Soweto Program

Photographs: Stefan Meekers

CONTENTS Theatre Staff.......................................................................................................................................2 Whitney Morse on The Sharon® L. Morse Performing Arts Center.....................................................3 Production.........................................................................................................................................8 Program Notes...................................................................................................................................9 About...............................................................................................................................................10 Set List....................................................................................................................................... 11-12 Thank You........................................................................................................................................13 Coming Soon............................................................................................................................. 14-17

THEATRE STAFF Associate Lighting Supervisor......Dio Raquel Jr. Production Swing......................Nichole Pollack Manager of Patron Services .............Alec Speers Assistant Manager of Patron Services...............................Tina Carroll Lead Housekeeper........................ Victoria Doss Assistant Manager of Patron Services............................Lonnie Goertz Assistant Manager of Patron Services ...............Savannah Rose Parker Analyst, Sales & Customer Support.....................Kristin Fortuna Marketing Account Manager......... Erika Nelson Graphic Designer..........................Krissi Kugler Web Designer..........................David Sponseller Ad Sales....marketing@significantproductions.org

SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTIONS BOARD President...................................................................................................Elliot Sussman, MD, MBA Vice President......................................................................................................Marcus Bridgewater Treasurer....................................................................................................................... Donna Taylor Secretary ............................................................................................................... Elizabeth Constant Board Member.............................................................................................................Jason Goedken

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© The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center. © Significant Productions, Inc. 275

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 Technical Operations......................Clay Becker Booking & Contracts Manager.......Sierra Weiss Assistant Production Manager...........Madi Carr Audiovisual Supervisor – Touring Productions......................... Luke Bezio Deck & Facilities Coordinator... Tony Fairchild Lighting Supervisor.................... Ally Southgate

WHITNEY MORSE on

The Sharon®L. Morse

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Dear Patron of the Arts, Welcome to The Sharon L. Morse 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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ART. ARTISTS. AUDIENCE. SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTIONS (SIGPRO) is a Non-Profit arts organization that operates The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center (The Sharon) & The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol (The Studio).

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 STANDING OVATION $2,022 A YEAR Jim & Dee Judd Elliot Sussman John Swartz

ENCORE ENTHUSIASTS $60 A MONTH Celeste Hankins John Hilt April Linscott Marianne Niesen Jim Ward

ARTS AMBASSADORS

$30 A MONTH Bob & Diane Kendi Donna Silver Edward & Gayle Labuda Donna Taylor Kathleen Litch Jan & Dave Thomas Holly Nicholson Bob & Iris Trinh Bonnie Park Barbara & John Van Dyke Karen B. & Clarence Russell Jr. Melissa Warner Patricia Schlemmer

DEDICATIONS Ursula Becker 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 ANNUAL SPONSORS

your help

GOES A LONG WAY! LEARN MORE & DONATE ON OUR WEBSITE SIGNIFICANTPRODUCTIONS.ORG |

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PRODUCTION Andrew Kay presents

A Concert That Will Fill Your Heart With Joy

The Choir Bongani Ncube • Fanizile Nzuza • Jabulile Mola Jeanette Mazibuko • Kenosi Moshe • Lungisani Mhlongo Malehlohonolo Taolana • Mary Mulovhedzi • Phello Jiyane Sabelo Mtshali • Semangele Mongatane • Sibongile Makgathe • Sibongiseni Mbele Sipho Ngcamu • Thabiso Molefe • Velile Msimango • Victoria Sithole • Vincent Jiyane Vusimuzi Shabalala • Xolile Mphata • Zanele Ngwenya • Zinhle Mpofu

Choir Master Vincent Jiyane

Musical Director Sabelo Mtshali

Choir Management Mary Mulovhedzi • Vincent Jiyane • Bongani Ncube Senior Producer Toni Rudov Production Manager/Stage Manager Allan Maguire Touring Lighting Designers Paul Frydrychowski Jackson Gray Audio Engineer Chet Nordskog

Producer Andrew Kay

Set Design Zachary Ciaburri

Tour Marketing and PR SoloShoe Communications, LLC Tour Agency Dean Shultz

Senior Vice President Tour and Artist Management Direct Tel: +1 212 994 3533 | dshultz@imgartists.com North & South America IMG Artists | 7 West 54th Street | New York, NY 10019 | USA | Tel: +1 212 994 3500 | www.imgartists.com

