWERS
CÉCILEMCLORINSALVANT
ONSTAGE SESSIONS: JAZZ
CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT
THERE WILL BE A TWENTY-MINUTE INTERMISSION
www.TheSoraya.org26 27TheSorayaStage
CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT grew up in a
bilingual household in Miami, the child of
a French mother and Haitian father. She
started piano studies at age five, and at
eight began singing with the Miami
Choral Society. After graduating high
school, McLorin Salvant decided to
pursue her education in Aix-en-Provence
in the south of France. In this unlikely
setting, she embarked on a new career as
a jazz performer, while pursuing a degree
in French law and her training as a classi-
cal and baroque singer.
Shortly before the release of McLorin
Salvant’s debut Mack Avenue album
WomanChild, critic Ben Ratliff made a
bold prediction in the pages of The New
York Times. McLorin Salvant, he claimed,
“is still mostly unknown to jazz audiences”—
then added: “though not for much longer.”
McLorin Salvant has more than vali-
dated that forecast. The last 3 years have
been a whirlwind of success and acclaim
for the young vocalist, who first came
to the attention of jazz fans with her
triumph at the 2010 Thelonious Monk
International Jazz Competition. Woman-
Child went on to earn a bevy of honors,
including a Grammy Award-nomination
and selection as Jazz Album of The Year by
the DownBeat International Critics Poll.
Her 2016 Grammy Award-winning al-
bum, For One To Love may be the defining
jazz statement on romance in the new
millennium, a heartfelt album that both
embodies the full range of the American
popular song idiom, but distills it into a
distinctly personal expression of a mod-
ern-day poet-troubadour.
On For One To Love, McLorin Salvant
shows her uncanny knack of channeling
her own personality into the work of her
predecessors, both the acclaimed (Bessie
Smith) and the less well-known (Blanche
Calloway, whose fame during her lifetime
was eclipsed by her brother Cab). “I’ve made
some choices about celebrating strong
women,” McLorin Salvant explains. “And
I want to celebrate independence, the cour-
age not to look or act a certain way.”
She’s taking another big leap forward
with Dreams and Daggers, her highly-an-
ticipated third album for Mack Avenue
Records, (released on September 29,
2017), for which she received the
Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Al-
bum. McLorin Salvant says of this project,
“The songs on this album are of dreams
and daggers. The daggers have been used
at times to attack, at times to defend. For
power, no doubt, to take it, to keep it. The
dreams are the ones I caught looking out
a window, or from the light sleep before
the deep. I don’t always know what they
mean, but they are the ones I was able to
keep. And yet dreams can be desires too.
I wrote them down to make them true.
That we may bring our wildness into view.
That we may be unruled and unruly.”
If anyone can extend the lineage of the
Big Three – Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan
and Ella Fitzgerald – it is this 28-year-old
virtuoso.” – Stephen Holden in the New
York Times.
Lauded as one of the top jazz pianists of
his generation, SULLIVAN FORTNER is
recognized for his virtuosic technique and
captivating performances. The winner of
three prestigious awards – a Leonore An-
nenberg Arts Fellowship, the 2015 Cole Por-
ter Fellowship from the American Pianists
Association, and the 2016 Lincoln Center
Award for Emerging Artists – Sullivan’s
music embodies the essence of the blues
and jazz as he connects music of all eras and
genres through his improvisation.
As a leader, The Sullivan Fortner Trio
has performed on many of the world’s
most prestigious stages including Jazz
at Lincoln Center, Newport Jazz Festival,
Monterey Jazz Festival, Discover Jazz
Festival, Tri-C Jazz Festival, Jazz Stan-
dard, and the Gillmore Keyboard Festival.
Fortner has been heard with other lead-
ing musicians around the world including
Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove, Wynton
Marsalis, Paul Simon, John Scofield,
Cecile McLorin Salvant, Fred Hersch,
Sean Jones, DeeDee Bridgewater, Rober-
ta Gambarini, Peter Bernstein, Stefon
Harris, Nicholas Peyton, Billy Hart, Dave
Liebman, Gary Bartz, Etienne Charles,
and Christian Scott.
SULLIVAN FORTNER
29www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
THE NEXT GENERATION
SATURDAY, APRIL 21 | 8PM
MEDIA SPONSOR: KJAZZ, KCET
THIS PERFORMANCE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY NEDA NOBARI FOUNDATION
¡LA NUEVA CUBA!
ROBERTO FONSECADAYMÉ AROCENA
PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP
PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP
www.TheSoraya.org30 31TheSorayaStage
ROBERTO FONSECA
Pianist, composer, Grammy-nominated,
and Artistic Director for Cuba’s Interna-
tional Jazz Plaza Festival, Roberto Fonseca
has toured the world’s most prestigious
venues with Orquesta Buena Vista Social
Club and the legendary Omara Portuondo.
As a bandleader, Fonseca is undoubtedly
one of the most innovative Cuban pianists
in generations, with a sound at the fertile
crossroads of jazz, traditional music, and
soul, steeped in a spirituality faithful to
his Afro-Cuban roots. Fonseca’s November
2016 release ABUC (Verve/Universal) is
dedicated to the island he calls home — it
spells CUBA backwards, after all. Teeming
with rascally rhythms and burly brass and
woven from allusions, souvenirs and con-
trasts, ABUC is a kaleidoscope of dancing
colors through which Roberto tells the
great and rich story of Cuban music, from
yesterday to today. The album incorpo-
rates elements of the island’s traditions
such as contradanza, mambo, cha-cha-cha,
danzon, and bolero, infused with the spirit
of the descarga jam and hip-hop. Featured
on a number of PBS programs in 2017-
2018, including Weekend In Havana, a
series about a changing city with amazing
artistic traditions, Roberto serves as a
representative and guide to the country’s
musical culture. As BBC says, “By matching
tradition with experiment, Fonseca has
become one of the most exciting musicians
in the new Cuban scene.”
ROBERTO FONSECA, piano & keyboardsYANDY MARTINEZ, bassMICHEL CASTELLANOS, drums
DAYMÉ AROCENA
Cuba is one of the most creative places
on the planet, gifting the world with an
occasional superstar from its musical
homeland. Today that gift is singer/com-
poser Daymé Arocena. With exceptional
warmth and a powerful presence to aug-
ment her virtuosity, Daymé is one of the
“most inviting ambassadors” for Cuba’s
contemporary music. Santerian chant,
rhythmic complexity, fluid jazz styling
and a nuanced Afro-Cuban soulfulness –
Daymé channels the elements in service
to her audience and culture.
