Zionsville Monthly-January 2022

MONTHLY

AJ VINATIERI

COLLECTIVE PUBLISHING PUBLICATION

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JANUARY 2022

WORKING TO CREATE HIS OWN LEGACY ON AND OFF THE FIELD

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MONTHLY

20 COVER STORY

AJ Vinatieri: Working To Create His Own Legacy On And Off The Field This month, we are proud to feature Zionsville Community High School (ZCHS) Senior AJ Vinatieri—the son of former Indianapolis Colts placekicker and NFL legend Adam Vinatieri—about what developing his own name and legacy has been like so far and what the future looks like for the talented kicker. Vinatieri has received offers from college football powerhouses like LSU. With the National Singing Day on February 2, 2022, he will be making his decision about where he wants to play collegiately very soon.

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Cover photo // Laura Arick

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ZIONSVILLE MONTHLY

Irsay Family’s Kicking The Stigma Initiative Expands to Assist Indiana Teens and Youth

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PUBLISHER / Neil Lucas neil@collectivepub.com / 317-460-0803

Impact of the Pandemic on the Welfare of Animals in Boone County

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / Neil Lucas neil@collectivepub.com / 317-460-0803

Carmel Symphony Orchestra Shuffles Its

PUBLISHER / Lena Lucas lena@collectivepub.com / 317-501-0418

2021–22 Season

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DIRECTOR OF SALES / Lena Lucas lena@collectivepub.com / 317-501-0418

The Big Bang Blasts Audiences Through The

HEAD WRITER / Janelle Morrison janelle@collectivepub.com / 317-250-7298

History Of The World

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Business Spotlight is sponsored content.

Michael Feinstein’s Latest Album ‘Gershwin Country’ Releases This March

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The Civic Theatre Presents ‘The 39 Steps’

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Irsay Family’s Kicking The Stigma Initiative

to jump through. This program exists in a few other states, and in some of those states, the success of the program has led to the expansion of ‘Be Happy’ programs in those states’ counties. So, how our gift is going to help our state’s ‘Be Happy’ program is that it will allow more doctors to take on more patients and to take more calls.”

A RECAP OF LAST YEAR’S CAMPAIGN KICKOFF

Expands to Assist Indiana Teens and Youth

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of the Irsay Family and Colts Organization

Last year, we proudly shared with our readers the news that Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay and his family kicked off Kicking The Stigma, the family’s mental health initiative that drew in the support of several NFL players, staff members and celebrities such as Carson Daly, Jim Gaffigan, Snoop Dogg, Cameron Crowe, Rob Lowe, Mike Epps, Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Carson Wentz, Darius Leonard and many others. We featured Colts vice chair/owner Kalen (Irsay) Jackson on both covers of Carmel Monthly and Zionsville Monthly to help raise awareness.

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his month, we are honored to share an update from Kalen Jackson on the progress that Kicking The Stigma has made, including a recent announcement that Jim Irsay and his family donated $650,000 to the Riley Children’s Foundation as part of the Kicking The Stigma’s mental health initiative.

The Irsays have partnered with Riley Children’s Health to expand the Indiana Behavioral Health Access Program for Youth (“Be Happy”). The “Be Happy” program aims to improve access to mental health services for Indiana’s children and adolescents.

WHAT IS THE “BE HAPPY” PROGRAM? The Indiana Behavioral Health Access Program for Youth (“Be Happy”) within Indiana University School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry is an innovative new child psychiatry access program

for pediatric primary care providers.

The program aims to improve Hoosier families’ access to best-practice pediatric behavioral health care across the state by supporting health care providers in their local communities with guidance from psychiatric specialists.

With the gift from the Irsay family, the “Be Happy” program will be able to expand its services to children and teens who need access to behavioral health resources.

THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF THE IRSAY’S GIFT TO THE “BE HAPPY” PROGRAM The “Be Happy” program is unique because it works with any network or doctor and is not exclusive to the IU Health Network.

“I think this is super innovative of IU to be part of a program like this,” Jackson stated. “Otherwise, it would just be another barrier for someone to have

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Jackson shared some of the highlights since the official launch of Kicking The Stigma last summer.

“We raised a little over $2.2 million, and then my dad [Jim Irsay] matched that to make it a little over $4.5 million, collectively,” Jackson shared. “It was a unique event in that it was a week long, and we used that opportunity to create more awareness and more conversation on this topic. We had people sharing about it on social media and listening to different voices that were part of it from Peyton Manning to Snoop Dogg and everybody in between.”

Jackson emphasized that the awareness aspect of the Kicking The Stigma campaign has been vital to connecting with people throughout the country, diminishing the stigma associated with behavioral health and ensuring them that they are not alone in this so that they don’t hold back from seeking out the resources they need.

“The next big highlight would be that we were able to disperse a lot of those funds—a little over $2.4 million— through our Kicking The Stigma Grants Fund,” Jackson stated. “The most recently announced was the $3 million gift to the Irsay Family Research Institute at Indiana University.”

With this gift, IU will establish a new institute in Bloomington, Indiana, designed to be the leading national center for researching and addressing the stigma surrounding mental health.

“This gift is going to increase the amount of research and productivity in terms of stigma research,” Jackson said.

“Another big piece of this is trying to develop a better workforce. That’s one of

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the biggest issues, especially in childhood psychiatry. As a state, we train two child psychiatrists every year. In talking with experts, we [as a state] should be training 12 to 15 [childhood psychiatrists] a year based on the number of kids and the growing need. We have resources, but there is a lack of people [in the workforce] to treat kids.”

Jackson reminded us that many of us are feeling like our lives are not back to “normal,” and for kids, it’s much harder for them to put into words what it is that they’re feeling.

