Bluffs & Bayous May 2017

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WELCOME FROM THE NATCHEZ FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

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t is my great honor and privilege as Chairman of The Natchez Festival of Music to welcome you to our twenty-seventh anniversary season — May 6, 2017, through May 27, 2017. This a very special season for the festival as we celebrate the State of Mississippi’s 200th birthday by EULQJLQJ WR \RX D PRVW GLYHUVLĂ€HG DQG RXWVWDQGLQJ SURJUDP of events, featuring Mississippi musicians and music—both past and present—“By Way of the River: A Salute to the Mississippi Bicentennial.â€? Each year since 1990, the Natchez Opera Festival, Inc., doing business as The Natchez Festival of Music, has continued to grow under the leadership of many different artistic directors, chairmen, board members, and volunteers. All have given so generously of their time and talents to provide cultural activity through music and the performing arts, staged at specially chosen Natchez locales, for all citizens of the greater Miss-Lou region and neighboring areas to enjoy. The festival also offers annual educational outreach programs in music and the performing arts for thousands of children. In addition to the annual May events, the festival sponsors many other musical performances throughout each year. We seek to provide positive performing opportunities for outstanding artists, to nurture and encourage talented young singers in their early careers, and in turn to allow them to share in an educational and an outreach school program that provides high quality musical experiences in the Miss-Lou. 7KH VHDVRQ LV P\ Ă€IWK \HDU WR VHUYH DV &KDLUPDQ RI WKH %RDUG IRU 7KH 1DWFKH] Festival of Music; and I wish to thank the Executive Board members, the Regular Board members, the Eminent Board members, and all of the many, many Natchez and Miss-Lou citizens and businesses for their attendance at our events and for their support by so generously volunteering their time, talents, and money towards making The Natchez Festival of Music so successful. It is my sincere desire that you will enjoy all of our season’s events. Each one represents a special era of music, and all are a huge part of our Mississippi Musical Heritage. Natchez, Mississippi, is the birthplace of American music; and we are happy to showcase this music throughout our 2017 season. Each musician’s international and national fan base continues to grow as their fans travel around the world to hear and enjoy their music. After all, “music is the universal languageâ€?; and this season we have music for everyone’s appetite. Working together, The Natchez Festival of Music, the citizens of WKH 0LVV /RX DOO WKH 0LVV /RX EXVLQHVVHV DQG FLYLF DQG QRQ SURĂ€W RUJDQL]DWLRQV FRQtribute to our making Natchez, Mississippi, the destination city of the world. “Come for the music! Stay for the experience!â€?

Dear Festival-goers, It is my pleasure to welcome you to the twentyseventh season of The Natchez Festival of Music. We present a series of events that raise a hearty salute to 200 years of music in this great state. We proudly present a diverse slate of Blues, Gospel and Jazz, Rock and Roll, Country, and Classical musical events for you this season, ranging from “The Best of the Mississippi Blues IIâ€? to the musical comedy The Barber of Seville. We are absolutely known for music DQG PXVLFLDQV RI DOO W\SHV DQG RXU IHVWLYDO LV D UHĂ HFtion of this state’s rich musical heritage. I am pleased to be in my seventh year as Artistic Director. It has been a pleasure to be a part of this organization’s growth and to work with our outstanding performers, board members, staff, and guild. Natchez is such a wonderful community, and it has been a real pleasure to work with everyone here. The growth of The Natchez Festival of Music is UHĂ HFWHG LQ WKH VLJQLĂ€FDQW LQFUHDVH LQ RXU YDULRXV boards, sponsors, and donors, and educational audiences, as well as our increase in ticket sales and grants. If you are new to The Natchez Festival of Music, we hope you enjoy our many wonderful performances. If you are a festival regular, welcome back; and we’re glad you’re here. Sincerely,

Mary Lessley, Chairman Jay Dean, Artistic Director

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May 2017

F E AT U R E S

F AV O R I T E S Musical Month of May .......................................................................... 10-11

The Director .............................................................................................. 21 The Artists.............................................................................................22-32

Events Louisiana Up & Coming! ...........................................................................60

Children’s Events .......................................................................................36

Mississippi Up & Coming!.......................................................................... 61

The Best of the Mississippi Blues II.......................................................... 37

G’s Fare

Rossini, Puccini, and Martinis ..................................................................38 Rockin’ on the River..................................................................................39

A Relaxing Summer Spread ................................................................. 14-16

Legal Notes “Friendly” Lawsuit ....................................................................................20

Revolution, Romanticism, and Rachmaninoff.............................................40

The Social Scene The Sensational Sondheim ....................................................................... 41 From Mississippi to Motown......................................................................42

Copiah County Chamber of Commerce Meet-and-Greet ..................... 12-13 NLCC Benefit Reception ........................................................................... 17 Blues & BBQ .........................................................................................52-54

Mississippi Concert Hall ............................................................................43

Champagne Reception for Scruggs ......................................................58-59

The First Lady of Song: A Tribute to the Ella Fitzgerald Centennial .....44

The Wedding Scene

Camelot: A Timeless and Magical Musical .......................................... 46-47

Wedding Shower for Barker and Bozeman.......................................... 56-57

Highway to Heaven: Alvin Shelby and The Natchez Community Gospel Choir ....................................................48

ON THE COVER

The King of Rock-and-Roll: An Evening with Elvis Presley .....................49 The Barber of Seville............................................................................ 50-51 History of the Natchez Music Festival ......................................................63 Natchez Music Festival Mission Statement ...............................................63 Important Information..............................................................................63 In-Kind Donations .....................................................................................64 Committees ................................................................................................65 Board Members .........................................................................................65

Celebrating its 27th season, the Natchez Festival of Music salutes the state of Mississippi’s bicentennial with a slate of Mississippiinspired performances.

Contributors ..............................................................................................66

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BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI

Thursday, June 8th | 3-9PM Advance Tickets: $20 Day of Event Tickets: $25 Participating retailers and restaurants include: B*Dazzled Boutique • Betty’s Eat Shop • Beyond the Rainbow • Broma’s Deli Brookhaven ENT Allergy & Facial Surgery • Brookhaven Little Theatre Bumper’s Drive-In • CASTLES • Detour 51 • Engravables • Erin & Co. • Georgia Blue Georgia Blue Bakery • Hobie’s Sports & Outdoors • Inside Out • J. Allans • Judy’s II Melinda’s Fabrics/Interiors • Pappas Pizza Pi • Pickett Fences Vendors Poppa’s Fish House • Roxy Magnolia • Sassy but Sweet Boutique • Southern Style Southern Treasures • The Fish Fry • The Honey Pot, LLC • The Well-Dressed Man Vendor’s Emporium • We Frame It Home & Bridal/Hall & Company Zeal Consignment Boutique Ticket includes: $10 meal voucher that can be used at participating restaurants, good for June 8th – June10th. Coupon book including promotions from participating stores. Official 2017 Girl’s Night out t-shirt. One FREE entry to our 1st Annual GNO 5K Run/Walk to be held Saturday, June 10th in downtown Brookhaven! For tickets or more information, call Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce at 601-833-1411, email admin@brookhavenchamber.com, or visit: brookhavenchamber.org

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PUBLISHER Cheryl Foggo Rinehart MANAGING EDITOR

CONSULTING EDITOR

Jennie Guido

Jean Nosser Biglane GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Jan Ratcliff

Anita Schilling

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim McCary

Cheryl Rinehart Lisa Adams Whittington SALES STAFF

Jennie Guido

Cheryl Rinehart Donna Sessions CONTRIBUTORS

Lucien C. “Sam� Gwin III

Becky Junkin

Jennifer J. Whittier

Cheryl Rinehart

Jean Biglane

Jennie Guido

Jan Ratcliff

Anita Schilling

Tim McCary

Lisa Adams Whittington

Donna Sessions

Jennifer J. Whittier

Lucien C. “Sam� Gwin III

Becky Junkin

Bluffs & Bayous is published monthly to promote the greater Southern area of Louisiana and Mississippi in an informative and positive manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing and availability of space and subject matter. Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited! Return envelopes and postage must accompany all materials submitted if a return is requested. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Bluffs & Bayous are those of the authors or columnists and do QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHà HFW WKH YLHZV RI WKH SXEOLVKHU QRU GR WKH\ FRQVWLWXWH DQ HQGRUVHPHQW RI SURGXFWV RU VHUYLFHV KHUHLQ :H UHVHUYH WKH ULJKW WR UHIXVH DQ\ DGYHUWLVHment. Bluffs & Bayous strives to insure the accuracy of our magazine’s contents. However, should inaccuracies or omissions occur, we do not assume responsibility.

OFFICE 423 Main Street, Suite 7 | Natchez, MS 39120 | 601-442-6847 bluf fsmag@gmail.com | bluf fs.editor@gmail.com bbupandcoming@gmail.com www.bluf fsbayous.com

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Musical Month of May by Jennie Guido • Photography courtesy of Pike County Arts Council

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Q 0F&RPE 0LVVLVVLSSL WKH PRQWK RI 0D\ LV Ă€OOHG ZLWK the musical stylings of artists from near and far. The Pike County Arts Council (PCAC) hosts an array of events throughout the year, which include a juried art show in March, concerts throughout the month of November, and Pops in the Park and Noon Tunes during May. Pops in the Park is an annual event held at Edgewood Park in McComb. “The Mississippi Symphony has been performing for us for many years,â€? Christopher Hart, member of the PCAC, H[SODLQHG ´7KH JUDQG Ă€QDOH LV D Ă€UHZRUNV GLVSOD\ DFFRPSDQLHG by patriotic music performed by the symphony. Food vendors will be on site, as well as various trucks as part of our ‘Touch-aTruck’ event where children can have a hands-on look at trucks, UDQJLQJ IURP Ă€UH WUXFNV WR +XPYHHV Âľ Sponsored by First Bank, Trustmark, and other corporate groups, this year’s event will be held on May 13, 2017, starting

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at 5:00 p.m. in the park and is open to the public. The “Touch-aTruck� event runs from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., followed by the concert at 7:00 p.m. “The Mississippi Symphony has performed at this event for many years,� Hart added. “We have a great relationship with them and usually have the event booked for the following year shortly after the close of the current concert.� Throughout the month of May and in addition to Pops in the Park, the PCAC hosts Noon Tunes every Thursday (May 4, 11, 18, and 25) for the public to enjoy and wind down their work weeks. “Noon Tunes is hosted at the Bo Diddley Pavilion (near the McComb Train Depot),� Hart said. “This year will feature the Pat Cornacchione Jazz Combo, Jackie Bankston, the Hewitt Family Band, and singers from the Natchez Festival of Music.� For more information, visit the Facebook page Pike County Arts Council MS; or contact Christopher Hart directly by calling (601) 810-5030.

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THE social SCENE WESSON, MS

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

Copiah County Chamber of Commerce Meet-and-Greet n March 23, 2017, the Copiah County Chamber of Commerce hosted a meet-and-greet for members of the community and local businesses at the Old Wesson School in Wesson, Mississippi. With a spread provided by local restaurants and Co-Lin’s culinary students, guests enjoyed the sounds of the Co-Lin Jazz Band.

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Diana Christmas and Ann McClelland AC Currie and Teresa Smith Beth King and Nora Burch Carolina Smith and Deemie Letchworth Rita and Ellis Stuart Janet Currie and Dr. Jane Hulon Kelly and Brandon Stewart Stephen Ashley and Randolph Costilow Pam Omens and Bobbie Kimbell

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TEENAGERS CRAVE FREEDOM. PARENTS CRAVE FREE. Bank freely with Squad Student Banking. | 1ol;v b|_ =u;; Ѵo 0-Ѵ-m1; -Ѵ;u|vķ =u;; omѴbm; 0-mhbm]ķ mo lom|_Ѵ =;;ķ - vl-u|r_om; -rrķ -m7 lou;ĺ -u|m;u b|_ $u v|l-uh |o 0;]bm |;-1_bm] o u hb7v |_; bmv -m7 o |v o= _-m7Ѵbm] lom; ĺ

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THE social SCENE

WESSON. MS

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

10 Tremeshia Williams, Diamond Harris, Margaret Hickamn, Asia Hubbard, Adrian Dinkins, Jacob Rich, Roderick Gilmore, Tyrell McArthur, Abby Burke, and Jody Hoff 11 Marilyn Britt, Alton Shaw, Linda Dykes, and Kim Palmer 12 Kamryn Vanlandingham, Seal McSweyn, and Marilyn Britt 13 Linda Dykes, Sharon and Scott King, and Carolina Smith 14 Haley Griffin with Abbey, Albert, and Elizabeth Turnage 15 Adrian Dinkins, Abby Burke, Tremeshia Williams, Diamond Harris, and Asia Hubbard

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G’S FARE

BY

Becky Junkin FEATURING RECIPES BY Sheila Alwood PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF The

Alwoods

Herb-inspired Cooking M

y friend Sheila Alwood is an absolutely fabulous cook. Whether it is for a bridge luncheon or party or for whatever the occasion, if she is the one cooking, you can count on having one of the best PHDOV RI \RXU OLIH , UHPHPEHU WKH ÀUVW WLPH , ZDV DW 6KHLOD and her husband Richard’s for a supper party. It was thirtyeight years ago, and they served beef kabobs (and they are still my favorite). At the time I was pregnant with David, and I had never tasted anything so delicious. I was totally amazed that someone our age could cook a meal like that and not have help from outside sources. I called the next day for the recipe, and they were kind enough to share it with me. I absolutely craved the sauce and put the marinade on everything—chicken, shrimp salad, beef. I could not get enough of it. I hope you enjoy her recipes as much as I have over the years.

I designed my kitchen so that my family and friends could be a part of my cooking. Having one of my grandchildren pluck the stems from parsley, having a guest tear lettuce for the salad, and having the guys grilling and manipulating the knives—this is what I call fun. I am a down-to-earth, pot-stirring, taste-and-add kind of cook. Here are a few of my go-to recipes.

Let me start with a wonderful frozen cocktail that has been a huge hit with everyone I have served it to. It is great for brunches, showers, and afternoon cocktail hours. You may need to double this recipe because it is just that good!

FROZEN MIMOSAS 1/2 gallon orange/pineapple juice 1/2 cup amaretto 1/4 cup sugar 1 bottle Prosecco Freeze juice, amaretto, and sugar mixture in a freezer bag. In a punch bowl or pitcher, cover frozen mixture with Prosecco. Chop until slushy. Make sure you serve in a pretty glass.

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PARSLEY! PARSLEY! PARSLEY! PARSLEY! I am wild about parsley. Although parsley is a delicate herb, it has a dynamic personality. It is a natural diuretic, has a vibrant dark green color, and is perky with its curly presentation. It adds freshness to recipes and often is the beautiful crown atop an already beautiful dish. As you look over the following UHFLSHV QRWH KRZ WKH\ LQFOXGH SDUVOH\ 0\ SDUVOH\ LV ÀQDOO\ ZHOO HVWDEOLVKHG LQ P\ à RZHU EHG ,WV FXUUHQW ORFDWLRQ QH[W WR DQ HDVWHUQ EULFN ZDOO appears to be where it thrives. When using the following recipes, the processes in them are what I think are as important as the ingredients.

MY STANDARD GREEN SALAD Romaine lettuce Red-tip or plain-green leaf lettuce Butter lettuce 1/2 cup curly-leaf parsley, chopped 1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated Artichoke hearts, canned and chopped Black olives, halved Garlic salt 2 teaspoons black pepper J\W VSP]L VPS <ZL [OL NVVK Z[\Ɉ 2 avocados, cut into large chunks Wash and spin lettuce and parsley. Wrap greens in paper towels, and put in refrigerator to dry. When lettuce is crisp, tear the greens and mix with the parsley, lightly sprinkling with garlic salt so that all the greens take on part of the salt. Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese to welldrained and dry chopped artichoke hearts, black olives, and greens. Toss with good olive oil. Add black pepper. Give the salad a good stir to make sure all ingredients are coated with the oil. If you need more oil, HKK P[ -PUHSS` HKK H]VJHKV JO\URZ HUK NP]L HSS H Ă„UHS NLU[SL [VZZ :LY]L immediately.

I told you that I am wild about parsley. I love all chicken salad, but the following is my standard recipe because it was how my mother made chicken salad. This recipe is a hearty, meaty salad good for sandwiches and perfect served on a cracker with cocktails.

CHICKEN SALAD For the chicken: 3 or 4 chicken breasts 3 or 4 chicken thighs Two celery stalk tops 1/4 onion :HS[ Pepper Cover chicken with water, adding salt, pepper, celery tops, and onion as seasonings. Cook until done. Drain. Let the chicken cool down, and then refrigerate it after removing the celery and onion. Remove skin and debone chicken. Chop into approximately one-inch chunks. For the vegetables: 5 stalks celery, chopped, not minced 3/4 cup parsley, chopped 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise Juice 1 lemon :HS[ Pepper Red pepper In a bowl whisk mayonnaise, juice of one lemon, salt [V [HZ[L WLWWLY [V [HZ[L HUK YLK WLWWLY [V [HZ[L (KK chicken, chopped parsley, and celery. If needed, add additional mayonnaise and seasonings.

