Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 7:05 PM | Holland Center
April 5, 2025
Holland Performing Arts Center | Omaha, NE
A. Barron Breland | Artistic Director & Conductor
Funding for the world premiere of Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray has been provided by
Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska
LGBTQIA2S+ Equality Fund
RIVER CITY MIXED CHORUS SEASON 41 SPONSORS
RCMC applauds the organizations whose logos appear below for their loyal and generous support of our season programming and mission.
The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this performance through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Visit NebraskaArtsCouncil.org for information on how the Nebraska Arts Council can assist your organization, or how you can support the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.
RIVER CITY MIXED CHORUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OUR MISSION
Creating exceptional musical experiences to support diversity, inspire change, and empower communities.
BOARD CHAIR
Scott Focht
TREASURER
Mark Van Kekerix
VICE CHAIR
Bill Canney
SECRETARY
Mary Oswald
BOARD DIRECTORS
J. Scott Barker
Addie Barnhart
Amy Carey
Brian Fahey
Maggie Ramos
Franke Wolfe
Michele Yindrick
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Dr. A. Barron Breland
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Katie Kresha
CHORUS PRESIDENT
John Porter
RCMC COMMITTEE CHAIRS
EXECUTIVE
Scott Focht
FUNDRAISING
Scott Focht
NOMINATION
J. Scott Barker
MARKETING
Keith Hale
MEMBERSHIP
John Porter
SAFETY & ACCESSIBILITY
Michele Yindrick
MISSON & ENGAGEMENT
Cameron Koenig-Barker
WELCOME
KATIE KRESHA
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PRESENCE THIS EVENING!
We are so excited to welcome you to Rebel With A Cause, the second major concert of the season for River City Mixed Chorus, Omaha’s LGBTQ+ chorus, and my first as Executive Director of this incredible organization. The addition of an Executive Director to the team has been a long-term goal for RCMC, and to have it come to fruition is an enormous milestone that will help ensure the ongoing success of the organization. It also highlights our unbending commitment to RCMC’s mission: creating exceptional musical experiences to support diversity, inspire change, and empower communities.
What does that mission mean in practice? Behind the scenes, a
countless number of passionate people, some paid but many more unpaid, dedicate themselves to producing the best possible musical experience for you, the audience. This effort is led by our powerhouse Artistic Director, Dr. Barron Breland, and then accomplished thanks to the dedication of every artistic team member, singer, instrumentalist, tech worker, volunteer, board member, and many others. Credit is especially due to Travis Mullins, Chorus Manager, who has long been and continues to be the glue that holds it all together, John Porter, our dedicated Chorus President, and Keith Hale, who leads our marketing efforts (as a volunteer!) to ensure you made it here tonight.
Diversity isn’t just supported by RCMC, it is the core of who we are as an organization, why we gather, and what we celebrate and protect when we sing. Tonight you will hear 171 individual voices, each unique, valuable, and worthy, joining together to share the sacred, rarely-told story of Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, whose differences contributed to their name being unrecognizable to many today. Each of our singers has their own story and struggles, and like Pauli,
gender identity and sexuality .are just a part of each beautiful and complex life story. In the future we are building together, we hope these differences are no longer named as part of the struggle, but as the purest of joys.
As you listen to A Change is Gonna Come, and other protest songs from the Civil Rights era, I hope you are inspired to take action in your own community. As Pauli said, “However small and insignificant our contribution may seem in the face of vast human problems beyond our power to resolve… our tiny gift [can be multiplied] in ways we would not have dreamed possible.” This sermon was given in 1984, the same year our founding members decided the gift of song could empower change–and just look how it has multiplied! By joining us here today, you are helping to grow that dream of a future where we all thrive, exactly as we are and with exactly who we love.
Thank you for spending your evening with us–I hope you leave as inspired by Pauli’s story as we have all become, and as inspired by RCMC as I am every day.
DR. A. BARRON BRELAND
WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S CONCERT, REBEL WITH A CAUSE,
FEATURING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF SINCERELYYOURS, PAULIMURRAY!
With this groundbreaking new commission, we continue our 41st Season, delighted to be on this gorgeous Holland stage and grateful that you have chosen to spend your evening with us. Our 2024-2025 Season is all about pride – the pride we take in who we are and what we stand for that shines like a beacon of hope through the darkest of times; the pride we take in our small group of brave original members that started this ensemble in 1984, determined to create music that matters; the pride we take in our community that boldly nurtures a vision of inclusion and equity that inspires us to gather on this stage, proudly standing for many and singing as one; and the pride we take in our heroes of the movement, like the one we celebrate tonight.
The first half of our concert features a brand-new cantata: a multi-movement composition that highlights the life and work of
American civil rights activist and legal scholar, Pauli Murray, whose writings influenced groundbreaking decisions in the US Supreme Court. Later, Murray became the first African American woman ordained in the Episcopal Church. Throughout her life and after her death in 1985, Murray was considered a trailblazer in the fight for equality for women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. Her story is woefully underrepresented on the pages of history books, and we could not be more excited to highlight her and her indelible legacy.
We’re equally excited to welcome the composer of this work, Steve Milloy, to Omaha for this premiere. Also in attendance are representatives from our commissioning partner, GALA Choruses, an umbrella organization for choirs like ours all around the world whose membership we treasure. You’ll also notice two newto-RCMC collaborators serving as narrators and soloists for this piece, giving incredible voice to Pauli’s story and writings. We are so thrilled to welcome Monica Weber and Zhomontee Watson to the stage, and so grateful to these blossoming local legends for their participation.
