APRIL

–MAY

2017

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VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTERAT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

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A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

On May 13, VPAC welcomes back the Martha Graham Company. Two years ago, this most storied of American dance companies

performed to a sold out house at VPAC. Shortly afterward I asked Janet Eilber, the company’s Artistic Director, what she would most want to do when they return to VPAC, prompting an inspiring exchange about the importance of music to Martha Graham herself. In the early and mid-20th century, of course the company only performed with live music, and Graham herself was responsible for commissioning some of the most innovative and important composers of the era to create new works for her company. The upcoming program, Martha Graham and American Music, will feature three of those pieces.

In the last half century, as we have increasingly come to rely on recorded music to accompany dance, something can be lost—the spontaneity, the raw energy and the complete multi-sensory experience. VPAC is proud to provide you that experience on May 13, and to pair the Martha Graham Company with conductor Christopher Rountree and the Los Angeles-based musical ensemble wild Up.

This performance was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), from their multi-disciplinary grants program. $20,000 from the federal agency offsets the additional costs of pairing live music with dance at VPAC. You may know that the NEA is under attack, facing grave cuts or even elimination. Without jumping into the political fray, I point out the tiny percentage of the federal budget this agency represents—one analysis sug-gests that the annual NEA budget is less than the cost of a single military helicopter.

I hope you’ll take a moment to consider the importance of the arts to our national fabric, the thread that binds us by timeless beauty and colorful diversity. Without the National Endowment for the Arts, we will persevere. But something important will be lost.

Warmly,

Thor Steingraber, Executive Director Valley Performing Arts Center

Warmly,

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President, CSUNDr. Dianne F. Harrison

Vice President of Administration and

Finance, CSUNColin Donahue

Executive Director, VPACThor Steingraber

Associate Executive Director, VPAC

Terence McFarland

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE!Check-in on Facebook, tag us in your Instagram photos, Snapchat your moments or trend with us on Twitter. / VPACatCSUN

Sally AdelblueJuliana AlvarezMichael BergantzelAnthony E. CantrellEli FalkJose FelixCynthia GonzalesSheryl JonesLakhpreet KaurMatthew LengyelZachary LeucharsAnnikki LottaCharles Matthew

Tomas MedinaZac NorthcraftCameron O’HanlonNick OldhamMaria ParedesChristian ParkerMichael RyanAlberto Sistos Joey SolanoJustin SouzaNicki Sun Anabel Villalobos

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WELCOMING YOU TO VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

CONTENTS

10 DOC SEVERINSEN AND HIS BIG BAND

16 TAJ EXPRESS: THE BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL REVUE

24 LILA DOWNS WITH MONSIEUR PERINÉ

28 MAN OF LA MANCHA

36 MARTHA GRAHAM AND AMERICAN MUSIC

TAJ EXPRESS

Davidson & Choy Publicity | Gary W. Murphy Public Relations

Cover: Martha Graham Dance Company by Hibbard Nash; P.03: Thor Steingraber by Luis Luque; P.04-5: Taj Express courtesy of CAMI; P.09: Luis Luque by Adrian Garcia; P.10: Doc Severinsen courtesy of Doc Severinsen; P.13: Doc Severinsen courtesy of Doc Severinsen; P.14: Vanessa Thomas courtesy of Vanessa Thomas; P.16: Taj Express courtesy of CAMI; P.21: Taj Express courtesy of CAMI; P.22-23: Taj Express courtesy of CAMI; P.24: Lila Downs by Elena Pardo; P.26: Monsieur Periné courtesy of Monsieur Periné; P.29: Man of La Mancha courtesy of McCoy Rigby Entertainment; P.36: Martha Graham Dance Company by Costas; P.43: Martha Graham by Cris Alexander; P.46-47: wild Up by Luis Luque; P.56-57: Great Hall by Luis Luque; P.50: Taj Express courtesy of; P.51: Art Gallery by Pascal Giacomini; P.52: Porter Pavilion by Joey Solano; P.53: Usher Holding Tickets by Steve Babuljak; P.55: Bistro on the Terrace by Joey Solano.

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Thank you for supporting VPAC’s 2016–2017 Season with your annual contributions!

