The British Are Coming Program Book March 2024

British British

Ryan is a 2001 graduate of Ball State University. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Choral Music Education. He also completed a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Southern Utah University in 2017. Ryan is a proud member of American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). He has served as the Chair of the CCSD (Clark County School District) Honor Choir since 2015, and currently serves on the Nevada ACDA All-State Choir Committee. Duff has also served as the 2020 Western Region ACDA Honor Choir Chairman. He has served as President of the Nevada ACDA chapter, and currently serves as the Nevada ACDA Men’s Choir Repertoire & Resources Chairman. He was awarded a CCSD Heart of Education Award in 2017, recognizing Excellence in Teaching.

Currently, Ryan is in his 16th year as a High School Choir Teacher in the Clark County School District. This is his 13th year as the Choir Director at Basic Academy in Henderson, where he directs 6 choirs, and serves as the Department Chair for the Performing and Visual Arts. Before his career as a teacher, Ryan worked as a Professional Singer and Entertainer. Outside of Las Vegas, he worked as a Production Singer for Holland America Cruise Lines, Busch Gardens Theme Park Entertainment, Cedar Point Amusement Park Entertainment, and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe; he has also worked as Musical Director for several Professional Regional Musical Theatre Productions. His Las Vegas performing career as a singer and musician has included “Tony & Tina’s Wedding” at the Rio Hotel & Casino, “The Can-Can Cabaret” at the Paris Hotel & Casino, and as a Singing Gondolier at the Venetian Hotel & Casino.

Ryan is proud to serve as the Artistic Director for the Las Vegas Men’s Chorus. This season, he continues his 11th year at the podium, conducting and leading the organization. He resides in Las Vegas with his husband and Las Vegas Men’s Chorus Choreographer, Justin McClendon.

From our Artistic Director, Ryan Duff:

Hello and welcome to our 2024 Spring Production entitled “The British are Coming.” This show continues our 31st season of bringing high-quality choral singing, exciting production value, and our unique entertainment to the Las Vegas community. Tonight, you will hear some of your favorite British Artists of yesterday and today, and we promise to have you singing along and tapping your toes to some of the greatest chart-topping songs of all-time! Our ensemble members, our staff, and our Board of Directors have worked tirelessly to put this show together and we cannot wait to share! I continue to stand in awe of the cooperative spirit of our leadership team; this show represents a colossal collaborative effort - our village is mighty!

I feel that what our organization brings to the stage is needed now, more than ever. In a world that seeks to constantly divide us, I encourage you to unplug from all of that strife, and allow us to shower you in love, authenticity, and pure joy! We want this show to be a wonderful experience for you; we hope you enjoy all of this wonderful and timeless music we will share.

We are once again honored to be in our new home, the beautiful Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall on the campus of UNLV, one of the finest concert halls in the valley! Thanks so much for sharing with us today; now, let’s travel across the pond, spill some tea, and enjoy the show!

Ryan Duff

Ryan Duff

Artistic Director, Las Vegas Men’s Chorus

Jonathan is a pianist, singer, actor, and educator. He began piano lessons at age five, competed in regional competitions in grade school, and started playing for church services in middle school. He received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL.

In the Las Vegas Valley, he has been musical director and keyboardist for various churches, schools, and many local musical theatre productions with companies such as Signature Productions and Super Summer Theatre. Jonathan sang with the Las Vegas Men’s Chorus for three seasons as well as serving as LVMC Member-at-Large on the Board of Directors.

Welcome to The British are Coming and LVMC’s 31st season!

We are excited to share with you music that celebrates the rich history of musicians from Great Britain. From The Beatles to Wham and Adele to Monty Python, this show has it all.

LVMC has seen tremendous growth in both membership and audience size over the past few years. That growth is only sustainable through the support of community members like you who value the arts and the mission of LVMC:

Our Mission

The Las Vegas Men’s Chorus creates safe spaces for our community and allies through musical experiences which inspire all of us to be stronger together.