On the second half of the concert, RCMC will also perform Murrayera and beyond protest songs that became the soundtrack for fellow rebels fighting for equity and inclusion. But what tonight is truly
about – and what 41 years of RCMC performances are about – is the pride that fuels these artists, these protests and marches, these movements. Pride in the inevitability that the LGBTQ+ community, through its ups and its downs, through its perseverance, its resilience, its hope and its love, is a community of people who are unbreakable. Thank you for joining us on this journey.
Also, we will continue our 41st Season with a third major performance in June! Please join us here at the Holland Performing Arts Center alongside your Omaha Symphony on Sunday, June 1st for Disney PRIDE in Concert, a spectacular, new concert that celebrates LGBTQ+ life, love, family, and pride through the combination of timeless songs from the Disney songbook, curated video clips from the Disney vault, and the personal life experiences of local chorus members. Featuring sparkling new arrangements, Disney PRIDE in Concert draws musical inspiration from iconic Disney films, modern classics, and the magical music of Disney Parks, all interwoven with universal storytelling themes stemming from the power of the diverse chorus community.
We hope tonight serves as a point of connection for you to your own power and pride. And may our presence remind you that you are not alone on this journey toward a better world. Thank you for being here – enjoy the show!
JOHN PORTER
On behalf of the singing membership of River City Mixed Chorus, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to Rebel With A Cause! Tonight, you’ll learn about civil rights legend Pauli Murray and feel the power of protest music from the 60s and 70s—songs that have long carried voices through struggle, resistance, and hope.
We are especially proud tonight to introduce you to Pauli Murray. I say introduce because, if your education was anything like mine, you probably weren’t taught about Pauli in history class. Why? It might have something to do with the fact that, in addition to fighting racism and sexism, she had the audacity to live outside of gender and sexual orientation norms. Imagine that: being brilliant, brave, and nonconforming. Pauli’s story—her triumphs, her struggles with gender and sexuality, and her unshakable resolve—hit many of us hard the first time we sang this music.
We began rehearsing portions of this new work last spring and shared them at the GALA Choruses Festival last summer. So tonight, it feels like we’re introducing you to an old friend. A friend we’re proud to know. And a friend who inspires us to keep our eyes on the prize and be the spark that lights the fire of change. When we began preparing this concert months ago, we didn’t realize just how timely—and urgent—this message would become. Funny how life (and politics) has a way of turning art into activism, whether we planned it that way or not.
The simple act of gathering over 170 LGBTQ+ and ally singers in one of Omaha’s greatest performance venues, in itself, is a protest. We are humans from every walk of life standing here, singing for a future we still believe in, even when it feels like the world is leaning the other way.
And more than just performers, we’re a community. In these troubling times when it feels like the headlines get darker by the day we hold each other up. We not only sing together, but we laugh together, we cry together, and we snack too much together (I should know, because I buy the snacks for rehearsals). But more than anything, we remind one another that we’re not alone. That chosen family is real. And that there’s power in singing
side-by-side, especially when the world is trying to divide us.
And you? Your presence here is an act of protest, too. In a world where some would prefer we be silent, invisible, or simply not here at all, you’ve chosen to listen. To stand with us. That matters more than you know.
We are especially mindful tonight of our trans siblings, for whom this moment in history is particularly cruel. The hatred they face—from legislation, from public discourse, from political leaders more interested in scoring points than preserving dignity—is staggering. That’s why, during the second half of the concert, we set aside our usual rainbow colors and don the pink, white, and blue of the transgender flag. It’s not just a fashion choice. It’s a symbol of our love, our solidarity, and our refusal to be silent.
As we bring Pauli’s story and protest songs of a different era into the present, may they remind us all: the struggle continues, but so does the singing.
Welcome to the rebellion. Let’s raise some voices. Let us be a spark.
AN ENSEMBLE OF TALENT, IDENTITY, AND HUMAN KINDNESS.
CONCERT
DR. A. BARRON BRELAND
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR &
CONDUCTOR
With degrees in Music Theory and Choral Conducting from the University of Georgia and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Dr. A. Barron Breland has emerged as a conductor set apart from others by his eclectic skills equipped to perform music from masterworks of the Baroque and Classical eras to great contemporary works of art, including repertoire in various popular styles. Recent choral performances conducted include Considering Matthew Shepard, the Mozart C-minor Mass, Mozart Requiem, and Beethoven Mass in C; critics have praised the warmth and communicative power of his performances and choruses.
Breland is in demand throughout the Midwest as a conductor, chorusmaster, clinician, and adjudicator, and he has prepared choruses for Grammy and Tony-winning artists such as Laura Benanti, John Mellencamp, Norm Lewis, Brian d’Arcy James, and conductors Dale Warland and Ted Sperling. Breland has also served as chorusmaster and prepared numerous works for the Omaha Symphony, including Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Carmina Burana, Elijah, Messiah, and many others.
Currently, he is the Vice Provost for Faculty & Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where previously he was Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Fine & Performing Arts. He conducted their premiere ensemble, the Creighton University Chamber Choir, and taught classes in music theory, history, and conducting.
Singing from the age of 6, Breland’s first exposure to professional choral music was in 1990 as a member of the Atlanta Boy Choir, where he performed with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, as well as in tours and festivals throughout Europe. Since 2011, he has been the Artistic Director of the River City Mixed Chorus, and in his 14-year tenure with the organization the ensemble has grown to over 170 active singing members, has headlined conferences, performed alongside Grammy-winning Conspirare, and has taken the stages of historic and iconic venues around the region. He is also the Principal Guest Conductor of Résonance, a semi-professional chorus whose debut album Pilgrimage was released in July 2020 on the MSR Classics label. All the ensembles under Breland’s leadership perform regularly with the Omaha Symphony, and all have performed at state and regional ACDA and NMEA conferences.
