CenterStage, Volume 16, Issue 2

Centerstage Published by The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands

Celebrate the Arts

June - July, 2015

Volume 16, Issue 2

In This Issue

Summer of FUN

1

Sponsor Spotlight

2

2 Full Day of Community Activities at The Pavilion

Educational Lunch and Learn Sessions

3

3

The Pavilion 4 Hosts 9,300 Students at Educational Events in May Encore

Photo by Ted Washington

4

H-E-B Donates 5 $1,000 to Fine Arts Scholarships Students Receive 5 $105,000 in Partners Scholarships 6 Conroe Independent School District Earns National Honors as “Best Community for Music Education”

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion features four great performances this summer with the Houston Symphony and Texas Music Festival Orchestra. Experience a variety of family-friendly programming beginning with Disney in Concert Tale as Old as Time June 12 followed by Texas Music Festival Orchestra June 19, the annual Star-Spangled Salute July 3 and “Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll” featuring Michael Cavanaugh July 30.

Steven Reineke

Be our guest at Disney in Concert Tale as Old as Time June 12 at 8 p.m. with the Houston Symphony for a magical journey into storytelling and music as only the timeless tales of Disney can evoke. Brought to life by the talents of four Broadway-caliber singers and featuring high resolution animated feature film sequences, Disney In Concert Tale as Old as Time explores iconic moments, plot twists and feats of daring heroics from “Frozen,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Cinderella,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Tangled,” “The Lion King” and many more.

Tickets are $20 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of Huntsman and Woodforest National Bank. Tickets are not required for free seating.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

Arrive early for pre-concert activities starting at 6:30 p.m. in the North and South Plazas.

“Treat” yourself to free ice cream! The first 2,500 guests to visit the Fidelity Investments Ice Cream Social located in the North Plaza get free ice cream with all the fixings.

More than 100 gifted musicians from around the world are showcased in a free concert June 19 at 8 p.m. In conjunction with the Immanuel and Helen Olshan Texas Music Festival, an intensive four-week study program at the University of Houston Moores School of Music, the Texas Music Festival Orchestra takes The Pavilion’s Main Stage June 19.

The finalists and winner of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition will be announced. Join us in supporting and celebrating these talented young artists.

The University of Houston Moores School of Music sponsors the Texas Music Festival’s intensive four-week program that allows young musicians from all parts of the world to perform together and compete against one another. These Orchestral Fellows are advanced students and young professional musicians.

Get insight into the evening’s program with Pavilion Talk, a free pre-concert discussion led by noted music scholar and former college professor Ira J. Black from 7:15-7:45 p.m.

2015 Performing Arts Season Sponsors The

official automobile of The Pavilion

Wortham oundation F

Photo by Michael Tammaro

ShowTime

Celebrate America’s birthday with a bang at the annual Star-Spangled Salute July 3. This free Independence Eve spectacular, which has been a tradition at The Pavilion for 25 years, features the Houston Symphony in a selection of patriotic favorites, led by conductor Steven Reineke.

The concert is presented by The Woodlands Development Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Howard Hughes Corporation®.

Tickets are not required. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.

Wave your flag to the tune of patriotic favorites and enjoy special appearances by former lieutenant governor David H. Dewhurst as guest conductor and vocalist Christopher Johnstone.

Christopher Johnstone

Arrive early for pre-concert activities beginning at 6:30 p.m. with The Pavilion Partners, Fidelity Investments, Renewal by Andersen, Century 21 Realty Partners, Woodforest National Bank and Audi of America, official automobile of The Pavilion.

Guests also can register-to-win Tommy Bahama’s “Best Seats in the House” at their booth in the North Plaza.

Broadway’s Michael Cavanaugh returns to The Pavilion stage July 30 for “Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll” with the Houston Symphony. Conductor Michael Krajewski leads the symphony as Cavanaugh sings iconic songs by artists like Paul Simon, James Taylor, John Mellencamp, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan and more.

Cavanaugh is a charismatic performer, musician and recording artist, made famous in Joel’s hit Broadway musical “MOVIN’ OUT.” He received Tony and Grammy nominations for this role. Cavanaugh appeared in the show for three years and over 12,000 performances. In October 2008, he signed with Warner/ADA to distribute his first CD titled “In Color”.

Tickets are $20 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of Insperity and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. Tickets are not required for free seating. Gates open 7 p.m.