In the spirit of giving please consider making a charitable donation today to ensure the continued growth of this vital organization at https://lvmenschorus.org/donate .

Enjoy the show,

James Koperski

President, Las Vegas Men’s Chorus

About the Las Vegas Men’s Chorus….

Our Mission: The Las Vegas Men’s Chorus creates safe spaces for our community and allies through musical experiences which inspire all of us to be stronger together.

Community Harmony Opportunity

Respect

Unity Service

The Las Vegas Men’s Chorus (LVMC) was founded in 1993 by a small group of men who simply wanted to sing. Over the next 30 years, the LVMC found itself providing much more than music: a place to create and foster community and safe spaces through live performances. Social justice, inclusion, diversity, and equity are now at the forefront of LVMC’s programming. From humble beginnings of 10 members and 30 patrons, we now boast 100+ active members and 2,000+ patrons in the audience annually at three fully-produced Mainstage Concerts with many Community Outreach Events benefiting thousands more interspersed throughout. Patrons describe attending an LVMC concert as “experiencing joy”.

Although not specifically a “gay” chorus, ~85% of members identify as LGBTQIA2+. ~40%+ of members have or are currently experiencing homelessness, addiction, mental and physical health issues, abuse, or incarceration. ~40% of members identify as BIPOC with age diversity ranging from 18 to 76. Membership has grown +300% since 2021 from 32 to 100+ members with consistent double-digit growth each concert cycle.

We extend safe spaces to the Las Vegas Valley with members giving 12,000+ community service hours annually, showcasing our work is needed more than ever. . We ensure we “use our voices for good” through Community Outreach events including World AIDS Day, Las Vegas Aviators Pride Night, Latin Grammy Awards “Los Producers” benefiting the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Las Vegas Pride, Golden Rainbow, Las Vegas Prime Timers, Las Vegas Clark County Library District benefits, Christ Church Episcopal Community Concerts, Arthur Murray Las Vegas Showcase, and Gateway Arts Foundation. Each year in partnership with the Clark County School District, we perform at “Sing Out: A Tenor/ Bass Choral Festival,” a choral festival intended to bolster confidence and lifelong love of singing in our community’s young men. As a GALA (Gay and Lesbian Choruses of America) Chorus, we will again represent Las Vegas and Nevada at GALA Festival 2024 in Minneapolis alongside 15,000+ singers in five days of singing, education, connecting, and creating at the largest LGBTQ choral event in the world.

Our in-person impact is typically conducted in Southern Nevada, specifically the Las Vegas Valley, although performance and community event requests are regularly submitted from the broader Southwestern U.S.. Our patrons are increasingly diverse ranging across income, age, sexual orientation, race, religion, and education. Our impact is amplified across the globe through digital channels including YouTube where viewers watched our inspiring content ~29,000 times across 18+ countries this past year alone.

The LVMC is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Open Auditions for our upcoming Summer 2024 Concert will be held on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 at 6:30pm. We meet from 1:00pm – 4:00pm every Sunday starting on Sunday, April 7, 2024 at Blue Diamond Crossing, 4150 Blue Diamond Road #102, Las Vegas, NV 89139. Please follow us on all of our social media, reach out to a current member, or visit the website for more information. We would LOVE to have you add your talents to our ensemble.

On behalf of our Artistic Staff, the LVMC Board of Directors, and our entire ensemble, we want to thank you for spending your Sunday evening with us and we sincerely hope that you enjoy tonight’s show, a celebration of all things Britannia! We are so excited to have you with us today in our beautiful new home, the Artemus W. Ham Hall, as we continue our musical excellence in this our 31st season! Your support here today means everything to us all; we hope that you enjoy the concert. Have a wonderful and restful summer, we will see you back here on Sunday, June 30, 2024!