ADAM
WITTE
ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Adam Witte has never been one to shy away from a music genre or musical instrument. His tastes, talent, and curiosity run far and wide, taking him on adventures across Europe playing euphonium solos with the University of Nebraska-Omaha Symphonic Wind Ensemble, offering him the chance to play piano on a piece with the Omaha Symphonic Chorus and Omaha Symphony, and leading him to conduct both the University Chorus and Chamber Choir at Creighton University. He is now the Designated Director of Worship and Arts at Countryside Community Church in Omaha, Nebraska, the Christian partner of the Tri-Faith Initiative. In his role there, he conducts the choir and handbell choir in addition to supervising the worship jazz ensemble. After joining as a singing member of River City Mixed Chorus in 2015, he was named Assistant Artistic Director a short year later. River’s Edge, the RCMC small group he conducts, made its Festival debut at the international GALA Festival in Minneapolis in July of 2024. In addition to his work with RCMC and Countryside, Adam is also Assistant Conductor with local semi-professional chorus Résonance.
KEITH HART
COLLABORATIVE PIANIST
Keith earned a Bachelor’s degree in music education from Northwest Missouri State University and began his musical career as a public school music teacher. Eventually turning his attention to the world of theatre, he worked as piano accompanist and musical director for productions in the Kansas City area, including Starlight Theatre, Quality Hill Playhouse, and Unicorn Theatre. After completing a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City, he moved to Omaha to work as a scenic designer at the Omaha Community Playhouse. In the 20+ years since then he has worked as pianist, musical director, or scenic designer for various Omaha area theatre companies, including SNAP, Shelterbelt, Bellevue Little Theatre, Chanticleer, Stages of Omaha, BlueBarn Theatre, and the Omaha Community Playhouse. He has also been a church musician most of his life, at Dietz Methodist Church and First Unitarian Church of Omaha, among others. Keith joined River City Mixed Chorus as Collaborative Pianist in 2015.
RCMC STAFF
Dr. A. Barron Breland
Artistic Director & Conductor
Katie Kresha
Executive Director
Travis Mullins
Chorus Manager
Adam Witte
Assistant Artistic Director
Keith Hart
Collaborative Pianist
ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION TEAM
Michele Yindrick
Production Manager
Lighting Design
Kenzie Jensen
Stage Manager
Stephanie Vik
Meghann Cassidy
ASL Interpreter
Valerie Haynes
Librarian
Jared Cunningham
Attire/Costume Coordinator
thinkMOTION Studio
Videographer & Video Production
Studio B
Sound Recording
IATSE Local 42
Stagehands & Electricians
Thomas Grady Photography
Event Photographer
INSTRUMENTALISTS
Will Karpf
Woodwinds
Jason Johnson
Marcus Nunez
Trumpet
Shawn Bell
Trombone
Mark Haar
Bass Guitar
Colin Duckworth
Jody Gernandt
Guitar
Vince Krysl
Drums & Percussion
Kimberly Pearce
Synthesizer
CONCERT CREDITS
SECTION LEADERS
Soprano
Anita Pecor
Lynell Stafford
Alto
Michaela Baumeister
Rose Uhrich
Tenor
Dr. Donald Callen Freed
Justin Thomason
Bass
Jon Holloway-Wallace
Andrew McCullough
MONICA WEBER
NARRATOR I & SOLOIST
ZHOMONTEE WATSON
NARRATOR II & SOLOIST
STEVEN MILLOY COMPOSER
Monica is native to Nebraska. After graduating from high school in 2015, she pursued the performing arts and moved to Southern California. She’s been able to travel throughout Asia performing and teaching children and adults specifically in Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan. In 2019 she moved back to Nebraska to resume teaching different aspects of performing arts, but COVID-19 put all that to a halt.
In the fall of 2020, she began her journey to a bachelors in human services with a concentration in childhood and adolescence. After graduation in 2022 she moved to Omaha. She has been on the stage frequently at the Omaha Community Playhouse. (Dreamgirls, Beautiful the Carole King musical, Jersey Boys, and most recently Jenna in Waitress). Monica hopes to pursue performing full-time in the near future. But until then, she enjoys helping children at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center Nebraska.
Zhomontee is a mental health therapist and owner of Melanated Allied Counseling and Studio. She is a local actress and award winning performer. You may have recently seen Zhomontee as a featured soloist in the Joyful Noise celebration with Salem Baptist Church. Also, her roles as Effie White in Dreamgirls at the Omaha Community Playhouse, in Spunk at The Union for Contemporary Arts, Marie/Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at The Rose, and Belle/Cruella in The Descendants at The Rose. Zhomontee has received an OEAA for best actress in a musical in 2017 and a Mary Peckham Award from OCP for an outstanding performance in a musical. She is excited to work with River City Mixed Chorus and is honored to be a part of the world premiere of Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray
Steve Milloy (b. 1965) has spent over three decades composing and directing in schools, churches, theaters, and concert stages across the US. With Dr. Charles Beale he co-authored the Popular Voiceworks series for Oxford University Press. The first of this three-volume series won the Best Pop Publication award given by the Music Industries Association of the United Kingdom. Published arrangements and compositions can be found at www.sheetmusicplus.com and www.sheetmusicdirect. com. Learn more about Steve at www.stevemilloymusic.com/
Milloy's music is challenging but accessible, with messages and melodies that linger on long after the performance has past. Milloy received a BA in Music from Miami University and a MM in conducting from the University of Cincinnati/CollegeConservatory of Music. He is a member of ASCAP and serves on the Board of Directors for GALA Choruses.
