GLADYS
KNIGHT
CONTENTS Theatre Staff.......................................................................................................................................2 Whitney Morse on The Sharon Performing Arts Center®....................................................................3 Biography..................................................................................................................................... 8-11 The Sharon Open House..................................................................................................................12
THEATRE STAFF Founder & Executive Director...Jason Goedken Founder & Artistic Consultant...Whitney Morse Artistic Director............................Angel Creeks Director of Operations.....................Jon Cronin Director of Business..................... Sean Graham Director of People, Projects & Culture........................Leslie Becker Development Director........... Yasmeen Stogden Marketing Director.........Monica Berdecio, MA Senior Manager of Programming.....Sierra Weiss Senior Manager of Technical Operations......................Clay Becker Technical Production Manager...Andrea Huneycutt Assistant Production Manager...........Madi Carr Production Swing................. Andrew Sinkewicz Deck & Facilities Coordinator... Tony Fairchild Lighting Supervisor.................... Ally Southgate Associate Lighting Supervisor......Dio Raquel Jr.
Audiovisual Supervisor..................Roel Cavazos Manager, Front of House Operations ...........................Alec Speers Senior Coordinator, Front of House Operations...........Savannah Rose Parker Coordinator, Front of House Operations............Tina Carroll Coordinator, Front of House Operations.........Lonnie Goertz Manager of Box Office & Sales............ Natazsa Roby-Smith Development & Customer Support Coordinator...................Lyndsey Shore Digital Marketing Coordinator...Natalie Bollinger Marketing Account Manager......... Erika Nelson Graphic Designer..........................Krissi Kugler Lead Housekeeper........................ Victoria Doss Ad Sales....marketing@significantproductions.org
SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTIONS BOARD
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TheSharon.com |
© Significant Productions, Inc. 500
Elliot Sussman, MD, MBA Donna Taylor Jason Goedken Loren M. Vasquez Deborah Franklin, MA Holly Tobin Bill Doherty
| 352-668-9502
WHITNEY MORSE on
The Sharon
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER®
Dear Patron of the Arts, Welcome to The Sharon Performing Arts Center! This year marks a very special milestone—10 years since The Sharon first opened its doors. What began in 2015 as a bold dream has grown into a vibrant home for live performance, rooted in the adventurous and artistic spirit of my grandmother, Sharon L. Morse. Over the past decade, we’ve been honored to earn your trust, show by show, standing ovation by standing ovation. Whether you’re here tonight to experience a beloved Broadway tour, a favorite artist, or something entirely new, know that every performance has been thoughtfully curated by our passionate team of artists and arts administrators. As we celebrate our first ten years, we’re also stepping into an exciting new chapter: The Sharon is now proudly powered by Significant Productions, a registered nonprofit dedicated to creating meaningful, memorable arts experiences in our community. With this new foundation, we’re not only preserving what makes The Sharon special, we’re building toward a future filled with bold ideas, diverse stories, and even more opportunities to surprise and delight you. Thank you for being part of this journey. We’re so glad you’re here. Enjoy the show, and here’s to the next ten years of discovery, connection, and applause. See You at The Sharon,
Whitney Morse Founder & Artistic Consultant Significant Productions
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| A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.
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SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTIONS (SIGPRO) is a Non-Profit arts organization that operates The Sharon Performing Arts Center® & The SigPro Studio™.
ART. ARTISTS. AUDIENCE. OUR MISSION; SigPro cultivates a diverse collaborative community with a focus on artists' well-being that strives to provoke thought and spark conversation through high quality performing arts.
OUR TEAM MEMBERS We believe that fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace is essential for the creation of exceptional art. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion extends to our employees. This ensures every individual who contributes to our productions feels valued and empowered. We actively promote a workplace culture that embraces differences and encourages collaboration among our diverse team of artists, technicians, administrators, and volunteers.