CHAMPIONS$25,000$49,999

The Colburn FoundationDebbie Valera & Milt Valera ’68

$10,000$24,999

Carol Colburn GrigorDavid LeeMarla Lefton ’83 & Cary LeftonKathleen P. MartinAnthony & Jeanne Pritzker Family FoundationElizabeth A. PurcellRandolph A. Rice ’75Bob Stiefel

PATRONS$5,000$9,999

Robert F. & Susan Pfeiler BrownCommunities Foundation of TexasKaren D. Enzer ’82 & Earl S. Enzer ’83Dr. Gail F. Fonosch ’68Heart of/Neiman Marcus FoundationHorace Heidt Big Bands FoundationSherry LapidesVirginia ManciniAnne M. Payne ’65 & John T. PayneCarolyn Clark Powers

Christi Robinson ’07 & John RobinsonJudith S. & John F. Rothman Dr. Raul RuizManja & Dennis K. Swanson

$1,000$4,999

Linda & Jeffrey M. AbellJeffrey Baker & Rodney DavisDr. Marlene BaneDr. Shari Tarver-Behring & John BehringPaul J. Beress ’69Bill BergRosalyn & Neal BergJane Berk & James G. Berk ’81 Hon. D. ’11Chuck Berney & FamilyIrene Markham BoydIrene & Dr. Stuart D. BoydJoan Reynolds BoyettSuzan L. Brownlee & Dr. Don R. BrownleeEd K. Burke ’59, M.A. ’69Margot & Joe CalabreseCatherine & Dr. Donald Cameron Ph.D.Allison ClagoJennifer & Royce DienerJilanne Fager ’63, M.A. ’72 & Richard FagerDr. Bonnie Faherty & Edward G. FeldmanFred FisherThomas J. FordDeanna & Jim GormanYvonne L. GreenTama HolveJon & Susan Joyce

Seljuk KardanDr. Sandra L. Klasky ’77 & Dr. Irving KlaskyPatricia A. Kiddoo & Dr. Robert J. Kiddoo ’69Harriet & Dr. Eric R. LeibovitchHelen Gordon Lowy M.P.H.’75 & Alan LowyMelissa LoveladyRobert MendowMarianne Mertzel & Dr. James E. MertzelThe Mortimer Levitt FoundationDeborah & Robert M. Myman ’67Parry Weet O’Brien & Edward O’BrienParadoxical Pictures Inc.Maria S. ParedesDr. Mary T. Pattiz & Norman PattizThe Hon. Joy & Dr. Gerald PicusBarbara & Sheldon PinchukMonika & Terry D. PoeJoyce & David PrimesDr. Cynthia Z. Rawitch & Robert J. Rawitch ’67Andrea Reinken ’80 & Don ReinkenJoAnn & Len RothDr. Paulette ShafranskiDr. Carol ShubinCharlene M. Sievers ’74 & Mike SieversThor SteingraberLinda & Judd T. SwarzmanMarcella & Richard TylerValley Presbyterian HospitalSharon & Irwin WinstonFlorentina West

VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER DONORS 20162017

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VPAC AMBASSADORS ADVISORY BOARD

VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER DONORS 20162017

Jeffrey Baker

Irene M. Boyd

Joan Boyett

Susan Pfeiler Brown

Ed K. Burke ’59, M.A. ’69

Donald Cameron

Rodney Davis

Jilanne Fager ’63, M.A. ’72

Deanna Gorman

Tama Holve

George A. Johnson

Sherry Lapides

Marla Lefton ’83

Helen Gordon Lowy M.P.H. ’75

Alan Lowy

Francine Oschin ’84

The Hon. Joy Picus

Barbara Pinchuk

Andrea Reinken ’80

Christi Robinson ’07

Dr. Carol Shubin

Ellen R. Stohl ‘94

Dr. Shari Tarver-Behring

Marcella Tyler

FRIENDS$500$999

Dr. Annette A. Besnilian ’13 & George G. BesnilianSandra & Ronald FriedmanFuller Family Foundation Michael W. GilbertWendy KelmanLinda KleigerDr. Yi Li Steven H. MedofNatalie & Jeffrey M. NoblittFrancine Oschin ’84, MA ’85Edward & Peggy RobinCharlene Sievers ’74 & Mike SieversRenee TepperAlma R. Zatarain

$100$499

Nancy & Dr. James AllenBetty J. BaileyJudy BenedictLeslie & Thomas Beers

Elaine BerkeJean O. Buesing & Gregory P. BuesingPatricia J. BurgRosemary & Gerald CapodieciRegina ChinwezeEileen Cordi ’75 & James M. CordiSusan Levy D’AnnaGuadalupe Diaz ’99Karla S. Escobar ’09Anna Monica K. Fabic ’14Ruth L. Forman MA ’79Lila GellerToni HertzLindsay A. Hill ’82Ms. Karyl A. Hirschmann ’76Linda K. Jones ’90, MA ’04, EdD ’16 & Robert Jones ’95, MA ’04Jean KatzBrenda KannoDr. Barbara Kornblau ’74 & Dr. Donald KornblauLudonna M. Loney ’82