KIM HINES
LIBRETTIST
A multi-faceted artist, Kim’s career spans 58+ years. A second generation Minnesotan, her art encompasses playwriting, directing, acting (retired), education, music and visual art. Hines works with college theater faculty in brainstorming sessions, troubleshooting production issues, and critiquing students' playwriting and acting. She has degrees in Speech & Theater and Visual Art from Macalester College, St. Paul, MN.
As a playwright Hines’ works have been staged across the US and internationally. Five of her plays and two tours were commissioned by The Kennedy Center, and her play Home on the Morning Train is a staple in children's theater curricula. Her young adult novella Wingo-Fly captivates readers of all ages. In another life, she directed choirs, taught and arranged African-American music. Returning to visual art, Hines creates unique collage vignettes for her greeting card collection.
Carolina Digital Library & Archives: Murray, Pauli, 1910-1985. Wikimedia Commons
Zachary J. Roesemann | Iconographer, www.sacredicons.net
GALA Choruses leads the North American LGBTQ choral movement, cultivating the artistic development of 12,000 singers from more than 190 choruses throughout North America. | www.GalaChoruses.org
“I will resist every attempt to categorize me, to place me in some caste, or to assign me to some segregated pigeonhole. No law which imprisons my body or custom which wounds my spirit can stop me.”
- Pauli Murray
ABOUT PAULI’S PRONOUNS
Had Pauli lived today, she would have likely identified as trans-masculine or nonbinary. However, Pauli was born in 1910 when options for exploring her gender identity and sexual orientation were limited by the culture she lived in. Pauli referred to herself with she/her pronouns, so for this cantata we are using those same pronouns, understanding that had Pauli lived today, the choice of pronouns would likely be different.
– Jane Ramseyer Miller, dramaturg
SOPRANO
Natalia Alamdari* | 3
Anne Barker | 23
Sam Bates | 10
Katya Brunette* | 12
Sarah Chamberlin | 5
Sara Dean* | 9
Amy Dirgo | 4
Gina Durfee | 6
Miri Elliott | 2
Arlo Foster-White | 5
Carolyn Gehringer | 10
Dakota Ghegan | 9
Sanna Gomez | 1
Janet Goodman | 4
Connie Grant-Leanna | 22
Rita Grossenstein | 15
Naomi Harrison-Carlson | 6
Valerie Haynes | 18
Kerrin Hoyer | 22
Micaela Hoyer | 21
Lois Grace Kanioka | 1
Sarah Keeney | 5
Emily Koenig-Barker* | 18
Katie Kresha* | 4
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter* | 2
Michaela Long* | 2
Erin Malm | 3
Kaylei Margheim | 2
Julie McCabe | 2
Jillian McCall | 22
Mary McGrath | 1
Liz Melani | 2
Hannah Lee Miller | 8
Alyssa Nelson | 15
Reo Newring* | 23
Jack Noden | 7
Crystal Olson | 24
Shaelyn Oswald | 7
Heather Pash | 5
Anita Pecor^ | 7
Deanna Reilly | 6
Rebecca Rotert Shaw | 9
Laurie Salonen | 1
Caryn Scheer | 9
Rachel Schnelle* | 1
Sam Servellon | 5
Robin Sheldrake^ | 20
Melody Simpson | 1
Lynell Stafford | 18
Suzy Stark | 20
Denneal Stauffer | 10
Jaimee Trobough | 6
Alex Van Cleave | 7
Ashley Veiga* | 1
Rachael Watkins | 4
Maret Wibel | 2
Brittany Wineinger^ | 10
Jenna Wirth | 1
Samantha Zarders | 3
ALTO
Jennifer Adhima* | 1
Alicia Amedee* | 6
Michaela Baumeister^ | 8
Ashe Bechtel | 7
Jordyn Bingham* | 1
Brittany Bowman | 5
Melissa Bugay* | 3
Jeanne Cahill* | 5
PJ Colbert | 1
Karen Davidson-Fisher | 39
Denise Dunham | 6
Danielle Emsick | 14
Rebecca Erdman | 1
Emily Ertzner | 19
Laura Finken | 29
Christina Fong | 7
Mariah Frahm^ | 20
Jody Gernandt | 26
Sarah Graff | 2
Cian Hassovic | 12
Irene Hawkins | 9
Chole Hawkins | 14
Katherine Higbee | 13
Michelle Jansen-Griswold | 14
Gloria Jensen | 32
Claire Katan ^ | 8
Madelyn Kazmierski | 6
Erika Kirby | 5
Tori Krol | 8
Demi Kulper* | 4
Laura Leeds | 19
SINGERS
Megan Lehr | 4
Ashley Lemke | 5
Jess Livingston | 1
Julie Major-Frunz | 8
Deb Manning | 14
Christa McCall | 8
Emily McConnell | 1
Joyce McVicker | 27
Nancy Mealey | 26
Bethany Miller | 5
Lora Miller | 4
Forest Pierce | 5
Grace Piteo | 1
Vicki Rushlau | 29
Kjersten Schuttler | 5
