| GERSHWIN ON BROADWAY Broadway! The place where many of Gershwin's tunes were first heard. |
 |
|
| The GERSHWIN PROGRAMS... |
| GERSHWIN ON BROADWAY Broadway! The place where many of Gershwin's tunes were first heard. |
|
|
| Gershwin on
Broadway offers songs from the greatest of the Gershwin shows. Productions such as Lady
Be Good, Funny Face, Strike Up the Band, of Thee I Sing and Girl Crazy still
thrill audiences as they did in the 1930's. Pianist Leon Bates has performed with major orchestras the world over and his rendition of Rhapsody in Blue has the audience on their feet with every concert in every country where he has performed this American classic. Add the luscious voices of Louise Toppin and La-Rose Saxon , and add the Broadway favorite Cedric Cannon, and you have a show that can make your season a smashing success. If you want a slightly larger production, a jazz saxophone adds pizzaz as it weaves melodies and harmonizes with the singers giving just the touch of jazzy elegance. How about a dancer to tap out a tune or make the moves to "I'd Rather Charleston?" The show uses rear screen projection to set the mood — brilliant scenes of the great "white way," Broadway, that is. Suitable for large or smaller venues, the tech is uncomplicated, and the stage setting is simple, yet effective. Have a sizzling 30's night and offer the songs of America's most popular composer played and sung by an amazing troupe of some of America's finest performers. |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| LEON BATES | LA-ROSE SAXON | LOUISE TOPPIN | CEDRIC CANNON | |
| Soprano
LA-ROSE SAXON's singing has taken her across the United States and around the
world, appearing in major opera houses throughout Europe. Ms. Saxon is a native of South
Carolina and graduate of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. She received a
masters degree in vocal music from Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Saxon's performances
have been numerous. She has been an outstanding "Bess" in the opera Porgy and
Bess and has performed Gershwin many places, including the Phoenix Symphony and
Frankfurt Opera. She has toured throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, Australia and
New Zealand. Her other operatic roles include "Susanna" in The Marriage of
Figaro. "Miss Silverpeal" in The Impresario. "Monica' in The
Medium, 'Nedda' in Pagliacci and "Frasquita" in Carmen. She
has performed the title role in Scott Joplin's Treemonisha at Town Hall in New York
City and with The Birmingham Opera. LOUISE TOPPIN has performed as a solo recitalist and orchestra soloist throughout the United States and Spain in such halls as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and the Licieu Theatre in Barcelona, Spain. Recently she has appeared on concert series throughout the United States in New York, Boston, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas and Richmond as well as on prestigious college campuses such as Morehouse College, Duke, Harvard and Tufts Universities, the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina. Louise Toppin did a wonderful job. Her voice has a full spectrum of colors..." --News-Review, Darien, CT Baritone CEDRIC CANNON made his Metropolitan Opera debut singing the role of Robbins in their production of Porgy and Bess, and made his debut as Porgy at the Frankfurt Opera in the Schatz production of Porgy and Bess. Since then, Mr. Cannon has sung Porgy throughout Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand and has appeared in concert with the Oakland, Savannah, The Fine Arts, Eastern Connecticut, Saskatoon and the Pittsburgh symphonies. He has toured nationally and internationally with the Sherwin M. Goldman/Houston Grand Opera production of Porgy and Bess, singing the role of Jake, which he also sang in Opera Ebony's concert version of Porgy and Bess with the Sinfoniuhi Jomsveit Iceland. Other international engagements have included Opera Ebony's concert version of Carmen and Opera Nova's Ipaliacci. Mr. Cannon has also sung on a continuing basis with the San Francisco Pocket Opera. |
||||
| - | ||||
|
|
|
GERSHWIN BY REQUEST |
|||
| LEON BATES | LOUISE TOPPINS | CEDRIC CANNON | ||||
| An evening of music by
George Gershwin featuring Leon Bates at the piano and soprano Louise Toppins along with
baritone Cedric Cannon, singing selections from the all-time favorite, Porgy and Bess.
Audiences thrill to the sounds of
"Summertime," "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing." "I Got Plenty o
Nuttin," "Strawberry Chant" and "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" sung
with all the warmth and feeling that has made Porgy and Bess an American
classic. Leon Bates playing of "Three Preludes" and works from the Gershwin
Song Book brings flavor and sparkle to the evening and keeps audiences asking for
more. And, more there is: "Love Walked In" and "My Love Is Here to
Stay" plus more from Porgy and Bess: "It Takes a Long Pull to Get
There," "Theres A Boat Dats Leavin Soon for New York," "I Love You
Porgy" and "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way." The stunning finale is the solo
version of the Rhapsody in Blue as performed by Bates. "Bates returned for a big-shoulder version of the Rhapsody
in Blue. He gave such impetus to the first movement that he was interrupted by
applause at the end." |
| Booking Information Rile Home Page Rile Roster Leon Bates |