General Enquiries Andrew Kay and Associates

Toni Rudov – Senior Producer | toni@akaaustralia.com.au

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PROGRAM NOTES PROGRAM NOTES This new concert by 3-time Grammy®-winning Soweto Gospel Choir; celebrates songs and anthems of Nelson Mandela’s Freedom Movement in South Africa and the Civil Rights Movement of Dr Martin Luther King’s America. Opening with a rousing program of South African freedom songs, the repertoire moves down through time to the USA, with beautiful renditions of the protest music of the Civil Rights Movement and more contemporary classics, including works by legendary artists Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Cynthia Erivo, Stevie Wonder and the one-and-only Aretha Franklin. Formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music, Soweto Gospel Choir is dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music with audiences around the world and has received critical acclaim and audience adoration for their powerful renditions of African American spirituals, gospel and folk music.

Soweto Gospel Choir 2025

“God has wrought many things out of oppression. He has endowed his creatures with the capacity to create - and from this capacity has flowed the sweet songs of sorrow and joy that have allowed man to cope with his environment and many different situations.”

Martin Luther King Jr. 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival (Article)

“… the political use of music in South Africa changed from being a ‘mirror’ in the 1940s and 1950s to becoming a ‘hammer’ with which to shape reality in the 1980s. In South Africa, music went from reflecting common experiences and concerns in the early years of apartheid, to eventually function as a force to confront the State and as a means to actively construct an alternative political and social reality.”

The Beat that Beat Apartheid: The Role of Music in the Resistance Against Apartheid in South Africa.

Anne Schumann 2008 Vienna Journal of African Studies (Article)

* NOTE: ALL INFORMATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION

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| A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

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ABOUT THE SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR ABOUT Hailing from Soweto (South West Township), a township outside of Johannesburg and home of Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s democratic movement, SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR continues to inspire audiences around the world with their powerful blend of African gospel, freedom songs and international classics.

Comprising a line-up of some of South Africa’s best vocalists, these uplifting performers have shared the stage and collaborated with the biggest names in contemporary music including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, U2, Diana Ross, Peter Gabriel, Chris Martin, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, Jimmy Cliff, Ben Harper, Angelique Kidjo, Robert Plant, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hugh Masekela and Josh Groban.

SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR was formed in 2003 at the end of the apartheid era and during South Africa’s inspiring return to Democracy.

Taking part in some of the major historical events in the new democratic South Africa, Soweto Gospel Choir are proud to have performed on many occasions for the Father of their Nation, former President Nelson Mandela and sadly at his State Funeral in South Africa and at the subsequent commemorative service at Westminster Abbey in London. They were similarly invited to perform at the funeral service for the late President’s first wife, Winnie Mandela.

The Choir acts as Ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

HIGHLIGHTS • Three-time Grammy© Award-winners including 2019 Best World Music Album for “Freedom” • Performed with the biggest names in music including U2, Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Josh Groban • Over 17 million views on YouTube • Spreading joy to audiences across the globe for nearly two decades

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SET LIST SET LIST “MELODIES” NARRATION “NONKONYANE KA NDABA” “MODIMO” “DICHABA” “NOT YET UHURU” “LITSHONILE LI LANGA” “PASOPA VERWOERD” “SECHABA” “E KE DUMETSE” “MBAI MBAI” “FREEDOM MEDLEY” INTERMISSION

ALL INFORMATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION

SignificantProductions.org |

| A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

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SET LIST

SET LIST “OPENING DANCE AND CHANT”

“AMEN”

“HEAVEN HELP US ALL”

“PASS ME NOT GENTLE SAVIOR”

“A CHANGE IS GONNA COME”

“MAN IN THE MIRROR”

“PEOPLE GET READY”

“STAND UP”

“YOU WILL NEVER WALK ALONE”

“HALLELUJAH”

ALL INFORMATION SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION

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TheSharon.com |

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Thank You!

Photos by Stephan Meekers

COMING SOON

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COMING SOON

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| A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

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COMING SOON

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COMING SOON

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| A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

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