“I think the more we realize that we are all struggling with this, then we can do it better together,” Jackson

expressed. “Advocating for the organizations that we are working with is a big part of what our initiative has become. We’re doing our best to help steer people in the right direction, and we’re taking the time to look through all the options and who’s going to make the biggest impact tomorrow.”

The Irsays are currently planning an in-person event for this year’s Kicking The Stigma annual fundraiser, which they hope to host in early summer.

Jackson added, “We haven’t set an official date yet, but we hope to be able to do it in-person and have just as much success, if not more, than we did last year. We’re taking this [initiative] very

seriously, and we’re proud of what’s been accomplished so far, but there’s still so much more to do. We know we’re not the experts, and that’s why we’ve committed so much time and learning, talking to the experts who have been doing this for years. We feel like we’ve found some really good pillars in our community and nationally to lead us in the right direction.”

Stay tuned for more information to come on this year’s Kicking The Stigma annual fundraiser, as the details become available. Until then, for more information about Kicking The Stigma, its partners and available resources, please visit colts.com and click on the “Kicking The Stigma” tab.

Kicking The Stigma Action Grants The first round of grants, totaling $2.4 million, were awarded to: • HVAF of Indiana • Bring Change to (Indiana) Mind (Indianapolis)

• Mental Health America of Indiana

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater • Indiana Youth Group • Eclectic Soul Indianapolis VOICES Corporation • MLK Center • NAMI Indiana (Indianapolis) (Indianapolis) • Children’s Bureau, Inc. (Indianapolis)

• Indiana Alliance of YMCAs (Indiana)

• On Our Sleeves: The Movement for Children’s Mental Health (Indiana)

• Public Advocates in Community Re-Entry (PACE) (Indianapolis)

• Overdose Lifeline (Indianapolis)

• Reach for Youth (Indianapolis)

• Project Healthy Minds (National)

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Impact of the Pandemic on the Welfare of Animals in Boone County Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of HSforBC

While the ripples from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to show their effects on our county’s health care network, school districts, supplies, etc., there is another community partner who is also being deeply impacted by the pandemic ripples and desperately needs our help—the Humane Society for Boone County (HSforBC).

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spoke with HSforBC Executive Director Susan Austin who shared HSforBC’s specific needs and how the community can help the county’s animal shelter and programs that exist to help the county’s dogs and cats. I was surprised to learn that the issues affecting services at HSforBC go far beyond its physical location. The veterinarian and pet wellness industry as a whole has taken hard blows since 2020, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear end in sight to these rather sobering issues.

If you’re done with feeling helpless about some of these issues and are interested in helping with some of the actual “solvable” problems, Austin shared how people can make a real difference.

ADVOCATING FOR THE ANIMALS Austin explained that it was hard for her to ask for donations and assistance at the beginning of the pandemic because she was sensitive to the fact that there were children who weren’t eating because they weren’t at school to get school lunches. She didn’t want to “compete” for donor dollars against the local organizations who just as desperately needed the financial support from local residents and the business community.

“For the first six months of [2020], we didn’t ask for assistance,” Austin said. “We just made sure we kept the ‘Pet Pantry’ going and that we were able to take it out to the people in the community.”

According to Austin, HSforBC and local

veterinarians are having serious difficulties with procuring necessary vaccines for dogs and cats due to supply chain issues.

And there are simply not enough veterinarians and clinics in the area to service all of the dogs and cats that were adopted over the last two years.

“There have been plenty of times that we’ve been scrambling to find vaccines,” Austin said. “There’s also a significant delay in getting low-cost spay/neuter services. We’ve had to go to a ‘foster to adopt’ model because as of July 1, 2021, rescues and shelters are all required to alter all animals being adopted. So, we can’t complete any adoption until the animal is altered. That used to be a week or two weeks’ wait—and is now four to six weeks, sometimes eight.”

Additionally, HSforBC has seen an uptick in animal surrenders in the last year.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP HSFORBC? In addition to the hardships of finding vaccines and services for the dogs and cats in its care, HSforBC has lost several of its core volunteers as another cause/effect of the pandemic.

“We practice [COVID-19] protocols and don’t have too many people in the building all at once, but we have lost a lot of our volunteers,” Austin expressed.

“We have also recognized that we need to renovate the shelter—especially the cat area—to create the best ventilation and better temperature control. We have been sharing a 10-by-6 office for two people,

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and so we need some additional office space. We also need an extension on the back of the dog area for more dogs and more storage for the pet pantry because I don’t see the need for that going away anytime soon.”

So, how can you help HSforBC? Get tickets for this year’s Fur Ball on Saturday, Feb. 26. The annual fundraiser, presented

by TDS and HSforBC, will be held in person and will also offer a virtual component so that more people can participate regardless of their comfort thresholds.

“This year, we’ve got a limited number of tables [tables of eight], and we’re going to be practicing social distancing,” Austin explained. We’re still going to have our live and silent auctions, and for the people who want to join us [virtually], we have an in-home party kit so they can participate along with us. The silent auction will open [online] the Sunday before the event and will close at noon the Sunday after.”

For more information, event times and tickets, visit HSforBCFurBall.givesmart.com. To learn more about HSforBC’s programs and how to foster an animal or volunteer at HSforBC, visit hsforbc.org.

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Patrons holding tickets for the postponed events can elect to donate their ticket amount to the CSO or obtain a refund by calling the box office at (317) 843-3800.

A Few Words From CSO’s Artistic Director

Carmel Symphony Orchestra Shuffles Its 2021–22 Season Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Kim Kiely and Terry Bonneau

The Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is shuffling its schedule amid the current surge of COVID-19 omicron variant cases. CSO—a resident company of the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts—is in the middle of its 2021–22 season and has decided to postpone—not cancel—five upcoming concert dates in the interest of the health and safety of the community, orchestra family and its supportive audience.