Thank You
FOR SUPPORTING SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTIONS
CENTER STAGE $5,000+
Henry Nias Foundation Robert & Joan Jalbert
Elliot Sussman John Swartz
STANDING OVATION $2,022 A YEAR
Mary Burke Bonnie Carnes Robert & Karen Chaikin
Jim & Dee Judd Andy Pawlowski Gwen Zeller
ENCORE ENTHUSIASTS $60 A MONTH
Laura & Bruce Benard John Cable Sandra Christian Celeste Hankins
John & Linda Hilt April Linscott Marianne Niesen Kevin & Teresa O’Grady
Patricia Schlemmer Ron & Chris Thomas Jan & Dave Thomas Jim Ward
ARTS AMBASSADORS $30 A MONTH
Stan Ackerman Robert Becker David Burns Tim & Rhonda Casey Marie Connolly David Cook Bill & Gail Gross Pat Donovan Cindy Galeone Lynn & Kathy Glassock Patricia Grogan Mary Homko Russ & Jo Jones
Gerard Judge Bob & Diane Kendi Robert & Elizabeth King Honey & David Kirk Ron & Sandy Kravet Edward & Gayle Labuda Convertible Club Janice Mazzallo Don McConnell Holly Nicholson Dina Nizza Bonnie Park Ron & Nancy Pfeffer
Karen & Clarence Russell Jr Donna Silver Irene Stevens & Linda Thornton Donna Taylor Tina Teraskiewicz Bob & Iris Trinh Muriel Trulson Barbara & John Van Dyke Melissa Warner Peter Webb Byron Wan Lit Wong
DEDICATIONS
Ursula Becker Derek Mumford Peg Fiore
Alice Stogden Jackson L. Straub III, M.D. Lorraine Torgerson
Thank you to our Vibe Setters and anonymous donors.
Thank You TO OUR SPONSORS
Thank You TO OUR PARTNERS
your help
GOES A LONG WAY! LEARN MORE & DONATE ON OUR WEBSITE SIGNIFICANTPRODUCTIONS.ORG | Significant Productions is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435- 7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. FLORIDA REGISTRATION #CH76504
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BIOGRAPHY The great ones endure, and Gladys Knight has long been one of the greatest. Very few singers over the last fifty years have matched her unassailable artistry. This seven-time Grammy winner has enjoyed #1 hits in Pop, Gospel, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance. In her first effort since 2013’s “Another Journey” – Knight’s 8th solo effort – this summer marked the release of “Where My Heart Belongs”, a new inspiration gospel album. Knight is a tw0-time Grammy winner in the gospel category, and “Where My Heart Belongs” dropped on September 9th from Deseret Book, and recently won an NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Gospel Album.” “Another Journey” enjoyed success from the hit “I Who Have Nothing” as well as the up-tempo track “Settle,” produced by Randy Jackson, with whom she previously collaborated with on her Grammy-winning album, “At Last.” Knight also enjoyed the success of her song “You and I Ain’t Nothin’ No More” which appeared over the end credits of the critically-acclaimed Lee Daniels film THE BUTLER. Last month, Knight returned to the small screen in the Lifetime original movie “Seasons of Love”. In the story about two lovers as they journey through life, love and family, Knight stars alongside Oscar-nominee Taraji P. Henson and fellow Grammy winner Cliff “Method Man” Smith. In the New Year she will guest on Lee Daniels and FOX TV’s new series “Empire” opposite Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. Also on the small screen, Knight recently shared her musical expertise on the second season of Centric’s original series “Apollo Live.” Joining judges Doug E. Fresh and Michael Bivins, the legendary songstress gave guidance to contestants as they took the stage with the hope to jumpstart their career in the entertainment industry. No stranger to performing and light choreography over the course of her career, Knight raised the stakes when she put on her dancing shoes in the spring of 2012. She joined the cast of ABC’s hit reality competition “Dancing with the Stars” for season 14, partnering with Tristan MacManus. The year of 2011 was a year of much recognition as Knight was both honoring and being honored, first at a Michael Jackson tribute concert, and then at the 2011 Soul Train Awards. At the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, Knight joined such performers as Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, and Smokey Robinson in a tribute to the legendary King of Pop in a concert event called “Michael Forever.” Following that, Knight was honored with a “Legend Award” alongside fellow recipients Earth, Wind & Fire on the BET broadcast of the 3rd annual Soul Train Awards, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer. Knight, known as the “Empress of Soul,” a longtime Las Vegas resident, returned to the Strip in the late-2000s to the famed Tropicana Hotel for a special engagement that ran in the newly named Gladys Knight Theater, making her the first African-American performer to have a venue named after her in Las Vegas. This followed a successful four-year show run at The Flamingo, which the Las Vegas Review-Journal praised as “the number-one show on the Strip.” A tireless humanitarian, Knight is an iconic supporter
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TheSharon.com |