At all symphonies, guests are welcome to have a picnic in their seat or on the hill. Keep in mind that beverages cannot be brought into The Pavilion. Sitting on the hill? Lawn chairs also are provided free for this event!

S p o n s o r

s p o t l i g h t

In each issue of CenterStage, we turn the spotlight onto one of our sponsors, a gesture of thanks for their invaluable contributions to the many things we work hard to accomplish.

New Neighbors Make Good Friends; Kiewit Sponsors The Performing Arts at The Pavilion The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and Kiewit Energy Group are proud to announce their partnership for the 2015 performing arts season. With a newly relocated office in The Woodlands, Kiewit is aiming to give back to the community and become the town’s friendliest neighbor.

We have had a very busy start to our 2015 season including sell outs by Mercy Me, Buzzfest 33, Elton John and Lana Del Rey. In May we also welcomed to our stage for the very first time Andrés Orozco-Estrada, the new music director for the Houston Symphony. Orozco-Estrada is the 15th music director for the 101 year old symphony.

Dave Matthews Band played our venue on May 16 for the 22nd time, which happened to be the same day as the Ironman Championship in The Woodlands. Dave Matthews Band put on an excellent show and could be heard on the Waterway by the Ironman participants finishing their race. I want to thank The Township, Ironman Committee and our team for working together and developing a plan for both events to run smoothly at the same time.

In early June, we also hosted four CISD high school graduations with more than 3,000 students walking across our stage to receive their diplomas. Congratulations to the graduates from Conroe High School, Oak Ridge High School, The Woodlands High School and The Woodlands College Park High School.

There are many more events to come in our 26th season. Come out, bring the family and enjoy this world class venue. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy at The Pavilion.

See you on the hill.

Jerry MacDonald President and CEO

Board of Directors and Staff Officers

Joseph P. Ash – Chairman of the Board Jerry MacDonald – President and CEO Carol P. Garner – Vice Chairman

Mark E. Ellis – Secretary Jeff Young – Vice President Lori Figaro – Treasurer

Board of Directors

Bob Abendschein

Jeff Beard

Gary Becker

Carolyne Hannan

Jeffrey R. Harder

Jason K. Harris

Peter R. Huntsman

Patrick Hynes

Paul R. Kenworthy, M.D Daniel E. Kolkhorst Estelle P. McLaughlin C. Grant Mitchell Steve A. Morrow Steven W. Nance Sara Ortwein Steve Pate

John Robichau Julie Rock Maryann T. Seaman Larry Shaffer Jeffrey H. Shipley Steve Van Howe Marsha K. Williams Janet S. Wong

Director in memoriam Cynthia Woods Mitchell (1922 - 2009)

STAFF

Jerry MacDonald – President & CEO Mallory Vanderhieden - Executive Assistant

Jeff Young – Vice President of Operations JD Villaseñor – Director of Premium Seat Sales David Schlauch – Operations Manager Kelly Rich – Event Manager Josie Moore – Box Office Manager Jessica Young – Assistant Box Office Manager Matt Meyer – Assistant Operations Manager Carla Denman – VIP & Event Coordinator Joey Rincon – Overnight Security Supervisor Mike Bevel – Operations Justin McShan – Operations Jacob Meidel – Operations Matt Poche - Operations Paula Jauregui – Maintenance Victor Maldonado – Maintenance Larry Stewart – Overnight Security Susana Salazar – Overnight Security Javier Ramirez – Maintenance

Lori Figaro – Chief Financial Officer Natalia Livingston – Senior Accountant Heather Reding – Human Resources Manager Jenny Lewis – Accountant Stephanie Stone – Accounting Assistant

Christine Scully – Director of Development Leslie Williams – Volunteer & Special Events Coordinator

Shannon Wilson – Director of Marketing & Education Whitney Hough – Marketing & PR Manager Sarah Stephan – Social Media Marketing Coordinator Taylor Tompkins – Marketing Assistant

Centerstage

Shannon Wilson – Editor-in-Chief Whitney Hough – Managing Editor Don Crouch, imagineer

One of the largest engineering contracting companies in the U.S., Kiewit has many offices across the country. With recent efforts to consolidate offices, The Woodlands has become the new home for Kiewit in the greater Houston area. More than just gaining a new neighbor, however, The Woodlands and The Pavilion have also gained a new partner.