Aliza & Michael LesserBarbara & Gary LuboffAndreas Marbach ’76

elody ansfield 9Patricia & Robert MillerMarisa MorabitoIrving NovickDmitry RachmanovNorma RahlShelley B. Rivlin ’68Nicholas S. Rolf ’05Michael C. RyanHelene SchacterRoberta & Dr. Ronald SchafferVivienne Steele & Frank R. SilkwoodJill ShindermanEvy & Fred ScholderMary F. ScottLigia E. Toutant ’03 & Dr. William P. ToutantEva UniteWoodland Hills Rotary Club Charitable Foundation

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I am Valley Performing Arts Center’s house photographer and a proud CSUN alumnus. As a student at California State

University, Northridge, in 2012, I was top of my class in the photography program and became president of the photography club. I started working at VISCOM, CSUN’s creative a ency, and ecame their first lon term photographer. Subsequently, I was hired by CSUN’s Art Department.

In 2015, VISCOM/CSUN Art Department assigned me to photograph the campus take-over of DIAVOLO|Architecture in Motion, who were artists performing at Valley Per-formin rts enter. This as the first time I had the opportunity to work with Valley Performing Art Center (VPAC). VPAC fell in love with the pictures I took and invited me to photograph a few other events and encouraged me to apply for the Mary Bayramian Arts Scholarship intern position. I applied and was awarded the scholarship and had the privilege to be a photography intern at VPAC for one year. During that time I worked with the VPAC marketing team, who pushed me to learn new skills and foster my success.

One of my proudest achievements, while being an intern, was being published by the Los Angeles Times for the first time and ettin the opportunity to photo raph orld reno ned artists in one of the most beautiful performance halls in Los Angeles. After my internship with VPAC, I graduated with a BA in Arts, with an emphasis in photography. I was very blessed after graduation, when VPAC promoted me to be their house photographer in the upcoming season.

I love going to work at VPAC every day because I am surrounded by people who love their jobs. There are no two days alike at VPAC, as it’s always an adventure to be unraveled on the day of a performance.

Luis LuqueVPAC In-House PhotographerLuque Photography

VPAC SPOTLIGHT

10 DOC SEVERINSEN

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PROGRAM

DOC SEVERINSEN AND HIS BIG BAND

VPAC CELEBRATES

DOC’S 90TH!

THURSDAY, APRIL 13 | 8PM

MEDIA SPONSOR KJAZZ

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DOC SEVERINSEN“Heeeeere’s Johnny!” That lead-in, fol-

lowed by a big band trumpet blast, was the landmark of late night television for three decades. The “Johnny” was Johnny Carson, the announcer was Ed McMahon and the bandleader was Doc Severinsen. Beginning in October 1962, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson ruled the night air for 30 years. On May 22, 1992, it came to an end....

ithin a ee of the final telecast, Doc Severinsen and His Big Band were on the road, and to this day audiences across Amer-ica love and respect Doc and His Big Band, not just because he shared their living room with them for so many years, but because of Doc’s love of the Big Band repertoire. His musicianship keeps this iconic Ameri-can music fresh to this day. Their repertoire includes Ellington and Basie standards, pop, jazz, ballads, big band classics and, of course, The Tonight Show theme. Severinsen can still blow hard with his horn and hit the high notes, a result of his continued commitment to the practice studio and the refinement of his craft. But as a band leader, Doc continues to surround himself with the best in the busi-ness, and he’s only too happy to give them a turn in the spotlight.

A Grammy Award-winner, Doc has made more than 30 albums—from big band to jazz fusion to classical. Two critically acclaimed Telarc CDs with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra showcase his multifaceted talents from Bach to ballads. The Very Best of Doc Severinsen reprises 15 of Doc’s signature pieces. His other recordings include Unforgettably Doc with the Cincinnati Pops on Telarc and the Grammy nominated Once More With Feeling

on Amherst. He received a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance—Big Band for his recording of Doc Severinsen and The Tonight Show Band-Volume I.

In 2006, Doc moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, ostensibly to retire from performance. Within weeks, he was jamming

ith the ma nificent uitarist il utierre . He now tours regularly with Gil in a quintet called The San Miguel Five, performing a mix of Latin, Gypsy jazz and standards, to exceptional acclaim. They released their most current CD, Oblivion, in January 2014.