SAVE THE DATES:

VOCAL AUDITIONS FOR SUMMER 2024:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2024 @ 6:30PM, BLUE DIAMOND CROSSING, 3960 BLUE DIAMOND ROAD #102, LAS VEGAS, NV 89139

FIRST REHEARSAL FOR SUMMER 2024: SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2024 @ 1:00PM, BLUE DIAMOND CROSSING, 3960 BLUE DIAMOND ROAD #102, LAS VEGAS, NV 89139

UNLV Performing Arts Center

Arthur Murray Las Vegas - Dance Rehearsal Space

Henderson Symphony Orchestra - Choral Rehearsal Space

Justin McClendon - Choreographer, Arthur Murray Las Vegas

Ryan Miller - Producer

Jonathan Tuala - Piano Accompanist

Tim Thomas - Bass

Jeremy Meronuck - Percussion

Eric Fleischer - Auxiliary Keyboards

Erick Canfield - Head of Wardrobe & Props Master

Friar Tux

Bud Weismiller - Floral Arrangements

South Point Hotel Casino & Spa - Special Events Venue

LVMC Volunteers All

From Ryan Duff, Artistic Director, regarding

the commissioned arrangement of “Fix You”...

“Fix You” is a commissioned arrangement by me and is featured in ACT II of this production.

Last summer, LVMC gave me the most incredible gift of the Ryan L. Duff Music Library to celebrate my 10th anniversary with the ensemble and to help me officially launch my career as a published choral arranger, a lifelong dream of mine. Ever since that moment, I have known that this piece would be my first and would be premiered during this British tribute. In case you aren’t familiar with Coldplay’s “Fix You,” I wanted to give a little bit of information and backstory about the piece. It has always been very special to me, and I am elated to share this work with the world.

Coldplay’s “Fix You” is a song that strikes a chord with many people because its emotive lyrics resonate with so many of us, conveying an important message of healing. It reminds us that we are not alone in our struggles and that, with the help of those who love us, we can overcome them. It’s a message of hope that things will get better, and that we can heal; there is always someone to lend a hand that can help us stand, pick us up off the ground, or to help guide the way.

“Fix You” was written by Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, for his then-wife Gwenyth Paltrow to aid in her grief in the passing of her father. During a 2015 interview with E! News, Paltrow revealed, “’Fix You’ was about Chris trying to put me back together after my dad died.” The song was released in 2005 and became a staple in Coldplay’s live performances, and has since been covered and arranged many times over. In 2012, Coldplay played the song at the London Summer Olympics, where it served as the soundtrack to a poignant montage of British athletes, highlighting their struggles and their triumphs. Similarly, the song has played at the funerals of many notable figures, including Princess Diana, Steve Jobs, and Kobe Bryant.

The song’s impact is undeniable, and it continues to serve as a source of comfort and inspiration to many people worldwide. It’s no wonder that “Fix You” is often described as Coldplay’s most iconic work. Grief and strife are ties that bind us all, as we all have and will continue to experience them both; the music and lyrics of this song will deeply connect us forever.

In every way, LVMC is the muse for this creation, and the beautiful artistic contributions of this ensemble will forever be foundational in its premiere performance. I am also ecstatic to collaborate with my beautiful husband and our LVMC dancers to further bring this vision of hope to life via an emotional, contemporary dance accompanying the voices.

Thank you to our incredible Board of Directors for making this possible. Thank you to our patrons, my husband, my family, and my dear friends for always supporting my every endeavor. Most of all, thank you to the Las Vegas Men’s Chorus for giving me the courage to take this giant step forward in my career and to help me bring a dream to reality; thank you for believing in me and for giving me the confidence to not only stand before you week after week, but to put this kind of vulnerable art out into a world that so desperately needs it. I am honored and humbled that this ensemble will forever be the world premiere of this work and many more TTBB arrangements to come.