“Kiewit enjoys giving back to the communities that they live in,” said Brad Kaufman, local senior vice president. “Kiewit is unique in

that it gives an allotment of funds to each branch to specifically donate to local organizations. We want to invest in our communities at the local level and really see the difference.”

As a newcomer to The Woodlands area,

Kiewit was poised to give to the many

philanthropic efforts in the area. The Pavilion is thankful for the support that Kiewit has chosen to give to the performing arts.

“We have really fallen in love with The Pavilion,” Kaufman said.

“We are so lucky to have this right in our backyard. We see the benefit it brings for our employees to have access to The Pavilion and we want to support a good quality of life for them and for the community as a whole.”

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Hosts Full Day of Community Activities The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion held a full day of activities on April 22, touching the lives of more than 4,700 people in the community. Events on April 22 included Arts Day Out, Hats Off to Reading and The Peking Acrobats with the Houston Symphony.

As a nonprofit organization, The Pavilion strives to make the arts more accessible to the community and provide the chance for families to experience the arts at a low or no cost.

Arts Day Out, a new educational outreach program in 2015, hosted more than 330 students from Conroe Independent School District. Arts Day Out provides the opportunity for kindergarten through 2nd grade students to venture outside the classroom during STAAR testing. Initially designed for “flex” elementary schools, or schools that serve kindergarten through sixth grade students, this program allowed CISD students to experience the arts in an intimate setting. Students from Tough, Deretchin and Stewart Elementary Schools were treated to a performance by Houston Grand Opera’s “Opera To Go!” program. The troupe performed “The Pastry Prince,” an original kid-friendly work commissioned by Houston Grand Opera.

“By being able to expose students to the opera, we were hopefully able to enhance their appreciation of the arts and start to develop future performing arts patrons,” said Shannon Wilson, director of marketing and education at The Pavilion.

Hats Off to Reading also was held on April 22 prior to The Peking Acrobats with the Houston Symphony.

This annual celebration is a favorite for children who get to take home a free book and participate in literacy-based activities such as visiting with storybook characters and making bookmarks and hats. Sponsors of this year ’s

Hats Off to Reading event include Dr. George and Diane Kaufman, Scholastic Book Fairs, Junior League of The Woodlands, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Chick-fil-A of The Woodlands, Conroe Independent School District, Montgomery County Memorial Library System, St. Anthony of Padua Library and Lamar Elementary School PTO. Another element of The Pavilion’s mission as a nonprofit organization is to provide performance opportunities to young artists. During the pre-concert time, The John Cooper School “Flying Dragons” Aerialist Team performed in the North Plaza. The school’s advanced team is comprised of 11 members and is led by Elizabeth DeMonico, a teacher at The John Cooper School.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to perform before The Peking Acrobats and the Houston Symphony,” DeMonico said.

“It was a wonderful chance for our team to perform in front of the community. We even had one young girl say that she wanted to be involved in aerial arts when she grew up!”

The evening concluded with a performance on The Pavilion’s Main Stage by The Peking Acrobats with the Houston Symphony. The performance included China’s most gifted tumblers, contortionists, jugglers, cyclists and gymnasts. Free seating for this event was sponsored by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.

“With part of The Pavilion’s mission to present a diverse offering of performing arts, the audience was entertained by chair stacking, balancing acts, traditional Chinese instruments and more, all alongside the world-renowned Houston Symphony,” said Jerry MacDonald, president and CEO of The Pavilion.

S H O W T I M E

ShowTime is a list of events scheduled for The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, including start times and ticket prices. Information is subject to change.

Please visit www.woodlandscenter.org for the latest event information.

Darius Rucker

The Avett Brothers

5 Seconds of Summer

DISNEY IN CONCERT • 8 p.m.

Tale as Old as Time with the Houston Symphony $20 orchestra seating / Free mezzanine & lawn seating courtesy of Woodforest National Bank & Huntsman

June 13

Boom Bash – Kings of the Mic • 4:30 p.m. with LL Cool J featuring DJ Z-Trip with Doug E. Fresh, Whodini, Big Daddy Kane, Scarface, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Grandmaster’s Furious Five, Sugarhill Gang and Public Enemy

June 17 MOVE with Derek & Julianne Hough • 7:30 p.m.

June 19 Texas Music Festival Orchestra • 8 p.m.