Erring on the Side of Caution

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hree of the affected concerts are our family concerts,” stated Robert Schlegel III, chairman of the CSO board of directors. “Normally, at Family Fun and Side-by-Side, young people are actually on the stage with our musicians, literally side by side with them. With the current COVID surge, and with so few among the younger age groups vaccinated,

or even able to be vaccinated, our board determined that this probably isn’t the best thing to be doing at this time.”

Masterworks 4 on Saturday, March 12, and Masterworks 5 with guest artist Edgar Meyer on Saturday, April 23, will run as scheduled. The Family Fun concert, originally set for January 23, is being rescheduled for May 14. The other concerts affected by the temporary pause will be booked for the 2022–23 season.

Versatility, passion and innovation are the hallmarks of American conductor Janna Hymes. And it is more than appropriate to add flexibility and determination to that list as Hymes continues to navigate CSO through the ever-changing pandemic waters.

The new year kicked off Jan. 8 with a Palladium-based CSO Pops Concert with guest artist the great jazz trumpeter Byron Stripling. Hymes emphasized that CSO is not losing its powerful momentum this season, it just simply is hitting the pause button until March.

“All I’m thinking about right now is the safety of people,” Hymes said. “It is disheartening that we’re going through this right now, but we’re not canceling our season. We’ve already had a great start to this season playing amazing concerts, and the orchestra is on fire right now. We’re going to be playing these amazing concerts [that have been postponed], and we’re definitely making the right decision. We’ve all had to adjust and lose a little sleep, and as a leader in the arts community here, I feel like I’m making the best decisions for our organization. I see what we’re doing as smart and empathetic and putting safety first.”

Get Ready for an Outstanding March and April at CSO Experience the Exceptional this March with Beethoven’s “Leonore Overture No. 3.” This overture is one of four overtures

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Beethoven wrote for the opera “Leonore,” later named “Fidelio.” Ginastera’s “Estancia Four Dances” were written for a ballet with the dances being focused on the life of the gauchos on one of the estancias in the pampa. The concert closes with “Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korskaov.

This piece is full of glorious solo opportunities for the orchestra.

CSO’s final Experience the Exceptional concert closes as Edgar Meyer joins the CSO in performing Bottesini’s “Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra” and Meyer’s own “Concerto for Double Bass in D.” The concert also features works

by William Schuman, Scott Joplin and George Gershwin. The orchestra rounds out the evening with a performance of Badelt and Zimmer’s beloved film score “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Hymes added, “Edgar Meyer is amazing, and he’s an incredible bass player.”

Since Hymes’ arrival at CSO, the once-volunteer orchestra is now a paid

orchestra, which Hymes is incredibly proud of and explained that it raises the level of professionalism and expectations within the organization as it relates to the musicians.

“The orchestra is playing better than ever at a really high level,” Hymes expressed. “I’m so excited about the work that we’ve done together since I’ve been here [for four years] is very audible to the audience right now. I encourage everyone to check our website to see when we will be rescheduling the Harlem String Quartet and follow us on social media as well for other [postponed] concert updates.”

For up-to-date information on orchestra activities, announcements and to purchase tickets to CSO, please visit carmelsymphony.org. Sign up for CSO e-blasts and follow CSO on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for concert updates and CSO announcements. Please note, the 2022–23 CSO schedule will be announced in April.

AFFECTED CSO 2021–22 PERFORMANCES Family Fun Concert - originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 23, now is officially set for Saturday, May 14, 3 p.m. at the Palladium Masterworks 3 with the Harlem String Quartet, Saturday, Feb. 12 Beethoven Lives Upstairs: A Classical Kids Live! Event, Saturday, Feb. 19 Pops Concert: Serpentine Fire: The Music of Earth, Wind & Fire - originally scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 26, definitely will be rescheduled for next season Side-by-Side Concert with Fishers High School featuring CSO Young Artist Competition winner Abigail Ko, Sunday, March 6.

MASTERWORKS 4 March 12, 7:30 pm

Featuring the music of Beethoven, Ginastera, and the Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherezade.

MASTERWORKS 5

April 23, 7:30 pm

With guest artist Edgar Meyer, double bass, featuring the music of Shostakovich, Joplin, Gershwin and more!

Tickets start at just $18 at CarmelSymphony.org!

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‘The Big Bang’ Blasts Audiences Through the History of the World Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Ed Stewart and Courtesy of ATI

Actors Theatre of Indiana (ATI) is proud to present “The Big Bang” beginning Jan. 28 and running through Feb. 20. Bringing historical hilarity and shtick to the Studio Theater, the cast and crew of “The Big Bang” are elated to bring levity back to the stage in a professional and high-quality performance, for which ATI is renowned.

The Premise

Meet the Cast

n the living room of an elegant Park Avenue apartment in New York City, Jed and Boyd, along with their pal Albert on the piano, stage a backers’ audition for an $83.5 million, 12-hour-long musical depicting the history of the world from creation to the present.

Eighteen sidesplitting numbers portraying Adam and Eve, Attila the Hun, the building of the pyramids, Julius Caesar and Columbus, among others, give potential investors a taste of the impending extravaganza.

In the process, the opulent Park Avenue apartment “borrowed” for the occasion is trashed as the two snatch its furnishings to create makeshift costumes while singing and clowning their way through inventive re-creations of the past. This is one history lesson you’ll never forget.

John Vessels as “Boyd Graham.”

Vessels is a 30-year veteran of theater and musical theater.

He has spent the last year and a half teaching in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Ball State University.

“This production is a revisit for me—I did it in 2002 in a little theater in Florida,” Vessels shared. “It’s a shot-out-of-cannon [production]. It’s a really fast-paced show. I really love the idea of barreling through a scene, and I also particularly like playing at least a million characters in one show. It’s kind of the game of delineating between different human beings that is really fun for me. And so, the opportunity to play 10 or so humans is just a great challenge and a lot fun. It certainly keeps me on my toes.”

