Program - The Second City Guide to the Symphony

2016/17 Season Colorado Symphony Presenting Sponsor: Arrow Electronics

POPS • 2016-2017 THE SECOND CITY GUIDE TO THE SYMPHONY COLORADO SYMPHONY CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor JEFFREY BIEGEL, piano MEMBERS OF THE SECOND CITY MARTIN ADAMS, ensemble ASHLEY BOTTING, ensemble ANDREW DOLLAR, stage manager CARLY HEFFERNAN, ensemble, co-writer ALLISON PRICE, ensemble

CONNOR THOMPSON, ensemble MATTHEW REID, composer, sound designer, co-writer, piano KEVIN VIDAL, ensemble MATTHEW BARAM, host

This Weekend’s Concert is Gratefully Dedicated to City & County of Denver - Parking Operations

Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 7:30 pm Boettcher Concert Hall

BIG OPENING NUMBER FIRST DATE UNCLE GUSTAV FIDDLING AROUND KEY OF LIFE MEANWHILE IN THE FOYER IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU ZARATHUSTRA’S CHILDREN SUPERFLAUT

PDQ BACH Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra WHERE’S THE BEEF? COMPOSERS -or- WHY AM I HERE? NEW FRIENDS LOVE SONG BOYS WILL BE BOYS BIG CLOSING NUMBER

— Intermission — Written by: Carly Jeffernan, Scott Montgomery, Matthew Reid, and Klaus Schuller Original music composed by: Matthew Reid Directed by: Chris Earle First produced in collaboration with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Peter Oundjian Executive Producer: Andrew Alexander Associate Producer: Sophie Santerre Stylist: Laura Gardner

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POPS BIOGRAPHIES CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor Australian conductor Christopher Dragon is in his second season as the Associate Conductor of the Colorado Symphony and commences his position as Principal Guest Conductor with the Denver Young Artists Orchestra. For three years, Christopher previously held the position of Assistant Conductor with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, which gave him the opportunity to work closely with Principal Conductor Asher Fisch. Christopher works regularly in Australia and has conducted the Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. His 2015 debut performance at the Sydney Opera House with Josh Pyke and the Sydney Symphony has been released on CD by ABC Music. In 2017, Christopher returns to the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for a subscription concert. In 2016, he made his Brazilian conducting debut with the Orquestra Sinfônica de Porto Alegre. He has also conducted at numerous festivals including the Breckenridge and Bangalow Music Festivals, both resulting with invitations to return.

At the beginning of 2016, Christopher conducted Wynton Marsalis’ Swing Symphony as part of the Perth International Arts Festival alongside Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra. In 2014, Christopher was selected from 100 international applicants to conduct the Princess Galyani Vadhana Youth Orchestra in Thailand and earlier that year participated in the Jarvi Winter Academy in Estonia where he was awarded the Orchestra’s Favourite Conductor Prize.

Christopher began his conducting studies in 2011 and was a member of the prestigious Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program under the guidance of course director Christopher Seaman. He has also studied with numerous distinguished conductors including Leonid Grin, Paavo and Neeme Jarvi at the Jarvi Summer Festival, Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival and conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.

JEFFREY BIEGEL, piano In 2015, Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA, conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters upon Biegel for his achievements as the most respected prolific artist of his generation in performance, recordings, chamber music collaborator, champion of new music, composer, arranger, and educator. As a pioneer in joining multiple orchestras as a model for commissioning new music, Biegel created the first largest consortium of orchestras in 1998 for Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Millennium Fantasy. This project premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2000, followed by Tony award-winning composer Charles Strouse’s Concerto America with the Boston Pops. Through 2018, Biegel will premiere pop music icon Jimmy Webb’s new work for piano and orchestra with Orchestra Kentucky, and PDQ Bach’s Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra by Peter Schickele. An avid composer, Biegel’s choral music is published by the Hal Leonard Corporation, Carl Fischer, Porfiri & Horvath, and The LeDor Group.

Leonard Bernstein said of pianist Jeffrey Biegel: “He played fantastic Liszt. He is a splendid musician and a brilliant performer.” These comments launched Biegel’s 1986 New York recital debut as the third recipient of the Juilliard William Petschek Piano Debut Award in Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. He studied at The Juilliard School with Adele Marcus, herself a pupil of Josef Lhevinne and Artur Schnabel, and is currently on faculty at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, a City University of New York (CUNY).

PROGRAM 2 SOUNDINGS 2016-2017 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG

introducing...

BRETT MITCHELL, recently appointed Music Director Designate for the Colorado Symphony!

Get to know the Colorado Symphony’s Music Director Designate Brett Mitchell when he appears on the podium for 5 concerts during the 2016/17 Season!

See all the concerts and subscribe to this package today at the Box Office or buy now at coloradosymphony.org!