“Ms. Arocena unites cosmopolitan musi-
cianship with deep roots.” New York Times
Daymé’s talent was recognized by
the Havana Cultura Mix project which
saw Gilles Peterson mentoring select-
ed producers from around the world to
record in Cuba with local musicians, and
Dayme enchanted a packed audience
at the London album launch. In May,
2016 Daymé released her third album,
One Takes (Brownswood Recordings),
featuring Horace Silver’s powerful
“Gods of Yoruba” among a collection of
masterfully reimagined rare covers
that further bridge her musical worlds.
With this release, Daymé’s impact upon
the unfolding history of Cuban music is
unmistakably underway.
Daymé’s newest album, Cubafonía, is a
soulful mix of Latin, jazz, and R&B influ-
ences, a perfect blend for her powerful
vocals. NPR featured the 2017 album in
First Listen: “There is not a dull moment
on Cubafonía. It is a major statement on
the progress of Daymé Arocena as an art-
ist for the ages. And it reminds us that the
best music moves the body and the spirit.”
DAYMÉ AROCENA, vocals JORGE LUIS LAGARZA, pianoRAFAEL ALDAMA, bassRULY HERRERA, drums
PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP
Grammy-nominated, Pedro Pablo “Pe-
drito” Martinez was born in Havana, Cuba,
Sept 12, 1973. Since settling in New York
City in the fall of 1998, Pedrito has record-
ed or performed with Wynton Marsalis,
Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, and Sting
and has contributed to over 50 albums.
Pedrito was a founding member of the
highly successful, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat
band, Yerba Buena, with which he record-
ed two albums and toured the world. He
has received the Thelonius Monk Award,
Sphinx Award for Excellence, and been
named “Percussionist of the Year” by the
Jazz Journalists Association every year
from 2014-2017 and been named Percus-
sionist of the Year 2014-2017 by
Jazz Times Magazine.
His career as a leader began in 2005
with the formation in NYC of The Pedrito
Martinez Group whose performances
have included festivals, performing arts
centers, and venues throughout the US,
Europe, Australia, and Latin America.
The group’s self-titled first album
(Motema Music) was released October,
2013, and was nominated for a Grammy.
It was among NPR ’s Favorite Albums of
2013 and The Boston Globe Critics Top
Ten Albums of 2013.
Habana Dreams (Motema Music), their
second album, was released in June 10,
2016. Guests include Ruben Blades, Isaac
Delgado, Wynton Marsalis, and Angelique
Kidjo. Accolades have included #1 Latin Jazz
Album in the NPR Critics Top Jazz Albums
for 2016. Wall Street Journal: “…the thrill of
real Cuban rumba transformed into some-
thing as hip and irresistible as great pop.”
PEDRITO MARTINEZ,percussion & lead vocalsJHAIR SALA, percussion & vocalsISAAC DELGADO JR, keyboards & Vocals SEBASTIAN NATAL, bass & vocals
ROBERTO FONSECADAYMÉ
AROCENA
33www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
AMIR ELSAFFAR’S TWO RIVERS ENSEMBLE
THURSDAY, APRIL 26 | 8PM
MEDIA SPONSOR: KJAZZ, KCET
THIS PERFORMANCE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY NEDA NOBARI FOUNDATION
ONSTAGE SESSIONS: JAZZ
TWO RIVERS ENSEMBLE
THERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION
www.TheSoraya.org34 35TheSorayaStage
The TWO RIVERS ENSEMBLE is a sextet
of jazz and Middle Eastern musicians that
has made innovative strides in using the
maqam modal system to transform the
jazz idiom. Deeply rooted in musical forms
of Iraq and nearby regions, the music still
speaks the language of swing, improvisa-
tion, and group interaction, and the resul-
tant sound is distinct from other contempo-
rary cross-cultural musical fusions. After 8
years of extensive performing and touring
and the release of three critically-ac-
claimed albums on Pi Recordings, Crisis
(2015), Inana (2011), and Two Rivers (2007),
the Two Rivers Ensemble has developed an
instinctive ease with ElSaffar’s highly com-
plex music, enabling the band to play with
a creativity that transcends pure technical
challenge in a style that is rooted in tradition,
while creating an entirely new aesthetic.
Trumpeter, santur player, vocalist,
and composer AMIR ELSAFFAR has
distinguished himself with a mastery
of disparate musical styles and a sin-
gular approach to combining aspects of
Middle Eastern music with American
jazz, extending the boundaries of each
tradition. A skilled jazz trumpeter with a
classical background, ElSaffar has created
new techniques to play microtones and
ornaments that are idiomatic to Arabic
music but are not typically heard on the
trumpet. Additionally, he is an acknowl-
edged performer of the classical Iraqi
maqam tradition and performs actively
in the US and internationally as a vocalist
and santur player. As a composer, ElSaffar
has used the microtones found in maqam
music to create a unique approach to har-
mony and melody. He currently leads four
critically-acclaimed ensembles: Two Riv-
ers; the Amir ElSaffar Quintet, performing
ElSaffar’s microtonal compositions with
standard jazz instrumentation; Safaafir,
the only ensemble in the US performing
and preserving the Iraqi maqam in its tra-
ditional format; and The Alwan Ensemble.
In addition, he has worked with jazz legend
Cecil Taylor and prominent jazz musicians
such as Mark Dresser, Gerry Hemingway,
Marc Ribot, Henry Grimes, and Oliver
Lake. ElSaffar has appeared on numerous
recordings and has released six under his
own name: Maqams of Baghdad (2005),
Two Rivers (2007), Radif Suite (2010), Inana
(2011), Alchemy (2013), and Crisis (2015).
A critically acclaimed saxophonist,
OLE MATHISEN is an active performer on
the New York and international jazz scene.
In addition, he steadily works as a studio
musician, composer, arranger, and produc-
er. Over the years he has been involved with
classical, jazz, electronic, ethnic, and exper-
imental music, and he draws heavily on his
wealth of musical experience when com-
posing. He is currently a member of the Jazz
Studies faculty at Columbia University. Ole
has worked on more than 80 albums, com-
posed several film and TV scores, and has
performed and/or recorded with Paula Cole,
Louie Vega, Omar Hakim, Darryl Jones, Hi-
ram Bullock, William Kennedy, Tom Coster,
Mark Egan, Steve Smith , and many more.