Kelsey Scovill | 10
Kayleen Serfass | 4
Julie Shaffer | 5
Julie Sharp | 12
Molly Slater* | 2
Savannah Stenzel | 1
Tori Strubbe | 2
Carol Svolos | 7
Sally Swoboda* | 3
Rose Uhrich | 9
Ami Uribe | 1
Robin Welchans | 5
Elizabeth Wood | 4
Michele Yindrick | 26
Alex Young^ | 7
TENOR
Matthew Bang | 18
Mark Barta | 6
Karma LiLoLa Bustillos, Jr. | 1
Lucie Case | 2
Steven Crandall | 8
Bryan Crawford^ | 28
Jared Cunningham | 7
Daniel de Riancho | 2
David Ellis | 7
Dennis Fellhauer | 16
Zach Fisher | 1
Donald Callen Freed^ | 12
Andrea Grover | 7
River Hawthorne | 8
Christopher Hill | 8
David Hoylman | 2
LuAnn McClarnon | 14
Kayla McKain | 4
Charlie McMahon* | 1
Jerry Meis* | 27
Richard Murphy | 15
Debbie Nelson* | 5
Cara Neufeld | 1
Micah Oswald | 8
Sara Pecor | 7
Lee Scott | 2
Nik Shapoval* | 8
Jeffrey Sheppard | 1
Thomas Simons* | 13
Logan Steiner | 7
Stuart Stenger* | 4
Hal Stonewood* | 3
Junie Stonewood | 7
Justin Thomason ^ | 5
Chrys Toh | 2
Mark Van Kekerix | 39
Shaelle Velyrre* | 4
Mark Weber* | 1
Danica Williams | 1
Kaitryn Williams | 7
Larry Wilson | 45
BASS
Shawn Ammon | 1
Nathan Auman | 1
Isaak Belongia | 1
Stan Brown | 76
Nate Bunnyfield | 1
Dan Cameron Burgdorf | 4
Bill Canney | 23
Mitch Crouse | 4
Mark Curley* | 26
Kieran Foster* | 4
Jonas Glazeski* | 5
Fernando Guardado | 2
Victor Hahn* | 41
Keith Hale | 8
Andrew Hillmer | 1
Maxwell Hobday | 4
Jon Holloway-Wallace^ | 27
Chris Holst | 62
Jason Hsi ^ | 4
Seph Kennedy | 2
Donald-Brian Johnson* | 13
Noah Kihm | 4
Ryan King | 2
Cameron Koenig-Barker | 22
Andrew McCullough | 7
Scott Miller* | 25
MEMBERSHIP PINS
The lapel pins worn by RCMC members are symbols of pride that showcase their singing appearances. The colors correlate to the number of concerts in which the member participated.
Stephen Moore | 13
Gedi Murauskas | 9
Marcus Pennell | 3
Dylan Phelps | 8
Josh Phelps* | 1
John Porter^ | 14
Eric Rodine^ | 14
Rob Rutar* | 3
Jacob Schultz-Cummins | 6
David Shreffler* | 4
Jeff Sjuts | 2
Devin Smith | 1
Steven Spencer | 9
Grae Steele ^ | 8
Adam Steinbach | 14
Brett Toay | 16
Barry Thomas | 1
Cody Van Dorin | 4
Joachim Voss | 2
Adam Witte^ | 21
Tony Wredt* | 11
Brian Wyant* | 30
Ryan Zeigler* | 8
Phil Zellner* | 17 ^ River’s Edge * Leave of Absence
REBEL WITH A CAUSE
Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray
An American dramatic cantata
WORLD PREMIERE
Kim Hines, Librettist
Steve Milloy, Composer
Monica Weber, Narrator I & Soloist
Zhomontee Watson, Narrator II & Soloist
“One person plus one typewriter constitutes a movement.”
-
Pauli Murray
1. PAULI MURRAY: YOU THINK YOU KNOW? (INTRO TO PAULI MURRAY)
2. MY BOY-GIRL (1910 | PAULI BORN)
Narrator II | Aunt Pauline
Sung by Aunt Pauline reflecting on Pauli’s early years and her role as mother.
3. RIDIN' THE RAILS (1931)
Narrator I | Pauli Michaela Baumeister | Peg Holmes
Pauli and Peg jumping trains on trip west.
4. OFF THE RAILS (1937)
Narrator I | Pauli
Gender dysphoria, depression/mental illness; Pauli’s first lover marrying a man.
5. HOLD ON (1940)
Pauli and Adelene McBean jailed for refusing to move to the back of a bus.
6. BROWN VS. BOARD OF EDUCATION (1944 & 1954)
Narrator I | Pauli
Narrator II | Spotswood Robinson
Pauli’s critical role in the overturn of Brown vs. Board of Education.
7. SOULMATES (1957 | PAULI & IRENE BARLOW MEET)
Based on Paradox, poem by Angelina Weld Grimké
Love song duet with Pauli and Renee
8. JANE CROW (mid-1960s)
Based on Oh Wallace, Civil Rights song
Fight for women’s rights; connection to intersectionality.
9. GRIEF & REBIRTH (1973)
Based on Schumann Piano Concerto (Pauli’s favorite song - played at Renee’s death)
Narrator II | Pauli
Death of Renee; Pauli’s calling to priesthood.
10. BE A SPARK: WHAT CHA GONNA DO? (1977 | ORDINATION)
Transition to ministry. Call to Action.
— 20-MINUTE INTERMISSION —
Cash bars are available in the lobbies.
Be sure to check out RCMC’s raffle basket fundraiser in the main lobby on the Orchestra level to purchase a chance to win a gift basket! All raffle proceeds benefit RCMC’s Ryan-Knicely Scholarship Fund.