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BIOGRAPHY of the Boys & Girls Club of America, to which she donated a Randy Jackson-produced song, “The Dream.” As the celebrated singer of the timeless song “Midnight Train to Georgia,” Knight was a natural fit as national spokesperson and host of Amtrak’s National Train Day, the celebration of which took place Washington, DC’s famed Union Station. In February 2011, Knight reunited with Elton John, Dionne Warwick, and Stevie Wonder for the first time in 25 years to perform their Grammy-winning song, “That’s What Friends Are For” at an AIDS research benefit at the downtown Cipriani in New York. Adored the world over, Knight then toured across the UK, performing at packed arenas that included a sold-out performance at Wembley Stadium. Knight fans enjoyed Before Me – Knight’s last big commercial effort – which paid homage to the great legends of song – Ella, Duke, Billie, Lena – as well as the many artists who served as Knight’s friends, mentors, colleagues and inspiration throughout her career. Knight’s second collaboration with the Saints Unified Voices gospel choir, A Christmas Celebration, was an album of holiday classics. Coming off of a “Best Gospel/ Choir Album” Grammy win with their debut album One Voice, Knight again directed the 100-member multi-cultural choir she formed, injecting their unique flavor and definitive soul into such Christmas staples as “Silent Night,” “White Christmas,” and a medley of “Winter Wonderland/Jingle Bells” among others. Adding to her already impressive collection, Knight won another Grammy for her duet with the late Ray Charles on his posthumous album Genius Loves Company (2005). The duo won for Best Gospel Performance for their duet “Heaven Help Us All.” Knight’s solo album At Last also won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album in 2002 and featured a duet with Jamie Foxx, “I Wanna Be Loved.” During the televised opening ceremonies kicking off the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Knight performed “This is Our Time” (which she co-wrote with husband William McDowell), which was featured on a commemorative Olympic album. A tireless performer who still wows audiences around the country and the world, Knight also finds the time to make forays into film and television. Her version of “I Hope You Dance” played during the end credits of Tyler Perry’s THE FAMILY THAT PREYS TOGETHER, and she appeared in his film I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF (which featured her song “The Need to Be”). She also starred in the holiday-themed HOLIDAZE, her first animated project to which she also contributed a track, UNBEATABLE HAROLD, and the Harrison Ford film HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE. On the small screen, Knight did a cameo on the Emmy-winning NBC hit comedy “30 Rock”, and also appeared in NBC’s “Las Vegas,” former CBS hit “JAG,” and former FOX talent competitions “American Juniors” and “Duets.” She also starred as Jamie Foxx’s mother on “The Jamie Foxx Show.” Knight has appeared as a guest judge on FOX’s smash hit “American Idol,” and has performed in the show’s always starstudded finale. In season two of “Idol,” Knight famously dubbed eventual winner Ruben Studdard the ‘Velvet Teddy Bear” while she sat in the guest judge’s chair.
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BIOGRAPHY Georgia-born, Knight began performing gospel music at age four in the Mount Mariah Baptist Church and sang as a guest soloist with the Morris Brown College Choir. Three years later, she won the grand prize on television’s “Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour,” and the following year, her mother Elizabeth Knight created the group consisting of Gladys, her brother Bubba, her sister Brenda and her cousins William and Elenor Guest. They called themselves The Pips in honor of their cousin/manager, James Pip Woods. In 1959, Brenda and Elenor left the group, replaced by cousin Edward Patten and friend Langston George. The group was renamed Gladys Knight & The Pips, and following George’s departure in 1962, the classic line-up was in place. The group debuted their first album in 1960, when Knight was just sixteen. With Knight singing lead and The Pips providing lush harmonies and graceful choreography, the group went on to achieve icon status, having recorded some of the most memorable songs of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Top 20 hits, like “Every Beat of My Heart,” “Letter Full of Tears,” “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and “If I Were Your Woman,” set the stage for an amazing run in the mid-1970s, with Top 10 gold-certified singles like “Neither One of Us (Wants to be the First to Say Goodbye),” “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination,” “Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me” and the #1 smash “Midnight Train to Georgia” established Gladys Knight and The Pips as the premiere pop/R&B vocal ensemble in the world. The party kept rolling with hits like “On and On” from the Academy Award nominated soundtrack of Curtis Mayfield’s “Claudine,” the 1974 comedy about love in the inner city. Knight enjoyed another #1 hit in 1985 when she teamed with Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Dionne