FREE event June 20

93Q’s A Day in the Country • 2:30 p.m. with Darius Rucker with Brett Eldredge, Brothers Osborne, A Thousand Horses, Chase Bryant, Drake White, Casey James and Michael Ray

July 2

Third Eye Blind & Dashboard Confessional • 7 p.m.

July 3

Star-Spangled Salute • 8 p.m.

FREE event presented by The Woodlands Development Company

July 10 Tedeschi Trucks Band • 6:30 p.m.

with Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and Doyle Bramhall July 11 Bud Light Weenie Roast • 4 p.m.

with Shinedown, Blue October, X Ambassadors,

Meg Meyers and Nothing More July 17 The Avett Brothers • 7:30 p.m.

with Old Crow Medicine Show July 18 Steely Dan • 7 p.m.

with Elvis Costello & The Imposters July 21 Sublime with Rome • 6:35 p.m.

with Rebelution, Pepper & Mickey Avalon

Rick Springfield

Def Leppard

Kelly Clarkson

Grease Sing-A-Long

June 12

Idina Menzel

Michael Cavanaugh

July 22 Kid Rock • 6:45 p.m.

with Foreigner

Sept. 1 Kelly Clarkson • 7 p.m.

with Pentatonix and Eric Hutchinson

July 24 Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa • 7 p.m.

with Hoodie Allen

Sept. 4 Slipknot • 6:30 p.m.

with Lamb of God, Bullet for My Valentine &

Motionless in White

July 25 Chicago and Earth, Wind and Fire • 7:30 p.m.

July 30

“Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll” • 8 p.m. with the Houston Symphony $20 orchestra seating / Free mezzanine & lawn seating courtesy of Insperity & Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

July 31 Idina Menzel • 8 p.m.

Aug. 1

Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival • 1 p.m. with Slayer, King Diamond, Hellyeah, The Devil Wears Prada, White Chapel, Thy Art Is Murder, Sworn In, Jungle Rot, Sister Sin, Code Orange, Feed Her to the Sharks & Kissing Candice

Aug. 8

5 Seconds of Summer • 7:30 p.m. with Hey Violet

Aug. 15 Grease Sing-A-Long • 8 p.m.

$15 & $10 Reserved / $5 Lawn Aug. 19 Incubus & Deftones • 6:15 p.m.

with Death From Above 1979 and The Bots Aug. 21 J. Cole • 6:30 p.m.

with Big Sean / YG / Jeremih and

Dreamville Artists Bas / Cozz and Omen Aug. 22 Def Leppard • 8 p.m.

with Styx & Tesla Aug. 25 Yes • 7:30 p.m.

with Toto

Sept. 10

Music of the Americas • 8 p.m. with the Houston Symphony $20 orchestra seating / Free mezzanine & lawn seating of The Wortham Foundation

Sept. 22 Rick Springfield • 7 p.m.

with Loverboy and The Romantics Sept. 25 Van Halen • 7:30 p.m.

with Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band Oct. 1

Mixed Repertory Program • 8 p.m. with Houston Ballet $20 orchestra seating / Free mezzanine & lawn seating courtesy of Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts

Oct. 8

Counting Crows • 7 p.m. with Citizen Cope & Hollis Brown

Oct. 23

Hocus Pocus Pops • 7:30 p.m. with the Houston Symphony $20 orchestra seating / Free mezzanine & lawn seating courtesy of H-E-B

Nov. 14 20th Annual Children’s Festival • 10 a.m.

$8 in advance / $10 at the door Nov. 15 20th Annual Children’s Festival • Noon

$8 in advance / $10 at the door Dec. 3

Holly Jolly Jingle • 7:30 p.m.

FREE event

Aug. 29 Australian Pink Floyd • 8 p.m.

with Led Zeppelin 2 Ticket Information

Prices do not include service charge. Tickets are available at all outlets, including Fiesta, select H-E-B and Walmart locations by calling 800-745-3000, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Tickets also can be purchased at The Pavilion Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on event days through intermission. For more information, call 281-363- 3300 or visit www.woodlandscenter.org.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and Houston Grand Opera Host Educational Lunch and Learn Sessions

By Taylor Tompkins

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and the Houston Grand Opera hosted a series of Lunch and Learn sessions to educate and excite the community about “The Magic Flute” before its showing at The Pavilion on May 15. Part of The Pavilion’s mission is to provide educational programs about the performing arts and to be a catalyst for new audiences and enhance appreciation for the arts.