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One more recipe with parsley—I found this one in The /RXLVLDQD &UDZÀVK &RRNERRN I rarely use the mushrooms when serving over rice as a main entrÊe but include fresh mushrooms when serving as an appetizer with toast points. I add the sherry right before serving.

CRAWFISH ELEGANTE WV\UK 3V\PZPHUH JYH^Ă„ZO [HPSZ 1 stick butter I\UJO NYLLU VUPVUZ Ă„ULS` JOVWWLK J\W WHYZSL` Ă„ULS` JOVWWLK [HISLZWVVUZ Ă…V\Y 1 pint half-and-half cream 3 tablespoons sherry V\UJL JHU T\ZOYVVT I\[[VUZ VW[PVUHS :HS[ HUK WLWWLY [V [HZ[L Minced parsley for garnish :H\[t [HPSZ PU OHSM H Z[PJR VM I\[[LY 0U HUV[OLY ZRPSSL[ ZH\[t NYLLU VUPVUZ HUK WHYZSL` PU OHSM H Z[PJR VM I\[[LY )SLUK PU Ă…V\Y and gradually add half-and-half cream, stirring constantly to THRL [OL ZH\JL [OPJR (KK ZOLYY` T\ZOYVVTZ VW[PVUHS HUK JYH^Ă„ZO :LY]L V]LY YPJL :WYPURSL LHJO ZLY]PUN ^P[O TPUJLK WHYZSL` ILJH\ZL P[ PZ ZV WYL[[` :LY]LZ MV\Y [V ZP_ 0 \Z\HSS` double or triple the recipe for eight to ten people.

$JDLQ ZH KDYH SDUVOH\ HYHQ LI LW LV GULHG Ă DNHV My husband Richard got this recipe while driving between Whitehall and Jena, Louisiana, in the early 1970s. CBS Radio in Alexandria had a daily morning segment entitled “Meet the Cook.â€? So, he pulled over and met the chef, whose name is now unfortunately gone. But we have thanked him for his wonderful marinade more times than we can remember.

THE WORLD’S BEST MARINADE WITH SHISH-KABOBS 3/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup wine vinegar 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon coarse pepper [LHZWVVU KY` WHYZSL` ÅHRLZ WVKZ NHYSPJ VW[PVUHS Mix all the above, and you can store it in the refrigerator. We often use this marinade ^P[O ZOPZO RHIVIZ *\IL ZPYSVPU Z[LHR *\IL W\YWSL VUPVUZ NYLLU VY HU` JVSVY ILSS WLWper, and use whole cherry or grape tomatoes. Put the vegetables in the marinade with the meat. Marinate from one to three hours, turning frequently. Length of time depends on quality of meat. After marinating, thread meat and vegetables onto skewers, alternating all items. About 20 minutes before grilling the kabobs, cook the marinade in a Pyrex dish with any remaining meat and vegetables until done. Cook or grill the skewered meat and vegetables 12 to 15 minutes over medium heat to your desired level of doneness. Place each kabob atop a serving of rice with the cooked marinade as a gravy. Becky Junkin, mother of four and grandmother of eight, is a lifelong Natchez resident, a retired elementary WHDFKHU RI WZHQW\ IRXU \HDUV DQG FHUWLÀHG 3LODWHV LQVWUXFWRU

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THE social SCENE NATCHEZ, MS

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

NLCC Benefit Reception

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he twenty-eighth annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration was held in Natchez, Mississippi, February 23 through 25, 2017. On Saturday, February 25, 2017, Dr. and Mrs. Randy Tillman hosted a benefit cocktail reception at their home, Glen Auburn, in downtown Natchez. Celebrationgoers, speakers, and organizers enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while discussing this year’s festival.

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Richard Grant and Glenn Watts Jim Wiggins and Bill Henley Lucia Holloway and Pat Stanley Brett Brinegar and Richard Grant Sandra Moncrief and Amye Williamson Ron and Jeanne Tew Jordan, Rosie, Ronnie, and Brandon Nettles Bonnie Carter with Elizabeth and Jay Lehmann Carolyn Gwin, Hattie Ruder, Brett Brinegar, and Nancy Guice Elizabeth Lehmann with Brett and Margaret Cupples Tammy Bankston, Mary Sevi, and Monica Cross Ken Flynt with Brett and Margaret Cupples Nancy Kay Wessman, John Stevens, Robin Person, Teresa Busby, and Alysia Steele Mary Jane and Ed Gaudet, John Grady Burns, and Marla Tomin John D.W. Guice and David Sansing

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On the River k On the River k On the River k On the River

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On the River k On the River k On the River k On the River

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LEGAL NOTES

BY

“Friendly� Lawsuit

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have discussed the issue of premises liability from a business owner’s perspective in a past article. An example of this concept occurs when a customer slips and falls or is otherwise injured on a business premise. In almost all of these situations, the injured parties are considered an “inviteeâ€? on the property; and they are present for an economic advantage to the owner. This means that the business or property owner owes the invitee a duty of “reasonable careâ€? or a duty to warn of certain dangers on the property to such persons. What happens when you invite a “friendâ€? over for a social event, and he or she is injured while visiting your home? What happens when a repairman slips on your steps or falls into a hole while on your property and manages to break an arm or leg or, worse yet, breaks a hip? Have you just exposed yourself to potential liability for their injury? Unfortunately, in these situations, the answer often is “it depends.â€? One must consider if the person was invited over for a purely social event, such as to have cup of coffee or to watch a ball game versus a guest that is coming to your property to address a plumbing isVXH WR Ă€[ \RXU DLU FRQGLWLRQHU RU HYHQ WR clean your house. In the instances where there is no “mutual advantageâ€? to the homeowner or the injured guest, the law in Mississippi is that “a person who invites friends, neighbors, and others to enjoy hospitality has certainly made an “invitationâ€?; but this Page 20 { May 2017 { Bluffs & Bayous

does not transform those who respond as “invitees. They are mere licensees.â€? The difference between the terms and “inviteeâ€? and “licenseeâ€? is that an “inviteeâ€? is owed the highest duty by the property owner. The landowner must have property that is reasonably safe and, when not reasonably safe, must warn where there is a hidden danger or peril that is not in plain and open view. A “licensee,â€? on the other hand, is owed the duty from the landowner to refrain from willfully or wantonly injuring a person. So what does all this mumbo jumbo really mean? Trust me, it can get confusing, even for us attorneys. What it is supposed to mean is that, if you invite someone to your private property and there is some HFRQRPLF RU PXWXDO EHQHĂ€W WR \RX DQG WKH guest, then you have a duty to ensure that no condition exists on your property that could otherwise cause injury or harm. If such a condition does exist on your property and you can’t prevent it, then you are required to warn the person of the condition. For example, if a purely social “inviteeâ€? falls into some open and obvious hole LQ WKH Ă RRU WKDW FDQ EH HDVLO\ VHHQ WKHQ there should be no liability under current Mississippi law. Practically speaking, this means that, if you invite a group of people to your home for a bridge-club gathering and one of your guest trips over some uneven concrete (that is clear and obvious) in your driveway, and as a result of the fall, breaks his or her hip, the chance is really good that, even though your guest will

Lucien C. Gwin III

most likely sue you, a court will most likely dismiss the case. Keep in mind that this last scenario is assuming a strictly social visit with no mutual RU HFRQRPLF EHQHĂ€W WR you and that your conduct is not “willfulâ€? or “wantonâ€? in this situation. On the other hand, what if a serviceman comes to your home and falls through a known rotten board (that is not YLVLEOH LQ \RXU Ă RRU DQG JHWV LQMXUHG" Well, if they can point to some negligent act on your part, such as knowledge of the rotten board, then this becomes a question of fact, which allows a jury to consider the case. The Mississippi Supreme Court has addressed the issue of a social guest versus a guest for mutual advantage. The Court stated, “. . . The social guest assumes the ordinary risks which are attached to the premises.â€? No exception is made to the rule because of the fact that the guest enters upon the expressed invitation to enjoy his hospitality. A host merely offers his premises for the enjoyment of his guests, with the same security which the host and members of his family have with him. All bets are off, however, when you know of danger and fail to disclose such to either a social guest (“licenseeâ€?) or a repairman (“inviteeâ€?). My Take: You should always carry homeowner’s insurance, which should cover you whether you have an invited guest who is there for social purposes or there for economic or mutual purposes. Finally, “slip and fallâ€? and “premisesâ€? cases are very hard to win; and as a result, attorneys look really hard at the circumstances of the situation before they will agree to take these types of cases.

Lucien C. “Sam� Gwin III was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1981 and has been practicing many aspects of the law at the firm of Gwin, Lewis, Punches & Kelley in Natchez, Mississippi, ever since.

THE DIRECTOR

Jay Dean is the Music Director of The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 1988. During his tenure, the orchestra has cultivated an international reputation that enhances not only the university, but also the state and region. His recruiting efforts have elevated the organization into a multinational conglomerate. Dean’s vision literally has brought the world to Mississippi, including performances across the state by internationally known classical icons such as Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Sir James Galway and celebrities including Patti LaBelle, Doc Severinsen, Ray Charles, and countless others. He has also served as the guest conductor for many orchestras in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. The symphony performs to full houses with audience members representing a diverse cross-section of the southeastern United States. Dean received his DMA in orchestral conducting from the University of Texas at Austin. Before coming to the University of Southern Mississippi, he was Music Director of Dekalb Youth Symphony Orchestra in Atlanta, the Mercer University/Atlanta Chamber Orchestra, the Columbus State University Orchestra, the Atlanta Festival Orchestra and Chorus, the Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Southwest Chamber Orchestra. He also served as assistant conductor for the Austin Lyric Opera. Currently Dean serves as the Director of the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, the Artistic Director of the USM Southern Opera and Musical Theatre, the Executive Director of the Arts Institute of Mississippi and the Associate Dean for the Arts at the University of Southern Mississippi. In addition, he is the General and Artistic Director of Mississippi Opera, and the Artistic Director for the Natchez Festival of Music. He is the Founding Artistic Director of FestivalSouth, and past General Director of the Hattiesburg Civic Chorus and Concert Association. He has also been the Executive Director of the Vicksburg International Chamber Music Festival, and the Artistic Director of the Southern Arts Festival.

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THE ARTISTS With “a major, stunning voiceâ€? (Opera News), John Christopher Adams is quickly establishing himself on stages around the world. Listeners have applauded him for his “ability to pour his heart and soul into every phrase.â€? A native of Fannin, Mississippi, Adams studied drama and music with Karen Streit and H. G. Morgan. He is a 2006 graduate of the Mississippi College Department of Music where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance. He recently completed both a master’s degree in Vocal Performance and an Artist Diploma in Opera at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Recent international engagements have placed him on the stages of the Festpielhaus Baden-Baden, Opernhaus Zurich, Landestheater Linz, and the Festival de Wiltz. Recent U. S. engagements include Nelson in Seattle Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess, Erste geharnischte Mann in Seattle Opera’s production of 'LH =DXEHUĂ |WH, Kunz Vogelgesang in Wagner‘s Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Rodolfo in La BohĂŠme with Cincinnati Opera, and Lennie in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men with the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music. Other U. S. engagements include Crabman in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bacchus in CCM’s production of Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, Rodolfo in CCM’s production of Puccini’s La BohĂŠme, Mr. McDowell in the world premiere of Adolphus Hailstork’s Rise for Freedom: The John P. Parker Story with the Cincinnati Opera, Alfred in the Rising Stars Audition Works’ production of Die Fledermaus, Eisenstein in Mississippi College Opera Theatre’s production of Die Fledermaus, and Father Angelo in James Sclater’s The Christmas Gift. Recently Adams has had several important company and role debuts around Mississippi, including Il Duca in Rigoletto and Hortensio/Riley in Kiss Me, Kate with the Natchez Festival of Music, Ferrando in Cosi fan Tutte and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, and Jean Valjean in Mississippi College’s production of Les Miserables. He also made his directorial debut in Mississippi Opera’s production of Gianni Schicchi. Buffo bass-baritone Alexander Adams-Leytes, in maNLQJ KLV SURIHVVLRQDO GHEXW LQ 0DUFK RI ZLWK 3DFLĂ€F Opera Project in Los Angeles, California, was described as “transcendentalâ€? and “never missing a syllable or pitch . . . always creating a plausible motive for his insane vocal and physical acrobaticsâ€? in his specialty area of comic patter singing as Dr. Bartolo in a modern-day Hollywood version of Il barbiere di Siviglia. Originally educated at St. John’s University, he trained in Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar, Germany, under the direction of European buffo star Damon Nestor Ploumis, performing Papageno, Count $OPDYLYD %DUWROR /HSRUHOOR DQG 0DVHWWR +H ZDV Ă€UVW VHHQ LQ 1DWFKH] LQ singing Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore; later that year, he performed in the inaugural production for Gulfshore Opera in Naples, Florida, in the dual roles of Father and Witch in Hansel and Gretel. In March of 2015, he made his European house debut with Theater Rudolstadt in Thuringia, Germany, alternating between the roles of Dr. Cajus and Herr Reich in Nicolai’s Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor DQG LQ -XQH VDQJ KLV Ă€UVW 'RQ $OIRQVR LQ Cosi fan Tutte with Passion Artists of Vienna. In 2016, he debuted with Miami Lyric Opera, performing Dulcamara and the Sacristan, has performed two Benoit/Alcindoros in La Boheme in the past year with Opera St. Petersburg in Florida and the Charleston Opera in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and most recently returned to Theater Rudolstadt in Germany to SHUIRUP KLV Ă€UVW 'RQ 0DJQLĂ€FR LQ Cenerentola. Brint Anderson OHG KLV Ă€UVW EDQG 7KH 6KDGHV LQ KLV hometown of Natchez, Mississippi. Local bluesman there, Papa George Lightfoot, was Anderson’s earliest inspiration; and from that point, he performed the music of other Mississippi greats such as Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B. B. King and Albert King. Later, Anderson formed his band Coupe de Ville in Austin, Texas, and released an album that featured his songs, “Blue Feelinâ€? and “Mississippi Music.â€? Coupe de Ville played with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Delbert McClinton, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Stanley Clark, John Lee Hooker, Elvin Bishop, Albert Collins, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Anderson went on to play in George Porter, Jr.’s Runnin’ Pardners, a position he continues to hold. With Porter, he recorded six releases and one video

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called “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.� His most recent recording with Porter is “Nice, Very Nice.� With Runnin’ Pardners, he has played with Art Neville, The Radiators, Johnny Adams, Earl King, Snooks Eaglin, Henry Butler, and Eddie Bo. The Brint Anderson Band was formed in the early 1990s. They received an award for best New Orleans R&B band from Offbeat Magazine in 1997, and they were the house band for Levon Helm of The Band and Levon’s Club. Anderson has four CDs of his own, Homage To Elmore, I Knew This Would Happen, Notes From Clarksdale, and his latest self-titled solo acoustic CD. Anderson and Brian Stolz are the house guitarists in Dr. John’s new DVD The Musical Mojo of Dr. John. Mississippi-born baritone Ezekiel Andrew has delighted audiences across genres with roles such as Professor Bhaer in Little Women, Slim in Oklahoma!, The King of Siam in The King and I, Dr. Craven in The Secret Garden, and King Triton in The Little Mermaid, as well as operatic roles in The Magic Flute, Le Nozze di Figaro, and West Side Story. He recently made his Mississippi Opera debut in the role of Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen with the Mississippi Opera Young Artist Program, as well as his Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater debut in the roles of Coalhouse Walker, Jr., in Flaherty’s Ragtime and Jake in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Upcoming performances include the role of Kerchak in Disney’s Tarzan in Lubbock, Texas; the title role of Rigoletto in Verdi’s Rigoletto with the Mississippi Opera Young Artist Program and the University of Southern Mississippi; the Natchez Festival of Music; and a return to Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater in the title role of Quasimodo in Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame and as the Pirate King in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. Andrew attended Mississippi College for his undergraduate studies and Cincinnati Conservatory of Music as well as The University of Southern Mississippi for postgraduate studies. Bass Preston Andrews is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at the University of Alabama where he studies with Dr. Paul Houghtaling. Recent credits for the Houston, Texas, native include Mr. Olsen in Street Scene, Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata, and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni. He has performed principal roles with Opera Kansas, Opera in the Ozarks, the University of Alabama Opera Theatre, and Wichita State University Opera Theatre. Andrews was also a soloist with The Houston Bach Society and a member of The Houston Grand Opera chorus. In 2013, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Ibukun Babalola, soprano, is from Woodstock, Georgia, and is a 2016 graduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. Babalola made her University of Alabama Opera Theatre debut in the scenes program “Something Old, Something New.� She has since appeared in the ensembles of The Mikado and Over Dinner and performed as the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, The Lady Saphir in Patience, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and Greta Fiorentino in Street Scene.