President: James Koperski

Vice-President: Christian Garcia

Treasurer: Jamie Richards

Secretary: Timothy Wells

Member-At-Large: Michael Amesquita

Board Member: Tom McPherson

Board Member: Marty Posner

Board Member: Gerry Allen

Board Member: Michael Bond IV

Board Member: Joey Doherty

Board Member: Frederick Foster

Board Member: Edwin Martinez

Board Member: Lee New

Board Member: Rob Willis

Members

*Section Representative

THE BRITISH ARE COMING - ACT I

Legendary British Artists

Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics)

It’s Not Unusual (Tom Jones)

Downtown (Petula Clark)

Fields of Gold (Sting)

Soul Bossa Nova (Austin Powers)

Tears in Heaven (Eric Clapton)

Words & Music by David Stewart & Annie Lennox

Arranged by Chad Weirick

Words & Music by Gordon Mills & Les Reed

Arranged by David Monseur

Words & Music by Tony Hatch

Arranged by Chad Weirick

Words & Music by Sting

Arranged by Ethan Sperry

Soloists: Ryan Miller & Greg Acosta

Austin Powers Theme Song

Music by Quincy Jones

Featuring The Las Vegas Men’s Chorus Dancers

Choreography by Justin McClendon from Austin Powers: Goldmember

Words & Music by Eric Clapton & Will Jennings

Arranged by Dorian Kelly

The British Invasion

Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)

Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen)

Beatles Ballads (The Beatles)

Words & Music by Freddie Mercury

Arranged by Mark Brymer

Soloist: Michael Amesquita

Words & Music by Freddie Mercury

Arranged by Kirby Shaw

Words & Music by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Arranged by Audrey Snyder, Bob Chilcott, & Roger Emerson

Soloists: Jamie Richards, Jakare James, Gary Binford, & Matthew Vance

The Best of the Beatles (The Beatles)

Words & Music by John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Arranged by Kevin Robison

THE BRITISH ARE COMING - ACT II

Contemporary British Artists

Rolling in the Deep (Adele)

Fix You (Coldplay)

Words & Music by Adele Akins & Paul Epworth

Arranged by Mark Brymer

Soloists: Greg Phillips, Marco Roxas, Tim Wells, & Chris Doucette

Words & Music by Guy Berryman, Chris Martin, Jon Buckland, & Wil Champion

Arranged by Ryan Duff, Commissioned for The Las Vegas Men’s Chorus

Soloists: Sammy Mendoza & Erick Canfield Featuring The Las Vegas Men’s Chorus Dancers, Choreography by Justin McClendon

Pompeii (Bastille)

I’m Not the Only One (Sam Smith)

Words & Music by Dan Smith

Arranged by Jacob Narverud

Soloists: Josh DoCanto & MK Cordova

Words & Music by Sam Smith & James Napier

Arranged by Mac Huff

Soloists: Marc Austin, Phillip Fife, Masa Yamakawa, & Daryl Walter

British History, Folklore, & Traditions

Tea For Two/Spill The Tea

Words & Music by Vincent Youmans & Irving Caesar

Words & Music by Chantry Smith Featuring The Las Vegas Men’s Chorus Dancers, Choreography by Justin McClendon

Tights of the Round Table

Words & Music by Monty Python Words & Music by Mel Brooks

Arranged by Theodore Hicks & Kohl Kitzmiller from Monty Python & The Holy Grail and Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Trailblazers that Paved the Way

Let’s Dance (David Bowie)

Wake Me Up Before You Go! Go! (Wham!)

Words & Music by David Bowie

Arranged by Eric Van Cleave

Words & Music by George Michael

Arranged by Chad Weirick

Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me (George Michael & Elton John)

Words & Music by Elton John & Bernie Taupin

Arranged by Monseur

Soloists: Jason Yocum & Fred Crescente

I’m Still Standing (Elton John)

Words & Music by Elton John & Bernie Taupin

Arranged by Pete Schmutte Featuring The Las Vegas Men’s Chorus Dancers, Choreography by Justin McClendon

We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions (Freddie Mercury)

Words & Music by Freddie Mercury

Arranged by Mark Brymer & Philip Lawson

Soloists: Michael Bond & Dominic Gaon

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