Severinsen’s accomplishments began in his hometown of Arlington, Oregon, population: 600. Carl H. Severinsen was born on July 7th, 1927, and was nicknamed “Little Doc” after his father, Dr. Carl Severinsen, a dentist. Little Doc had originally wanted to play the trombone. But Doc Sr., a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to follow in his father’s footsteps. Doc Jr. insisted on the trombone, which turned out to be unavailable in tiny Arlington’s music store. And so a trumpet it would be. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the sev-en-year-old was so good that he was invited to join the high school band. At the age of 12, Little Doc won the Music Educator’s National Contest and, while still in high school, was hired to go on the road with the famous Ted Fio Rito Orchestra. However, his stay with the group was cut short by the draft. He served in the Army during World War II and, following his discharge, landed a spot with the Charlie Barnett Band. When this band broke up, Sev-erinsen toured with the Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman bands in the late ’40s.

After his days with Barnett and Dorsey,

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DOC SEVERINSEN

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Doc arrived in New York City in 1949 to become a staff musician for NBC. After years of playing with NBC’s many studio bands, Doc was invited to play a gig in the highly respected Tonight Show Band. The band leader at the time, Skitch Henderson, asked him to join that band in 1962 in the first trumpet chair. Five years later, Doc became the Music Director for The Tonight Show and the rest is history. His loyalty to Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon never faltered, and the warm camaraderie between the three was an enormous part of the show’s success. When Johnny decided to retire from The Tonight Show, Doc and Ed said their goodbyes as well. Of course, free from the nightly grind of the TV studio, Doc Severinsen had far more time to expand his musical horizons and continues to keep an extensive touring schedule.

In addition to his San Miguel 5 appearanc-es, Doc tours regularly with his own Big Band and continues to perform with symphony orchestras all over the country. Over the years he has been Principal Pops Conductor with the Phoenix Symphony, the Milwaukee Sym-phony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Colora-do Symphony, the Pacific Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic.

Doc performs on a S.E. Shires Severinsen Destino III, a trumpet he developed with Steve Shires and the S.E. Shires Company in

Massachusetts. The factory has 25 craftsmen who are professional working brass players and totally understand what is involved in making great brass instruments. The S.E. Shires Company features a line of trumpets that includes the S.E. Shires Severinsen Des-tino III, which was developed through Doc’s supervision until his exacting standards of quality and sound were achieved. Doc contin-ues to make regular visits to the factory.

Today, Doc has not lost his flair for the outrageous fashion statement or his trade-mark wit. But his gregarious nature has never interfered with the fact that he has been one

VANESSA THOMAS

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of the greatest trumpeters and musicians of the last 60 years, respected in the worlds of classical music, jazz, big band and now even world music. In the end, Doc Severinsen has transcended his celebrity and rejoiced in his remarkable ability to simply play his trumpet as well as he can. Which has proven to be good enough for the millions of people who count themselves his fans.

VANESSA THOMAS (Soprano/Mezzo Sopra-no) regularly performs as Doc Severinsen’s vocalist in his symphony pops shows Here’s Doc and Doc’s Greatest Hits, Doc Severinsen and His Big Band tours, Jingle Bell Doc and Doc the Halls holiday pops concerts, as well as singing in recital all over the country. Thomas’ voice has been heralded as the newly discovered, present-day Frank Sinatra (theaterjones.com); she is known for her seamless 4-octave range. She has an unusual versatility and command in a variety of mu-sical genres, including jazz, musical theater, opera, and more, delighting audiences every-where she is heard.

Recent credits include the world premiere of John Brown by Kirke Mechem (composer of the famed opera Tartuffe). Recent engage-ments have seen Thomas performing with Doc at Hollywood Bowl, Cincinnati Pops, Ft. Worth Symphony, Utah Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, Kansas City Symphony and Buffalo Symphony. Thomas has performed with such notable players as Severinsen, Ed Shaughnessy, Mike Metheny, Ernie Watts, Wayne Bergeron, Byron Stripling and Luis Conte. She has sung under the baton of James Conlon, John Morris Russell, Julius Rudel and Robert Spano, and worked with arrangers Dick Lieb, Adi Yeshaya and

Alan Baylock. Upcoming performances this season

include Pops concerts with Doc at Detroit Symphony, Plano Symphony, Alabama Sym-phony, Rochester Philharmonic and Milwau-kee Symphony.

Vanessa Thomas resides in Lawrence, Kan-sas, where she maintains a voice studio and performs regularly in the Kansas City area.