Acclaimed as a “perfect Hanselâ€? performing with “blustery bravado,â€? mezzo-soprano Kristin Behrmann made her main-stage debut in Opera Omaha’s production of Hansel & Gretel. Opera News praised her as having “the look, sincerity and wide range for SiĂŠbelâ€? in Amore Opera’s production of Faust. So far this season, Behrmann has sung Gianetta (Elixer of Love) with St. Petersburg Opera. In 2015 she covered the role of Rosina in their production of Barber of Seville. Last season, Kristin also performed the roles of the Mother in Amahl, Mercedes in Carmen, and Inez in Il Trovatore with New Rochelle Opera, as well as Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito. Past roles include Sesto (Giulio Cesare), SiĂŠbel (Faust), Stephano (RomĂŠo et Juliette), Angelina (La Cenerentola), Suzuki (0DGDPD %XWWHUĂ \), Mrs. Page (Merry Wives of Windsor), Dorabella (CosĂŹ

THE ARTISTS fan Tutte), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Tamara in Ben Moore’s Enemies, A Love Story, and Tessa (The Gondoliers). Behrmann is a two-time winner of the Fé Bland Foundation Music Award. She has a strong orchestral background and has played the violin since age four. In her spare time, Behrmann and her husband, tenor Christopher Nelson, love restoring their historic row home in Ridgewood, New York. Arthur Bosarge is a pianist and coach whose experience spans a variety of styles, including opera, recital, sacred, ballet, and music theatre. He ÀQLVKHG WKH VHDson as a Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist at Virginia Opera where he served as pianist for the fall and spring Education Tours. In the fall of 2016, he joined the Studio Artist Program at Kentucky Opera as pianist and coach. Other recent collaborations include Opera North, 92Y Harkness Dance Center, American Ballet Theater Summer Workshop, Mannes Opera, Opera Birmingham, and the University of Alabama Opera Theatre. Bosarge holds degrees from Mannes School of Music and The University of Alabama. Dr. Joseph Brumbeloe joined the faculty of the School of Music at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1999 after having taught music theory at Kenyon College, Washburn University, and Kansas State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Music Theory from Indiana University. His research interests include the theory and literature of the eighteenth century as well as twentieth-century methodologies and music including jazz. Dr. Brumbeloe’s research has been published in The New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Theoria, Music Theory: Explorations and Applications, Gamut, and The Indiana Theory Review. Additionally, he has delivered papers to meetings of the Society of Music Theory, the College Music Society, and the 4th and 5th International Festival of Women Composers. He also has prepared critical editions for Kallisti Press. G. C. Cameron has been the lead singer for two of the most popular Motown R&B groups in history. He was with The Spinners (1967-72 and 2000-2003) and most recently with The Temptations (2003-2007). He has now embarked on a new path, speaking to young people about the importance of education and then captivating them with his music.

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THE ARTISTS Christian Dantes is a community actor from Shreveport, Louisiana, and recent graduate of Northwestern State University. While majoring in Musical Theatre, he worked as a master electrician and with lighting design and set building for each show. Some of his most recent work in shows include Bill Sykes in Oliver, Keckyll and Hyde in Jekyll and Hyde, Marius in Les Miserables, and Rooster in Godspell. On the tech side of theatre, during all four years of college he worked under Paul Pharris as a part of the lighting crew for each show and even spent one year colight designing the Natchitoches Christmas Gala. Dantes also designed lights for three pieces of NSU’s senior dance concert, for which he received lighting design of the year. Dantes is excited about participating in the Natchez Festival of Music and even hopes to return in years to come as it continues WR JURZ DQG Ă RXULVK In 2010, Dominique Davis had no idea how a high-school sewing class would steer her life in a new direction. After years of performing onstage in award-winning choirs and musical productions, Davis entered Northwestern State University to work behind the scenes, majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Design and Technology. Since her enrollment, she has learned quickly and worked tirelessly in costuming, earning the title of Assistant Designer as a freshman. She moved on to Assistant Costume Designer for productions like The Giving Tree, Chief Costume Designer for Rent the Musical, and Chief Costume Designer of Young Frankenstein. Outside of school productions, Davis works in various aspects of costuming, properties, and makeup for productions in both New Orleans, Louisiana, and Cleveland, Ohio. After graduation, she plans to reside in Las Vegas, Nevada. A native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Anna Dean attended and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2016 with bachelor degrees in Music Education and Violin Performance. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Arts Administration in Music at Florida State University. During her time at USM, Dean held positions as a Marketing and Public Relations Intern with the College of Music and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Southern Mississippi Youth Orchestra. While studying at Florida State University, she has served as the Graduate Assistant to the Dean of the College of Music, an Artist Services and Marketing Intern with Opening Nights Performing Arts, and House Manager for Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, which is Tallahassee’s main concert hall. These experiences enabled her to experience music and art from D FRPSOHWHO\ GLIIHUHQW YLHZSRLQW $VLGH IURP JDLQLQJ PRUH H[SHULHQFH LQ WKH Ă€HOG of Arts Administration, Dean continues to study violin seriously and also continues to teach privately. She is very excited to be joining the Natchez Festival of Music staff this summer. Chelsea DeLorenz is a mezzo-soprano from Garland, Texas, praised for her “velvety voiceâ€? which is “a delight from the top to the bottom of its rangeâ€? (Jack Gardner, Edge Media Network). She most recently performed as 0HUFpGqV LQ Carmen with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Other notable credits include the title role in Massenet’s Cendrillon with the Miami Music Festival, Ruth (Pirates of Penzance) with the Indiana University Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel) with Opera Nova in Costa Rica, and Susanna Walcott (The Crucible) with Spotlight on Opera in Austin. DeLorenz also performed for two seasons with Reimagining Opera for Kids, a traveling outreach opera organization based in Bloomington, Indiana. She holds degrees in Spanish and Voice Performance from The University of Texas at Austin where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and she is currently completing graduate studies at Indiana University under the tutelage of Patricia Stiles.

Page 24 { May 2017 { Bluffs & Bayous

Soprano &DULQD 'L*LDQÀOLSSR recently appeared as Pamina in Mozart’s 'LH =DXEHUà |WH with the International Lyric Academy located in Viterbo, Italy. In 'L*LDQÀOLSSR ZDV D \RXQJ DUWLVW ZLWK 3257RSHUD LQ 3RUWODQG 0DLQH VLQJLQJ WKH ÀUVW WULR PHPEHU LQ Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti under the direction of Richard Gammon, and Shepherd Boy in Puccini’s Tosca under the direction of Dona D. Vaughn and the baton of 0DHVWUR 6WHSKHQ /RUG 'L*LDQÀOLSSR DOVR SHUIRUPHG WKH role of Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Estates Theatre in Prague, Czech Republic, under the direction of Sherrill Milnes, as part of the Prague Summer Nights Young Artist Festival. Other performance credits include Despina in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte (Lyric Opera Studio Weimar), Morgana in Handel’s Alcina (New York Lyric Opera), Papagena and Erster Knabe in Mozart’s 'LH =DXEHUà |WH (Manhattan School of Music), Madame Pompous in Penhorwood’s Too Many Sopranos (Syracuse University), and Casilda in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers (Syracuse University). 'L*LDQÀOLSSR KDV SHUIRUPHG LQ 0DVWHU &ODVVHV ZLWK 0LFKqOH &ULGHU 3K\OOLV %U\Q Julson, Janet Perry, and June Anderson. She is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Syracuse University. Miles Doleac has worked as an actor, director, writer, DQG SURGXFHU LQ WKHDWUH WHOHYLVLRQ DQG ÀOP +LV IHDWXUH length directorial debut, The Historian, won Best First Feature, Best Actor (William Sadler) and Best Supporting Actor (John Cullum) at the 2014 Long Island International Film Expo. Thereafter, it received a theatrical release and was distributed in various retail outlets in North America and internationally. Doleac has just completed his second feature, The Hollow, which he also wrote, directed, and produced. Shot entirely in Mississippi, The Hollow is set for release this fall through Uncork’d Entertainment. $V DQ DFWRU 'ROHDF KDV DSSHDUHG LQ QXPHURXV WHOHYLVLRQ VKRZV DQG ÀOPV LQFOXGing American Horror Story (FX), Banshee (Cinemax), Sleepy Hollow (Fox), Treme (HBO), Breakout Kings (A&E), Complications (USA), Salem (WGN), Underground (WGN), Astronaut Wives Club (ABC), Game of Silence (NBC), Vacation, Cat Run 2, Bad Ass 3, See Girl Run, Jake’s Road, Mighty Fine, The Livingston Gardener, Terminator 3, director Dustin Schuetter’s Rejects, and SyFy Channel Originals’ Swamp Volcano and Storm War. On stage, Doleac has appeared in Los Angeles as Brutus in Julius Caesar, in New York as Horace in Horton Foote’s 1918, and here in Mississippi as Jean Valjean in recent productions of Les Miserables and as Jesus and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. A member of SAG, Equity, DGA, and WGA, he holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from the North Carolina School of the Arts, a Master of Arts in History from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a Ph.D. in Ancient History from Tulane University. He has studied at the American Academy in Rome, the American School of Classical Studies in Athens and the Goethe Institute in Munich, Germany. At Southern Miss, Doleac teaches courses in Film, Latin, Greek, and the history of the Greco-Roman World. His book on Alexander the Great, In the Footsteps of Alexander: The King Who Conquered the Ancient World, is currently available at various retail outlets. He lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with his wife, Lindsay Anne Williams, and their four dogs. Tom Dungan UHWXUQLQJ IRU KLV ÀIWK VHDVRQ ZLWK 1DWFKH] Festival of Music, has worked as a professional in the PXVLF ÀHOG IRU RYHU WKUHH GHFDGHV VSHFLDOL]LQJ LQ SURduction, operations, and event logistics. He has worked closely with Natchez Festival’s Artistic Director, Dr. Jay Dean, managing event logistics and production details for such world-renowned artists as Itzhak Perlman, YoYo-Ma, Renee Fleming, Ray Charles, Marvin Hamlisch, Doc Severensin, and The Pointer Sisters. His previously held positions include Director of Operations with the Mississippi and Charleston, South Carolina, Symphony Orchestras. As both a board and staff member of the professional vocal group Carolina Chamber Chorale, Dungan served as coordinator for a historic recording of the choral chamber music catalog of famed twentieth-century American composer Samuel Adler. Dungan is an experienced lighting, sound, and special-effects technician with StageTec, a production company specializing in large-scale events. Additionally, he is owner and operator of Rhythms Music Services, a full-service musician’s contracting agency based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

THE ARTISTS Ainsley Michelle Dupré, the daughter of Dana and Joel Dupré, lives in Natchez with her parents and sisters, Isabella and Abigail. Ainsley is a second-grade student at Cathedral School and is a member of the St. Mary Basilica Youth Choir. She enjoys music, theater, art, and gymnastics. Her previous experience includes performing in the musical ‘Twas the Night before Christmas at Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans, caroling at Magnolia House in Natchez, and participating in the Natchez Little Theatre winter workshop. She also performed the role of Young Kim in Natchez Festival of Music’s 2016 presentation of Showboat and most recently appeared in the Maypole segment of the Natchez Tableaux 2017. Dr. Ellen Price Elder is Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Southern Mississippi where she teaches applied piano and serves as coordinator of the piano accompanying program. She is an active collaborator with university faculty and guest artists. She also serves as Director of the Southern Miss Piano Institute, which she founded in the fall of 2011. Her students receive numerous awards and honors for their performances. Dr. Elder holds a D.M.A. in Piano Pedagogy and Performance, M.M. in Piano Performance and Literature from the University of Michigan, and B.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has served on the faculties of the University of Michigan, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Eastern Michigan University, Schoolcraft College, and William Carey University. She has won many competitions and awards including the Ann Arbor Society for the Musical Arts Competition, Lansing Matinee Musicale Competition, second-place winner of the Memphis International Beethoven Sonata Competition, the MTNA Star Award, and the HEADWAE Award. Dr. Elder is in demand as an adjudicator and clinician and is an active member of the local and state music teacher organizations, currently serving as VicePresident for Membership and Web Management of the Hattiesburg Music Teachers League (former President 2010-2012), and President of the Mississippi Music Teachers Association. Beth Everett is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia, where she conducts the Chamber Choir and teaches courses in conducting and music literature. Everett holds a D.M.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi, Masters in Choral Conducting from Southern Methodist University, and Bachelor of Music from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Everett’s versatility as a musical director allows her to cross easily

Bluffs & Bayous { May 2017 { Page 25

THE ARTISTS between opera and musical theater. Productions in her repertoire range from La Traviata to A Chorus Line and from Godspell to Carousel and Into the Woods. She has prepared choruses for Meadows Opera Theater and Southern Opera and Musical Theater productions, including Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, and Maurice Ravel’s /¡(QIDQW HW OHV 6RUWLOHĹ­JHV. This year marks her third season with the Natchez Festival of Music, coming off of successful productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore in 2014 and The Pirates of Penzance in 2015. She conducted Show Boat in 2016 in celebration of the tricentennial of the City of Natchez. Everett remains active as a singer and performed most recently with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra. She is a member of Voices, a professional choir based out of the Eastman School of Music, and has performed the mezzo soprano solos for such major choral works as Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. David Farrell is an award-winning audio engineer with thirty-eight years of experience in music production. He KDV ZRQ Ă€YH *UDPP\ $ZDUGV IRU KLV ZRUN DQG KDV QLQH more Grammy nominations in various music categories. Farrell’s body of work includes over a thousand album productions during his career. He has also recorded RU PL[HG VRXQG IRU UDGLR WHOHYLVLRQ DQG Ă€OPV )DUUHOO resides in New Orleans, is an active member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and has served on the Board of Governors for the Memphis chapter of NARAS. He is also active in New Orleans music productions as well as in his work with artists for national and international record companies. Elana Gleason, hailed by the New York Post IRU Ă DXQWLQJ ´SLQSRLQW Ă€QHVVH RQ KLJK %¡V DQG &¡VÂľ DQG E\ Opera News for singing a “particularly beautiful soprano,â€? is a full-lyric soprano, native to New York City. After relocating to New Orleans, Louisiana, in the summer of 2016, Gleason joined the New Orleans Opera ensemble in the company’s productions of Macbeth and Faust. Most recently, she collaborated on a concert series of SouthernAmerican music entitled American Portraits, which she took on tour throughout the Gulf Coast. Recent roles include the role of Micaela in Carmen (Natchez Festival of Music), the title role in The Merry Widow (Regina Opera), Violetta in La Traviata (La Piccola Opera), Cio Cio San (cover) in 0DGDPD %XWWHUĂ \ (Natchez Festival of Music), Nedda in Pagliacci (Opera Company of Brooklyn), the title role in Tosca (Mississippi Opera), Kate Pinkerton in 0DGDPD %XWWHUĂ \ (Opera Louisiane), Frasquita in Carmen (Staten Island Philharmonic), and the soprano soloist in Mississippi Opera’s “Opera Goes to Hollywoodâ€? Gala. In 2013, she was a top-ten Ă€QDOLVW LQ WKH $UNDGL 2SHUD ,GRO FRPSHWLWLRQ *OHDVRQ LV D JUDGXDWH RI %DUG &ROOHJH with a BA in music and currently resides in New Orleans where she can frequently be seen performing in New Orleans Opera’s “Opera on Tapâ€? concert series. Landon Henry, originally from Natchez, is pleased to be returning to Natchez Festival of Music this year as a Production Stage Manager. In Natchez Festival’s 2013 season, Henry played Ralph in Kiss Me Kate and worked backstage for Rigoletto. In its 2015 season, he was brought in IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH DV WKH IHVWLYDO¡V SURGXFWLRQ VWDJH PDQDJHU He attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance. Here, he received extensive training in scenic design and carpentry, prop building, and stage lighting and acted in several showcase and main-stage productions, including A Streetcar Named Desire and The Grapes of Wrath. He also worked backstage on productions such as Ragtime and Pride and Prejudice. Henry has lived in Chicago for WKUHH \HDUV ZRUNLQJ DV D VWDJH PDQDJHU DFWRU SURGXFHU DQG FRIIHH DĂ€FLRQDGR +H LV an ensemble and founding member of the Jubilee Theatre Collective. He also managed stage productions for several Chicago companies including Cube Ensemble, Trap Door Theatre, and The One Year Checkov Project. After this season, he is leaving the cold weather behind to pursue his dreams in New Orleans.