The Lunch and Learn sessions were given by Houston Grand Opera’s dramaturg (opera expert and historian) Paul Hopper to educate people about the plot, historical background and significance of “The Magic Flute.”

“Unfortunately, opera has a bad reputation that it’s inaccessible, too difficult to understand, in a foreign language or that they aren’t going to get it. With the Lunch and Learn opportunity, a little insight goes a long way. Learning what world you’re stepping into in

this specific opera allows someone to really enjoy it from the beginning. They know about the plot, they have the context, they hear about the music, so they can enjoy the piece to its fullest,” said Hopper.

Lunch and Learns were brought to Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Strike USA, two of The Pavilion’s sponsors, as well as at The Pavilion’s Woodforest Bank Club. Attendees were encouraged to bring a lunch for the one hour presentation.

With The Pavilion’s mission in mind, Hopper was able to spark new insight to those unfamiliar with the opera, “I want people to walk out of a Lunch and Learn or a performance of “The Magic Flute” and say, ‘opera is for me.’ A lot of people think that opera is for someone else and not for them, but this piece is an engaging fairytale that speaks to younger audiences as well as older audiences. It couldn’t be a better introduction to opera.”

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Hosts More Than 9,300 Students at Educational Events in May

e n c o r E

The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands would like to thank the following contributors for their financial support of our 2015 Performing Arts Season and Educational Outreach Programs as of March 26, 2015, printing deadline.

$100,000 - $249,999 Live Nation The Pavilion Partners

$50,000 - $74,999 ExxonMobil Huntsman Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands Development Company The Wortham Foundation

$25,000 - $49,999 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Audi of America The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion’s educational outreach programs are an integral part of the mission of the venue. Two of the programs, Musical Scores and Fine Arts Education Day take place annually in May. Students in the Greater Houston area were rewarded with a performance at Musical Scores, May 18. More than 4,800 students and teachers from 33 schools and 10 school districts attended the 20th annual event.

who submitted artwork for consideration as the featured design on this year’s Musical Scores T-shirts. These complimentary T-shirts, along with free lunches, were given out to all students in attendance. Sponsors of the event include Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Aon Hewitt, Aramark, Chevron, Entergy, United Airlines and Wells Fargo.

On May 20, approximately 4,700 Conroe ISD students and teachers, including all fourth graders in the district, attended the annual Fine Arts Education Day featuring the Houston Symphony.

This free program was created for fourth grade students to experience orchestra music and learn about the various instruments in both band and orchestra. It is the hope of the program to create role models for these young people and offer encouragement to choose their elective as orchestra or band when going into the fifth grade.

Also, sixth grade band and orchestra students are invited to the concert, which serves as a reminder of where their studies in music can take them if they continue their pursuit of it in junior high school. The program helps students learn to listen actively and purposefully while giving them goals.

PepsiCo Woodforest National Bank

$15,000 - $24,999 Aramark Sports & Entertainment H-E-B

$10,000 - $14,999 Accenture Chevron Phillips Chemical Company Comcast FMC Technologies Insperity Kiewit Energy Group, Inc. KPMG, LLP TalismanUSA Wells Fargo YMCA – Run Thru The Woods

The program primarily serves middle school students who earn the privilege to attend a special event at The Pavilion by displaying model behavior and achieving specific scholastic goals. To be rewarded, students must achieve specific goals as established by their teachers and/or administrators. These goals might include specific academic accomplishments, improving attendance, book-reading objectives, raising test scores, modifying classroom behavior, or whatever the administrators choose.

$5,000 - $9,999

Vocal Trash entertained the crowd with their urban-themed Broadway show that included a green-minded message through the use of singing, industrial drumming and award-winning break dancing. The Houston Rockets Launch Crew performed their exciting routine composed of talented tumblers, breakers, pop lockers and cheer stunters. Again this year, Jean Donatto served as master of ceremonies.

Woodlands Waterway Art Festival

For the past several years, The Pavilion has worked with Carver Magnet High School graphic arts students to create the T-shirt artwork for Musical Scores.

Jacob Ledesma, a student at Carver, is the T-shirt design winner in 2015. He was one of seven students from Carver’s graphic arts program

Aon Hewitt Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts Entergy Fidelity Investments Linn Energy, LLC Memorial Hermann-The Woodlands Newfield Exploration Company

$2,000 - $4,999 This year, the Houston Symphony’s program, as directed by Robert Franz, centered on the theme of “Tour Accross America”. The students enjoyed works by popular composers like Strauss, Wagner, Copland and more.