THE BIG BAND

Vocalist: VANESSA THOMAS

Alto Sax: ERIC MARIENTHAL BRIAN SCANLON

Tenor Sax: BOB SHEPPARD KEVIN GARREN

Baritone Sax: GREG HUCKINS

Trumpet: WAYNE BERGERON DAN FORNERO KYE PALMER LARRY HALL

Trombone: ANDY MARTIN FRANCISCO TORRES

Bass Trombone: BEN DEVITT

Piano: BILL CUNLIFFE

Bass: TREY HENRY

Drums: BRIAN MILLER

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TAJ EXPRESS: THE BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL REVUE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 | 8PM

PROGRAM

STUDENT MATINEE GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY CAROLYN CLARK POWERS

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PRODUCERS / MANAGEMENT CREW

PROGRAM

Producer ...............................................................................................................Shruti MerchantExecutive Producer ........................................................................................... Pranav MerchantTechnical Director .............................................................................................. Stephan AlcarazStage Manager .....................................................................................................Aruna PoojaryLighting Director .............................................................................................. Miguel FernandezSound Director ................................................................................................... Alessio ComuzziOn-tour Sound Director ....................................................................................... Riccardo Dondi On-tour Company Manager ................................................................................. Erik Birkeland

CREATIVES

Director ................................................................................................................Shruti MerchantDirector of Choreography ............................................................................ Vaibhavi MerchantWriter ........................................................................................................................ Toby GoughChief Assistant Director ......................................................................................Ankush DhawanChoreographer ....................................................................................................Shruti Merchant Choreographer ............................................................................................. Rajitdev EaswardasChoreographer ...................................................................................................... Deepak SinghChoreographer .......................................................................................................Tejaswi ShettyChoreographer .........................................................................................................Pratik UtekarChoreographer ......................................................................................................... Rahul ShettyMusic Composer, Original Title Track ........................................... Salim & Sulaiman Merchant Music Director ..................................................................................................... Abhijit VaghaniBackground Score ................................................................................................Monty SharmaCostume Designer ......................................................................................................Bipin Tanna Head of Wardrobe ............................................................................ Mohammad Yusuf ShaikhMake-up Artist ....................................................................................... Dinesh Suvarna KoragaVoice Over ................................................................................................................ Denzil Smith

Tour Direction:Tim Fox and Alison Ahart WilliamsColumbia Artists Management LLC

New York, NYwww.cami.com

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PROGRAM

ACT ONE

1. THE SWANS OF GODDESS SARASWATIAn invocation of the goddess of knowledge, wisdom and music.

2. BOLLYWOOD AT THE OSCARSA.R. Rahmans double Oscar-winning smash hit song “Jai Ho” from the film Slum Dog Millionaire is the inspiration for composers all over India.

3. THE BEETHOVEN OF BOLLYWOODShankar, a young aspiring film score composer, is given the dream job of writing the music for the new Bollywood romance, Taj Express.

4. THE SILVER SCREEN SIRENShankar writes three sizzling hits for the Bollywood diva. The heroine of the film, Kareena Kaboom, is India’s hearthrob, but deep in her heart she dreams of escaping her celebrity status.

5. THE KING OF THE STREETS AND THE RHYTHMS OF THE GODSArjun, hero of the movie, runs a classical dance school for street children, to break the cycle of gangland violence in Mumbai. Here they dance for Lord Ganesh, to remove all obstacles from their lives.

6. MONSOON RESCUETwo worlds collide as Arjun saves Kareena from a potential disaster. Shankar and his studio musicians create the music of their meeting.

7. THE CALL OF ADVENTUREIn their first encounter in the refuge of his dance school, Arjun offers Kareena the keys to freedom.

8. GANGLAND MUMBAIShakaal, the villain of the Underworld, wants to take Arjun’s dance school to be part of his nightclub empire. The conflict between these two gangs erupts in an epic dance battle of the streets.

9. BOLLYWOOD BRAINSTORMBack in the studio the musicians create the music for Kareena Kaboom’s Award night party.

10. TONIGHT’S THE NIGHTAll the Bollywood stars walk the red carpet at Kareena Kaboom’s award night party.

11. OPPOSITES ATTRACTKareena can’t stop thinking about Arjun and imagines him there.

12. BYE BYE BOLLYWOODArjun and Kareena escape the glare of publicity, but the Bollywood party rages on. The adventure begins.

ACT TWO

1. DANCE OF CREATIONKareena takes the first step of her journey in the temple of Lord Shiva, in Varanasi, the world’s oldest city.