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Wesley Hodges is a sophomore Vocal Performance Major at the University of Southern Mississippi. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, where he later performed in shows such as Hairspray, Nora’s Lost, and Fame. Recent credits for Hodges include Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera productions of The Wizard of Oz and Camelot, as well as USM productions of The Mikado and Rigoletto. Outside of performing, Hodges also composes and arranges music, plays soccer, and sings in the Southern Chorale. This LV :HVOH\¡V Ă€UVW FROODERUDWLRQ ZLWK WKH 1DWFKH] )HVWLYDO of Music, and he is excited to work with the Festival and share the history of music in Mississippi. Grammy nominated, world-renowned guitarist, vocalist, Mississippi living-blues legend, 2017 Arts Ambassador, 2015 Albert King Lifetime Guitar Award recipient, 2014 Cultural ambassador, 2012 Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, and 2011 Living Mississippi Blues Legend Award winner Vasti Jackson is a powerful force in the world of music. With more than forty-three years as a professional musician, Jackson is known for sweat-drenched, soul-ripping live performances marked by some of the most stunning, and innovative guitar playing today. His VWHOODU YRFDOV Ă€HU\ JXLWDU DQG VWDJH SUHVHQFH FDSWXUH WKH audience, and leave a lasting impression that celebrates the triumph of the blues and the joy of rhythm that is soul satisfying to all that are lucky enough to experience his music. What do The Grammys, BB King, Harry Connick, Jr., Martin Scorsese, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Rush, Dr. John, and Cassandra Wilson have in common? Vasti Jackson. He is a consummate performer, songwriter, arranger, and producer. From his early beginnings playing in churches and juke joints in McComb, Mississippi, to his involvement with festivals, concerts, and theaters around the world, Johnson has moved effortlessly from Blues to Soul to Jazz to Funk to Gospel to Pop and beyond. As an educator, he communicates with compassion, enthusiasm, patience, and an innate ability to meet his audience needs. From elementaryschool-age children to adults in masters-degree programs, Johnson utilizes oral history traditions, humor, vocalization, instrumental virtuosity, interactive participation, and modern technology to edutain (educate and entertain), lift the spirit, and heighten intellect through the medium of music. Rusty Jenkins is a life-long Natchezian who has been active in local theatre and entertainment in this area for many years. He has a Bachelor of Arts and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mississippi and studied law at Tulane University. He has two children, Phillips and Dunbar, and four granddaughters. At the Natchez Little Theatre, his stage credits include The Matchmaker, Southern Exposure, Twain by the Tale, Auntie Mame, La Cage aux Folles, Sordid Lives, And Then There was Nun, Ten Little Indians, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Underpants, Mississippi Medicine Show, Big River, and Lord Fauntleroy. He is the winner of the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award for the Natchez Little Theatre and appeared in the Old &DSLWRO 'RFXPHQWDU\ +H DOVR DSSHDUHG LQ WKH Ă€OPV Lost River and Rise Again. For the last sixteen years, he has been a regular in Angels on the Bluff. ,Q GHPDQG DV RQH RI WKH Ă€QHVW YRFDO FRDFKHV RI EHOW OHJLW and classical vocal technique, Dr. Maryann Kyle is the creator of Maryann Kyle’s COMMAND PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP, which focuses on the integration of the voice into the total actor, and the COMMAND PERFORMANCE BROADWAY INTENSIVE, a young artist’s training program for musical theatre singing actors as a part of FestivalSouth. Dr. Kyle maintains a studio in New York City and has shared the concert stage with some of world’s greatest artists—as Micaela in Carmen opposite internationally known mezzosoprano Denyce Graves; as guest soloist with The Miami )HVWLYDO RSSRVLWH IDPHG EDVV EDULWRQH :LOOLDP :DUĂ€HOG DV WKH VRSUDQR VRORLVW LQ Mendelssohn’s Elijah opposite baritone Timothy Noble and mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson; and as a soloist on the pop music stage with famed artists Patti Labelle, Patti Austin, Dionne Warwick, Ann Nesby, and Vesta Williams. Dr. Kyle’s Sondheim Cabaret premiered in New York City at the Laurie Beechman Theatre/West Bank

THE ARTISTS Café in October 2011; and she recently performed the title role in Daniel Lincoln’s newest show, Calixte. Dr. Kyle’s roles include Mimi and Musetta in La Boheme, Countess and Susannah in Le Nozze di Figaro, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte, Violetta in La Traviata, Pamina in Die =DXEHUÁRWH, Lady Billows in Albert Herring, Micaela in Carmen, the title role in Susannah, and the Evil Queen in the world premiere of Snow White. Dr. Kyle is currently Professor of voice at The University of Southern Mississippi where she is Director of the Southern Opera and Music Theatre Company’s Outreach and Workshop program. She has served as Director of the Apprentice Artist program with Mississippi Opera and vocal coach with Festival South. Kyle also serves on the faculty of the International Performing Arts Institute, Germany, and of the Operafestival di Roma, Italy; and she was a featured clinician at the Festival Musica nas Montanhas, Brazil. In 2014, Kyle assumed leadership of the International Belt Voice Symposium in Kiefersfelden, Germany as a part of IPAI. Peter Lake garnered his Masters in Vocal Performance at the University of Southern Mississippi. He spent the past summer with the Chautauqua Opera Company as a Studio Artist where he performed Triquet in their production of Onegin; served in the ensemble of Verdi’s Macbeth; and performed in various scenes, outreach programs, and recitals. In February of 2016, he played Don José in USM’s production of Carmen, and then Remendado, covering Don José, in Mississippi Opera’s Carmen. This summer, he will sing as an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera and join Virginia Opera as a Resident Artist in the fall. Lake’s notable roles include Camille in Die Lustige Witwe, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, and Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Ryan Landis, tenor, is an active performer on the opera, concert, and recital stage. Landis has made appearances with the Natchez Festival of Music, The Black Hills Playhouse, the University of Alabama Opera Theatre, and the University of South Dakota Opera. His roles include The Magician in The Consul, Rinnucio in Gianni Schicchi, Johnny Inkslinger in Paul Bunyan, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Parpignol in La bohème, Léon in Signor Deluso, and the world premiere of Amir Zaheri’s Look Upon These Faces. Additional stage credits include the roles of Pharaoh and Reuben in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Anselmo in Man of La Mancha, Gepetto in Pinocchio, and Buffo in The Princess and the Pea. Landis has performed as the tenor soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Ramirez’s Missa Criolla, and “Let’s Fall in Love!” a Valentine’s Day Pops Concert with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. Landis holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from

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THE ARTISTS the University of Alabama, a Master of Arts in Vocal Performance from the University of South Dakota, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from UCSI University in Malaysia. He is currently an Instructor of Voice at Mississippi State University. Praised by the New York Concert Review as “much more WKDQ D SLDQLVW EXW D PXVLFLDQ ZLWK D Ă€QH PLQG DQG HQRUmously promising creative energy,â€? Jonathan Levin is quickly establishing a reputation as an enthusiastic and compelling advocate for classical music, creating integrated programs that garner closer connections with audiences through illuminating discussion and example. Born in North Carolina, Levin made his debut with the 5DOHLJK 6\PSKRQ\ 2UFKHVWUD DW DJH Ă€IWHHQ 6LQFH WKHQ he has become an increasingly sought-after recitalist, performing throughout the country in concert halls, schools, libraries, private salons, and on television. Levin was recently chosen to present a special performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, as a part of the 4th Melody of Generations Festival with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation. Accolades include the National Stillman-Kelley Award, Second Prize at the 2012 Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, and recipient of the Alan Walker Award from the American Liszt Society. Most recently, he was awarded Second Prize at the George Gershwin Brooklyn International Music Competition as well as a special prize for Best Performance of American Music. Levin is the founder and Artistic Director of Clayton Piano Festival in Clayton, North Carolina, which aims to bridge the gap between performer and audience, bringing classical piano music to people of all ages and levels of exposure to the arts. Ben Lewis is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist hailing from Natchez, Mississippi, a town rich in culture and history in a state rooted in the blues. With musicians on both sides of the family, he was exposed to a wide variety of music at a very early age. At age ten, Lewis began playing trumpet but found his true pasVLRQ DW DJH WZHOYH ZKHQ KLV DXQW JDYH KLP KLV Ă€UVW hand-me-down guitar. At age eighteen, he joined the Marine Corps and spent the next four years at different duty stations across the country as well as one tour in Iraq. Lewis has performed with many acts across the Southeast from Austin, Texas, to Nashville, Tennessee, and recently released a solo album titled This Town. Krista McKenzie is an American gospel artist. She comes from a long line of talented singers dating back to her grandfather, who was a member of the legendary singing group, The 5 Gospel Singers. She became even more reĂ€QHG DV VKH VWXGLHG YRLFH LQ KLJK VFKRRO XQGHU WKH LQVWUXFtion of Mrs. Wanda Saul. McKenzie holds an Associate of Art degree from Jones County Junior College, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal performance from the University of Southern Mississippi where she studied voice under Dr. Larry D. Smith. In her professional career, McKenzie is also an experienced choral director, pianist, and vocal coach. She accompanied Laurel High School Select Choir to Carnegie Hall in 2013 and 2014. She accompanied Dr. Raymond Wise of Indiana University abroad to the Czech Republic for the Prague Gospel Showcase where she sang a stellar rendition of Hallowed Be Thy Name with the Czech National Symphony and received a standing ovation and encore presentation. Her phenomenal voice has also taken her to Ithaca, New York, twice where she performed 12 Gates in the City livestream at Ithaca College, collaborating with conductor Stan Spottswood and the Ithaca College choir and orchestra.

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With a voice described as “robustâ€? and “standoutâ€? by the Denver Post and with a “livelyâ€? stage presence reviewed by Opera News, Patrick McNally has a varied operatic repertoire from Gianni Schicchi to John in Summer and Smoke. Drawing from his extensive performance experience, McNally is equally at home on the opera, musical theater, and recital stage. Making several house debuts this season, he has been seen in the roles of Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, the Baritone in Hydrogen Jukebox with Nashville Opera, The Young Soldier in Falling Angel, Freud in Sabina Spielrein with The Center for Contemporary Opera, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with New York Opera Exchange, Malatesta in Don Pasquale with Brava Opera, and Robert in Iolanta with New Opera NYC. McNally has performed at houses across the United States as well as internationally. Recent highlights include appearances at Des Moines Metro Opera, Central City Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera North, Dayton Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Opera Louisiane, Bronx Opera, Hubbard Hall Opera, Opera New Jersey, and Die Eutiner Festspiele. He has also been a winner of multiple awards including the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation. Hailed for her “fearless intensity,â€? “volatile commitmentâ€? (Chicago Classical Review) and “hilarious perfect comic timingâ€? (Michael Borowitz, OpĂŠra Louisiane), mezzo soprano Erin Moll is an up-and-coming young artist who brings dynamic stage presence and sincere musical artistry to the operatic and concert stage. Praised by Chicago Stage Standard for her “creamyâ€? voice, Moll is rapidly becoming an artist to watch in the Chicago and national scene. In the 2016-17 season, Moll secured roles as Meg Page in Verdi’s Falstaff with Main Street Opera, Tisbe in Cenerentola with OpĂŠra Louisiane, Dr. Dulcamara in the Elixir of Love (outreach) with Opera for the Young, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado with DuPage Opera Theater, as well as Rosina (cover) in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Mother/Grandmother in Little Red Riding Hood (outreach) with Natchez Festival of Music. She will also create the role of Austin in the World Premiere recording of Ross Crean’s The Great God Pan to be released on Naxos America in the Summer of 2017. In August of 2017, 0ROO ZLOO VLQJ DW WKH 5DYLQLD )HVWLYDO IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH SHUIRUPLQJ ZLWK 2SHUD IRU WKH Young. Having completed her studies at Illinois Wesleyan University and the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, Moll currently resides in Chicago where she studies voice with Metropolitan Opera tenor Harold Meers. Director Rob Mulholland has directed and designed dozens of productions nationally and internationally in New York, London’s West End, and the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland where he holds the record for most Fringe First Awards. In London, multiple award-winning productions include his directing Imelda Staunton and David Thewliss in The Lady & The Clarinet by Pulitzer-Prize winner Michael Cristofer, Lothaire Bluteau in Being at Home with Claude, Steve Guttenberg in The Boys Next Door, and George Takei in Undertow. He has worked with actors and singers from The Royal National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Broadway, The Metropolitan Opera, and Hollywood. For the University of Southern Mississippi, he directed the recent ground-breaking production of the Bernstein/Sondheim classic West Side Story, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, Die Fledermaus, The Merry Widow, The Barber of Seville, The Fantasticks, Company, Side by Side by Sondheim, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Marriage of Figaro, The Tender Land, Godspell, As You Like It, and others. For Mississippi Opera, his credits include directing Denyce Graves in Carmen and The Mikado in 2016. He served as Production Manager for Placido Domingo in Concert and Ray Charles in Concert. His production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance was the inaugural presentation of FestivalSouth in Hattiesburg in 2010, and that same year he won a New Orleans Award as Director of the Year for Mel Brooks’ The Producers. Mulholland is the author of Best of the Mississippi Blues (starring Vasti Jackson), a two-time featured presentation of FestivalSouth, and A Signature Event at last year’s Natchez Festival of Music for which he has directed Don Giovanni, Kiss Me Kate, and the Natchez Tricentennial production of Showboat. He is also author of the highly successful A Christmas Carol: The Musical.

THE ARTISTS Myka Murphy is the costumer for Natchez Festival of Music. The most recent productions that she has costumed are Mississippi Opera’s Rigoletto and the Mikado. She also costumed the same productions for the University of Southern Mississippi and worked on productions with the Theatre Department at the University of Southern Mississippi ZKLOH VKH ZDV Ă€QLVKLQJ KHU %DFKHORUV RI 0XVLF Murphy is very excited to work with Natchez Music Festival this summer. Richard Nechamkin is a conductor, pianist, and voFDO FRDFK ZLWK WKLUW\ Ă€YH years of experience and a repertoire of over seventyĂ€YH RSHUDV +H LV WKH IRXQGer, artistic director, and conductor of New York Opera Forum. His extensive experience includes musical direction and conducting for the Atlantic Chamber Orchestra (comprised of members from the Philadelphia Orchestra), Johanna Meier Opera Institute, Opera-On-The-Go, New York Lyric Opera, New York Opera Theatre, and Ottocento Opera Company. He has held staff positions at New York City Opera, Mississippi Opera, New York Grand Opera, Amato Opera, and Hudson Valley Opera. In the 1980s, he was Principal Conductor and Artistic Director of the Y Sinfonietta, an orchestra based in Flushing, New York. Nechamkin has accompanied many singers, including Montserrat Caballe, Susanne Marsee, and Gabriella Tucci, and has played for the voice studios of Tucci, Marsee, Joshua Hecht, Johanna Meier, Renata Scotto, Carol & Nico Castel, Betty Allen, Michael Warren, and Gary Glaze. In addition, he arranged and conducted sevHUDO Ă€OP VFRUHV DQG KDV VHUYHG DV PXVLF GLUHFWRU IRU two off-off-Broadway productions. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, he studied privately with Pierre Boulez, Sixten Ehrling, and Anton Coppola. Nechamkin was Associate Musical Director of the Natchez Festival of Music from 2002-2008 and has been Assistant Conductor since 2014. Christopher Nelson returns to the Natchez Festival of Music this year. You may remember him from last season’s “earth trembling, WHDU Ă€OOHG VWDQGLQJ RYDtion inspiringâ€? performance of the charming and maddened Don Jose in Carmen. With the Natchez Festival of Music in 2015, Nelson stopped the show as Frederic with “Oh, is there not one maiden breastâ€? in Paul Houghtaling’s critically acclaimed production of The Pirates of Penzance. Previous engagements include Alfredo in La Traviata and Pinkerton in 0DGDPD %XWWHUĂ \ with Amore Opera, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Nashville Opera, Alexander in The New Moon with The Light Opera of New York, and Lun Tha in The

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THE ARTISTS King and I with The Ohio Light Opera. He has enjoyed Young Artists engagements with Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and Mobile Opera. Nelson received his Masters Degree in Voice from Indiana University under the direction of Carol Vaness. He enjoys comic books, coffee, and rare exotic birds and currently resides in Ridgewood, New York, with his wife Kristin Behrmann and their miniature dachshund, Sophie. Born in Ibagué, Colombia, Andrea del Pilar Restrepo began her music studies at Tolima Conservatory of Music in violoncello at the age of ten. After graduating from this conservatory, she was awarded a full scholarship to begin her undergraduate degree at the University of Southern Mississippi. She has been a member of many orchestras around Mississippi since 2011. Since 2012, she has held the positions of Head Librarian and Personnel Manager of the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. She has served as the music librarian for multiple years at music festivals in Mississippi, including FestivalSouth and the Natchez Festival of Music. Restrepo will be graduating with a master’s degree in Cello Performance in May 2017 from the University of Southern Mississippi and intends to pursue a degree in Arts Administration. Gabrielle Richardson, lyric soprano, is blessed to pursue her Doctor of Musical Arts under Dr. Maryann Kyle. Richardson has coached with singers Kirstin Chavez, Susanna Phillips, and Thomas Hampson, as well as with Ellen Rissinger of Opera Dresden and Michael Sturm of Bayerische Staatsoper. Past roles include Despina in Così fan tutte, Polly Peachum in The Beggar’s Opera, Isabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Suor Genoveffa in Suor Angelica, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Sylviane in Die lustige Witwe, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Maria in West Side Story, Ms. Andrew in Mary Poppins, Marian in The Music Man, Grace in Annie, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Micaela in Carmen, and Parthy Ann Hawkes in Showboat. She will next be heard as Gilda in the Mississippi Opera and Southern Miss productions of Rigoletto. Joseph Ryan graduated from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music with a Masters in Vocal Performance. He participated in young artist programs with Sarasota Opera, Central City Opera, and the Opera Theatre in Lucca, Italy. Most recently, he sang Dandini in Winter Opera St. Louis’ January 2017 production of La Cenerentola, Doctor Engle in Orlando Light Opera’s production of The Student Prince, and covered Don Pizzaro in Sarasota Opera’s production of Fidelio. Other recent credits include Guglielmo in Le Villi with South Florida Lyric Opera, the Mandarin in Turandot, Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro, King Doyon (cover) in The Golden Cockerel, Rodrigue (cover) in Don Carlos, German Soldier #3 in Silent Night, Morales in Carmen, and the Sacristan in Tosca +H ZDV D VHPL ÀQDOLVW LQ WKH 2SHUD %LUPLQJKDP &RPSHWLWLRQ DQG won second in the 2014 American Prize Competition Opera Division. Ryan is honored to be returning to sing with the Natchez Festival of Music for a third season. American tenor Wesley Saunders is quickly establishing a name for himself as a sought-after young artist in the United States and abroad. He has recently performed as a soloist with the Mississippi Opera, the Palouse Choral Society, the Gulf Coast Messiah Chorus, and Natchez Music Festival and made his international debut with Berlin Opera Academy this past summer in their production of Carmen. A passionate choral singer as well as soloist, Saunders has appeared around the country, including a performance at Carnegie Hall, and often appears with the Association of Choral Directors of America (ACDA). Saunders holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Idaho and currently is pursuing his Master of Music degree at the University of Southern Mississippi.