He is the lead on Chinese Horoscope and a
member of NYNDK, SYOTOS, Afromantra,
and Mamak Khadem Ensemble.
TAREQ ABBOUSHI is a multi-instrumen-
talist, composer, and bandleader. Born and
raised in Ramallah, Palestine, Tareq received
his BM in jazz piano from William Paterson
University in New Jersey. He has played
buzuq since 1997 and has performed with
numerous bands throughout the US, Canada,
and the Middle East. His past collaborations
include such notable musicians as Simon Sha-
heen, Omar Farouk Tekbilek, and Dan Zanes.
He has lectured and led workshops on Arab
music at Columbia University, NYU, Juilliard,
the National Conservatory of Music in Pales-
tine, and the Music Conservatory in Norway.
He has contributed to the award-winning
film scores for Encounter Point (Best Musical
Score, Bend Film Festival, 2006) and Chicken
Heads (Best Short Film, Dubai Film Festival,
2010), as well as to Jonathan Demme’s Jimmy
Carter: Man From Plains and the Oscar-nomi-
nated Rachel Getting Married.
ZAFER TAWIL is New York based Pales-
tinian-American and a virtuosic perform-
er on the oud, violin, qanun, and a full
range of Arab percussion instruments.
Tawil performs across the US and in the
Middle East and holds workshops in oud
technique and Arabic music theory. He
was part of the Spirit of Fez US Tour 2006
and has performed with numerous musi-
cians, ranging from Sting to Arab music
greats such as Simone Shaheen, Chab
Mami, and Bassam Saba to avant-garde
composer and performer Elliot Sharpe,
among others. Zafer has composed music
for a number of films including two Jona-
than Demme’s films, Oscar-nominated Ra-
chel Getting Married and Zeitoun, based
on Dave Eggers’ book about Abdulrahman
Zeitoun’s post-Hurricane Katrina odyssey.
Shifting Foundation grantee DAN WEISS
has been hailed as one of the top five jazz
drummers in The New York Times, and his
large ensemble recording Fourteen made the
top ten list of their best recordings of 2014.
With his piano trio, he’s released two
recordings entitled, Now Yes When (2006)
and Timshel (2011), which have been critically
acclaimed for their unique approach to song
structure and endless creative improvisation.
Weiss also leads his sixteen-piece large ensem-
ble that features some of NYC’s most gifted
musicians. The two albums Fourteen (2014)
and Sixteen: Drummers Suite (2016) released
on the Pi record label have made numerous
critic polls. His newest project features Craig
Taborn, Matt Mitchell, Ben Monder, and Trevor
Dunn and is an amalgam of jazz, metal, and
new music. The recording will be released on
the Pi record label in the Spring of 2018.
CARLO DE ROSA has worked with a wide
variety of artists such as Ray Barretto, Ravi
Coltrane, Dave Valentin, John Faddis, Yo-Yo
Ma, Jack DeJohnette, Bruce Barth, John
Scofield, Chico O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz
Orchestra, NYC Ballet, and many more. He
collaborates and performs with many other
great artists including Vijay Iyer, Rudresh
Mahanthappa, Amir ElSaffar, Arturo
O’Farrill, Nasheet Waits, Mark Shim, Ingrid
Jensen, Cristina Pato, Tyshawn Sorey, Sam
Newsome, Donny McCaslin, and many
more. Proficient, creative, clearly an in-de-
mand bassist, Carlo De Rosa has earned a
reputation for very high standards.
37www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
GREAT OPERA CHORUSES
SATURDAY, APRIL 28 | 3PM
FREE PERFORMANCE
CONDUCTED BY GRANT GERSHON
LA OPERA PRESENTS
GRANT GERSHON
THIS PERFORMANCE IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY FRANCINE OSCHIN ‘84, MA ‘85
39www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
TERENCE BLANCHARD
TUESDAY, MAY 1 | 8PMWEDNESDAY, MAY 2 | 8PM
MEDIA SPONSOR KJAZZ, KCET
FEATURING THE E-COLLECTIVE
TERENCE BLANCHARD
ONSTAGE SESSIONS: JAZZ
THERE WILL BE A TWENTY-MINUTE INTERMISSION
www.TheSoraya.org40 41TheSorayaStage
Composer and trumpeter TERENCE
BLANCHARD said that “Music and
art have the power to change hearts
and souls.” It is a belief brought to life
through the work of Blanchard and his
E-Collective, a revolutionary ensemble
that thrives off the perfect mixture of
Blanchard’s genius and the innovations
of four young musical pioneers: guitarist
Charles Altura, pianist Fabian Almazan,
bassist David “DJ” Ginyard, Jr., and drum-
mer Oscar Seaton. “This band represents
the best of America’s ideals. We’re five
very different personalities with differ-
ent visions who play together for a com-
mon goal: creating music that hopefully
heals hearts and opens minds.”
Blanchard and Seaton began to foster
the idea of a band that layered grooves
teeming with funk, R&B, and blues col-
ors while recording the scores for Spike
Lee’s Inside Man and Kasi Lemmons’ Talk
to Me. Years later, that dream came to
fruition and formed the foundation for
the E-Collective’s signature sound. Herald-
ed as “a trumpeter of expressive urgency
and a composer of expansive vision,” by
The New York Times, Blanchard’s E-Col-
lective is not only a stellar quintet, but he
natural next dimension for a master trum-
peter who has helped shape the contours of
modern jazz today.
Blanchard was overwhelmed by the
healing impact of his music on the audience
during a poignant E-Collective perfor-
mance in Staten Island this in August
2016. In attendance were many friends and
family of Eric Garner — a local man who had
been fatally injured in an altercation with
police and to whom the E-Collective’s debut
album, Breathless (2015), is dedicated.
Motivated by this experience, the E-Collec-
tive’s new album LIVE, was recorded live in
cities around the country that have been
similarly impaired by racial tension. The
recordings began in 2017 on January 2-3
in St. Paul, MN; January 4-5 in Cleveland,
OH; January 7 in Dallas, TX, and finally on
January 8 in NYC and was released on Blue
Note Records on April 20, 2018.
As a USA Artist fellow and multi-Gram-
my winning composer and musician,
Terence Blanchard extends a jazz tradition
that embodies the work of Louis Armstrong
and is grounded in their shared hometown
of New Orleans. The Wall Street Journal
said, “Blanchard’s sound is advantageous
without losing its grip on creativity.”