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Like many professional actors, Vessels doesn’t have a “favorite child” in the way of a scene in this production, but he did share that he has a special place in his heart for one special spud.

“There’s a ballad I sang to a potato that’s pretty magical,” Vessels said. “I sing this beautiful love song to the last potato in Ireland, and it’s as stupid as it sounds and it’s as wonderful as you can imagine, and I like that one a whole lot.”

Vessels also shared his thoughts on working with ATI. “It always feels like a family affair,” Vessels said. “There’s always so much joy and love attached to the process here, and so I just keep coming back.”

Darrin Murrell as “Jed Feuer.”

Murrell has worked as a professional actor, director, producer and educator for over 35 years with theaters all across the country, including extensive work in previous ATI productions and several productions in Indianapolis, Chicago and Portland, Oregon.

“Like most artists, I was completely out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, so this is one of the first opportunities for me to get back out onto the stage,” Murrell said. “But more than that, it is a new show to me. It’s one that I had never heard of, never read about and had never seen. That’s pretty rare, having been in the business for 35 years. There’s not much in the catalogs that I haven’t been involved with one way or the other, so it’s always exciting to do something new. It’s right in my wheelhouse in terms of the kind of entertainment and performance style that I enjoy. I’m a character actor, and so my role is usually to come into one or two scenes, do a song and then head back to the dressing room. So, it’s rare for somebody of my character type to have the opportunity to share the lead of a show. That presented a challenge for me that I generally don’t get to tackle, and I’ve been excited to see if all the muscles and memory were there to climb that hill, and thankfully—it looks like it’s happened!”

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Murrell echoed his co-lead’s sentiments on working with ATI. “The actors get to really be in front of the production,” Murrell stated. “The founding members [of ATI] are all actors, and often, there is a lot of focus on doing larger shows that are traditionally done in larger scale, but ATI pulls them to the intimacy of the Studio Theater. Here it’s the acting that’s up front and drives the show—not that the production levels aren’t brilliant because they are.”

Brent E. Marty as “Albert” and serving as music director of this program. Marty has been actively involved in the Indianapolis arts community for over 20 years working with several local organizations as a director, musical director, performer, instructor and accompanist. He currently serves as director of music and education for Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, where he has music directed and supervised over 80 productions and administrates the state’s largest classroom-based theater education program.

“I’m the music director and I’m also the orchestra, which consists of a piano because we’re in these people’s apartment and they just happen to have a piano,” Marty quipped. “My role is not one that is scripted really, but I do have a spectacular entrance and I play the piano, which is something I love to do.”

Marty has performed for many of the local venues since the return of audiences

“Bringing people back to the theater is to local theater and shows in Carmel and super important,” Blatt emphasized. “This shared his observations on the communiis a fun piece—it is not Shakespeare. This ty’s unwavering support of the local arts is something you can come see and have and arts organizations. a really good time. It’s sort of a take on “There’s been a focus on the arts, and the history of the world through these the mayor has put a focus on it, promotcrazy guys’ eyes, and it’s also a celebration ing it and building the Center [for the Perof theater. It’s super exciting to celebrate forming Arts] along with the city, which New York, musical theater and keeping has been amazing,” Marty expressed. “I show business alive at this time.” think that is rare in a lot of circumstances Blatt also shared how important it is when you’re not in a big city. People to celebrate the element of humor and to here seem to understand science bring it back to the stage. and have been willing to get “I’m a SAG voter, and I watched all the vaccinated, and that helps that movies [after the pandemic commenced] they’re willing to do that and and everything was so dark, grim and sad,” can support the arts again. It Blatt recalled. “I was like, ‘Why aren’t peojust shows that the arts are an ple returning to comedies?’ I think important part of peoples’ we’re going to start to see that everyday lives in this comnow. We’ve gone through this munity.” period of mourning in the arts, Michael Blatt, director. and I think it’s the perfect time Blatt is a native Hoosier and a for comedy. There’s nothing like New York City-based director, sitting in the audience and everyproducer and theater educator. one going through the cathartic As a director, Blatt has worked in Michael Blatt, experience of theater—together.”

Bergen, Norway, where he directDirector This play is rated PG-13. It will ed a new Norwegian translation be performed at The Studio Theater locatof Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Sound ed in The Center for the Performing Arts of Music.” Michael is a co-founder of Little in Carmel. As the pandemic continues, Red Light Theatre, an off-off-Broadway ticket buyers agree to follow all health theater company specializing in intimate and safety protocols in the Center’s venmusicals. Other directing credits include ues, including face coverings and proof of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling vaccination or testing.

Bee” and “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” for ATI. He is a proud member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA Tickets are available at atistage.org or by calling the box ofand SDC. For more on Michael Blatt, visit fice at The Center for the Performing Arts at (317) 843-3800.

MichaelBlatt.info.

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THE STORY BEHIND THE ALBUM

Michael Feinstein’s Latest Album

‘ G e r s h w i n C o u n t r y ’ R e l e a s e s T h i s M a r c h Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Art Streiber

Fans of Grammy- and Emmy-nominated entertainer Michael Feinstein and of George and Ira Gershwin will be elated that Feinstein’s latest album, “Gershwin Country,” will be officially released on March 11, 2022! This exceptional collection of Gershwin songs—reimagined— is executive produced by Feinstein’s longtime friend and collaborator Liza Minnelli and will also delight country music fans as the album boasts an all-star lineup of some of country music’s greatest stars, such as Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, Lyle Lovett, Rosanne Cash and many others.

George Gershwin (1898–1937) not only composed some of the 20th century’s most important orchestral works (“Rhapsody in Blue,” “An American in Paris”), he also wrote the groundbreaking English-language opera “Porgy & Bess” (including the hit “Summertime”) before finding great success in popular music, collaborating with his brother, lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896–1983).

Together, the brothers would go on to write some of the most influential songs of the era, forever changing the landscape of American musical theater.