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Scott Skiba has led more than 60 new operatic productions, earning critical acclaim for his imaginative stage direction and dynamic physical approach to storytelling. His recent production of A Streetcar Named Desire was praised for ´ÀUVW UDWH VWDJH GLUHFWLRQ µ 8SFRPLQJ HQJDJHPHQWV LQFOXGH new productions of The Student Prince for Opera Grand Rapids; Carmen for Asheville Lyric Opera, Opera Western Reserve; Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, Chile; and Suor Angelica for Oberlin in Italy. Skiba is the Executive Artistic Director of Cleveland Opera Theater where he has directed critically acclaimed productions of La Bohème, Tosca, La Rondine, Gianni Schicchi, Il Tabarro, Pagliacci, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, Il Segreto di Susanna, and the Cleveland premiere of the new vampire opera, Clarimonde. Additional directing credits include Die Csardasfürstin and Die Fledermaus for Opera Circle Cleveland, and the professional premiere of Sweets By Kate with Marble City Opera. Skiba has directed new productions of Tobermory, Roman Fever, and Trouble in Tahiti for the Oberlin Conservatory of Music Opera Theater; Serse and /D ÀQWD JLDUGLQLHUD for Oberlin in Italy; The Crucible and Falstaff for Martina Arroyo’s program at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; The Medium, Too Many Sopranos and The Crucible for the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music; and The Pirates of Penzance, Dido & Aeneas, and Orpheus in The Underworld for the Interlochen Opera Theater. Emotion and musicality are always at the forefront of every musical experience with Lynn Beach Smith. Whether she is performing jazz, blues, gospel, or classical, she always brings a vitality to every genre. Jazz has been Smith’s passion for the last several years. She is especially fond of Ella Fitzgerald and has made it a life-long goal to learn and sing all of her iconic tunes. With ten years of collegiate vocal training and years of performance experience, it is quite evident from the onset of any note, that she will deliver a stunning performance. Smith has lived in Natchez for three years, but she grew up in Columbia, Mississippi. A Mississippi girl to the core, she prides herself in being a native of the birthplace of America’s music. Speakeasy is a Natchez-based band that has been entertaining Miss-Lou residents and visitors for several years. This band is comprised of four lifelong multiinstrumentalists, Will Carter, Drew David, Ben Long, and Bubba McCabe, who pride themselves on a rich, textured live sound with two- and three-part vocal harmonies, bold guitar, and a solid rhythm section. 6SHDNHDV\ LV LQÁXHQFHG E\ D ZLGH YDULHW\ RI JHQUHV including classic rock, country, indie/alternative rock, pop, and R&B/soul and is known for adding a creative touch to classic tunes from artists including Van Morrison, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, and many others. With over 70 roles in his repertoire, Corey Trahan is an active performer, educator, and stage director in opera, oratorio, music theatre, operetta, and recital venues. In previous seasons at the Natchez Festival of Music, Trahan performed in productions of Oklahoma! (Will Parker), The Fantastiks (Matt), and My Fair Lady (Henry Higgins’ Cover). During the 2016-2017 season, he performed John Utterson in Jekyll and Hyde with the Academy of Children’s Theatre, music directed Young Frankenstein and Next to Normal, presented lectures at the 2016 Southern Musical Theatre Conference in Natchez, Mississippi and was a teaching intern at the 2016 International Performing Arts Institute in Germany. In addition, he performed two concert tours (The Best of Broadway and Home for the Holidays), Franklin D. Roosevelt in Annie with the Academy of Children’s Theatre and Hooray for Hollywood with Maryann Kyle (soprano) for Mississippi Opera’s Duling Hall Cabaret Series. In March 2017, Corey presented “Voice Training for Musical Theatre” at S.E.T.C.’s 2017 National Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, and presented lectures at the 2017 Pedagogy of Style Conference at the University of Southern Mississippi. In the summer of 2017, Corey will join the voice faculty of the International Performing Arts Institute in Germany and Thailand.

THE ARTISTS Victor Treviño, Jr., is rated as one of the top Elvis Tribute Artists in the world. While his roots are from Texas, he loves taking his performance anywhere. He has been invited to perform on many stages around the world, including those in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. Seen on CNN, he performs for the world’s largest tribute show “Legends in Concert,” having residency in Las Vegas where “Legends in Concert” is still the longest show running on the Las Vegas Strip. He works on the “Elvis Lives” tour. The only Elvis sanctioned by Graceland, Trevino currently tours with “Presley, Perkins, Carl & Cash - A Night to Remember” as well as “Elvis, An American Trilogy” in Australia. Treviño has opened for Grammy-Award-winning acts such as Boys II Men and Foreigner at fundraising and private events. He also has had the honor of working with many some of Elvis’s colleagues and friends such as Wanda Jackson, Joe Esposito, Art Adams, and DJ Fontana (Elvis’s original drummer). In 2014, he was named an ambassador and given a key to the city of Tupelo, Mississippi (Elvis’s hometown). Treviño never claims to be Elvis because he believes “there is only ONE Elvis Presley”; but his goal is to recreate the magic, wildness, and showmanship of one of WKH ZRUOG·V JUHDWHVW DQG PRVW LQÁXHQWLDO HQWHUWDLQHUV David T. Walker is from Laurel, Mississippi, and currently a Choral Music Education major at the University of Southern Mississippi. His performing experience includes roles as Nicely-Nicely Johnson from Guys and Dolls, Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Gaston in Beauty & the Beast, and an ensemble member in The Mikado and Rigoletto. His future plans are to graduate with his B.M.E. and come back to school to pursue a masters in voice performance.

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THE ARTISTS Lindsay Williams comes to Mississippi from Flagstaff, Arizona, by way of New 2UOHDQV /RXLVLDQD $W Ă€YH years old, Lindsay made her Ă€UVW IRUD\ LQWR WKHDWUH DV D dancing bear in The Greatest Show on Earth, produced by her father, and has been enchanted with the stage ever since. Dancing everyZKHUH IURP FKXUFK WR WKH VRFFHU Ă€HOG DQG DOO SRLQWV in between, Williams was able to foster her creativity while pursuing her academic and performance dreams. Among the many delights of her stage career were the opportunities to dance with the Newcomb Dance Company, Oklahoma Festival Ballet, and Alvin Ailey II. Also an actress, Williams has appeared in numerous plays and musicals, including Cabaret (Sally Bowles); The Wizard of Oz (Professor Marvel/Wizard of Oz); Into the Woods (Lucinda); Jesus Christ Superstar; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (White Witch); Trojan Women (Athena/Helen); Agamemnon (Elektra); Julius Caesar; and Reckless. Her day job is designing ZHGGLQJ JRZQV DQG FRVWXPLQJ IRU Ă€OP DQG WKHDWUH Williams has had the great pleasure of acting in several Ă€OPV PRVW UHFHQWO\ LQ D OHDGLQJ UROH DORQJVLGH KHU KXVband, Miles Doleac, in Demons, D KRUURU Ă€OP GXH RXW in the fall of 2017. She continues to act while pursuing her many other interests. Williams earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Classics and Anthropology from Tulane University and a Master’s Degree in Ancient History from the University of Southern Mississippi. Described by critics as “tremendous,â€? “entertaining,â€? and “talented,â€? baritone James Wright is a favorite among audiences for his charismatic presence and warm tone. This season, Wrigtht will be performing Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte with Divaria Productions, Sir Lancelot in Camelot with the Natchez Festival of Music, Papageno in 'LH =DXEHUĂ |WH with Nickel City Opera, and Figaro in il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Savannah Voice Festival. He will also be joining Palm Beach Opera in 2017-2018 as an apprentice artist. Recent operatic roles include Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, and Richard White in the world premiere of Alice Ryley by Michael Ching with Sherrill Milnes and the Savannah Voice Festival. Other roles include Jabez Stone in The Devil and Daniel Webster, the Pilot in Portman’s The Little Prince, John Sorel in The Consul, Valentin in Gounod’s Faust, and Schaunard in La BohĂŠme. Wright has made appearances with Nickel City Opera, Amarillo Opera, Mobile Opera, the Savannah Voice Festival, Sarasota Opera, El Paso Opera, Divaria Productions, Rochester Lyric Opera, the Natchez Festival of Music, and more.

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THE PRODUCTIONS

May 6, 13, 20, & 27

Children’s Events Each Saturday Morning of May Jefferson Street United Methodist Church 511 Jefferson Street • Natchez, MS 39120 10:00 a.m. Admission: Free

Saturday, May 6 Little Red Riding Hood A Musical Stage Production Artists: Alex Adams-Leytes as Wolf/Woodsman Erin Moll as Mother/Grandmother Elana Gleason as Red Riding Hood Jonathan Levin, Pianist/Musical Director Production Team: Landon Henry, Production Manager Myka Murphy, Costume Coordinator Saturday, May 13 A Musical Instrument Petting Zoo An Interactive, Hands-on Musical Experience for Kids Saturday, May 20 Fairy Tales in Music Songs from the Greatest Fairy Tale Musical Movies Saturday, May 27 Painting with Emotion Draw and Paint Your Own Pictures Inspired by Music

Sponsored by Betty & David Paradise

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Saturday, May 6

The Best of the Mississippi Blues II starring Vasti Jackson

T

his evening is a tribute to the fantastic Blues icons of Mississippi. Anyone who knows about Mississippi’s Blues music knows KRZ LW KDV LQÁXHQFHG SRSXODU PXVLF DURXQG WKH ZRUOG DQG LQspired countless rock artists such as Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin. Born primarily in the Mississippi Delta, the Blues KDV LQÁXHQFHG WKH PXVLF ZRUOG IRU ZHOO RYHU D FHQWXU\ &RPH KHDU Vasti Jackson perform selections by B. B. King, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Elmore James, and many other iconic Mississippi Bluesmen.

Natchez Performing Arts Center at Margaret Martin 64 Homochitto Street • Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $25 ($10 for K-12 Student, Adult with K-12 Student, College and Active Military with current ID) Cash bar refreshments beginning at 6:00 p.m. in The Grape Escape Club Room Sponsored by Bobbye & Bill Henley

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Tuesdays, May 9, 16, & 23

Rossini, Puccini, and Martinis

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his has become a Natchez Festival of Music “do-not-miss� event. Each year music lovers from all over the nation attend this iconic festival concert. Come hear the very best singers in the nation perform their most exciting arias while you sit back, relax, and enjoy one of your favorite drinks. These shows are always fun and fabulous! Tuesday, May 9 Waverly Plantation 790 Highway 61 South Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 16 Historic Natchez Foundation 108 South Commerce Street Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 23 Historic Natchez Foundation 108 South Commerce Street Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m.

Admission: $15 ($10 for K-12 Student, Adult with K-12 Student, College and Active Military with current ID)

Sponsored by Waverly Plantation / D & E

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Wednesdays, May 10, 17, & 24

Rockin’ on the River Bowie’s Tavern 100 Main Street • Natchez, Mississippi 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Admission: $8 Anyone under the age of 21 must be accompanied by an adult. ($10 for K-12 Student, Adult with K-12 Student, College and Active Military with current ID)

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lues, Rock n’ Roll, great drinks, and a fabulous Mississippi sunset come together to create this fun event. Come enjoy live music performed by Natchez-area musicians at world-famous Bowie’s, located on the central bluff, high above the Mississippi River.

Wednesday, May 10 Starring Brint Anderson %ULQW $QGHUVRQ OHG KLV Ă€UVW EDQG 7KH 6KDGHV LQ KLV KRPHWRZQ RI 1DWFKH] Mississippi. Local Bluesman Papa George Lightfoot was Anderson’s earliest inspiration; and from that point, he performed the music of other Mississippi greats such as Elmore James, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and B. B. and Albert King. Later in Austin, Texas, Anderson formed his band Coupe de Ville, which released an album that featured his songs “Blue Feelinâ€? and “Mississippi Music.â€? Coupe de Ville played with Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Delbert McClinton, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Stanley Clark, John Lee Hooker, Elvin Bishop, Albert Collins, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Anderson went on to play in George Porter, Jr.’s Runnin’ Pardners, a position he continues to hold. With Porter he recorded six releases and one video called “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.â€? His most recent recording with Porter is “Nice, Very Nice.â€? As part of Runnin’ Pardners, Anderson has played with Art Neville, The Radiators, Johnny Adams, Earl King, Snooks Eaglin, Eddie Bo, and Henry Butler. The Brint Anderson Band, formed in the early 1990s, received an award for best New Orleans R & B band from Offbeat Magazine in 1997; and they were the house band for Levon Helm of The Band and Levon’s Club. Brint Anderson has four CDs of his own, “Homage To Elmore,â€? “I Knew This Would Happen,â€? “Notes From Clarksdale,â€? and his latest self-titled solo acoustic CD. Anderson and Brian Stolz are the house guitarists in Dr. John’s new DVD “The Musical Mojo of Dr. John.â€? For more information on Brint Anderson, visit www.brintanderson.com.

Wednesday, May 17 Starring Ben Lewis Ben Lewis is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist hailing from Natchez, Mississippi, a town rich in culture and history in a state rooted in the blues. With musicians on both sides of the family, he was exposed to a wide variety of music at a very early age. At age ten, he began playing trumpet but found his true pasVLRQ DW DJH WZHOYH ZKHQ KLV DXQW JDYH KLP KLV ÀUVW KDQG PH GRZQ JXLWDU $W DJH eighteen, Lewis joined the Marine Corps and spent the next four years serving at different duty stations across the country as well as completing one tour in Iraq. He has performed with many acts across the southeast from Austin, Texas, to Nashville, Tennessee, and recently released a solo album titled This Town. For more information on Ben Lewis, visit www.benlewismusic.net.

Wednesday, May 24 Starring Speakeasy Speakeasy is a Natchez-based band that has been entertaining Miss-Lou residents and visitors for several years. This band is comprised of four lifelong multi-instrumentalists, Will Carter, Drew David, Ben Long and Bubba McCabe, who pride themselves on a rich, textured live sound with two- and three-part vocal harmonies, bold guitar, and a solid UK\WKP VHFWLRQ 6SHDNHDV\ LV LQĂ XHQFHG E\ D ZLGH variety of genres including classic rock, country, indie/alternative rock, pop, and R&B/soul and is known for adding a creative touch to classic tunes from such artists as Van Morrison, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, and many others.