Warwick on “That’s What Friends are For.” She and Stevie Wonder sang together again for the successful Frank Sinatra Duets II album, joining his voice for the song “For Once in My Life” in 1994. All told, Knight has recorded more than 38 albums over the years, including four solo albums during the past decade: “Good Woman” (1991); “Just for You” (1994); the inspirational “Many Different Roads” (1999); and “At Last” (2001). “At Last” showed the world that she still has what it takes to record a hit album, employing the talents of contemporary producers like Randy Jackson, Gary Brown and James D.C. Williams III, Jon John, Jamey Jaz, Keith Thomas, Tom Dowd and Tiger Roberts. Her involvement in other creative undertakings, business ventures and humanitarian activities has been extensive, and has brought her honors from industry and community alike. In 1986, she produced and starred in the Cable Ace Award-winning “Sisters in the Name of Love,” an HBO special co-starring Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle. That same year, she showcased her acting ability when she co-starred with Flip Wilson in the CBS comedy “Charlie & Co.” Other acting roles followed on such TV shows as “Benson,” “The Jefferson’s” and “New York Undercover,” and in such television films as “Pipe Dreams,” “An Enemy Among Us” and “Desperado.” She recorded the title theme for the James Bond movie “License to Kill” (1989). In 1999, she completed a starring run on Broadway in the smash musical hit “Smokey Joe’s Café.” In 1995, Knight earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the next year, Gladys Knight & The Pips were inducted into the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame. Knight
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TheSharon.com |
| 352-668-9502
BIOGRAPHY published an autobiography, “Between Each Line of Pain and Glory” (a line taken from her million selling recording “Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me”), in 1997, and the next year, she and The Pips were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. In 2004, Knight received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the annual BET Awards ceremony. A humanitarian and philanthropist, Knight has devoted to various worthy causes, including the American Diabetes Association – for which she is a national spokesperson, the American Cancer Society, the Minority AIDS Project, amFAR and Crisis Intervention, and The Boys and Girls Club. She has been honored by numerous organizations as well, including the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), B’Nai Brith, and is a recent recipient of BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Today, Knight and husband William, along with various other members of the family, oversee her busy career from the Las Vegas headquarters of Shakeji, Inc., her personal entertainment corporation. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, performer, restaurateur, and businesswoman with a spiritual outlook on her life. Her faith in God has been the driving force behind all of Knight’s endeavors, guiding her through her many successes.
SignificantProductions.org |
| A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.
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THE SHARON OPEN HOUSE
Featuring The Tibetan Monks of The Mystical Arts of Tibet from Drepung Loseling Monastery Our Lobby will be open to the public - all are welcome! Join us for a full week of activities featuring the Tibetan Monks of the Mystical Arts of Tibet from Drepung Loseling Monastery, including a LIVE Mandala creation and more! WED, DEC 2ND 12PM................................MANDALA SAND PAINTING OPENING CEREMONY Music & Chants, Mandala Construction Begins
12:30-6PM..........THE SHARON OPEN HOUSE & MANDALA VIEWING HOURS THU, DEC 3RD 10AM-6PM...........THE SHARON OPEN HOUSE & MANDALA VIEWING HOURS 2PM........THE ANCIENT ART OF HEALING: THE TIBETAN BUDDHIST APPROACH
Lecture by Gashe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, Ph.D. *FREE / RESERVATIONS ENCOURAGED*
FRI, DEC 4TH 10AM-6PM...........THE SHARON OPEN HOUSE & MANDALA VIEWING HOURS SAT, DEC 5TH 10AM-2PM...........THE SHARON OPEN HOUSE & MANDALA VIEWING HOURS 6PM....................... SACRED MUSIC, SACRED CHANTS FOR PEACE & HEALING The Mystical Arts of Tibet Stage Performance *TICKETED EVENT*
SUN, DEC 6TH 10AM-4PM...........THE SHARON OPEN HOUSE & MANDALA VIEWING HOURS 4PM....................................MANDALA SAND PAINTING CLOSING CEREMONY Celebrate the Mandala Completion with Traditional Music & Chants
For tickets or reservations visit TheSharon.com
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Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of your favorite shows at The Sharon? Want to share footprints with some of the world’s biggest stars? Book a private Behind the Curtain Tour! Want to arrange a private tour for your group, club, company, school trip, or cul-de-sac? Email: Info@SignificantProductions.org Visit TheSharon.com/behind-the-curtain-tour for more information. All sales require a minimum guest count of 15.
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