For more information about The Pavilion’s educational outreach programs, visit www.woodlandscenter.org.

Century 21 Realty Partners City of Shenandoah EMI Sheryl & Fred Greene Renewal by Anderson

$200 - $1,000 Julian T. Erwin, Sr. Dornier Family

In Kind United Airlines

Steve Williams was the lucky winner of an autographed Nickelback guitar that was auctioned off in the Woodforest Bank Club April 1. The guitar was sold for $3,500 and benefits The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion’s performing arts events and educational outreach programs.

Jerry MacDonald, president and CEO of The Pavilion, and Jeff Young, vice president of operations at The Pavilion, honored Steve Brosvik (center), former general manager of the Houston Symphony, with a framed photo of The Pavilion to commemorate his service at the symphony for the past ten years. Brosvik recently accepted the position of Chief Operating Officer at the Nashville Symphony and began his tenure in Nashville this spring.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion acknowledges the financial support of The Woodlands Township that is generated by the Event Admissions Tax for its performing arts and educational programs.

SUPPORTING C ST

2015 Members of The Pavilion Partners $1,000-$1,999 Lisa & Tom Blanchard Brenda Eames & Alan Braaten Candi & Gerald Glenn Alison & Rich Henderson Amy & Jonathan Homeyer Ed Jones Lisa & Paul Kenworthy Tricia & Jerry MacDonald Whitney & Derek McCoy Brenda & John Mizell Vicki & Michael Richmond Susie & Jeff Shipley $500-$999 Mrs. Tom Battle Cynthia & John Hageman Annette & Ken Hallock Judy & Charles Lano JoAnne & Randy Lowry Linda Manning Isabel Duque & Brent Wunderlich Melissa & Jeff Young $200-$300 Julita & Gary Bolen Cynthia & Ronald Brandt Debra Butler Faye & Rod Eson Jana & Jeff Graham Beth & Doug Grijalva Cathia & Dennis Houston Amy & Jeff Kaszak Suzanne & Richard Kelly Karen & Gary Lach Robert Wolfe $50-$100 Melissa & Bernado Aguayo Robert Arend Alana & David Ashley Suzie & Andy Baker Marilla & Edward Baralt Melissa Barksdale Judith Bartok Nancy & Mike Becker Bunny Benditz Sandra Benke Patricia & Peter Benson Stephanie Beridon Audrey Bernhoft James Bibis Jody & Brian Black Debbie & Danny Black Joy & James Borneman Sharon & Tom Bowen Sharon & Lonnie Brauner Michelle Bridges Carol & Tom Buffa Beth & Kim Butler Debbie & Skip Cain Corine & Richard Calk Annabelle & Chris Carrillo Gordon Carruth Barbara & Regan Chambers Patsy & Namen Chambliss Simone Chiang Sean Kenneth Connelly Angel Cooper & Todd Phillips Candis Cooper Jessica & Michael Cozart Gaye & Bill Craig Debra & Robert Cruz Andrea & Gabe Cuellar Melissa D’Mello & Ravi Davuluri Charles Dougherty Ruth Dowden Debra & Matt Dozier Christine Dunne Linda & Rob Eissler Suzanne & Ed Ellis Sarah Epley Melissa Fadler Keith & Grady Ferry Jane Fisher Lisa & Al Fittipaldi Beth & Greg Folks Sylvia Forbes Perry Frank Melinda & David Gardner Viorica & Ion Ghica Angela & Mark Gott Careen Gregory Meg & Dan Grimard Linda & Noble Gulledge Nozomi Haiola Samantha Hardin & Sal Vela Janene & Rick Hemmen Leanna & Rick Hinds Beth Hollis Monica & Jon Hoover Vicki Huebler & Debbie Stofcheck Taylor Hurd Michelle Huser Marlies Iida Maria Ivers Theresa Jensen Lisa Johnson DaLinda Judy Judy & Richard Jones Letty Kelley Rosie & Bill Kelly Kris Kirby Cindy Kirk Danny Klaus Deborah Kline Lisa & Fred Koetting Conchita & Eric Ladwig Judy Latour Karen & Alex Lewis Evelyn Link Linda & Irv Litchman Karen & Jim Listak Mary Loy Dianne & John Lundgren Kathryn MacKenzie & Don Koetting Lisa MacKenzie & Don MacKenzie Nancy & Terrance Mahan Linda Mallet Sydney Mark Melinda Martin Christine & Bo McBee Kim McCauley Christine McClusky Brian McCulloch Jane McKetta Phyllis Molnar Anne Moore Shelli Moran & Justin Styles Carmen Mulraney Myron Murphy Betty & Ray Nelson Janlyn Nentwig Linda & John Newbold Diane Nielsen Nora Norman Cindy Notarainni Jadzia & Richard Olson Shelly & Michael O’Neil Sharon Ouimet Kathryn & Paul Painter Marilyn & Phillip Palese Ann & Larry Perry Callie Piper Linda Pogue Karen & Lance Portman Patricia Harrison & Frank Radik Tom Rafferty Liz Regan Joyce & Ken Reynolds Margie & Keith Richardson Rhonda Richardson John Robichau Marinella Roger Arlene & Sol Sachs Nancy & Steve Sandstrum Ann & Dane Sever Sharon Schilling Jerolyn Simpkins Vashonda & Ronald Smith Pete Smith Stacy Spitzmueller Chris Steinke Kim Stetler Austin Stout Stacey Stout Candace Strang Kelly & Clay Tarro Stephanie & Mark Teed Ben Thomas Ellen Turner Freda Thomas & Nathaniel Holt Paula & Benny Van Osdell Maria Valenzuela Connie Wagner Edward Walsh Victoria Whelan David Wilson Jeannie Williams Eileen & Gilbert Withers Rebecca Wolfe Gene Wolfson Carolyn Wong As of May 19