In 1924, the brothers collaborated on the stage musical comedy “Lady Be Good” (“Fascinating Rhythm” and “Oh, Lady Be Good!”) followed by “Oh, Kay!,” “Funny Face” (1927) and “Strike Up the Band” (1927). Later, with the rise of musical films, the Gershwins brought their talents to Hollywood—writing more than two dozen scores for the stage and screen before George’s untimely death at 38.

Gershwin’s influence on Feinstein cannot be overstated. “As a person who became besotted with [George] Gershwin long ago, I cannot be objective of his work, nor of his brother Ira’s, for it all goes too deep into my soul,” says the singer and pianist. “From the time I first heard them decades ago, the songs have felt personal, and as I have sung them through the years, they have become multifaceted diamonds, revealing new angles of truth and depth with every exploration.”

At 20, Feinstein began a six-year tenure with Ira, serving as his assistant and archivist, among other roles. That pivotal experience informed the musician’s career—inspiring his broadly acclaimed 1987 debut, “Pure Gershwin,” and encouraging him to become the preeminent educator, archivist, interpreter and ambassador of the Great American Songbook.

As an extension of his work, Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation (headquartered in Carmel’s Center for the Performing Arts) which works to preserve and elevate America’s rich musical legacy. He also serves on the Library of Congress’s National Recording Preservation Board, an

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organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s sound recording heritage.

When asked how “Gershwin Country” came to be realized, Feinstein said, “A lot of things happen artistically because of instinct for me. And in the case of this recording, it really was just an idea that sprouted as one of many. When I was trying to decide what I wanted my next recording project to be, the idea came to take Gershwin’s songs and reinterpret them in a country mode. Part of that idea certainly came from my friendship with Maya Angelou and visit with her in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was a huge fan of country music, which might surprise people that don’t know a lot about her musical tastes, which were incredibly eclectic.”

Feinstein continued, “It was there that I really focused in on the thought that the greatest interpreters of lyrics, the best storytellers of popular music are country singers. The idea then came to take Gershwin’s songs and recast them in a way that could conceivably have interest for a different or a larger audience, and that’s the genesis of the album.”

THE COLLABORATION PROCESS Feinstein explained that initially setting the album lineup and pairing the artists with the tracks on this particular album was equivalent to putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

“Not being sure if I had all the pieces, it certainly was challenging casting the album song-wise,” Feinstein shared.

“I started by making lists of voices that I adore and ones that I thought might be interesting for these songs. The first people I thought of were Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton.”

From that point, Feinstein sought out the best talents in the genre, including his venerable co-producer Kyle Lehning, who has helmed projects for Kenny Rogers, Faith Hill and Randy Travis, among many others. Lehning, in turn, assembled some of Nashville’s most esteemed musicians to back the sessions, including Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar, mandolin), Steve Brew-

ster (drums), Viktor Krauss (bass) and Kerry Marx (electric guitar).

Feinstein added, “Once Kyle was on board, the project was a true reality, and it was with his help that I was able to contact the rest of the performers who ultimately appear on the album. And I don’t want to forget that Liza [Minnelli] became the executive producer of the album because when I was talking to her about [the album] she offered to help. She was amazing in how she went through the songs and had different ideas about how they should be interpreted.”

Feinstein shared that his friend Liza not only grew up with Gershwin’s songs but her famed director father, Vincente Minnelli, was very close to the Gershwin brothers. The renowned director was not only close friends with both George and Ira but also chose the younger Gershwin brother to be Liza’s godfather.

“Gershwin Country” closes with a poignant duet of “Embraceable You”

by Feinstein and Liza Minnelli.

“Liza had the perspective and understanding of the songs that made it perfect for her to be artistically involved,” Feinstein stated. “So, all of those elements brought ‘Gershwin Country’ together.

Every single one of these cuts on the record has a very specific musical road map or routine where I am singing in harmony with the singers and we’re doing something purposeful that gives the song a reason for being sung as a duet.”

The process of pairing the artists with the songs on “Gershwin Country” was truly a collaborative effort.

“Some of the artists didn’t know Gershwin, and that’s understandable because there’s a lot of country music that I don’t know,” Feinstein humbly shared. “Some of the artists said ‘Yes’ because they know my work and wanted to sing with me.

Some made suggestions of which songs they wanted to sing, and others left it to me to choose the songs. In most cases, the artists asked me to suggest the songs. Half the songs were recorded in person with the duet partners and the other half were done virtually because of the pandemic, but there was close input with everyone.

It was the subtlety of interpretation that

GERSHWIN COUNTRY ALBUM TRACKS “Love Is Here to Stay” featuring Dolly Parton

“I’ve Got a Crush on You” featuring Rosanne Cash

“Someone to Watch Over Me” featuring Alison Krauss

“I Got Rhythm” featuring Brad Paisley “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” featuring Amy Grant

“Clap Yo’ Hands” featuring Lyle Lovett “How Long Has This Been Going On?” featuring Mandy Barnett

“Fascinating Rhythm” featuring The Time Jumpers with Vince Gill

“Soon” featuring Lee Ann Womack “Oh, Lady Be Good!” featuring Ronnie Milsap

“Embraceable You” featuring Liza Minnelli

made it so delicious for both of us going back and saying, ‘Let’s try this phrase this way,’ or ‘Let’s change the key here,’ or ‘Let’s go up a step or do a vocal flourish.’ It was the most gratifying experience to come up with an idea and immediately have these genius musicians say, ‘Oh, you mean like this?’ and just play it!”

A RENEWED APPRECIATION FOR THE GERSHWINS AND THE ARTS IN GENERAL This latest musical masterpiece created

by Feinstein and his fellow collaborators not only introduces the iconic music of the Gershwin brothers to an entire new genre of music, the album also exposes a larger demographic and younger generations to the best of a bygone musical era.