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Thursday, May 11

Revolution, Romanticism, and Rachmaninoff featuring Jonathan Levin, Piano Trinity Episcopal Church 305 South Commerce Street Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $20 ($10 for K-12 Student, Adult with K-12 Student, College and Active Military with current ID)

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ertainly no stranger to the City of Natchez, virtuoso pianist Jonathan Levin will enthrall the audience with an Eastern European program that includes Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Khachaturian’s “Adagio” from Spartacus as well as other works by master pianists Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Scriabin. Also, Levin will perform some of his own compositions EDVHG RQ 5XVVLDQ LQÁXHQFHV Sponsored by Al Walker: In Loving Memory of Keith Hall Karlson

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Friday, May 12

That Sensational Sondheim The Towers 801 Myrtle Avenue Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $100 Includes entertainment, hors d’oeuvres, and adult beverages

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his show is a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, one of the masters of American musical theatre. For more than half a century, KH KDV EHHQ NQRZQ DV RQH RI WKH JUHDWHVW DQG PRVW SUROLÀF composers and lyricists in the world. He has received an Academy Award, eight Tony Awards (more than any other composer), a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, the Laurence Olivier Award, and a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom. He has been described as “the greatest and perhaps best-known artist in the American musical theatre” and “possibly the greatest lyricist ever.” His best-known works as composer and lyricist include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, and Gypsy. The show will include songs from his most beloved musicals and movies. Artists: Jim Wright Elana Gleason Kristin Behrmann Peter Lake, Production Staff Arthur Bosarge, Music Director

Sponsored by Ginger and James Hyland

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Saturday, May 13

From Mississippi to Motown Natchez Performing Arts Center at Margaret Martin 64 Homochitto Street Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $25 ($10 for Student K-12, Adult with K-12 Student, College and Active Military with current ID) Cash bar refreshments beginning at 6:00 p.m. in The Grape Escape Club Room

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ecause Detroit is a town made famous by the automobile industry, “Motor Cityâ€? is its nickname. This title led Berry Gordy, Jr., to call his record label “Motown,â€? which became a distinctive style of American soul music. During the 1960s, his label achieved spectacular success; and it is still in business today, operating out of Los Angeles. This show will feature some of Motown’s greatest songs and will include hits by The Four Tops, The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and Diana Ross and The Supremes. It will also pay tribute to some of the great Mississippians like 'DYLG 5XIĂ€Q -LPP\ 5XIĂ€Q 0DU\ :LOVRQ DQG G. C. Cameron who helped make the Motown sound a worldwide phenomenon.

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Artists: John Christopher Adams David Walker Latisha Hamilton Ezekiel Andrew

Wesley Barnett Krista McKenzie Ibukun Babalola Wesley Hodges

Joseph Britain, Musical Director & Arranger

THE PRODUCTIONS

Thursday, May 18

M I S S I S S I P P I

CONCERT HALL A Tribute to Mississippi’s Greatest Classical Composers and Performers First Presbyterian Church 400 State Street Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $20 ($10 for Student K-12, Adult with K-12 student, College and Active Military with current ID)

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n amalgamation of blues, soul, and world music, Australian singer/songwriter Peter D. Harper creates a mix of roots music through his creative use of the harmonica and the haunting drone of the GLGJHULGRR %\ FRPELQLQJ WUDGLWLRQDO DQG PRGHUQ LQĂ XHQFHV ERUURZLQJ IURP ZHVWHUQ DQG ZRUOG music, Harper has created a highly original style in the roots genre, which many have labeled “World Blues.â€? Harper has received an amazing fourteen Blues/World Music Awards (including a Gold Record) in the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. He recently won a 2014 Detroit Music Award for “Outstanding Vocalistâ€? and was nominated for two 2015 Detroit Music Awards. Harper has received many Australian Blues awards for “Male Vocalist of the Year,â€? “Song of the Yearâ€? and “Acoustic Artist of the Year.â€? He has performed for the Queen of England and has received a Gold Record for “Sailing Australiaâ€? (America’s Cup Theme). Harper has also been a guest harmonica player for U. S. Super group “Journeyâ€? and Mississippi blues legend Muddy Waters on his Western Australian tour. In 2011, Harper was inducted into the Blues Museum Hall of Fame in Windsor, Canada. Artists: Maryann Kyle Ellen Elder, Pianist

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Friday, May 19

The First Lady Of Song:

A Tribute to the Ella Fitzgerald Centennial The Prentiss Club 211 North Pearl Street • Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $25 ($10 for Student K-12, Adult with K-12 Student, College and Active Military with current ID)

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lla Fitzgerald was a phenomenal singer who could turn her voice inside out and let us feel the music the way she felt it. With her incredibly versatile voice, she recorded all of our beloved jazz standards and performed them around the world. Born in 1917, she rose from her humble beginnings as an orphan, and as a homeless teenager sang on the streets of +DUOHP ,Q VKH ZRQ Ă€UVW SODFH LQ WKH ´$PDWHXU 1LJKW DW WKH $SROOR Âľ 6KH would go on to win many other awards including fourteen Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Throughout her career, she worked with many composers, performers, and bandleaders, such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Nelson Riddle, Gordon McCray, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Dinah Shore. She recorded some of the greatest jazz standards ever produced. :LWK RYHU HLJKW\ Ă€YH UHFRUGLQJV WR KHU FUHGLW VKH ZDV XQHTXDOHG DQG OHIW KHU permanent mark on the world. After all, she was Ella Fitzgerald. Come join Lynn Beach Smith, Gabrielle Richardson, and the Larry Panella Quintet as they pay tribute to “The First Lady of Songâ€?!

Artists: Lynn Beach Smith Gabrielle Richardson The Larry Panella Quintet Sponsored by The Prentiss Club

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Bluffs Bluffs & Bayous & Bayous {{May May2017 2017{ { Page 45

THE PRODUCTIONS

CAMELOT: A Timeless and Magical Musical by Lerner and Lowe

Natchez Performing Arts Center at Margaret Martin 64 Homochitto St. • Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $30 ($10 for K-12 Student, Adult with K-12 Student, College and Active Military with current ID) Cash bar refreshments beginning at 6:00 p.m. in The Grape Escape Club Room

“Don’t let it be forgot, That once there was a spot, For one brief shining moment, That was known as Camelot.�

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ne of the world’s favorite musicals Camelot played for an incredible 1,447 performances on Broadway and in London’s West End, receiving four Tony Awards. King Arthur and Queen Guinevere create a kingdom where might works at the service of right and the King serves at a round table with no head, symbolizing unity and collaboration. However, as this idealistic vision starts to become reality, everything begins to unravel when Guinevere falls in love with Arthur’s knight Sir Lancelot. Come see Lerner and Loewe’s musical Camelot bring to life the classic tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

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Synopsis The story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is RQH RI WKH PRVW HQGXULQJ RI DOO WLPH 0DQ\ KLVWRULDQV GDWH WKH Ă€UVW UHFRUGHG PHQWLRQ RI .LQJ $UWKXU EDFN WR WKH Ă€IWK RU VL[WK FHQWXU\ EXW WKH Ă€UVW PHQWLRQ RI &DPHORW DV D FDVWOH FDPH VHYHUDO FHQWXULHV later in the 1100s. It took two hundred more years for that castle to become associated with King Arthur. Theories abound as to the location of this magical place, including many cities throughout Great %ULWDLQ DQG VRPH WKHRULHV Ă DWO\ VWDWH ´,W¡V SXUHO\ Ă€FWLRQDO Âľ

Saturday, May 20 We get our modern understanding in great part from Sir Thomas Malory in the ÀIWHHQWK FHQWXU\ ZLWK KLV ERRN Le Morte d’ Arthur that popularized the potent reference to the sword Excalibur: “Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise king born of all England.” It is not coincidence that at the end of tonight’s performance you will meet a boy called “Tom” of Warwick, whom Arthur charges with telling the tale of the Knights of the Round Table and preserving it for all posterity. Malory was, in fact, from Warwickshire; and it is WKLV SXUHO\ ÀFWLRQDO PRPHQW IURP WKH PXVLcal that makes its story of hope so inspiring. Let’s call it a legend. It is a tale, true or not, of those men and women who champion just causes; and it is a profound anti-war

statement. As Arthur says to Guenevere, “Tonight, on my way home, I suddenly realized that when you’re in the sky looking down at the earth, there are no boundaries. No borders. Yet that’s what somebody always attacks about. And you win by pushing them back across something that doesn’t exist.” Together, they determine to create “a new order where might is only used for right.” It is the dream of Camelot, a dream that most people share, that propels the story in its many forms through the centuries. The dream crumbles as dreams often do. The boundaries – metaphorical, geographical, and intensely personal – return and win. As they often do. But for one brief shining moment…

Crew Rob Mulholland .................................................................... Director Beth Everett .......................................................................... Musical Director Lindsay Williams .................................................................. Choreographer Cast (in order of appearance) Alex Adams-Leytes .............................................................. Merlyn Miles Doleac ......................................................................... King Arthur &DULQD 'L*LDQÀOLSSR............................................................. Queen Guenevere Jim Wright............................................................................. Sir Lancelot Rusty Jenkins ........................................................................ Squire Dap Christopher Nelson .............................................................. Pellinore Corey Trahan......................................................................... Mordred Ainsley Dupré ....................................................................... Tom of Warwick Ensemble (Knights & Ladies of Camelot) Preston Andrews .................................................................. Sir Sagramore Ibukun Babalola .................................................................... Lady Sybil Kristin Behrmann .................................................................. also Nimue Chelsea DeLorenz ................................................................. Lady in Waiting Elana Gleason ....................................................................... Lady Anne Ryan Landis .......................................................................... Sir Dinadan Patrick McNally .................................................................... Sir Lionel Erin Moll ............................................................................... Lady in Waiting Gabrielle Richardson ............................................................ (also Guenevere Understudy) Joseph Ryan .......................................................................... Sir Clarius Wesley Saunders .................................................................. (also Mordred Understudy) Production Team Production Stage Manager .................................................... Landon Henry Assistant Stage Manager ....................................................... Thomas Hadzeriga Jonathan Levin ...................................................................... Répétiteur Arthur Bosarge ...................................................................... Répétiteur Bob Schimel .......................................................................... Set Builder Myka Murphy ....................................................................... Costume Coordinators Dominique Davis Christian Dantes .................................................................... Lighting Technicians Jonathan Carruth

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Thursday, May 25

Highway to Heaven: Alvin Shelby and The Natchez Community Gospel Choir Beulah Baptist Church 710 B Street Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $15 ($10 for Student K-12, Adult with K-12 student, College and Active Military with current ID)

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ighway to Heaven will be an evening of the best Gospel music that Mississippi has to offer. The Highway to Heaven singers are some of the best singers in Natchez. They come from a variety of ages, professions, and churches around the city. This program pays homage to the original Highway to Heaven program back in the 1950s. It was staged at Rose Hill Baptist Church, later moved to Beulah Baptist Church, and was performed for the annual pilgrimage season in Natchez. With this updated version, we pay tribute to the people who were part of the original Highway to Heaven. Music Director Alvin Shelby has performed in Italy, Canada, Africa, London, Paris, and the United States. 6SHFLDOL]LQJ LQ WUDGLWLRQDO LQVSLUDWLRQDO PXVLF KH DOVR ZULWHV DQG SHUIRUPV PXVLF IRU FKLOGUHQ ÀOP DQG MD]] His choirs have performed around the country including the J. P. Getty Museum, The John C. Handy Festival in Alabama, and the Sundance Film Festival. He has made numerous television appearances, including CBS Sunday Morning and the television series Promised Land, and has worked with artists such as Lemmie Battles from the Chicago Mass Choir, Dr. Margaret Douroux, Dr. Princella Lee, Benjamin Cone, David Curry, and Elton John. In addition, he has produced many recordings and been the musical director for many artists such as Tricia Walker, Dr. Princella Lee, Holy Family Gospel Choir, and the award-winning program Southern Road to Freedom. Beulah Missionary Baptist Church humbly began in 1896 when a split congregation of the Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church met and organized a church. Reverend S. D. Young, who was elected pastor, recommended the QDPH %HXODK 7KH RULJLQDO ZRRGHQ FKXUFK VWUXFWXUH HUHFWHG LQ ZDV GHVWUR\HG E\ ÀUH LQ DQG UHEXLOW in 1912. The history of the Civil Rights Movement would not be complete without Beulah Missionary Baptist Church. Throughout the 1960s the church was a trailblazing beacon of light in the community when most other doors were closed. This church continues to be a lighted pathway guiding souls to Jesus.

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THE PRODUCTIONS

Friday, May 26

The King of Rock and Roll:

An Evening with Elvis Presley starring Victor Treviùo Natchez Performing Arts Center at Margaret Martin 64 Homochitto Street • Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission $25 ($10 for Student K-12, Adult with K-12 student, College and Active Military with current ID) Cash bar refreshments beginning at 6:00 p.m. in The Grape Escape Club Room

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nown as the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley was one of the most popular musical giants of the twentieth century. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, he began his musical career in Memphis, Tennessee, by recording “Heartbreak Hotel.â€? From there, he went on to become one of the single most LFRQLF Ă€JXUHV LQ $PHULFDQ SRSXODU PXVLF +LV FDUHHU LQFOXGHG QRW RQO\ UHFRUGLQJV EXW DOVR PLOLWDU\ VHUYLFH +ROO\ZRRG Ă€OPV /DV 9HJDV VKRZV ZRUOGZLGH WRXUV DQG WKH Ă€UVW JOREDOO\ EURDGFDVW FRQFHUW YLD VDWHOOLWH 'XULQJ KLV FDUHHU KH ZRQ WKUHH Grammy Awards, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, was inducted into multiple music halls of fame, and still today holds the record for being the best-selling solo artist in the history of recorded music. Victor TreviĂąo, Jr., is rated as one of the top Elvis Tribute Artists in the world. He has been invited to perform in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. He has opened for Grammy Awardwinning acts such as Boyz II Men and Foreigner. He has also had the honor of working with many of Elvis’s colleagues and friends such as Wanda Jackson, Joe Esposito, Art Adams, and DJ Fontana (Elvis’s original drummer). He performs for the world’s largest tribute show, Legends in Concert, the longest show running on the Las Vegas Strip, and performs on the Elvis Lives Tour, the only Elvis production sanctioned by Graceland. In 2014, Trevino was named an ambassador and given a key to the city of Tupelo, Mississippi (Elvis’s hometown). Currently, he is touring with Presley, Perkins, Carl & Cash - A Night to Remember throughout the United States and Canada. Artists: Victor TreviĂąo Joseph Britain, Musical Director & Arranger/King of RnR Bluffs & Bayous { May 2017 { Page 49

THE PRODUCTIONS

The Barber of Seville Natchez Performing Arts Center at Margaret Martin 64 Homochitto Street • Natchez, Mississippi 7:00 p.m. Admission: $40 ($10 for K-12 Student, Adult with K-12 Student, College and Active Military with current ID) Cash bar refreshments beginning at 6:00 p.m. in The Grape Escape Club Room

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any musicals and operas cover the subjects of love, sorrow, and death in a way that is tragic; but Rossini’s The Barber of Seville is NOT one of those! This is a comedy in which Doctor Bartolo keeps his QLHFH 5RVLQD FRQĂ€QHG LQVLGH KLV KRXVH 6KH has inherited a lot of money from her parents, and Bartolo is now her “guardian.â€? However, he intends to get both her and the money by marrying her. Things become complicated when Count Almaviva falls in love with her as well. Because he is wealthy and well known, he wants to keep his identity hidden from her and calls himself “Lindoro.â€? Bartolo will not let him see her, so Almaviva asks Figaro (the local

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barber) to devise a scheme for him to meet her. Their plan begins by Almaviva disguising himself as a music student of Basilio, Dr. Bartolo’s right-hand man. He enters Bartolo’s house; and during the music lesson, he is able to ask Rosina to run away with him. Then, a key is stolen; Bartolo tells Rosina a lie; she gets confused and says that she will marry Bartolo; he is pleased and calls a notary; his house is then broken into by Almaviva; her confusion is cleared up; the two are married by the notary; Bartolo is able to keep the inheritance; and all live happily ever after! (Well, at least for a while.) The Barber of Seville is one of the funniest operas ever written!