2. FIND KAREENA!Shankar and musicians create music for Kareena and Arjun’s Journey.

3. WISDOM OF THE POETSKareena and Arjun journey to Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India.

4. RHYTHM OF CHANGEShankar and musicians performs the music of Kareena’s spiritual enlightenment.

5. THE GARDEN OF LOVEKareena finds purity in the blooming of the lotus flower as Saraswati blesses their union.

6. REVELATIONShakaal arrives to confront Arjun and Kareena but an astonishing secret is revealed.

7. OPEN THE GATESThe palace of Ranthambore welcomes home the missing prince of the land.

8. HANDS BIND HEARTSThe rituals of love in an Indian wedding.

9. LOVE.DANCE.SING.No Bollywood film is complete without a Punjabi number.

10. THIS IS THE ENDTaj Express, the film is released and the reviews are out.

11. ROLL THE CREDITSThe cast and crew all join together to dance together at the end of the shoot. Actors, dancers, musicians, camera crew, makeup and costume celebrate the making of the great adventure romance, Taj Express.

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ACTORSMR. MIKHAIL SEN (Narrator)MR. HITEN SHAH (Arjun)MS. TANVI PATIL (Kareena Kaboom)

MUSICIANSCHANDAN RAINA GuitaristANISH KALE PercussionistAVADOOTH PHADKE Flautist

MALE DANCE PERFORMERSASHISH GAKWADASHISH VAKANIDEVENDRA SINGHGAURAV PATHAKHIMANSHU PARIHAR

KIRAN WAGHCHAWREMOHSIN SHAIKHNIRAJ LAMARAHUL SONAWANESAHIL MAYENKARSURESH CHAVAN

FEMALE DANCE PERFORMERSANKITA SHETHBEENA PATELHETAL SETAKAVITA KHILLAREKHUSHBU VAKANIPUJA BANARJIPRIYA SHETTYRESHMA BELOSESADHWI MAJUMDERSHRADDHA DANDGESNEHA SINGH

TAJ EXPRESS is the love story between Kareena, a beautiful actress, and Arjun, a hand-some hero of the streets. t first it seems that they are from opposite worlds, but their love for dance brings them together. Arjun rescues young people from the streets and offers them a training in classical dance. Kareena longs for freedom from the pressures of being a celebrity as well as a showbiz relationship that her pro-ducer is forcing her to adopt for publicity. Deep in her heart she is searchin for fulfillment. The story of Goddess Saraswati is the allegory for her story, the pursuit of knowledge through re-jection of material possessions and subsequent escape from the clutches of Lord Brahma. Arjun no s the path she must ta e to find enli ht-

enment. She must rediscover the essence of dance, poetry and meditation and the meaning of true love. For this discovery, she must leave Bollywood and the world she knows behind.

Traveling on board one of India’s iconic steam engines, Arjun and Kareena escape on a thrilling adventure across this colorful, exotic and magical land.

The ourney ta es them from the film studios of Mumbai to the southernmost tip of India, from the temples of aranasi to the fields of Punjab, ending with a fabulous wedding in the royal palaces of Rajasthan.

No Bollywood story is complete without a villain and this story is no different. Shakaal, an underground mob boss, has a vendetta against

PROGRAM

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Arjun and a mission to bring Kareena back to Bollywood or destroy them both.

n the final dramatic encounter, Sha aal is defeated and Arjun is revealed to be an undercover prince who marries Kareena in a fabulous, opulent, Indian wedding.

SHRUTI MERCHANT (Producer/Director) Shruti Merchant began her career assisting her sister ai ha i erchant in films such as Dhoom, Lakshya, Baghban, Kuch Na Kaho, Kal Ho Na Ho, Devdas and Jab Tak Hai Jaan. She made her debut as a choreographer and won the Big Entertainment Award for best Chore-ography for the song “Thug Le” from Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl.

Prior to directing Taj Express, she toured ith tra elin musicals for o er fi e years as

a touring choreographer. He has performed in countries such as Australia, UK, Switzer-land, South Africa, Spain, France, Singapore and the United States, to name a few, and it was during this time that she experienced

the lo al theatre scene first hand. Tourin internationally she has gained experience and no led e in the field of direction and production of stage shows.

With Taj Express, she has created a path-breaking song, dance and drama ex-travaganza that will entertain and enthrall audiences of all ages, world-over. Shruti hopes to have Taj Express tour every big and small city around the world to give audiences a true fla or of ndia.