As a performer and composer,
Blanchard’s individuality can be heard
in over 70 films and television shows; in
his modern opera Champion-“An Opera
in Jazz”; a dance collaboration with
Desmond Richardson’s Complexions; a
commission for the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra, Detroit 67; a commission for
the Los Angeles Philharmonic Herbie
Hancock: By Himself; and two Broadway
plays. Blanchard has defined his place
in contemporary culture and it extends
well beyond jazz’s reach.
THE E-COLLECTIVE
CHARLES ALTURA, guitarFABIAN ALMAZAN, piano DAVID “DJ” GINYARD, JR., bassOSCAR SEATON, drums TERENCE BLANCHARD
43www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
QUETZAL WITH
FLOR DETOLOACHE
SATURDAY, MAY 5 | 8PM
MEDIA SPONSOR: LA OPINIÓN, KCET
GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY NEDA NOBARI FOUNDATION
FLOR DE TOLOACHE
www.TheSoraya.org44 45TheSorayaStage
QUETZAL is a Grammy award-winning en-
semble of deeply committed musicians that
tell the social, cultural, political, and mu-
sical stories of people in struggle. Martha
Gonzalez (lead singer, percussionist, and
songwriter) calls it an “East LA Chican@
rock group,” summing up its rootedness
in the complex cultural currents of life in
the barrio, its social activism, its strong
feminist stance, and its rock and roll musi-
cal beginnings. Besides being a rock band,
the group and its members participate in a
much larger web of musical, cultural, and
political engagement.
The group Quetzal emerged out of a
particularly contentious time generated
by events such as the 1992 Los Angeles
uprising, the 1994 Proposition 187 cam-
paign (to deny medical and public services
to undocumented immigrants and public
education to undocumented children),
and the repercussive reach of the Zapatis-
ta insurrection in Mexico. These events
spurred a powerful synergy, in which
avenues of expressive culture such as mu-
sic and public art emerged as platforms
from which to voice marginalized people’s
desires, opinions, and resistance to the
conditions in which they found them-
selves. The proactive strategy of Quet-
zal and other artists was to maneuver
through the societal problems that were
affecting the communities in which these
artists were living. As a prominent force
in this East L.A. creative culture-scape,
Quetzal vividly portrays how music,
culture, and sociopolitical ideology come
together in a specific place. For members
of Quetzal, music expresses the ultimate
struggle for dignity.
Since 2000 the band has taken part
in building a transnational dialogue
with a burgeoning revival of traditional
and participatory practice of music and
dance in Veracruz called Fandango. This
resurgence, known as El Movimiento
Jaranero, began in Veracruz in the late
1970’s. It has since crossed the border
QUETZAL
www.TheSoraya.org46 47TheSorayaStage
into California, where it and other Mex-
ican folk music traditions had already
been adapted by Mexican Americans
as an expression of mexicanidad-Mexi-
can roots. Local Chican@ music groups
performed the music at rallies, marches,
and events flowing from the Chicano
vein of the Civil Rights movement. The
band has taken up the music and its folk
instruments and incorporated them into
his own musical blend, which included
sounds and sentiments from many sourc-
es: The Smiths, Ruben Blades, Stevie
Wonder, and much more.
Latin Grammy winner FLOR DE
TOLOACHE make New York City history
as its’ First and Only All-Women Mariachi
Group. Founded in 2008, Flor de Toloache
is lead by singers Mireya I. Ramos &
Shae Fiol. Reminiscent of the early days
of mariachi the group started as a trio,
Harp, Violin, and Vihuela. Today, Flor De
Toloache performs as a full Mariachi en-
semble. The members hail from diverse
cultural backgrounds such as Mexico,
Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba,
Colombia, Germany, Italy, and the United
States. This defines their unique flavor
and sound. The result of this cultural
bouquet is an edgy, versatile and fresh
take on traditional Mexican music. They
coalesce as would a band of sisters, with
a grace and vibrant beauty that casts a
spell over their audiences not unlike the
legendary Toloache flower still being used
in Mexico as a love potion. While working
to preserve centuries old traditions of
Mariachi, their melange of the traditional
and the modern pushes the boundaries of
the genre and brings Mariachi music to
new audiences.
Over the course of the last few years,
Flor de Toloache’s performances have
illuminated world renowned stages in Eu-
rope and India. In 2015 & 2016, the group
embarked on an extensive European and
U.S. tour as the opening act of Black Keys’
singer Dan Auerbach’s new band, The
Arcs. After performances to sold out audi-
ences in the UK, Germany, Holland, Italy,
and France, they continued to captivate
crowds in the U.S. at legendary venues
such as First Avenue in Minneapolis, The
Vic in Chicago, Terminal 5 in New York,
DC 930 Club, Nashville’s Ryman Theater
(The Grand Ole Opry), and Coachella. In
2017 Flor de Toloache just completed a
beautiful tour with Cafe Tacvba through-
out the U.S. The ladies will finish out
the year with a celebratory Day of the
Dead tour with Grammy winning act La
Santa Cecilia and Mexrrissey and share
the stage with Natalia Lafourcade, Mon
Laferete, Carlos Rivera, and Gaby Moreno
at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA.
Flor De Toloache’s critically acclaimed
self-titled debut album received a Latin
Grammy nomination for Best Ranchero/
Mariachi Album in 2015. Sharing the po-
dium with legends Pedro Fernández and
Aida Cuevas was an embrace from the
Latin Music Community. In 2017 their
latest album Las Caras Lindas released
won the Latin Grammy for Best Ranche-
ro album which features collaborations
with Pedrito Martinez, Velcro, and was
produced by Felipe Fournier.
The group’s live performances are
praised by Rolling Stone, Billboard
Magazine, The New Yorker, GQ Magazine,
The New York Times. Following a highly
praised NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert”, their
collaboration with rock supergroup The
Arcs landed them on the Late Show with
Stephen Colbert, and BBC 2’s Later with
Jools Holland.
Ran by NYC Salsa powerhouse Los
Hacheros’ leader, Jacob Plasse, Chulo Re-
cords, the home of the band’s new record
Las Caras Lindas was also the connect-
ing bridge between Flor De Toloache and
The Arcs, with whom Flor De Toloache
recorded Yours, Dreamily, released in
the fall of 2015. Also recently released
were collaborations and featured
appearances of Flor De Toloache on
Chicano Batman’s new album Freedom
is Free, No Te Va Gustar‘s new album
Suenan Las Alarmas, the band’s special
arrangement of “That’s What I Want for
Christmas” on Paul Mcartney’s pro-
duction Holiday Rules Vol. 2 which also
features acts such as The Roots, Norah
Jones, and The Decemberists, and Luba
Mason’s new record Mixtura – produced
by Jimmy Haslip and Luba Mason. More
releases included three collaborations
with Fania Records recorded and filmed
live for the legendary label.