As the ambassador of the Great American Songbook, Feinstein is excited about the exposure and about bringing the Gershwin name front and center of today’s mainstream music scene via the country music genre.

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“I think most artists would agree that the pandemic has made the appreciation for music and the arts, greater,” Feinstein expressed. “It has given us a deeper understanding of how art unifies people in a way that is beyond words. It gives us a feeling of hope, optimism and belief that there is a greater force at hand to help us. To have the opportunity to make a recording through this time was not only purposeful, but it bonded me with various artists in different ways. It gave us an opening to talk about our spiritual beliefs and what music means to us. Music is a sacred thing. Even a simple 32-bar popular song has the power to transform in a way that none of us will ever take for granted again.”

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Available for preorder now on CD and digital, “Gershwin Country” hits stores March 11—with a portion of all proceeds benefitting MusiCares, a partner of the

Recording Academy that provides a support system of health and human services across a spectrum of needs, including physical and mental health, addiction recovery, preventative clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief to the music community.

And kicking off early 2022, Feinstein will also honor Liza’s mother, Judy Garland, with a tour devoted to the beloved star on her centennial. For more album presale information and a full list of tour dates, visit MichaelFeinstein.com.

“It is my hope and intention to bring this tour to Carmel,” Feinstein said. “I’m proud of what we’ve put together, and I can certainly visualize it easily at the Palladium [in Carmel] with the large

screen projections of Liza’s family photographs and home videos that complement the musical portion of the program. So, I hope very much to bring it locally, and if not locally, it will certainly be somewhere nearby.”

Tickets are already on sale at thecenterpresents.org for Feinstein’s upcoming performance at the Center for the Performing Arts with guest artist Sandi Patty on May 7, 2022.

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‘The 39 Steps’ T he C i v i c Th eatre Presen ts

Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Courtesy of Civic

February 4–19, 2021

Show Times: Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays @ 7 p.m. / Sundays @ 2 p.m.

The Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre is pleased to present “The 39 Steps” this February.

Adapted by Patrick Barlow / From the novel by John Buchan

WHAT IS “THE 39 STEPS”? ix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have “The 39 Steps,” a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theater! This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four), an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance! In “The 39 Steps,” a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy.

M

When he takes her home, she is murdered.

Soon, a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale! A riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft, “The 39 Steps” amounts to an unforgettable evening of pure pleasure!

I interviewed the director John Goodson and cast members Matt Kraft, Haley Glickmann, Eric Reiberg and John Walls, who shared their passion for not only this outstanding production but also for The Civic with whom they are proud to be affiliated.

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ing to watch a kid learn to walk. It’s the concept of “You’re going to fall down and it’s going to be a mess, but it’s going to be so much fun to watch!” They are not only actors but all of our crew. They move everything that’s on the stage, so while they’re acting, they have all the other elements that they have to work with, so it’s a lot of rehearsing over and over again.

It’s like watching those sketch comedy shows where you just don’t know what’s coming next and it’s meant to look like that.

Director John Goodson

Eric Reigberg

JANELLE MORRISON: The Civic, as we know, brings in first-rate community theater productions and exceptional talent to central Indiana. As we look to be entertained for an evening and forget about the world’s problems for a few hours, what can your audiences expect to experience?

JOHN GOODSON: “The 39 Steps” is hysterically funny! It taps into intergenerational comedy, which I think is great because you’re paying homage to really old comedy styles and some [styles] that are more ’50s and ’60s TV sitcom humor. It’s fast-paced and irreverent in a lot of ways, which makes it light and easy to jump into. But there’s good heart in all of it.

It’s not just silly fluff—there’s a lot of meaningful parts.

JM: Eric, what are some of the main char-

JM: It’s cathartic to laugh again, isn’t it?

GOODSON: It’s important that we’re able to laugh at the absurdity of the extreme and at the horrible situation that we’re all living in. When you sit in a theater and you cry, you probably feel like you’re alone, but when you laugh, you always know that you’re laughing with everyone else and that’s one of the things that differentiates us from all the other animals. We’re able to communicate that way, and so there is catharsis in crying, but there is huge catharsis in laughter as well, and that is delightful.

JM: The four-member cast is not only

having to learn and develop four different characters in this production but several characters and personalities per actor.

That takes a remarkable level of skill and talent, doesn’t it?

GOODSON: This is four people trying to do the impossible, which is a joy to watch. It’s like try-

acters you’re portraying?

ERIC REIBERG: I’m playing quite a few. I’m playing the master of ceremonies, a salesperson, a police officer, a professor who is also a German spy, a sheriff, a kind of mob wise guy, an inspector and other [roles]. I’m constantly moving throughout this production.

JM: How are you managing all of your varying roles as you develop them?

Haley Glickmann

REIBERG: Each character in this production gets

JM: Haley, you’re originally from Carmel

and a graduate of Carmel High School.

What made you want to audition for this production of “The 39 Steps”?

HALEY GLICKMANN: [primary characters: Pamela/Annabella/Margaret]: I recently came back to Indiana. I was in New York for about five years. I actually did this production in high school, and so I know the show and love it. I love comedy and love to laugh, so that’s what sort of drew me to this [production]. I play Annabella, who’s a spy, and Margaret, who’s a Scottish housewife, and Pamela, who is just a regular British citizen living her life. It’s nice to be in a place where we can do theater and do something communally, which is something that we really lost at the beginning of the pandemic.

delineated with a different regional accent of some kind, a dialect, as well as to have some sort of particular physicality to it that’s different between each role. Even if they’re not the best dialects—it’s a comedy, so I’m not trying to convince anyone that I’m truly from that location.

And with each character, I pick a different role model or some other fictional character or some other actor to pattern [my character] off of as a reference point so I don’t lose who the character is in the clouds. At least that’s my approach.

JM: Do you have a favorite character or is

one role more challenging than another?