I WISH I KNEW HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO BE FREE
Words & Music by Billy Taylor & Dick Dallas | Arranged by Kirby Shaw
A CHANGE IS GONNA COME
Words & Music by Sam Cooke | Arranged by Jay Althouse
Chris Hill, tenor
BIG YELLOW TAXI
Words & Music by Joni Mitchell | Arranged by Adam & Matt Podd
21 GUNS FROM GREEN DAY'S AMERICAN IDIOT
Words & Music by David Bowie, John Phillips, Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Pritchard, & Frank Wright
Arranged by Roger Emerson
Samantha Zarders & Shaelynn Oswald, sopranos
A BEAUTIFUL NOISE
Words & Music by Alicia Keys & Brandi Carlile | Arranged by Matt Goldstein
Performed by Rivers Edge | Adam Witte, conductor
Alex Young, mezzo-soprano
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE | THE MUSIC OF JOHN LENNON
Words & Music by Johnn Lennon | Arranged by Mac Huff
Julie Sharp, mezzo-soprano
Adam Witte, baritone
Michelle Jansen-Griswold, mezzo-soprano
TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'
Words & Music by Bob Dylan | Arranged by Adam & Matt Podd
Seph Kennedy, baritone
ONE VOICE (PROCLAIMING HOPE) FROM SING FOR THE CURE
Words by Pamela Martin | Music by Joseph M. Martin
Jason Hsi, baritone
Deb Manning, mezzo-soprano
LEAN ON ME
Annie Barker, soprano
Keith Hale, baritone
Words & Music by Bill Withers | Arranged by Adam Anders & Tim Davis
Adapted for Publication by Roger Emerson
John Porter, baritone
Brittany Wineinger, soprano
Dave Ellis, tenor
Michaela Baumeister, mezzo-soprano
Countryside Community Church
SUPPORT
Schedule your visit to the planetarium at http://www.rollingbluffsplanetarium.com
Private group reservations
What’s up in the sky presentations?
Constellation presentations from 16 cultural groups from around the world.
Schedule the portable planetarium travel to your event in Western Iowa and Eastern Nebraska.
Check out our online store for small batch beard balms and oils. (Our owner knows something about beard care ���� )
PRODUCER CIRCLE OF GIVING
As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of our allies to help us continue our mission to create exceptional musical experiences to support diversity, inspire change, and empower communities. We are so grateful for the support of our Producer Circle of Giving. To become a member and take advantage of our donor benefits (see page 28), make a donation online at rcmc.org
Contributions from January 1, 2024 – March 22, 2025
MAESTRO $5000+
Jon Holloway-Wallace & Randy
Wallace
In memory of Kitty Holloway
VIRTUOSO $2500-$4999
David & Susan P Davies
Scott Focht
Patricia Gromak
George Kleine & Tom Knox
Lynne Mytty & Jana Martin
Mark Van Kekerix
PRODIGY $1000-$2499
J. Scott & Anne Barker
Don & Barbara Bredthauer
Debra & Christian Christensen
Mark & Ginny Curley
Bob Hoppe
Gail Jensen & Judith Gale
Hank Kuhlmann & Donald-Brian Johnson
Thomas Liefer
Daniel McCarthy
Thomas Nielsen & Kevin Rose
David Schuler
Thomas Stalnaker
Joachim Voss & Don Horn
DIVAS $500-$999
James Blachnik
Thomas & Sara Dean
In honor of RCMC's Staff & Board of Directors
Randall Donner & Ron Chase
David Ellis & Mark Nation-Ellis
Dennis Fellhauer & Brian Wedemeier
Lee Foster
Bill Gaus
Victor Hahn
Anthony Harris & David Kresha
Dan & Cindy Heidelberg
Betsy Kimball & Don Frey
Cindy Ludwig
Deb Manning & Bill Sukstorf
Penny May
Monty J McClean
Peg & Jim Schneider
Carol & Tom Svolos
Lawrence "Red" & Jan Thomas
In honor of J. Scott Barker
Elizabeth Wood & Ryne Verschoor
SOLOISTS $250-$499
Leo & Teddy Adams
Mary Anna & Clyde Anderson
Thomas Clarkin
Adam & Carolyn Gehringer
Keith Hale
Ann Lewis Henkin & Joseph Henkin
David & Carol Johnson
Kevin Leahy
Larry & Laura Leeds
Matt, Katy, Nora, & Luke Pierson
Beth Rundquist
Rob Rutar
Marc & Caryn Scheer
Mark Schulze
Myron Sikora
James & Susan Tracy
Rebecca Wiegand & Marvin Van Kekerix
PERFORMERS $1-$249
Shawn Ammon
Nic Batterton
Carol Beaty
Charles Begay
Ashley Bejsovec
Paul Bock & Eric Klis
Barron Breland
Buster Brown & Lynn Corbeil
David Bruflodt
Melissa Bugay
Daniel Cameron Burgdorf
Andrea Butler
Vincent Carriere
Lucie Case
Mindy Chipman
Rohn Collins
Kirk & Catherine Cryer
In memory of Judy Hancock
Karen Davidson-Fisher
Carrie Duffy
Stephanie Elrod
Koty Embree
Cleveland Evans
Jody Gernandt
Janet Goodman
James Graf
DeWayne Greim
Andrea Grover
Vicki Grunwald
Carol Hall
Chole Hawkins
Valerie Haynes
Chris Holst
Lori Justman
Laurie Katan
Ruth Kazmierski
Kurt Keeler & Christine Nelson
Gwendolyn Ketter
In memory of Rich Ketter
Ali Khan
Ryan King
Erika Kirby
Susan Koenig
Katie Kresha
Gordon Krentz
Sherryl Lilley
Tom Luke
Jeffrey Lulf
Spencer Magee
Michael & Karen Markey
Christa McCall
Lora Miller
Steven Mohr
Janis Mullins
Loren & Iola Mullins
Gedi Murauskas
Dorothy Neill
Carol Novich
Mary Oswald
Susan Patchen
Josh Phelps
Gregory Pierson
PERFORMERS CONTINUED
James Poppert
John Porter
Gregory Post
Ryan Rehder
Dianne Ross
Juli Sherry
Don Slaughter
Corey Stafford
Allan & Lynnette Stamler
Suzy Stark