QUETZAL
49www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS
SATURDAY, MAY 12 | 8PM
DAVID SEDARIS
THERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION
www.TheSoraya.org50 51TheSorayaStage
With sardonic wit and incisive social cri-
tiques, DAVID SEDARIS has become one of
America’s pre-eminent humor writers. He is
the master of satire and one of today’s most
observant writers addressing the human
condition, especially apparent in his latest
book, a collection of his diaries entitled
Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002).
Beloved for his personal essays and
short stories, David Sedaris is the author
of Barrel Fever, Holidays on Ice, Naked, Me
Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family
in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are
Engulfed in Flames, Let’s Explore Diabetes
with Owls, and Theft By Finding: Diaries
(1977-2002). He is also the author of Squir-
rel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary,
a collection of fables with illustrations
by Ian Falconer. Each of these books was
an immediate bestseller. He was also the
editor of Children Playing Before a Statue
of Hercules: An Anthology of Outstanding
Stories. His pieces regularly appear in The
New Yorker and have twice been included
in The Best American Essays. There are
over ten million copies of his books in
print and they have been translated into
25 languages. In 2018 he was awarded the
Terry Southern Prize for Humor, a prize
honoring humor and wit in writing.
He and his sister, Amy Sedaris, have
collaborated under the name “The Talent
Family” and have written half a dozen
plays which have been produced at La
Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama
Department in New York City. These
plays include Stump the Host, Stitches,
One Woman Shoe, which received an Obie
Award, Incident at Cobbler’s Knob, and The
Book of Liz, which was published in book
form by Dramatists Play Service.
Sedaris’s original audio pieces can often
be heard on the public radio show This
American Life. He has been nominated for
three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken
Word and Best Comedy Album. His latest
audio recording of new stories (record-
ed live) is “David Sedaris: Live for Your
Listening Pleasure” (November 2009).
A feature film adaptation of his story
“C.O.G.” was released after a premiere at
the Sundance Film Festival (2013). Since
2011, he can be heard annually on a series
of live recordings on BBC Radio 4 entitled
Meet David Sedaris.
As a companion piece to Theft By Find-
ing, Jeffrey Jenkins published and edited
an art book of Sedaris’s diary covers,
entitled David Sedaris Diaries: A Visual
Compendium (October 2017). A forthcom-
ing book of essays entitled Calypso is set
to be published May 2018, and a second
volume of his diaries is expected for
summer 2019.
DAVID SEDARIS
“Sedaris ain’t the preeminent humoristof his generation by accident.”
— Whitney Pastorek, Entertainment Weekly
53www.TheSoraya.org
PROGRAM
BILLY PORTER:
SATURDAY, JUNE 2 | 8PM
THIS PERFORMANCE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY THE OWEN W. AND CHRISTINE H. SMITH ENDOWMENT
FOR THE YOUNES AND SORAYA NAZARIAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
THE SOUL OF RICHARD RODGERS
BILLY PORTER
www.TheSoraya.org54 55TheSorayaStage
BILLY PORTER is a Tony and Grammy
Award-winning actor, singer, director,
composer, and playwright from Pitts-
burgh, PA. As a recording artist, Porter’s
solo albums include his first CD, Untitled;
his sophomore album, At the Corner of
Broadway + Soul – LIVE, and his 2014
release, Billy’s Back on Broadway. His new
album, Billy Porter Presents the Soul of
Richard Rodgers, for Sony Masterworks
was released spring 2017.
Porter’s voice can also be heard on
the albums A Very Rosie Christmas,
Jim Brickman’s Destiny, the cast album
of the first revival of Grease, Adam
Guettel’s Myths & Hymns, the movie
soundtracks of Hercules and Anastasia,
Alvin Ailey/Revelations, Dreamgirls in
Concert, Great Joy: A Gospel Christmas
with The Broadway Inspirational Voices,
Rosie O’Donnell’s A Really Rosie Christ-
mas, The Human Rights Campaign’s Love
Rocks, and many more.
Porter won the 2013 Tony and Drama
Desk Awards for his groundbreaking per-
formance as “Lola” in Kinky Boots. Other
Broadway acting credits include Miss
Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe, Grease,
Smokey Joe’s Café, the 20th Anniver-
sary Broadway concert of Dreamgirls,
and most recently the highly-acclaimed
Shuffle Along. Off-Broadway and region-
al credits include Angels in America,
Romance In Hard Times, The Merchant
of Venice, House of Lear, Radiant Baby,
Birdie Blue, Going Native, Jelly’s Last Jam,
Topdog/Underdog, King Lear, Jason Robert
Brown’s Songs For A New World, Jesus
Christ Superstar, Antigone, A Chorus Line,
and Chicago. His one-man show, Ghetto
Superstar: The Man That I Am, debuted
at The Public Theater in NYC in conjunc-
tion with City Theatre of Pittsburgh and
was nominated for a 2005 GLAAD Media
Award. Porter was also named “Pitts-
burgh’s Performer of the Year 2003-2004”
by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Porter’s film and television credits in-
clude Barry Levinson’s The Humbling op-
posite Al Pacino, Sundance Film Festival
features The Broken Hearts Club and In-
tern, Noel (with Susan Sarandon and Rob-
in Williams), Shake Rattle & Roll as Little
Richard for CBS’ Another World, Twisted,
Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, The Big
C, The Oprah Winfrey Show, A Very Rosie
Christmas, The Tonight Show, and multi-
ple appearances on The Rosie O’Donnell
Show and Baz Luhrman’s The Get Down
for Netflix. He will soon be featured as a
series regular on Ryan Murphy’s highly
anticipated FX series POSE. His original
song “Time” has been featured twice on
the mega-hit television series So You
Think You Can Dance, as well as at the
2011 Miss America Pageant. Porter’s
concert credits include opening for Rosie
O’Donnell and Aretha Franklin as well as
appearances at Carnegie Hall, The Ken-
nedy Center, Town Hall, John McDaniel
and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra,
The Buffalo Philharmonic, Peter Nero
and The Philly Pops, The Boston Pops, as
soloist for President Bill Clinton, and at
various venues around the world.