GLICKMANN: I love them [the characters] all equally. They’re all very different women, but they’re all sort of seeking out similar things.

My parts are mainly the love interests, and it’s always nice to have a happy love story.

Matt Kraft

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JM: Matt, can you describe your primary

character, Richard Hannay?

MATT KRAFT: I’m playing Richard Hannay, who is kind of the protagonist of the story. He’s someone who is back home after having been away from London. He’s got a good life. He’s got money in the bank but is really feeling kind of stuck as far as excitement is concerned. He’s just going through his daily life where each day is like the last. He meets this woman—played

by Haley—who brings him into this whirlwind spy story and throws everything out of whack.

She sends him on this adventure, so that’s kind of my favorite character that I’m playing.

JM: What drew you to The Civic’s produc-

tion of “The 39 Steps” and compelled you to audition?

KRAFT: With everything that’s going on in the world and is still going on, I feel like people do need a reason to laugh and just to have fun.

“The 39 Steps” is really light and zany, and it’s really fun. I think people are going to be blown away by this whirlwind of a show. There’s a lot going on and there’s a lot of laughs, and I think that’s what people really need right now.

SHUTTERS

ity production, so if you get a chance to do something here—you should.

JM: What makes this production more

John Walls

JM: John, you are no stranger to Civic productions, are you?

JOHN WALLS: I think this is my fifth production with Civic. I came back to performing about 10 years ago. My first show back after being off stage for about 20 years was Civic’s “Guys and Dolls,” and I played Nathan Detroit. I’ve always been drawn to comedy, so this show presented an opportunity for that, and Civic just has such a high standard and high-qual-

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challenging than roles you’ve portrayed in other plays and/or musicals?

WALLS: This is easily the most technically challenging role I’ve ever taken on because there are so many [roles]. I’m one of what they call “clowns,” but it means that I play about 20 or 30 different roles throughout the show. I’ve learned a lot doing this show so far, and it’s been a great experience but super challenging, and I love that part of it! The roles that I’m enjoying personifying the most are a character called the “Crofter,” which is basically a Scottish word for farmer. He’s this old farmer that is described as ancient and surly. I think that’s a character I can pull off pretty easily. I also play a female innkeeper who’s a Scottish lady as well, and that has been a blast because you can go completely over the top with that role and have some fun with it.

Do not miss this production of “The 39 Steps”! For performance dates/times and ticket information, visit thecenterpresents.org.

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AJ VINATIERI W o r k i n g T o C r e at e H i s O w n L e g a c y O n A n d O f f T h e F i e l d Writer // Janelle Morrison • Photography // Laura Arick, Tom Marron Photography and submitted

This month, we are proud to feature Zionsville Community High School (ZCHS) Senior AJ Vinatieri—the son of former Indianapolis Colts placekicker and NFL legend Adam Vinatieri—about what developing his own name and legacy has been like so far and what the future looks like for the talented kicker.

DEVELOPING HIS OWN LEGACY

W

hen Vinatieri was a young boy, he played for the Carmel Dads’ Club. As he continued to develop different skills and explored a variety of football positions, he didn’t set out to become a kicker—it all came together for him organically.

“When we got to the age where we could start doing kickoffs, one of my coaches was like, ‘Who wants to kick?’ and everyone was like, ‘Oh, I’m sure AJ does,’ and everyone kind of laughed,” Vinatieri recalled.

“And I said, ‘OK—I’ll give it a shot.’ I started kicking, and I realized I had a strong leg but I did not know what I was doing. As time went on and into middle school, I was our punter, kickoff guy and field goal guy.”

Prior to football, Vinatieri shared that he thought he would pursue baseball. But his love of football superseded his love of baseball. Vinatieri also admitted that he kicked because the team needed a kicker, not necessarily because he had developed a passion for the position—yet.

“I had also played defensive end, offensive tackle and tight end,” Vinatieri shared. “I was looking to be more of a position player. My freshman year [at Carmel High School], we had kicker tryouts, and I became the field goal kicker, punter and also did kickoffs. After my freshman year was when I realized that I actually enjoyed doing this [kicking]. I started working with my dad [Adam] my sophomore year, and that was when we really started working on my kicking.”

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Vinatieri moved from Carmel to Zionsville as he was entering his junior year of high school. He shared thoughts on that transition and how the Zionsville community and ZCHS coaches, staff and team welcomed him with open arms. And although he is the son of NFL royalty and is highly respected—ZCHS football head coach Scott Turnquist made it clear to Vinatieri that he would have to earn his spot on the team, just like all the other players.

“I’ve always felt like I was a very outgoing person, and I always try to meet new people,” Vinatieri said. “I figured it wasn’t going to be too difficult for me to make friends when I moved [to Zionsville]. When you play football, it’s a team sport—a brotherhood. You build bonds on and off the field. And going into my

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THE VALUE OF COMMITMENT, COMMUNITY AND FAMILY SUPPORT

junior year, I really started to mature, and I realized I needed to be willing to make new friends and needed to be committed to the team that really welcomed me with open arms.”

Vinatieri continued, “When I first moved here and first tried out for the team, coach TQ [Turnquist] told me, ‘I know who your dad is, and I respect your dad and I respect you, but just because that’s who your dad is, you still have to

work and earn you spot on this team.’ I respected that so much. Nothing in life should be given to you. You should always have to work your butt off to succeed. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who my dad is. Coach TQ said to me that I am my own person, and he wants to see me build my own legacy. Everyone always asks if I’m going to be as good as my dad, but I’m just trying to be the best version of myself.”

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Vinatieri and his fellow classmates have navigated through some interesting high school experiences throughout the pandemic. Vinatieri shared that it made better relationships with his fellow teammates and made the “wins” even more special.

Vinatieri also noted how important the community support was throughout the last two seasons.

“It gives me chills thinking about when we went to state our junior year and how crazy that whole year was,” Vinatieri said.