VAIBHAVI MERCHANT (Director of Chore-ography) Vaibhavi Merchant is one of Bolly-wood’s leading dance choreographers. The granddaughter of pioneering Indian choreog-rapher Shri B Hiralal, Vaibhavi’s journey with dance began at an early age. During her career, Vaibhavi has choreographed dance numbers in numerous hit olly ood films. She has been awarded a National Film Award for her choreography in “Dhol Baaje” from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Her recent hits include Bhaag

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Milkha Bhaag, Dhoom-3, Fan, Sultan and Befikre. Vaibhavi was also the choreography director for The Merchants of Bollywood, which has been touring globally for the past 10 years.

With Taj Express, Vaibhavi has worked to-ward bringing the magic of the story on stage through the expression and grace of various dance forms.

PRANAV MERCHANT (Executive Producer) Pranav Merchant has spent his life building businesses in varied industries including real estate and entertainment and guiding them to profita ility. is passion for the international musical business brings Pranav on board the Taj Express, where he hopes to introduce audi-ences in India and abroad to the true essence of India while creating a global platform to showcase Indian talent. As the Executive Pro-ducer, Pranav has been dedicated to getting some of the Indian entertainment industry’s most gifted talents involved in Taj Express

Pranav’s vision for Taj Express is to have performed in every country around the world and to evolve the show into seasons that will have audiences hungry for more every time Taj Express is back in town.

TOBY GOUGH (Writer) An award-winning international music theatre writer and direc-tor, Toby Gough is the creator of hit musicals such as The Merchants of Bollywood, The Bar at Buena Vista, Lady Salsa, Soy de Cuba, Heming-way’s Havana and Havana Rumba! He is also currently working on two new musicals—Mi-ami Libre with Cuban artists living in Miami in collaboration with the Grammy nominated super group Tiempo Libre and a new hip-hop project, in the Dharavi Slums of Mumbai. He recently produced the Cuban Gypsy project al-bum with world music guru Damian Draghici and other legends of Cuban and Gypsy music.

Toby is director of Brazil! Brazil!, Irish Celtic and Irish Celtic Generations Musical. He has created pioneering community engagement conflict transformation pro ects in Sri an a, Yugoslavia, Africa and Australia. He directs a world music theatre venue, The World Festi-val, in collaboration with Brian Cox and Peter Gabriel, which won the Spirit of the Festival lifetime achievement award.

e is also the recipient of fi e Scotsman irst Prize Awards at The Edinburgh Festival and two Spirit of the Festival Awards, two Total

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Theatre Awards, the Guardian International Theatre Award and has been nominated for a Grammy Award for his work with Tanzanian musicians, the Zawose Family.

SALIM & SULAIMAN MERCHANT (Music Composers) Salim and Sulaiman are a re-nowned Indian music composer duo credited with a host of chart-topping hits. In the past decade the duo has composed music for loc uster olly ood flic s such as Chak De

India, Fashion, Neal ‘n’ Nikki and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, to name a few.

With the title track “Taj Express,” which was composed exclusively for the show, Salim and Sulaiman have created a score that features traditional Indian sounds while maintaining a lo al fla or.ABHIJIT VAGHANI (Music Director) Having

started his career with fun and spunky jingles, Abhijit Vaghani made a beeline into main-stream Bollywood, scoring absolutely thrilling and record-breaking backgrounds and tracks for blockbusters. His eccentric sense of style and individuality equipped the scenes with precision and character. Interpreting visual scenes into intricate sounds comes naturally to

this promising young musician.His productions are greatly appreciated and

acknowledged not only within the Bollywood film industry and its audiences, ut interna-tionally as well. The national and international acclaim that he has achieved in such a short span of time only proves his dedication and passion for the world of music. His work as a music producer in latest hit movies, Sarab-jit, Fan, Ki & Ka, Kapoor & Sons and Bajirao Mastani, displays inspirational productions,

hich reflect his passion, dri e and the a ility to create unimaginable harmony.

BIPIN TANNA (Costume Designer) Taj Express is Bipin Tanna’s second experience with a mu-sical on stage in addition to various Bollywood movies and TV shows.

Designing costumes for the show was an extensive and intriguing project for him, which resulted in over 1,000 costumes and more than 500 accessories featuring exquisite details, colors, glamour and bling. One of the goals of the show is to put Indian textiles on the international map, and Taj Express is as much a journey through the vast array of Indian textiles as it is through India.

TAJ EXPRESS

24 LILA DOWNSLILA DOWNS

25

LILA DOWNS

MONSIEUR PERINE

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 | 8PM

WITH

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A multiple Grammy Award-winning artist, LILA DOWNS has one of the world’s most singular voices and innovative approaches to music. Born in the state of Oaxaca, México, she is the daughter of a Mixtec Indian woman, Anastasia Sanchez, who ran away from her vil-lage at 15 to sing in Mexico City cantinas, and a University of Minnesota professor Allen Downs, who saw her singing and fell in love.