As a director, Porter recently helmed the
revivals of George C. Wolfe’s The Colored
Museum and Suzan-Lori Parks’ TopDog/
UnderDog at Boston’s Huntington Theatre,
receiving The Elliot Norton Award for Best
Direction for the latter. He also directed
a critically acclaimed reimagining of The
Wiz in Pittsburgh and conceived a musical
revue entitled Signed, Sealed, Delivered:
The Music of Stevie Wonder, which starred
Chaka Khan and ran at the Venetian Hotel
in Las Vegas in 2002. In 2007 Porter con-
ceived and directed Being Alive, in which
he reinterpreted the music of Stephen
Sondheim in the African-American mu-
sical idioms of jazz, r&b, soul, gospel, and
rap. It premiered at the Westport Country
Playhouse then moved to the Philadelphia
Theatre Company. Porter won the NAACP
Theatre Award for Best Direction of a
Musical for his production of Once On This
Island at Reprise Theatre Company, where
he also conceived and directed a new
musical revue called The Soul of Rodgers.
Other directing credits include Twilight
In Manchego, Five Guys Named Moe and
Altar Boyz. He was the Associate Director
for the off-Broadway revival of RENT and
has directed concerts featuring Shoshana
Bean, Eden Espinosa, Patina Miller, and
Stephen Schwartz.
In 2014, Primary Stages presented the
highly successful World Premiere of While
I Yet Live, Porter’s autobiographical play at
off-Broadway’s Duke Theater.
Porter is a graduate of the Professional
Program In Screenwriting at UCLA and
is an adjunct professor at his alma mater
Carnegie Mellon University’s School Of
Drama, where he has directed produc-
tions of Company and Letters From ‘Nam.
He also received an honorary doctorate
from Washington & Jefferson College.
BILLY PORTER
56 57www.TheSoraya.orgTheSorayaStage
Dr. Paulette ShafranskiRenee TepperMarcella & Richard TylerU-Frame-ItVillage Travel StoreFlorentina WestAlma R. Zatarain ‘80
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
$500–$999Ed K. Burke ’59, MA ‘69Dr. Gail Fonosch ‘68Yvonne L. GreenKaren W. Harper &
Don HarperLinda KleigerAnn Lowe &
Raymond W. Lowe ‘84Natalie & Jeffrey M. NoblittPeggy T. Robin ’75 &
Edward B. RobinRenee TepperAlma R. Zatarain
$100–$499Leslie & Thomas BeersJudy BenedictStephen T. Brown ‘87Jean O. Buesing & Gregory P. BuesingChristine Burdick-BellBarbara CoffeyAnna M. Cohen ‘84Eileen Cordi ’75 & James M. CordiRhea DavisDr. Marjorie S. Denker ‘77Kathleen Dooley &
Charles Terry DooleyDaniel J. Duehren ‘72Jaye M. Eigler & Neal EiglerSuzanne H. Epstein
Thomas J. FordLila GellerVirginia Spielberg GibbsHoward GradetSuzette Gordon & Jon ZuberMarjorie A. Henderson ‘86Toni HertzMs. Karyl A. Hirschmann ‘76Carol J. Roberts & Michael J.
Hiscocks ‘94, MM ‘97Louis L. Hoban ‘98Araya HoisungPamela JacksonRebecca A. Jacobson &
Kenneth A. JacobsonBea F. Kaye & David KayeLillian KimbellDr. Barbara Kornblau ‘74 &
Dr. Donald KornblauTaushi A. Lee & Richard K. LeeAnna M. LehrerHarriet &
Dr. Eric R. LeibovitchJennifer J. Leonard ‘62Elizabeth Lesan &
Katsuyoshi NishimotoCarolyn LevineMelody Mansfield ‘90 &
Jerry MansfieldAndreas Marbach ‘76Kathleen Metrovitsch ‘70 &
Paul J. Metrovitsch ‘69Joel MillerPatricia I. Miller ‘72, MA ‘76
& Robert H. Miller ‘73Justin OkinRichard A. PackardMaria S. ParedesDmitry RachmanovKim L. Randall ‘77Laura L. Rishe ‘72 &
Jerrold E. Rishe ‘72
Ann C. Ronus &Robert E. Ronus
The RubinsteinFamily Foundation
Ken Howard & Michael RyanPamela SangiacomoHelene Schacter &
Dr. Robert SchacterRoberta & Dr. Ronald SchafferFred J. ScholderVivienne Steele &
Frank R. SilkwoodMariann & Paul D. SpringerFrances A. Stengel &
Arnold L. StengelKatherine Swanson ‘17Donna H. Talamantez ‘77Jose L. TejedaEleanore M. Vega ‘93Cecilia E. VillinesPauline Wong ‘83Laura Zucker
THE SORAYA DONORS 2017-18
THE SORAYA LEGACY GIFTSCSUN HERITAGE SOCIETY
THE SORAYA DONORS 2017-18
CHAMPIONS
$50,000+The Ahmanson FoundationJosephine ’61, M ’70 &
Robert BarberaSheila Kurland ’78 &
Stanford L. Kurland ‘75Colburn Foundation
$25,000 - $49,999Evelyn Bautista TrustDignity Health - Northridge
Hospital Medical CenterThe Ralph M. Parsons
Foundation
SPONSORS
$10,000 - $24,999Carol Colburn GrigorHorace Heidt Big Band
FoundationEntravisionFanny & Svante
Knistrom FoundationDavid C. LeeSaint Nicholas FoundationKathleen P. MartinElizabeth Ann PurcellLinda Swarzman &
Judd T. Swarzman CLUDr. Carol Ann S. ShubinOwen W. & Christine H. Smith EndowmentBob Stiefel ‘67 &
Ed T. Imparato
PATRON CIRCLE
$5,000–$9,999Rosalyn & Neal Berg ‘80Labowe Family Foundation Sherry LapidesLatino Educational FundNeda Nobari FoundationChristi K. Robinson ’07 &
John RobinsonDr. Raul RuizDebbie Valera &
Milt Valera ‘68
$1,000–$4,999Jeffrey M. Abell & Linda AbellNorma AndradeJeffrey Baker &
Rodney DavisDr. Marlene BaneJill B. Barad & Ross HopkinsPaul J. Beress ‘69Dr. Shari A. Tarver-Behring
& John D. BehringChuck Berney & FamilyIrene & Dr. Stuart D. BoydJoan Reynolds BoyettRobert F. &
Susan Pfeiler BrownSuzan L. Brownlee &
Dr. Don R. BrownleeCatherine &
Dr. Donald Cameron Allison ClagoNancy & Mike EasterlyJilanne P. Fager ‘63, MA ‘72 &