“Our entire team went through so much, and we had to deal with a lot of sacrifices.

We couldn’t be in public places going to parties, having parties and doing things that teenagers normally do because we couldn’t risk getting COVID-19. That could’ve been the end of our season, so we all held each other accountable and leaned on each other. That was huge. We couldn’t have the seasons we had without every single person on the team following the rules.”

When the ZCHS made it to the state games Vinatieri’s junior and senior years, he shared how impactful it was to the entire team to see the community come out and root for the team as they headed down to the championship game.

“That was huge seeing the community in how they supported us with the parades and stuff like that,” Vinatieri said reflectively. “We were on the buses driving to the state game, and all the fans and supporters were lined up through downtown [Zionsville] almost all the way to where we got on the highway. It was honestly emotional. I was looking around to see my teammates reacting. I had tears in my eyes, and I was watching other people cry because we realized that at the end of the day, football is bigger than a sport. It builds relationships and brings a community together.”

Having the support of both of Vinatieri’s parents has been immeasurable to the young athlete. And having his father to help prepare him for the next chapter of his life and athletic career will prove to be even more invaluable.

“My dad’s been telling me that wherever I go, it needs to be the best fit for me,”

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Vinatieri shared. “He also tells me that you need an education because football doesn’t last forever. If you’re lucky enough to play as long as he did and make a career out of it, that’s awesome, but you always have to have a backup plan. He also tells me things like I have to have fun in college too because these will be some of the best years of my life and that I have to enjoy it. It takes the weight off of my shoulder a little bit when he tells me things like that.”

The bond between Vinatieri and his mother, Valeri, is equally as strong as his bond with his iconic father.

“My mom is a great woman and has been so supportive of me along this journey,” Vinatieri expressed. “She and I love to go on walks, and we just talk and talk.

She’s not only a great mother, but she’s also like a best friend to me. I tell her everything, and being able to have that with your mom is huge because she’s gotten me through so many things, and I would not be the man I am today without her.”

THE OFFERS HAVE BEEN POURING IN At the time of publishing, Vinatieri had received 17 offers from the nation’s best universities and football programs, including an offer from his father’s alma mater, South Dakota State.

We won’t know which offer Vinatieri will accept until National Signing Day on Feb. 2, 2022. But he did share his top five that he’s carefully weighing out.

“Not in any particular order, my top five is LSU, IU, University of Massachusetts, University of Miami and South Dakota State,” Vinatieri said. “This recruiting [process] has been about every emotion. It’s frustrating, it’s exciting, it’s stressful, but it’s a blessing and I’m super grateful for it.”

When asked if the fact that Brian Kelly and Brian Polian (formerly with the University of Notre Dame) are now at LSU has had any influence on his decision-making process, Vinatieri admitted that it is definitely a factor that he is considering, but again, he hasn’t made his final decision yet.

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World Class Cabaret at Carmel City Center

February 4 & 5

JOHN LLOYD YOUNG He’s back! John Lloyd Young is the Tony and Grammy award-winning Frankie Valli from Broadway’s Jersey Boys as well as the star of the Clint Eastwood directed Warner Bros film. John Lloyd Young: Modern Classics is a celebration of classic hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s presented in the authentic acoustic style of original rock ‘n’ roll, Doo-Wop and R&B standards. Along with tracks from John Lloyd Young’s critically acclaimed debut album “My Turn” the show features “Sherry”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me”, “In the Still of the Night” along with treasures in shades of Goodfellas, James Bond, David Lynch and spaghetti westerns from Roy Orbison to The Platters, the Righteous Brothers to Paul McCartney, Adele to Luther Vandross, Little Anthony, Elvis, Tom Jones and more.

February 14

ANTHONY NUNZIATA Back by popular demand for a very special Valentine’s performance. Anthony Nunziata is back in Carmel with “The Italian Broadway Valentine’s Show!” Nunziata’s glorious voice will be serenading you with timeless songs from the Italian, Broadway, American Songbook and jazz/pop repertoires. In between his songs, Nunziata will have you in stitches with his irreverent and witty banter and his take on life growing up in New York with his fun-loving Italian/Irish/German-American family.

March 25 & 26

MARK WILLIAM

“Back With A Beat” Features timeless songs from the Great American Songbook, Broadway, and beyond. Mark William glides from Jule Styne to Peter Allen to Cher with charismatic ease and a spring in his step. He hypnotizes with a set of enduring classics, filtered through Mark’s fresh perspective and talent set.

For tickets go to feinsteinshc.com or scan QR

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February 10

DAVE DUGAN

We have the pleasure of hosting comedian Dave Dugan February 10! Seen on HBO, Comedy Central, Fox and a regular on the nationally-syndicated Bob and Tom Show (with over 250 appearances). Dave’s new comedy special “Human Cannonball” is now featured on Dry Bar Comedy - the very popular comedy streaming site for CLEAN comedians! “Clean humor with imaginative angles. A very engaging comedian who is also extremely quick on his feet!” The Los Angeles Time

Rescheduled

ERIKA HENNINGSEN

Erika Henningsen who most recently was seen starring as Cady Heron in the Tony-nominated hit musical Mean Girls. Her show, Raise Your Standards celebrates the songs and musical stylings that have stood the test of time and become go-to standards for Broadway’s Erika Henningsen. This show will be rescheduled to a later date than originally announced.

For the new date, check https://www.feinsteinshc.com/.

April 7 & 8

LUCIE ARNAZ

For nearly three decades, Lucie Arnaz has toured her critically acclaimed nightclub acts throughout the United States and Europe, making stops in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, Miami, Feintein’s at the Regency and 54 Below, Birdland Jazz and the Caf Carlyle in New York, and now Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael. Join Lucie performing with Music Director Ron Abel this April!

1 Carmichael Square, Carmel, IN

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