P r e si d e nt ’ s

H-E-B Donates $1,000 to Fine Arts Scholarships

m e ss a g e

Hello Fellow Partners, Our season has officially begun, and so far we have had amazing shows. We kicked off the season with Mercy Me, followed by Nickelback and the legendary Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga.

Speaking of legendary, Elton John played for the first time in 12 years. We have a great season still ahead of us with Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett, Steely Dan and Kid Rock.

Remember to sign up early and often to volunteer at events. Also, as the summer temperatures start to rise, remember to stay hydrated while working outdoors. We thank you for all that you do to help make The Pavilion the premier place to spend the summer.

See you out there,

H-E-B selected The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion to participate in the Primo Picks Premier Night on April 17 at The Woodlands Market Street location. Primo Picks Premier Night is an event that recognizes area schools, non-profit organizations and their unique talents, while promoting distinctive specialty “Primo Picks” items for participants to sample and enjoy.

Guests sampled these items at stations around the store and had a passport stamped as each station. Partners rose to the challenge, with more than 100 in attendance at the event. With each completed passport, Partners helped to raise $1,000 from H-E-B for The Pavilion Partners Fine Arts Scholarship Fund.

“H-E-B’s commitment and involvement in the community, especially in the area of education is a very important initiative that aligns with The Pavilion’s mission of educational outreach,” said Leslie Williams, volunteer and special event coordinator at The Pavilion. “It is an honor to be recognized and selected to participate in Primo Picks Premier Night that earned a donation to The Pavilion Partners’ scholarship program.”

John Robichau The Pavilion Partners President

For more information about Partners, please visit www.woodlandscenter.org/partners.

H-E-B has been a supporter of The Pavilion’s performing arts events and educational outreach programs for more than 14 years, specifically sponsoring Hocus Pocus Pops since 2004.

Students Receive $105,000 in Scholarships from The Pavilion Partners in 2015

In 2015, The Pavilion Partners, the official volunteer organization of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, awarded 33 renewal scholarships and 23 new scholarships totaling $105,000. Since 1999, The Pavilion Partners has awarded $910,000 in scholarships to 743 students.

Students awarded first-time scholarships in 2015 attend Conroe High School, George Washington Carver High School, Douglas MacArthur High School, Northland Christian School, The Woodlands High School, The Woodlands College Park High School, Klein High School, Tomball Memorial High School, Montgomery High School, Westfield High School and Davis Senior High School. A reception honoring the recipients and donors was held April 27 at The Pavilion.

Every year, The Pavilion Partners offers fine arts scholarships to graduating high school seniors planning to major in the arts, as well as renewal scholarships to past

recipients currently studying the arts in college. Based on talent and academic performance, fine arts scholarships are awarded to students in the categories of vocal and instrumental music, theatre arts, dance and visual arts.