Grae Steele
Adam Steinbach
Melissa Taylor
Amy Tillman
Jerry Tyrrell & Andy Nelson
Kim Van Cleave
Jerry Woolstrum
Jaydee Worden & Timothy Held
Brian Wyant
Leah Wyatt
Samantha Zarders
Anonymous
Judy's Bookclub Friends
In memory of Judy Hancock
BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION
DONATIONS & GRANT FUNDING
Augustana Lutheran Church
Boys Town
Conagra Brands Foundation (employee match)
Omaha Public Power District
Pacific Life (employee match)
PayPal
Prime Therapeutics (employee match)
PRODUCER CIRCLE OF GIVING
Countryside Community Church
Deluxe Corporation Foundation (employee match)
Farm Credit Services of America
First United Methodist Church (in-kind)
Fraser Stryker PC LLO
Gelb Productions
Grand Island Pride
Holy Cross Lutheran ELCA
Kiewit Corporation (employee match)
Kroger
Land O'Lakes (employee match)
Mutual of Omaha
Nebraska Arts Council Network for Good
Omaha Community FoundationLGBTQIA2S+ Equality Fund
RYAN-KNICELY SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Salesforce (employee match)
The Auto Club Group (employee match)
Together A Greater Good (TAGG)
United Women in Faith St Paul
Benson
Visit Nebraska Viterra
Walmart
The Ryan-Knicely Scholarship Fund was created to ensure that there are no financial barriers to being a member of the Chorus for anyone who wishes to sing. Chorus members in need of financial assistance can apply to the Board of Directors for help from the Fund with covering Chorus-related expenses. Contributions from January 1, 2024 - March 22, 2025
Daniel Cameron Burgdorf
Thomas Clarkin
Bill Gaus
Jody Gernandt
Chole Hawkins
Valerie Haynes
Laura Leeds
Rob Rutar
Adam Steinbach
SUPPORT THE ENDOWMENT
Elizabeth Woods & Ryne Verschoor
RCMC Concert Raffle
Basket Fundraisers
The River City Mixed Chorus Endowment Fund was established by the Board of Directors in 2015. Administered by the Omaha Community Foundation, the Endowment Fund is a resource that will help ensure the long-term financial health of the Chorus. The Fund is set up so that the principal is not used, but proceeds from the principal will help fund the annual budget.
Contributions from July 1, 2015 – March 22, 2025
Randall Donner & Ron Chase
Bill Gaus
Andrea Grover
Valerie Haynes & Dee Ramm
Nan Knicely Estate Trust
Frank & Penny Kowal
Gedi Murauskas
Jeff Nelson
Mary Lou Ruh Estate Trust
Allan Stamler
Carol Svolos RCMC Board of Directors
PERFORMERS
$1 – $249 SOLOISTS
$250– $499
Recognition of donation in concert programs
Recognition of donation in concert programs
One (1) ticket to each of next 2 major concerts
Priority seating at concerts (must RSVP)
DIVAS
$500– $999
Recognition of donation in concert programs
Two (2) tickets each to the Winter, Spring, & Summer concerts
Priority seating at concerts (must RSVP)
Invitation to an annual Donor Appreciation Event
Recognition of donation in concert programs
Four (4) tickets each to the Winter, Spring, & Summer concerts
Priority seating at concerts (must RSVP)
$1,000 – $2,499
Invitation to an annual Donor Appreciation Event
VIRTUOSO
$2,500 – $4,999 MAESTRO
$5,000 + PRODIGY
Recognition of donation in concert programs
Six (6) tickets each to the Winter, Spring, & Summer concerts
Priority seating at concerts (must RSVP)
Recognition of your support during our concerts
Invitation to an annual Donor Appreciation Event
Recognition of donation in concert programs
Six (6) tickets each to the Winter, Spring, & Summer concerts
Priority seating at concerts (must RSVP)
Recognition of your support during our concerts
Invitation to an annual Donor Appreciation Event
Dinner for Four (4) with RCMC’s Artistic Director
ART BY KRISTIN PLUHACEK
Jannette Davis Friends of Dr. Merlyn “Mert” Knudson
Sponsored by:
Thank you to our momentum supporters!
In
RCMC hosted our first ever fundraising gala, Momentum! With the support of so many sponsors, donors, and volunteers, we are happy to share that we reached and surpassed our fundraising goal This ensures the ongoing success and growth of RCMC and we couldn’t do it without all of you
Thank you to Claire Katan Creative, James Lathrop Photography & STM Films for documenting an incredible evening and to all of our wonderful supporters for joining us!!
CANTO ULTIMO
Italian, meaning “final song.” In our hearts they will always live. Their love, their voices, and their smiles are forever imprinted in our minds. The River City Mixed Chorus remembers past members who have sung their canto ultimo.
FOUNDING MEMBERS for bravely putting into motion their dream of a more inclusive Omaha.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, COMMITTEE CHAIRS, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS who donate their time to ensure that our organization continues to thrive through every season.
DENNIS FELLHAUER AND BRIAN WEDEMEIER for creation of raffle baskets and coordination of volunteers to make the raffle fundraiser benefitting RCMC's Ryan-Knicely Scholarship Fund a success.