Photo: Roger Mastroianni

POPS BIOGRAPHIES THE SECOND CITY / THE TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The Second City Guide to the Symphony debuted with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) in late 2014 and makes its first North American tour in the 2016/2017 Season. Founded in 1922, the TSO is one of Toronto’s—and Canada’s—most important cultural institutions, recognized internationally and active as a distinguished supporter of new Canadian and international work.

The Second City has delighted audiences for more than 55 years as the world’s premier comedy theatre, with resident stages in Toronto and Chicago and touring companies all over the world.

The TSO and The Second City are pleased to present this unique collaboration, with the hope of sharing the symphony with comedy fans and vice versa.

KLAUS SCHULLER – Producer, Co-writer Klaus Schuller is the Producer and Executive Director of The Second City Canada. He has produced dozens of shows for The Second City, including the recent smash hit The Hotline Always Blings Twice and Global TV’s The Second City Project. As a writer, he has written and composed several musicals for young audiences, as well as animation properties for Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, and Viacom. Klaus would like to thank Victor Borge and Peter Schickele for proving that classical music is hilarious.

SCOTT MONTGOMERY – Co-writer Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Scott is a writer, producer, (sometimes) actor, and alumnus of The Second City Toronto. He’s also a member of Falcon Powder, a friendship-based comedy experiment with whom he co-created, wrote, executive-produced, and starred in the online series The Whole Truths, which you can (and should!) check out at CBC Comedy. Select credits include: Writer, Odd Squad (PBS/TVO); Writer/ Executive Story Editor, Young Drunk Punk (Rogers); Writer/Co-Executive Producer, Ron James: Fast Forward and Ron James The Big Picture (CBC); Writer/Co-Executive Producer, The Ron James Show seasons 2-5 (CBC); Creator/Writer/Producer for the web series Canadian History Minute and Your Path To Enlightenment; and Senior Writer/ Correspondent, The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos (CBC).

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POPS BIOGRAPHIES CARLY HEFFERNAN – Ensemble, Co-Writer Carly Heffernan is thrilled to once again play a part in bringing together the symphony and The Second City. She is an alumna of the Second City Toronto, where she wrote and performed in four hit revues. Television credits include The Other Kingdom, Lost & Found Music Studios, Spun Out, Odd Squad, But I’m Chris Jericho, The L.A. Complex, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Carly has written for George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight, Royal Canadian Air Farce, and CBC Radio’s The Irrelevant Show. She is a former member of the award-winning sketch troupe The Sketchersons and the all-female, award-nominated comedy cocktail She Said What!

MATTHEW REID – Composer, Sound Designer, Co-Writer, Piano Matthew Reid has been composing music and making comedy since the time he was too short to ride on roller coasters. For ten years, he composed and performed songs and live soundtracks for Toronto’s world famous Second City comedy theatre. He’s also the award-winning composer of Derek Frey’s (head of Tim Burton Productions) criticallyacclaimed film Green Lake. In addition, Matt has composed and licensed his music for film, television, games, web series, art galleries, museum exhibits, clown operas, and pyrotechnical circus events. To boot, he composed an auto-tune version of John Cage’s 4’33.” Seriously. Check it out on YouTube. As a comedian, he contributed years of jokes and insights to Second City productions, and his critically-acclaimed sketch duo, Reid Along with Browning, has been making very weird things since 1999. Hey, for all you investors willing to take a risk, they recently created a musical version of Fargo. Surprisingly hummable!

CHRIS EARLE – Director Chris Earle is thrilled to be a part of this unique collaboration between the Colorado Symphony and The Second City. A veteran Toronto-based director, playwright, and actor, he has worked and played with The Second City for over two decades, directing eight Mainstage revues including The Hotline Always Blings Twice and the Canadian Comedy Award-winners Sixteen Scandals and Something Wicked Awesome This Way Comes. His plays include Democrats Abroad (NYC Fringe Excellence Award), Russell Hill (seven Dora nominations including Outstanding New Play), Radio :30 (Dora Award – Outstanding New Play, Chalmers Award), Big Head Goes to Bed (co-written with Shari Hollett), as well as a slew of scripts for Ross Petty’s annual panto musicals, including Peter Pan in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Robin Hood (Dora nomination – Outstanding New Musical). His work as an actor includes appearances for Tarragon Theatre (The Trouble with Mr. Adams, Miracle Mother, Faust, Russell Hill); Theatre Columbus (The Knee Plays 2, Doubt); Crows Theatre; Theatre Passe Muraille; the Blyth Festival; and numerous shows for the Toronto Fringe.

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POPS BIOGRAPHIES MATT BARAM – Host Matt Baram is a veteran of the legendary Second City Comedy Theatre in Toronto, where he wrote and performed in six Mainstage revues. He has also performed in both dramatic and comedic plays across Canada, and is a recipient of the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Improvisor.