Synopsis Gioachino (pronounced jo-ah-KEE-no) Rossini (1792-1868) was the reigning opera FRPSRVHU RI WKH ÀUVW WKLUG RI WKH QLQHWHHQWK FHQWXU\ DQG KLV LQà XHQFH ODVWHG ZHOO WKURXJKout the century. He was born in Pesaro, a city on the Adriatic south of Venice; Pesaro now is the home of an annual Rossini festival, attracting the same wealthy glitterati as Bayreuth and Salzburg. His father was the town trumpeter (rather like a town crier), whose politics were liberal and later Bonapartist, a characteristic which did not endear him to the rulers of Italy in his day. Rossini was soon recognized as a young man of considerable musical talent and was sent to the Bologna conservatory to study. However, he rebelled at the traditionalist tutelage he was receiving and later claimed that all of his knowledge came from the private study of the scores of Haydn and Mozart. He knew he was destined for the stage and began in his WHHQV WR FRPSRVH KLV ÀUVW RSHUDV RI WKHVH D WRtal of about two dozen are still known. Despite KLV SUROLÀF SURGXFWLRQ RI VFRUHV 5RVVLQL ZDV QRWRULRXVO\ OD]\ DQG D à DJUDQW VHOI SODJLDUL]HU indeed, a tenor aria near the end of today’s opHUD RQH DOPRVW DOZD\V FXW EHFDXVH RI LWV GLIÀculty) was later raised to the mezzo range and UHF\FOHG IRU WKH ÀQDOH RI KLV RSHUD Cenerentola. +H JURXQG RXW RSHUDV ZLWK WKH HIÀFLHQF\ RI D sausage factory, sometimes completing the overtures only moments before the premiere of the work at hand. He wrote both serious operas (opera serie) and comic ones (opera buffe), though most audiences know him mostly for the latter. This neglect is most unfortunate; for many of the serious operas, such as Tancredi, Otello, and Maometto Secundo, contain some extraordinary music. He wedded early and unhappily. Eventually, he took on a mistress, Olympe PÊlissier, whom he eventually married; but he had no children to succeed him. Like all major nineteenth-century composers, he made his way to fame and fortune in the musical center of Paris where he helped found the Italian Opera company there, a venture which sharply divided the xenophobic culture of its day. He reached his apogee with the legendary success of his French Grand Opera William Tell, which debuted at the OpÊra de Paris in 1829, a work which changed the entire nature of the operatic genre. And then—suddenly, without comment or warning—he stopped composing, save for minor works. It is one of the great mysteries in the history of music. Certainly, he was ill (The treatments he received for gonorrhea sound more painful than the disease itself.); his

Saturday, May 27 beloved mother had died; he had made a lot of money; and, perhaps, he was just tired. Instead, KH WXUQHG LQWR D VRFLDO EXWWHUĂ \ ZLWK D VDORQ RI international reputation. He also became a gourmet cook: his dish Tournedos Rossini is still a popular dish in up-scale restaurants; folk tradition credits him with the creation of the French fry. Despite his early retirement, his musical VW\OH OLYHG RQ $V D SUROLĂ€F FRPSRVHU KH GHveloped a series of formulas for his works: set IRUPDWV IRU DULDV GXHWV RYHUWXUHV DQG Ă€QDOHV the last almost always employing the Rossinian Crescendo, a series of escalating scales and tempos that never fail to create a sensation in the audience and leave the singers breathless 7RGD\¡V RSHUD IHDWXUHV RQH LQ LWV Ă€UVW DFW Ă€QDle.). The so-called “Code Rossiniâ€? was to dominate Italian opera well into the 1870s. Sadly, Rossini is remembered today primarily for a single work, the one on our program for this evening, The Barber of Seville. It is the greatest comic opera of all time. The Barber was written in an astonishingly short three weeks and premiered during Rome’s Carnival season in 1816. It was based on one of the most famous plays of its day, better known as Beaumarchais, by playwright Pierre Caron. He had produced a trilogy of plays: The Barber of Seville, which dealt with the wooing of the beautiful Rosina by a Spanish grandee in disguise; The Marriage of Figaro, telling of the decline of this marriage; and The Guilty Mother, featuring the improbable liaison of Countess Rosina having a child E\ KHU SDJH ER\ 7KH Ă€UVW KDG DOUHDG\ EHHQ set by the then-popular composer Paisiello, forcing Rossini originally to entitle his opera Almaviva; or, The Useless Precaution (the latter phrase taking a prominent place in the opHUD¡V Ă€QDOH WKH VHFRQG KDG EHHQ VFRUHG E\ Mozart in one of his most memorable operas; and the third was set to music in the twentieth century by John Corigliano in The Ghosts of Versailles, which quickly descended into the oblivion it deserved. With a perceived antiroyalist theme, all three plays were highly controversial in their day; indeed, Louis XVI credited Beaumarchais with sparking the French Revolution. As for Rossini’s opera, its prePLHUH ZDV RQH RI WKH JUHDWHVW Ă€DVFRV LQ RSHUDWic history. The orchestra was poorly prepared; and the singers, incompetent. It was said that the only applause came when a cat, who wriggled through an open door, walked across the stage. Rossini’s friends, grieving for the pain he must have undergone at this humiliation, came to visit him after the performance and

found him soundly asleep in bed. To Rossini, apparently, this was just another operatic sausage which he produced so easily. The libretto of Rossini’s opera is by Cesare Sterbini and is a very good one. It is generally performed in two acts, but sometimes the secRQG VFHQH RI WKH Ă€UVW DFW LV SRUWLRQHG RII DV D middle act. The sprightly Rosina is the ward of the aging Doctor Bartolo, who is intending to marry her. His plans are foiled, however, by Count Almaviva, in disguise as the poor student Lindoro. Fortunately, he is befriended by the town barber and all around handyman, Figaro, whose entrance aria “Largo al factotumâ€? is one of the most famous baritone patter songs in the repertoire. After various adventures, and Figaro’s assistance, Almaviva wins his bride, Bartolo accepts his defeat, and all ends happily. The tunes are boundless, from Rosina’s stunning entrance aria “Una voce poco faâ€? to Bartolo’s answering number “Un’ dottore della mia sorteâ€? and Rosina and Figaro’s duet “Dunque io son.â€? The famous overture is actually a three-time retread,

having been written originally for the tragic opera Elizabeth, Queen of England. (Some in the audience will remember how Bugs Bunny immortalized this music in his cartoon beginning, “Welcome to my shop / Let me cut your mop.â€?) In the nineteenth century, when the opera had conquered Europe, a favorite moment was the “Lesson Sceneâ€? in which Almaviva, in yet another disguise as a music teacher, instructs Rosina in the vocal arts. It was not uncommon in those days for the scene to last as long as a half hour, ending with every Anglophone’s favorite “Home Sweet Home.â€? The role of Rosina was originally written for a mezzo-soprano but is now typically performed by a soprano capable of ornamenting Rossini’s score with interpolated coloratura sections. Incidentally, The Barber of Seville ZDV WKH Ă€UVW Italian opera performed in the United States (New Orleans, 1823; New York, 1825). It has QHYHU OHIW WKH VWDJH EHLQJ DPRQJ WKH WRS Ă€YH most-performed operas throughout the world. —Program Notes by Stanley Hauer

Crew Scott Skiba ........................................................Director Jay Dean ............................................................Conductor Cast Patrick McNally ................................................Figaro Peter Lake .........................................................Count Almaviva Alex Adams-Leytes...........................................Bartolo Chelsea Delorenz ..............................................Rosina Joseph Ryan ......................................................Basilio Elana Gleason ...................................................Berta Preston Andrews ...............................................Fiorello Soldiers Jim Wright Christopher Nelson Ryan Landis Wesley Saunders Creative Team Richard Nechamkin ..........................................Assistant Conductor/ Pianist Arthur Bosarge ..................................................Pianist/Harpsichordist Beth Everett ......................................................Chorus Master Production Team Landon Henry ...................................................Production Manager Rob Mulholland ................................................Production Supervisor Stephan Gordon ................................................Assistant Director Thomas Hadzeriga ............................................Lighting Assistant/Assistant Stage Manager Christian Dantes ................................................Lighting Dominique Davis ..............................................Costume Coordinator Myka Murphy ...................................................Costume Coordinator

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THE social SCENE MCCOMB, MS

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

Blues & BBQ n March 23, 2017, First Bank hosted Blues & BBQ at the Ice House Courtyard in McComb, Mississippi. Guests enjoyed a spread by Austin Sumrall and music by Jamey Hewitt and the Blues Trio. The proceeds of the event went to Camp Sunshine.

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MCCOMB. MS

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10 Lisa Cameron, Brad Whitaker, and Michael Cameron 11 Dr. Dawn Sumrall with Steven and Jordan Porter 12 Leslie Alexander, Bill Vance, and Dean Alexander 13 Jim Hewitt and Napoleon Hodges 14 Michael and Kelly Parker with Carolyn Smith 15 Hollie Pappas, Curtis Butler, Denise Nash, and Jane Quin 16 Fern Crossley, Susan and Wayne Johnson, and Phil Dell’ Isola 17 Matt Root with Celia and Sammy Clark and Maxine Bierbaum

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THE social SCENE MCCOMB, MS

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes

19 Nikki Belote, Jorge Torres, Bob Budraja, and Rob Belote 20 Keith and Ethel Moak 21 Kelly Hart, Hannah Wells, and Betsy and Lamar Murrell 22 Roger and Francis White, Mavis Wilson, William Freemeyer, and Ralph and Patricia Freeman 23 Keith Sanders and Bill Vance 24 Ashley Stovall and Nikki Belote 25 Gay and Dr. Will Austin 26 Kit Stovall and Rob Belote 27 Julius Nash and Michael Parker

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THE wedding SCENE BROOKHAVEN, MS

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

Wedding Shower for Barker and Bozeman n Saturday, March 4, 2017, a wedding shower was held for Abbey Barker and Jeffrey Bozeman at the home of Rockie and Don Netherland near Brookhaven, Mississippi. Along with the Netherlands, hosts for the evening were Celeste and Owen Carty, Velma and Cecil Estes, Nancy and Rob Fisher, Terri and Brad Hall, Mary Helen and Glen Miller, Julie and Ray Montalvo, Gail and Michael Moran, Deana and Terri Pendly, Renea and Kevin Rayborn, Cheryl and Gus Shelby, Carolyn and Mary Stephens, and Angela Taylor. The couple will exchange vows at the Olde Town Church in Brookhaven on May 27, 2017. The bride is the daughter of Sandy and Richard Barker, and the groom is the son of Lynn and Neal Bozeman. Photography by Bill Perkins

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Jeffrey Bozeman and Abbey Barker Johnny Bass and Jeffrey Bozeman Rockie Netherland and Celeste Carty Mac McQuage and Abby Bozeman Lynn Bozeman and Rockie Netherland Carly and Abbey Barker Meredith Bozeman and Carly Barker Carolyn Stephens and Bill Perkins Haley Thibodeaux and Abbey Barker Jennifer and Brian Gray with Becky Bozeman 11 Julia Pendley Miller with Ashely and Matthew Foster

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THE wedding SCENE

BROOKHAVEN. MS

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

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Meredith and Abby Bozeman Julia Pendley Miller and Abbey Barker Kimberly Hood and Becky Bozeman Scottie Peavey, Johnny Bass, Jeffrey Bozeman, Dr. Don Netherland, Neal Bozeman, Kevin Rayborn, and Steve Bozeman 16 Jeffrey Bozeman with Sandy, Carly, and Abbey Barker 17 Angela Taylor 18 Tucker Hood

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THE social SCENE BROOKHAVEN, MS

Visit www.bluffsbayous.com for all social scenes.

Presentation for Second Chance MS n Saturday, April 8, 2017, Dickie Scruggs returned to his hometown of Brookhaven, Mississippi, to deliver presentations on the program he has initiated called “Second Chance MS.� The purpose of this organization is to encourage and assist those lacking a high-school diploma to earn a GED and more. Photography by Bill Perkins

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Will and Jenny Allen Terri Moak and Pam Womack Phyllis Spearman Misty Roberts Perry and Betty Ann Perkins Mimi Roberts Zeini & Sylvia Phillips Julia Pendley Miller and Bill Perkins Misty Roberts Perry, Dickie Scruggs, and Mimi Roberts Zeini 8 Shaw Furlow with Jackson, Dickie, and Zach Scruggs 9 Mark Hollingsworth, Zach Scruggs, and Vicki Hollingsworth 10 Betty Ann Perkins, Misty Roberts Perry, and Richard Case

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MCCOMB. MS

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11 Dickie Scruggs, Mark Hollingsworth, and Zach Scruggs 12 Phyllis Spearman, Sally Doty, and Kay Calcote 13 JoAnn Rogers and Betty Ann Perkins 14 Wilma Robertson and Imogene Ryan 15 Candace Greene 16 Catti Case Beals and Pam Womack with Zach, Jackson, and Dickie Scruggs 17 Pam Womack, Terri Moak, Dickie Scruggs, and Claire Snow 18 Jeanna Hartzog, Mallory Turner, Zach Scruggs, Beverly Fries, Karen Gaudet, and Evelyn Peavy 19 Catti Case Beals, Beverly Bane Case, Kevin Laird, Jerry Case, Virginia Case, Addie Case, and Amber Wilson 20 Burnell Robinson

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MAY Louisiana Up & Coming! www.louisianatravel.com ALEXANDRIA Throughout May www.alexandriapinevillela.com BATON ROUGE Throughout May www.visitbatonrouge.org CONCORDIA PARISH (FERRIDAY & VIDALIA) Throughout May www.cityofvidalia.com www.concordialibrary.org www.concordiapchamber.com PORT ALLEN Throughout May www.westbatonrougemuseum.com ST. FRANCISVILLE Throughout May www.crt.state.la www.stfrancisville.us www.westfelicianahistoricalsociety.org

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Mississippi Up & Coming! MAY www.visitmississippi.org BROOKHAVEN Throughout May www.facebook.com/VisitBrookhavenMs www.haventheatre.org www.lincolnciviccenter.com www.visitbrookhavenms.com JACKSON Throughout May www.dulinghall.com www.msmuseumart.org www.visitjackson.com MCCOMB Throughout May www.pikeinfo.com NATCHEZ Throughout May Live Music Event Calendar www.visitnatchez.org/full-event-calendar www.natchezchamber.com www.natchezfestivalofmusic.com www.natchezgardenclub.org www.natchezlittletheatre.org www.natchezpilgrimage.com www.thetowersofnatchez.org www.visitnatchez.org RIDGELAND Throughout May www.ridgelandms.org SUMMIT Throughout May www.pikeinfo.com VICKSBURG Throughout May www.southernculture.org www.vicksburg.org www.vicksburgartassociation.org www.visitvicksburg.com www.tarawildlife.com

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HISTORY OF THE NATCHEZ MUSIC FESTIVAL Twenty-seven years ago Lani and Ron Riches, former owners of Monmouth Historic Inn, attended a Santa Fe Opera Festival. Lani remarked to her husband, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Natchez could have an opera festival?â€? They immediately scheduled a meeting with civic leaders to discuss the idea. During a conversation one evening with dinner guests Dr. and Mrs. David Blackburn, Lani and Ron discovered that Dr. Blackburn was a well-respected opera teacher and conductor in New York. In fact, two of the performers in the Santa Fe Opera were in Dr. Blackburn’s studio. After being invited to attend the meeting with civic leaders and interested citizens, Dr. Blackburn devised a plan, which became known as the Natchez Opera Festival. Dr. Blackburn became a committed Natchez resident, as well as co-founder and artistic director of the festival. The mission and purpose of the festival is to provide quality opera, Broadway, and jazz performances. It also seeks to provide positive performing opportunities for outstanding artists, to nurture and encourage talented young singers in their careers, and to allow them to share in an educational outreach program throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. The festival hires professional performers each season with auditions being held during the fall in Natchez and New York. The artists are selected for their outVWDQGLQJ WDOHQW DQG WKHLU DELOLW\ WR Ă€W LQWR WKH Natchez lifestyle. Each year, the festival has grown and become a major regional event. In 1998, the festival was awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. In 2001, Alcorn State University became a major sponsor of the festival and helped to transform the arts in southwest Mississippi. In 2002, Opera News recognized the festival for artistic excellence. In 2003, Dr. Blackburn was awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in Opera and Music Education. The festival also changed its promotional name, the May Festival, to the Natchez Festival of Music in 2003. Following the untimely death of Dr. Blackburn, George Hogan became the Artistic Director and created a connection with the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Taking charge as Artistic Director in 2011, Dr. Jay Dean connects the festival to The University of Southern Mississippi and has established strong connections to other outstanding music festivals throughout Mississippi.