CHRIS ACKER OF MIXING ROOM STUDIOS AND HANK KUHLMANN for creating the pre-concert greeting.
NATE DODGE for providing RCMC with storage space for our stage decorations and other large items.
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, PASTOR MORITA TRUMAN, AND STAFF for providing RCMC with weekly rehearsal space and storage for RCMC’s music library and other materials critical to our success as an organization.
MIKE HOGAN AND DAVE WINGERT for enabling us to get the word out about RCMC and our mission to your KIOS & Boomer Radio audiences.
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKAOMAHA BARBARA WEITZ COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CENTER for providing space and use of virtual meeting equipment for RCMC’s monthly Board meetings.
GORDON KRENTZ AND THOMAS SIMONS AND ROB AND RACHEL RUTAR for co-hosting RCMC's inaugural annual fundraising gala, Momentum, and GEORGE KLEINE AND TOM KNOX for serving as honorary event chairs.
FILM STREAMS AND NEBRASKA EPISCOPAL DIOCESE (BISHOP J. SCOTT BARKER) for hosting a special screening of I am Pauli Murray with a panel discussion about her life and legacy, in collaboration with RCMC.
CALVETTA WATLINGTON, REVEREND CRAIG LEMMING, ROSE GODINEZ, AND SHAVONNE WASHINGTONKRAUTH for sharing insights on Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray's legacy at Film Streams' screening of the documentary film, I am Pauli Murray, and for joining us this evening.
DEB MANNING for dedicated planning and persistence in executing our community partnership with Film Streams to present the Pauli Murray documentary
GALA CHORUSES AND ROBIN GODFREY, SUE BELL, AND JANE RAMSEYER-MILLER for partnering with RCMC as the lead chorus on the Pauli Murray commissioning, for coming to Omaha for its world premiere, and for your years of service to the queer choral movement. To JANE (dramaturg and project champion), your vision continues to inspire us, educate our communities, and illuminate the heroes whose example we so desperately need.
STEVE MILLOY AND KIM HINES for bringing Pauli to life musically and dramatically; for capturing who she was, what she stood for, and who she fought for; for reminding us that her work and writings should continue to spark action in our current context; and for asking the most important question, “What’cha gonna do?”
OMAHA TO DES MOINES AND BACK AGAIN.
Approximately 260 miles on an unexceptional stretch of I-80 that left plenty of time for life-altering discussions, six friends went to see the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus’ one-night-only performance in Des Moines. The year was 1984 — the same year that GALA Choruses, the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses, was founded.
That night changed everything.
On the drive home, the friends discussed the need to spread the same messages of love, unity, inclusion, acceptance, and empowerment within their own community. They organized The Mid City Chorus with three other friends, nine men and one woman, and had their first performance at a variety show for the Metropolitan Community Church of Omaha. The reception was overwhelming. Their second performance was a Christmas concert at The Max. Around that time, the founding members officially changed the name of the Chorus to River City Mixed Chorus (RCMC) and solidified their place in GALA.
Since our humble beginnings, we’ve grown to more than 160 singing members, with hundreds of performances and sold-out holiday shows. We’re determined to make you laugh, make you think, and, more importantly, give you a sense of belonging.
1984 Mid City Chorus, now River City Mixed Chorus, was founded 2004
1990 RCMC members participated in the Names Quilt to honor members who passed away from the AIDS crisis
Music Director John Kelly co-directed RCMC and Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus, helping the two choruses collaborate on performances in both cities
to a GALA grant and private donations, RCMC was able to commission several original works for its repertoire
HOW GAY CHORUSES CAME TO BE
There are times when unimaginable acts of tragedy unleash our inner courage and fuel us to act. This was such a time.
In the fall of 1978, San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician in American history, and Mayor George Moscone were heartlessly assassinated in San Francisco City Hall. The event sent shockwaves through the gay and lesbian community. That evening, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus gathered on the steps of City Hall and held it’s very first public performance. At the time, the word “gay” in a chorus name was unheard of.
Three years later, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus toured the US, forever changing the lives of millions of people and inspiring the formation of many new gay and lesbian choruses.
By 1984, fourteen of those choruses bonded together to found what is now the largest gay and lesbian choral organization in the world —the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA Choruses). GALA Choruses has since grown to more than 10,000 singers from more than 190 choruses, all sharing in the common mission of empowering LGBTQ+ Choruses as they change the world through song.
It was because of that fateful day and heartbreaking tragedy that many choruses were able to find their voices.
2016 Puttin’ on the R.I.T.S (River City in the Schools) was launched with a series of performances in local high schools
Music Director Mark Kurtz was commissioned to compose original songs based on political breakthroughs and social changes in the LGBTQ+ community 2019 RCMC traveled on a mini tour to North Platte and Hastings to present its mission and message to a new audience
RCMC hires Katie Kresha as organizations very first Executive Director
LOVED THE SHOW?
Found yourself bobbing your head and tapping your feet to the music? Pictured yourself on stage singing with our talented crew? You’re in luck; we saved a spot just for you.
Our next round of auditions for our 2025-2026 season will be in held in August. Email us at audition@rcmc.org to reserve your spot.
In the meantime, you can peruse our commonly asked questions at rcmc.org
ADVERTISE WITH US
Support RCMC and reach a wider audience by advertising your business in our concert programs. For specific details and ad packages, email marketing@rcmc.org or call 402-341-SING (7464)
Did you know that RCMC offers a smaller ensemble, River’s Edge, that’s ready to entertain you and your guests on any occasion? Weddings, birthdays, work functions, you name it.
Head to rcmc.org to book River’s Edge for your next gathering.