Richard A. Fager ‘62Dr. Bonnie Faherty &
Edward G. FeldmanThe Ella Fitzgerald
Charitable Foundation
Forbes NorakoPhyllis K. Russell ‘76 &
Timothy W. FoxDeanna & Jim GormanMarian Gould ‘79 &
Jerry GouldTama HolveMiriam JaffeChristina JaskiewiczGeorge A. Johnson Sr. Patricia A. Kiddoo &
Dr. Robert J. Kiddoo ‘69Dr. Sandra L. Klasky ’77 &
Dr. Irving KlaskyJulianna Korenstein ‘70Deirdre Larkin ‘88 &
Edwin C. TingstromMarla Lefton ’83 &
Cary LeftonHelen Gordon Lowy M.P.H.’75
& Alan LowyParry Weet O’Brien &
Edward O’BrienParadoxical Pictures Inc.Francine Oschin ‘84, MA ‘85The Hon. Joy &
Dr. Gerald PicusBarbara & Sheldon PinchukNancy J. PorterCarolyn Clark PowersJoyce & David PrimesDr. Cynthia Z. Rawitch &
Robert J. Rawitch ‘67Gerald M. Reiche ‘79Andrea Reinken ’80 &
Don ReinkenSony PicturesKathleen B. SchwartzmanCharlene M. Sievers &
Michael W. SieversThor Steingraber
Evelyn V. Bautista*Paul J. Beress ‘69*Ed K. Burke ’59, MA ‘69Janet A. KaplanHoward F. Layne*Larry LayneJoy N. PicusClyde R. Porter*Dr. Carol Ann S. ShubinBob Stiefel ‘67 & Ed T. Imparato
*Deceased
Thank you for supporting The Soraya’s 2017–18 Season with your annual contributions!
58 59www.TheSoraya.orgTheSorayaStage
HERITAGE SOCIETY PORTER PAVILION
JOIN US!Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for
the Performing Arts generous supporters
make it all happen—from arts education
for young students to a sustainable future
for The Soraya’s extensive programs and
state-of-the-art facility.
The Soraya loves to shower its support-
ers with recognition and perks, so please
consider joining our family. In addition
to invitations to special events, annual
contributions of $2,500 qualify for
Porter Pavilion membership (full-season
subscribers are in for $1,500). Porter
Pavilion is open before evening perfor-
mances, with complimentary drinks and
a quiet place to sit with friends.
For more information on how to make a gift to The Soraya, please contact Maria Paredes at 818.677.8849.
CSUN HERITAGE SOCIETY–A LEGACY TO INSPIRE
Help establish an enduring legacy–a lasting heritage for the commu-
nity that will continue to touch lives for generations to come. The CSUN
Heritage Society recognizes and honors alumni and friends of California
State University, Northridge who have made a financial commitment to the
college or The Soraya’s future through their estate plans.
WAYS TO GIVE
Include a bequest in your will or living trust
Create an estate note, an irrevocable
pledge against one’s estate
Create an endowed fund
Establish a charitable gift annuity or
charitable remainder trust
Designate CSUN/THE SORAYA as a beneficiary
of your retirement plan
•
•
•
•
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For more information on how to make a planned gift to The Soraya please contact
The Soraya Senior Director of Development Jennifer Samsel at 818-677-7854.
60 61www.TheSoraya.orgTheSorayaStage
THE SORAYA FOUNDING DONORS
THE SORAYA AMBASSADORS ADVISORY BOARD
THE SORAYA FOUNDING DONORS
CORNERSTONE FOUNDERS$5,000,000+
Linda & Mike Curb ’63, Hon. D. ’09
FOUNDERS$1,000,000 - $4,999,999Mary ’63 & Jack Bayramian
Jean & David Fleming Hon. D. ’09
Sheila & Stanford L.
Kurland Family Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Nancy & Clyde Porter
Nextel Communications
Office of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
$500,000 - $999,999The Ahmanson Foundation Office of Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich CSUN Foundation Board Follett Higher Education Group Joseph Drown Foundation Larry Layne & Sheelagh Boyd
Muriel Pollia Foundation
FOUNDING BENEFACTORS
$100,000 - $499,999 Josephine ’61, M ’70 & Robert Barbera
Dr. Ami & Remo Belli
California Community Foundation
CSUN Alumni Association
Robbi & Rickey Gelb
Laurence K. Gould, Jr.
The Green Foundation
HGA Architects & Engineers
Mary & Samuel Bond Haskell, III
Sherry & Albert Lapides M ’68
Virginia Mancini
MGM & UA Service Company
National Notary Association
Northern Trust, NA
Lisa & Charles Noski ’73, M ’95, Hon. D ’07
Valerie & Sanford P. Paris
JoAnn & Leonard Roth
Eda & Robin Rousselet ’79, M ’97, M ’10
State Farm Insurance
U.S. Congressman Brad Sherman
Bob Stiefel ’67 & Ed Imparato
Manja & Dennis Swanson
Milt ’68 & Debbie Valera
Valley Alliance for the Arts
Walter Lantz Foundation
Wells Fargo
FOUNDING DISTINGUISHED PATRONS
$25,000 - $99,999ADP Foundation
Edythe & Eli Broad
Linda Brown
Nancy Cartwright
Charlene & Burton
Sperber Foundation
Karen Dunbar-Enzer ’81 &
Earl Enzer ’83
Jaleh ’86 & Galen Etemad
Ilene & Stanley Gold
Goldman Sachs & Co.
John Golisch ’72
Cynthia Haas Griffeth ’78 &
William C. Griffeth ’80
Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch
Horace Heidt
Big Bands Foundation
Janet & Benjamin Kaplan
Ellie & Mark Lainer
Elizabeth & Howard Layne
Marla & Cary Lefton
Dr. Jolene Koester &
Dr. Myron W. Lustig
Erika & Gus Manders ’64
Timothy Miklaucic & Ana Loehnert
Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co., LLP
Barry J. Nadell
Walter J. Perez, Calif. Industrial Grp. Corp.
Samuel Goldberg &
Sons Foundation, Inc.