His award-winning theatre company, The National Theatre of The World, is renowned all over Europe, where he continues to tour and teach improvisation. Matt was part of the ensemble cast of Seed, a sitcom for CityTV and the CW, and played Mr. Stark on Nickelodeon’s Make It Pop. He also plays Dr. Van Chris in the new Suicide Squad movie. For more information about Matt’s company, visit www.thenationaltheatreoftheworld.com

ASHLEY BOTTING – Ensemble Ashley Botting is an alumna of The Second City Mainstage, where she wrote and performed in four revues, including How to Kill A Comedian and Sixteen Scandals. Other theatre credits include One Night Only, a completely improvised two-act musical (Klifffer Entertainment); Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish (Studio180); The Second City Guide to the Symphony (Roy Thomson Hall, 2014); Impromptu Splendour: Improvised Sondheim (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre); Chicago Sketchfest. TV credits include Straight Talk (CTV News Channel), Odd Squad (TVO/PBS), Schitt’s Creek (CBC), and Coming In (CBC Punchline). Ashley has animated The Ridonculous Race, Arthur, Beywheelz, Z-Squad, and written for NOW Magazine, The Toronto Star, and TheLoop.ca. Ashley was shortlisted for a CBC Canada Writes: Bloodlines prize, and is a regular panelist and writer for Because News on CBC Radio. She is also a two-time Dora nominee and three-time Canadian Comedy Award winner. You can find Ashley on Twitter at @AshleyBotting, or on her website ashleybotting.com

MARTY ADAMS – Ensemble Marty Adams is an actor and writer whose career has taken him all across the board in the entertainment industry. He wrote and performed in four Mainstage revues with The Second City Toronto. He is a multiple Canadian Comedy Award recipient, winning Best Comedic Play three years in a row.

Marty has worked as a stand up comedian with Yuk Yuk’s international.

Select film and TV credits include Orphan Black, Scare Tactics, Nick Cannon’s Mission: 4Count, Saw 4, and Hemlock Grove. In 2015, Marty was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor/Guest Star in a comedy series for his work in Spun Out. He earned yet another Canadian Screen Award nomination in 2016 for Best Performance in a Sketch/Variety comedy series for The Second City Project, which was also nominated for best Sketch/Variety Comedy Series.

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POPS BIOGRAPHIES ALLISON PRICE – Ensemble Allison Price is a Canadian Comedy Award-winning and Dora-nominated alumna of The Second City, where she wrote and performed in four critically-acclaimed revues including Sixteen Scandals and The Meme-ing of Life. Additional theatre performances include Dance Animal (Robin Henderson Productions), People Suck (Nutmeg Productions), pool (no water) and Pieces (Cue6 Productions), and The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine (Beacon Theatre). As one half of the award-winning sketch comedy duo Haircut, Allison has performed at festivals in Chicago and Toronto and as a part of Just For Laughs. She is the co-creator and star of the web series Slumber Party and the upcoming The Lost Pages for CBC Comedy. Television and film credits include appearances on Odd Squad, Max & Shred, A Puppy For Christmas, and The New Yorker Presents. Allison is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School.

KEVIN VIDAL – Ensemble Kevin Vidal was born and raised in Toronto. He decided to pursue his love of acting in his last year of high school and can now be seen doing theatre and improv around the city. He is an alumnus of The Second City and recently starred in CityTV’s Sunnyside, for which he won a Canadian Screen Award for “best performance in a variety/sketch series by an individual/ ensemble.” Kevin’s previous theatre credits include Sixteen Scandals, We Can Be Heroes (The Second City), RENT (Lower Ossington Theatre), Hairspray (Curtain Call Players), Radio Active Drag Queens of the Year 3000 (Toronto Fringe), RENT (Fallen Rock), and Skule Nite 0T9/1T0 (U of T-Skule).

CONNOR THOMPSON – Ensemble Connor Thompson wrote and performed in three shows on The Second City Toronto Mainstage, including the Dora-nominated and Canadian Comedy Award-winning Sixteen Scandals. Other stage credits include Fringe hit Dale Beaner and the Turtle Boy, and the award-winning People Suck: The Musical, which was a musical about how people suck. As an improvisor he has taught and performed across North America and Europe with his partner Ashley Comeau. He is the co-creator of The Playcast, a play-reading and podcast series (available on iTunes) which forces him to write and live-read a brand new play every month—which is a lot more work than he thought it would be. TV credits include Cracked, Odd Squad, and Good Witch. In the spring of 2015, he wrote new verses for a Toronto Symphony Orchestra performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals and got to take a bow on stage with the orchestra, which was very cool. You can follow Connor on Twitter at @cpethompson.

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