NATCHEZ MUSIC FESTIVAL MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Natchez Festival of Music is to enlighten and enrich the lives of the citizens of the greater Mississippi/Louisiana region and neighboring areas by producing a variety of musical events including popular music, Broadway shows, recitals, musical theater, operas, and other special concerts. We also provide educational outreach programs in music and the performing arts for thousands of children each and every year. We are an important SDUW RI WKH FXOWXUDO IDEULF RI RXU FLW\ DQG VWDWH DQG ZH EHQHĂ€W WKLV UHJLRQ E\ SURYLGLQJ TXDOity-of-life events for our citizens, educational events for students, and a tool for tourism and economic development. Our vision is to be a driving force for cultural activity that attracts people to Natchez and Mississippi from around the world.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION TELEPHONES: As a courtesy to other patrons, please disconnect electronic paging devices and turn off cellular telephones. FIRE NOTICE: The exit sign nearest the seat you occupy is the shortest route out in WKH HYHQW RI ÀUH RU RWKHU HPHUJHQF\ BEVERAGES: Beverages will be available for purchase before the performances, during the performances, and during intermission. LATECOMERS: Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of theatre management during appropriate pauses in the program. The policy of the Natchez Performing Arts Center in Margaret Martin School is to begin performances at the advertised curtain time. PERSONAL PROPERTY: Lost and found inquiries may be directed to the adminisWUDWLYH RIÀFHV DW 003$& PHOTOGRAPHS AND RECORDING: Cameras and recording devices may not be brought into the theatre without the consent of the management. Please note that the recording in any form of a live performance may be a violation of federal copyright laws. RESTROOMS 7KHVH DUH ORFDWHG RQ WKH ÀUVW à RRU DQG EDOFRQ\ SMOKING: All of our facilities are smoke-free. ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE: One entrance to the Center is wheelchair-accessible. 7KLV HQWUDQFH LV LQWR WKH PDLQ OREE\ RQ WKH ÀUVW à RRU RUFKHVWUD OHYHO ORFDWHG RQ WKH right side of the building

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IN-KIND DONATIONS ALVIN SHELBY AMANDA JEANSONNE ANN FAILACE ARTS NATCHEZ BARBARA KAISER BAZILE and JEANIE LANNEAU BEULAH BAPTIST CHURCH BIG “M” COMPANY BILL and BOBBY HENLEY BINGO and MARY STARR BLANKENSTEIN’S SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT BOBBYE and BILL HENLEY BLUFFS & BAYOUS BOWIE’S TAVEN BRENDA HICKS BRO. VINCENT BACHE CAJUN COOKIN’ RESTAURANT CAROLYN and LUCIEN GWIN CAROLYN WEIR CARRIAGE HOUSE RESTAURANT CHARLES DAVIDSON CHIP STURDIVANT CITY OF NATCHEZ CLAUDETTE SONGY COCA COLA DISTRIBUTORSHIP COTTON ALLY CAFÉ, LLC DARRYL GRENNELL DAVID ATKINS DAVID GARNER DAVIDSON’S WINE & SPIRITS DEBBIE WILSON DELL LOY DEBRA McNEAL DIANNE’S FRAME SHOP DONNA and TIM SESSIONS

DORIS ANN BENOIST DR. JOHN A. WHITE DWAYNE HARDY EOLA GUEST HOUSE—“EOLA HOTEL” EUGENIE AND MICHAEL CATES ELIZABETH CHADWICK FATHER WALTON JONES FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FRAN TRAPPEY GRAND HOTEL GREAT RIVER CHEVROLET—CADILLAC HENRY HARRIS HICK’S CHICKS HEDY BOELTE HISTORIC NATCHEZ FOUNDATION HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS HOME HARDWARE CENTERS JACK and PEGGY BENSON JAMES and GINGER HYLAND JAY LESSLEY JENNIFER ASHBROOKE JENNIFER METCALFE JIMMY SMITH JIMMY WHITEHEAD JO ANN AND RON BRUMFIELD JOEL LESSLEY JULIE KENDALL KATELEE LAIRD KATHLEEN JENKINS BOND KATIE McCABE KEITH MALLETT KEVIN KIRBY KEVIN PRESTON L. C. GRIFFIN LACY JESTER

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LANA MORGAN STAMPER LAURIE BELSHAN LEE and SHERRY JONES LEON HOLLINS LIL’ DAGOS CAFE LOU ELLEN and GUY STOUT MAGNOLIA BLUFFS CASSINO MARCIA’S COTTAGES MARCIA and JOHN McCULLOUGH MARINA and CHRIS CAVETTE MARK COFFEY MARK SANGUINETTI MARY and JIM LESSLEY MEGAN PLAIN MIMI MILLER MURRAY PRINTING NATCHEZ ART ASSOCIATION NATCHEZ CONVENTION & VISITOR’S BUREAU NATCHEZ FINE FRAMING NATCHEZ NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATCHEZ PILGRIMAGE TOURS “NEST”—JOHN GRADY BURNS PATTY KILLELEA PAUL and GINNY BENOIST PAUL GREEN & ASSOCIATE REALTORS PENNY DAGGATT PIG OUT INN PIZZA HUT RANDY and HELEN MOSS SMITH REVS. NOELLE AND DENNY REED RICHARD ALWOOD ROBERT “BOB” ADAMS ROBERT “BOB” SIZEMORE RON and JOANN BRUMFIELD

SANDRA and EDDIE BURKES SANDY LANE SANGO CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP, RAM SHIRLEY BYRNE SIGN GRAPHICS SOUTHWEST DISTRIBUTORSHIP STEPHANIE HUTCHINS ST. MARY BASILLICA STEPHANIE HUTCHINS STEPHANIE and RUSSELL BUTTS STINE’S STOUT & COMPANY SUE BURKHALTER T. G. McCARY PHOTOGRAPHY T. J. BAGGETT TAMMY CALLENS TOM TAYLOR THE CARRIAGE HOUSE THE GILLON GROUP THE MARKETS, INC. THE VUE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT TOM and SANDY TAYLOR TONY FIELDS TREVOR BROWN TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH TURNER LESSLEY UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION—NATCHEZ WALMART—NATCHEZ WALTER TIPTON WARREN and NANCY REUTHER WAVERLY PLANTATION WESLEY STECKLER

COMMITTEES Appreciation/Thank You Diana Glaze, Chairman Ginger Schwager Bar and Beverage Bob Sizemore, Co-Chairman Wesley Steckler, Co-Chairman Katie McCabe Randolph Trappey Wade Heatherly Building Bob Adams, Chairman Bob Dearing—Legislative Representative Jody Rutter—City of Natchez— Electrical Maintenance Julie Kendall Nan Erle Schuchs Rena Jean Schmieg Wade Heatherly Constant Contact Fran Trappey, Chairman Bobbye Henley Ginger Schwager Nancy McFarland Education Charlotte Franlkin, Co-Chairman Diana Glaze, Co-Chairman Wynn, Bobbye, Co-Chairman Blythe Smith, Chairman of “Kid’s Festâ€? Jennifer Slover Leland Fox Sharon Rouse Stephanie Butts Finance 5\DQ :LQJĂ€HOG 7UHDVXUHU Chairman John Rollins Katie McCabe Larry Konecky Wade Heatherly Floral Designs Julie Kendall, Chirman Food %UHQGD +HĂ LQ Charlotte Franklin, Co-Chairman Cindy Rollins, Co-Chairman Dianne Brown Emily Fox Evelyn Fairbanks Fran Trappey Francey Killian Julie Kendall Luanne Erickson Randolph Trappey Sandra Burkes Sharon Rouse Fundraising Ed Gaudet John Rollins Mary Lessley Mike Gemmell Pat Galloway Government Relations Bob Dearing, Chairman Mike Gemmell Mimi Miller, Advisor Wesley Steckler

Grant Larry Konecky, Chairman Mimi Miller, Advisor James Johnston, Advisor Charlotte Franklin John Rollins Hospitality Bobbye Henley, Chairman Charlotte Franklin Doris Ann Benoist Housing Marsha Colson, Chairman Doris Ann Benoist Mary Lessley Stephanie Butts Mailing List Ginger Schwager, Chairman Bobbye Henley Diana Glaze Doris Ann Benoist Fran Trappey Mary Lessley Marketing/Public Relations Katie McCabe, Chairman Fran Trappey Ginger Schwager T. J. Baggett Nominating Robert Sizemore, Chairman Doris Ann Benoist Bobbye Henley Katie McCabe Jennifer Slover

2017 BOARD MEMBERS OFFICERS Mary Lessley, Chairman Ginger Schwager, Vice-President Diana Glaze, Secretary 5\DQ :LQJĂ€HOG 7UHDVXUHU REGULAR MEMBERS Robert Adams T.J. Baggett Doris Ann Benoist Stephanie Butts Marsha Colson Evelyn Fairbanks Leland Fox Charlotte Franklin Pay Galloway Michael Gemmell Wade Heatherly Bobbye Henley Julie Kendall Lawrence Konecky Katie McCabe John Rollins Sharon Rouse Dr. Robert Sizemore Wesley Steckler Fran Trappey 2017 EMINENT BOARD Leon Atkins David Ball Ethel Banta Ginny Benoist Hedy Boelte Maxine Brice Tony Byrne Burnley Cook John Deakle Robert Dearing Merkel Dupuy Camille Durkin Fred Emrick

Terry Estes Jeanette Feltus I. J. Florence Katherine Killelea Kathleen Mackey King Alan Kochek Donzell Lee Lynn Leet Brad LeMay David Paradise Marie Perkins Lani Riches Ron Riches Ricky Smith Ed Songy A. Holmes Sturgeon Ron Switzer H. Michael Tatum Thomas Taylor Neil Varnell Bobbye Wynn ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Jay Dean CO-LIN LIAISON Nancy McFarland Past Chairmen 1991 Ken Miller 1992-1995 Dr. David Steckler 1996-1998 Dr. Elmer Gaudet 1999-2002 Dr. Don Killelea 2003-2007 Dr. Lawrence Konecky 2008 Paris Winn 2009 Ronald McGowan 2010 Dr. Lawrence Konecky 2011 William “Sandy� Fowlkes, IV 2011 Dr. Lawrence Konecky 2012-2017 Mary Lessley

Program Book Cheryl Rinehart—Bluffs & Bayous Magazine—Chairman Diana Glaze Ginger Schwager Mary Lessley Special Events Stephanie Butts, Chairman Jennifer Slover Jenna Aldridge Bobbye Henley Ticket Sales Katie McCabe, Chairman Fran Trappey Ginger Schwager Nancy McFarland T. J. Baggett Transportation Wade Heatherly, Chairman Diana Glaze Doris Ann Benoist Ed and Claudette Songy Robert Paradise Stratton Bull Wesley Steckler Website T. J. Baggett, Co-Chairman Fran Trappey, Co-Chairman Katie McCabe

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CONTRIBUTORS GOLD BENEFACTOR ($25,000—$49,000) SILVER BENEFACTOR (10,000—$24,000) David Paradise—Sponsor “Children’s Opera� Mississippi Art’s Commission City of Natchez BRONZ BENEFACTOR ($5,000—$9,999) Adams County Board of Supervisors Bill and Bobbye Henley—Sponsor “Best of the Mississippi Blues II� featuring Vasti Jackson Dr. Jay Dean Gerald and Hedy Boelte Jim and Mary Lessley STAR ($2,500—$4,999) Delta Bank Diana Glaze Ed and Claudette Songy Magnolia Bluff’s Casino Paul Green Realtor & Associates United MS Bank PATRON $1,000—$2,499) Al Walker—Sponsor “Revolution, Romanticism and Rachmaninoff� Alcorn State University Callon Petroleum Company “Choctaw�—David Garner and Lee Clover Concordia Bank and Trust D & E—Sponsor Rossini, Puccini and Martinis at “Waverly Plantation� Davidson’s Package Store James and Nancy Biglane Louisiana Hydroelectric Magnolia Bluff’s Casino Natchez Rotary Club Neil Varnell Patrick and Connie Burns Randy and Helen Smith Robert and Ann Paradise Robert “Bob� Adams SSS Foundation Stout & Company Stratton Bull Tom and Ginger Schwager SUPPORTERS ($500—$999) Dr. Charles Borum Carolyn and Lucien Gwin,Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Edward L. Gaudet Dr. Donzell Lee Internal Medicine Associates of Natchez Marie Perkins Michael and Sharon Blattner State Farm Insurance—Terry Estes The Natchez Convention Promotion Commission Toyota of Natchez Virginia and Paul Benoist

FRIENDS ($250—$$499) Ancel Tipton, Jr. Betty and Jerry Krouse Crye-Leike Stedman Realtors Gaye Metcalfe Everette and Catherine Ratcliffe Ginger and James Hyland John and Pris cilla Dale John Noel J. M. Jones Lumber Company Lynette and George Tanner Melody Thayer Phyliss Y. Mashburn 6WXDUW +HĂ LQ 6WDWH )DUP ,QVXUDQFH GIVERS ($1—$249) Allen Petroleum Services, Inc. Ann and Charles Carlton Betty Jenkins Carrie Iles, DDS. Charlotte and Jim Franklin David Bramlette Debra and Lee Martin Ethel Banta Frank and Dorothy Drouillard Foster Insurance George and Peggy Murray Great River Chevrolet-Cadillac H. Hal Garner Antiques & Interiors Hayden and Barbara Kaiser J & J Carpet J. W. and Marty Seibert Kathryn and Chris Nutter Kay McNeil L. M. Butts Foundation Larry L. and Shields Brown Marsha Colson Natchez Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Nancy Hungerford Pat and George Dickens Richard Hess Ron and Kay Jinkins Ronald Switzer and Jim McClure Ruth Ellen Calhoun Dr. Sam Tumminello Silas Simmons, LLC Tony and Annette Byrne William Burnsed SPECIAL HOSTS FOR 2017 “Beulah Baptist Church Alvin Sheby “Bowie’s Tavernâ€? John Holyoak and Staff “Cotton Alley CafĂŠ LLCâ€? David Browning and Guy Bass “First Presbyterian Churchâ€? Rev. Noelle Read and Rev. Denny Read “Jefferson Street United Methodist Churchâ€? “Natchez Community Centerâ€? Walter Tipton and Staff “The Historic Natchez Foundationâ€? Mimi Miller and Trevor Brown “The Prentiss Clubâ€? -RDQ %UXPĂ€HOG “The Towersâ€?

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Ginger and James Hyland “The Carriage House� Mary and Bingo Starr “Trinity Episcopal Church� Father Kenneth Ritter and Bro. Vincent Bache “Waverly Plantation� Bazile and Jeannie Lanneau MEMORIALS In Memory of Keith Hall Karlson Al Walker In Memory of Charles Byrnes, Jr. Ethel Banta In Memory of Charles Byrnes, Jr. Ruth Ellen Calhoun In Memory of Charles Byrnes, Jr. Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Merkel Dupuy Ronald Switzer In Memory of Michael Tatum Ginger and Tom Schwager In Memory of Amon Jordan Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Nell Wolfe Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Mary K. Short Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Stella L. Jensen Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Walter Doughty, Jr. Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Charles S. Plauche Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Michael Tatum Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Michael Tatum Ginny and Paul Benoist In Memory of Michael Tatum The Gillon Group, PLLC In Memory of Michael Tatum Brenda and Mike Hopkins In Memory of Michael Tatum Paula and Terry Estes In Memory of Judge John Tipton Mary and Jim Lessley In Memory of Walter & Dot Green Ruth Ellen Calhoun In Memory of Walter & Dot Green Ethel Banta HONORARIUMS In Honor of Mary Lessley Anne MacNeil and Elizabeth Boggess In Honor of Mary Lessley Ethel Banta In Honor of Mary Lessley Ruth Ellen Calhoun In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. Julius Carter Tom and Ginger Schwager In Honor of Al Walker Anne MacNeil and Elizabeth Boggess

HOUSING ANGELS Hedy Boelte Susan Barnes John and Valerie Bergeron Gwen Ball Eileen Ball Ethel Banta Doris Ann Benoist Peggy Benson Charles Borum Richard Branyan Sara and Mark Carey Tim Chesteen Cathy Cook Liz Dantone Dana and Joel DuprĂŠ Fred and Mary Emrick Leland Fox Jim and Charlotte Franklin Dolly Freedman Diana Glaze Glenn and Bridget Green Caroline and Paul Brown Harrington Genny Harrison Nance Hixon Caroline James Sherry Jones Bonnie & Kevin Kirby Lynn Leet Mary Lessley Keith Mallett Marcia McCullough Ron and Mimi Miller Jay Owens Ann and Robert Paradise Louise Peabody Elodie Pritchartt Jean and Bryant Reed Linda Rodriguez Rena Jean Schmieg Brian and Karri Simpson Sarah Smith Randy and Helen Smith Wanda and Ricky Smith Ed and Claudette Songy Tom and Sandy Taylor Dick Thompson and Evelyn Fairbanks Ethel Truly James Wade Paul Wade Win and Lisa Ward Colleen Wilkins Eola Guest House Holiday Inn Express Grand Hotel The “Vueâ€? Hotel FOOD ANGELS Ameriprise Financial—Forrest A. Johnson III, CFA, CFPÂŽ Doris Ann Benoist Ginny and Paul Benoist Peggy Benson Valerie and John Bergeron Dianne Brown* Missy Brown Beau Bumgardner Candace and Peter Bundgard Sandra Burkes*

Jeff Burkhalter Ruth Ellen Calhoun Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Natchez Corr-Williams Jay Dean Pat Dickens Nancy Eidt Luanne Erickson* Evelyn Fairbanks* Sue Fountain Emily Fox* Charlotte Franklin, Co-Chairman* Dolly Freedman Devin Gammill Dottie Gaudet-Rainer Ed and Mary Jane Gaudet Diana Glaze Carolyn Gwin Joan Heard %UHQGD +HĂ LQ Bobbie Henley Brenda and Hal Hicks Julie Kendall* Amy Killelea Francey Killian* Mary Ann Kyle Jeanne and Bazile Lanneau Mary Lessley Magnolia Grill Emily Maxwell Gwen McCalip Cherish McCallum Pam McDonald McDonald’s Restaurant Nancy McFarland Dorothy McGehee Stanley “Buckyâ€? Merritt Jo Ann Mullins Kathryn Nutter Lyn Norris Robert and Ann Paradise Pig Out Inn Pizza Hut Rolling River Bistro Cindy Rollins, Co-Chairman* Rena Jean Schmieg NanErle Schuchs Ginger Schwager Jan and Dan Shiells Sarah Carter Smith Sarah S. Smith Claudette and Ed Songy 6WDWH )DUP ,QVXUDQFH 6WXDUW +HĂ LQ The Gillon Group Newcomers Club Fran and Randolph Trappey* USM Natchez Alumni Association Paris Winn Bobbye Wynn TRANSPORTION ANGELS Sango Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Dealership Great River - Chev-Cad GMC Dealership

*Denotes Committee Member

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