Stern Family Foundation
Valley Presbyterian Hospital
Jeffrey BakerDr. Marlene BaneJill B. Barad Irene M. BoydJoan Reynolds BoyettSusan Pfeiler BrownEd K. Burke ’59, M.A. ’69 Dr. Donald CameronRodney DavisNancy EasterlyJilanne Fager ’63, M.A. ’72
Deanna GormanKaren HarperTama HolveMiriam JaffeGeorge A. JohnsonJulianna Korenstein ’70Sherry LapidesMarla Lefton ’83Genein LetfordHelen Gordon Lowy
M.P.H. ’75 & Alan Lowy
Francine Oschin ’84, MA ’85The Hon. Joy PicusBarbara PinchukAndrea Reinken ’80Christi Robinson ’07Dr. Carol Ann S. ShubinEllen R. Stohl ‘94Dr. Shari Tarver-BehringMarcella Tyler
THE SORAYA GREAT HALL
62 TheSorayaStage
ARTS EDUCATION
YOUNES & SORAYA NAZARIAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
EVERY GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCEThe Soraya Circle of Friends
A gift of $50 Gives two CSUN students free tickets to attend any of our performances
A gift of $100 Provides a free artistic workshop at our community festivals
A gift of $250 Inspires local K-12 students with an in classroom workshop by a teaching artist
A gift of $500 Engages 1000 students to attend a Student Matinee performance
Make An ImpactHelp us continue to present unique performances from international artists, inclusive arts education programs for local students and engaging public programs for our community.
• The Soraya inspires over 15,000 students andteachers with its Student Matinee Series for local K-12schools, teacher training workshops and master classesfor CSUN students.
• Free, outdoor festivals provide families the opportunityto enjoy workshops, visual-arts programs, andparticipatory activities such as African drumming andBrazilian dance.
• The Soraya presents over 50 diverse performances ayear with international artists highlighting multiple artforms that, instill empathy and elevate our spirits.
For more information on making
a tax-deductible gift and exact
giving levels and benefits please
contact Maria Paredes, Assistant
Director of Development, at
818-677-8849
You may make a gift online at
http://bit.ly/supportsoraya
The Soraya The Valley’s Center for the Performing Arts
Executive Director, Thor Steingraber
180220_Booklet_Arts-ed-2_5.5x8.indd 1 2/22/18 5:49 PM
Mexico’s Past and Present: A Cultural JourneyFriday May 4, 2018 10AM & 12PM (each 1hr.)(Grades K-12) | Great Hall
Through music, dance and storytelling, Mexico’s Past and Present puts
audiences fingers’ on the pulse of the magical reality that is always present
in Mexican culture, all the while respecting the intelligence and capacity of
even the very young to viscerally connect and understand the multi-dimen-
sional culture of our neighbor to the south.
Generously sponsored by Latino Educational Fund
FINAL FREE STUDENT MATINEE OF THE SEASON!
MEXICO’S PAST AND PRESENT: A CULTURAL JOURNEY
65www.TheSoraya.org
MEDIA SPONSORS
CONNECT WITH US!
Sign up for “Your Account Manager.”
Your Account Manager is Younes and
Soraya Nazarian Center for the Perform-
ing Arts’ way of providing you the best
service to take care of your ticketing
subscription online. Visit the site to sign
up today. You may renew or purchase a
new subscription with this feature.
The Ticket Office is located to the north
of Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center
for the Performing Arts’ courtyard on
Orange Grove Walk across from the Mat-
ador Bookstore. Patrons may park in the
G3 Parking Structure located on Zelzah
and Prairie streets.
HOURS OF OPERATIONTUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, 11 AM – 4 PM (HOURS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Want the latest information and special
offers from The Soraya? Make sure you
sign up for our e-newsletter.
Just visit our website and click the
option on the upper-right hand corner.
We know you’ll enjoy it!
WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS AND PARTNERS FOR THESE EVENTS
Southern California Public Radio
ONLINE
WWW.THESORAYA.ORGIN PERSONTHE SORAYA TICKET OFFICECALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE18111 NORDHOFF STREETNORTHRIDGE, CA 91330-8448
VPACatCSUN
TICKETS & ORDERING
66 3www.TheSoraya.orgTheSorayaStage
IN VENUE DINING OPTIONSART GALLERY | LOGE LEVEL
Visually detached from their original context, Lesley Krane’s black & white and
color photographs of interiors emphasize psychological spaces more than physical
dimensions. The large-scale images of walls, windows, and other domestic surfaces
provide content by conveying a sense of familiar intimacy. The spaces contain the resi-
due of human activity, and straight-forward and random double exposures made with
analog and digital approaches imbue ordinary settings with a mysterious significance
that establishes an unlikely pictorial space. Lesley has been teaching Photography in
the Department of Art at CSUN since 1999.
WALLOWINGLESLEY KRANE
March 23 – June 2, 2018
WALLOWING, 2018 COLOR TONER PRINT ON VINYL
BISTRO ON THE TERRACE
Join us on the 4th Floor Balcony level for
a gourmet bistro bite, a glass of wine, and a
spectacular view of the Valley. Open most
evenings (weather permitting) one hour
before the show and closing 5 minutes
before curtain.
CONCESSIONS IN THE LOBBY
Light fare and drinks available before
the show and open during intermissions
(by show basis).
Avoid waiting in line and pre-pay for
your intermission food and beverage in
person before the performance begins!
NEW DRINK TUMBLERS
You may now bring a beverage into the concert! Available for purchase at concessions.
For more information Please Call Stephanie Goodson at 818-677-2076 or csun.edU/ORANGEGROVEBISTRO
BISTRO ON THE TERRACE
Dan
ny Elfm
an Ap
ril 4
Esa-P
ekka Salonen January 31
Sergio M
end
es Octob
er 27A
ida C
uevas Septem
ber 29
Lea Salon
ga M
ay 22
Dian
ne R
eeves Decem
ber 15
IMPORTANT DATES TO KEEP IN MIND
4/13
Series on sale with priority seating
Choose 8 on sale
Series renewal period begins
5/19 Series renewal deadline period ends
5/29Single tickets presale for subscribers
6/12Single tickets on sale
Choose 5 on sale
7/31 Subscribers’ exchanges begin
9/22 Series sales end
9/29 Opening Night
TheSoraya.org 818.677.3000
180329 Program Cover.indd 2 4/4/18 12:17 PM