The top scoring applicants in each of the five disciplines receive a $5,000 scholarship. The next six highest scoring applicants across all disciplines receive a $2,500 scholarship. The remaining nine applicants receive a $1,500 scholarship.

Students who have received a scholarship are eligible to receive a $1,000 renewal scholarship.

For information about scholarships, email pavilionpartnersscholarship @yahoo.com or call 281-210-1119. Information also can found at www.wooodlandscenter.org/ scholarships.

2015 Fine Arts Scholarship Recipients Kristopher Adams, Theatre Arts, George Washington Carver High School Jamail Chachere-Stuart, Instrumental Music, Conroe High School Jose Delgado, Dance, Douglas MacArthur High School The Cindy DuBois Memorial Scholarship

Ryan Dumas, Theatre Arts, The Woodlands High School

Sarah Meidel, Instrumental Music, The Woodlands College Park High School The George and Cynthia Mitchell Memorial Scholarship

Shola Ojesina, Theatre Arts, George Washington Carver High School Abby Orr, Vocal Music, Montgomery High School The Vince Caracio Memorial Scholarship

The Nancy Bock Memorial Scholarship

Carolyn Orr, Vocal Music, Montgomery High School

Michael Eppinette, Visual Arts, Conroe High School

Jada Preston, Theatre Arts, Westfield High School

Scholarship Honoring Nancy and Casey Kosh

Mara Gomen, Vocal Music, Northland Christian School

Jackie Rowel, Visual Art, The Woodlands College Park High School Scholarship Honoring Sol Sachs

Dillon Jefferies, Instrumental Music, The Woodlands College Park High School

Noemi Salazar, Dance, George Washington Carver High School

Lauren Jones, Visual Arts, George Washington Carver High School

Priya Srivastava, Visual Arts, The Woodlands College Park High School

Jonathan Lammey, Theatre Arts, Klein High School

Whitney Wells, Vocal Music, Klein High School

Jared Lewis, Instrumental Music, Tomball Memorial High School

Halle Yap, Instrumental Music, The Woodlands High School

Brandon Lizardi, Theatre Arts, Davis Senior High School

Sidney Ylagan, Visual Arts, The Woodlands High School

The Lois A. Hurt Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Honoring Gerald and Candi Glenn

Ashley Long, Theatre Arts, The Woodlands High School

Scholarship Honoring The Founding Members

Scholarship Honoring Randy Lowry

Conroe Independent School District Earns National Honors as a “Best Community for Music Education”

By Patrick Paris The Conroe Independent School District was recently designated by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation as a “2015 Best Communities for a Music Education.” This is the fourth consecutive year that the community has received this distinction. The foundation acknowledges communities across the country for their commitment to and support of music education in schools.

This distinction is quite relevant to the partnership in education that exists between The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and the Conroe Independent School District. This partnership represents the efforts and commitment from the board, staff, and volunteers at The Pavilion and Conroe ISD. This partnership was made possible through the leadership and guidance of Mr. Jerry McDonald, president and CEO of The Pavilion and Dr. Don Stockton, superintendent of Conroe ISD. The Pavilion provides amazing experiences to students through the educational outreach programs.

Children’s Festival allows them to participate in an array of arts experiences that allow children to explore their own creative abilities.

Music in Motion is a program that connects high school band and orchestra students with

musicians from the Houston Symphony Orchestra through a master class experience that helps them elevate their musical achievement. Arts Day Out features a performance by the Houston Grand Opera educating and entertaining more than 300 students between kindergarten and second grade. Musical Scores primarily serves academically at-risk students, providing incentives for students to excel in their school endeavors. Fine Arts Education Day exposes close to 5,000 young children to their first professional symphony concert that is always tied to school curriculum. Chamberfest gives students the opportunity to train for an entire week with Julliard-trained faculty. Furthermore, The Pavilion has provided our students access to the many Houston Symphony Orchestra concerts throughout the Symphony Season. And finally, the Pavilion Partners, the official volunteer organization of the Pavilion, awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors who plan to major in the fine arts.

The partnership between Conroe ISD and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is a unique collaboration that has made our community one of the nation’s best for a music education. For more information, visit www.woodlandscenter.org

The Woodlands Center for the Performing Arts 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77380

CenterStage is a publication of The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands, a nonprofit organization and home of The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID The Woodlands Center for The Performing Arts

Photo by Ted Washington