Lila grew up both in Minnesota and Oaxaca, and studied classical voice and cultural an-thropology at the University of Minnesota. Her music and ocal artistry ha e many influences and are as varied as the ancient cultures that serve as her inspiration. For two decades she has toured throughout the world with her multinational band, La Misteriosa, reinter-preting the roots of music, such as blues, jazz, soul, cumbia, rock, rap and klezmer music. She weaves various musical forms with tradition-

al Mexican and native Mesoamerican music, singing in Spanish, English, and the languages of the Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya and Nahuatl cul-tures. Her tremendous voice and the originality of her compositions create a musical concept that is highly innovative and unique. Some might classify Lila simply as a Mexican artist, but there is no real way to categorize her music except to say it is an exciting fusion of interna-tional sounds and musical genres.

Lila’s lyrics are often striking commentaries on social conditions, reflectin mi ration and the search for roots as a core human need, spotlighting her concerns over the erosion of civil rights and justice, escalating threats against journalists and activists, the excess in modern life, lost love and more. In the midst of her exploration of such important issues, Lila Downs is able to make audiences laugh, cry and sing passionately along with her. She makes an

MONSIEUR PERINÉ

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important and deep connection with her fans, who are of all ages, races and backgrounds. “I am very fortunate,” said Downs. “People who follow our music belong to all walks of life. Every day we connect with them.”

Lila Downs has performed at many of the world’s most prestigious festivals and venues, has been invited to sing at the White House, and performed on the Latin Grammys 2012 telecast, as well as the 75th Academy Awards televised ceremony, performing with Caetano Veloso the Oscar-nominated song “Burn It Blue,” from the movie Frida. Her music has also een included in se eral other feature films

such as The Counselor, Tortilla Soup, Real Wom-en Have Curves, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Carlos Saura’s Fados, Mariachi Gringo and Hecho en Mexico. Other artists with whom she has collaborated in recordings and concerts include Mercedes Sosa, Santana, Juanes, Bun-bury, Cafe Tacuba, Wynton Marsalis, Angelique Kidjo, Juan Gabriel and Los Tigres del Norte.

Lila has recorded nine studio albums, garner-ing a Grammy and four Latin Grammys. She is currently completing a new album scheduled for a 2017 release.

One of the leading bands in Colombia’s new music scene, MONSIEUR PERINÉ won the Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist and earned a Grammy Award nomination for their most recent album, Caja de Música. Rooted in gypsy jazz and celebrating the tradition of Djan-go Reinhardt, Monsieur Periné’s fresh style adds a variety of Latin elements to the mix. Incorpo-rating genres like cumbia, son, bolero, tango and samba, the band performs on traditional South American instruments from the charango to the bandoneon, and Latin percussion. Their

airy yet virtuosic instrumental foundation connects 1930’s Paris with the youthful spirit of modern Bogotá. It’s the perfect backdrop to showcase Catalina Garcia’s sugar-sweet, sun-shiny vocals at the very center of their signature “swing a la Colombiana” style. With the help of the illustrator José Arboleda and their own fash-ion designer, the band has created a world of their own that comes to life in their music, their artwork and, of course, their performances.

LILA DOWNS MUSICIANSLila Downs—Vocals, Guiro, JaranaPaul Cohen—Tenor Saxophone, ClarinetGeorge Saenz Jr—Trombone, Accordion, KeyboardJosh Deutsch—TrumpetRafael Gomez—GuitarLuis Guzman—BassSinuhe Padilla Isunza—Chaquiste, Jarana, Quijada de Burro, ZapateadoYayo Serka—DrumsNakeiltha Campbell—Percussion

MONSIEUR PERINÉ MUSICIANSCatalina García—Lead VocalsSantiago Sarabia—Guitar/StringsNicolás Junca—GuitarAdinda Meertins—Double BassMiguel Guerra—PercussionDarwin Paéz—DrumsJairo Alfonso—Saxophone, ClarinetAbstin Caviedes—Trombone

CREWGustavo Vargas—MonitorsAlex McIntire—FoH AudioDan Weingarten—Lighting Director/VideoKat Cook—Tour Management

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MAN OF LA MANCHA

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PROGRAM

MAN OF LA MANCHA

BOOK BY DALE WASSERMAN LYRICS BY JOE DARION MUSIC BY MITCH LEIGH

MCCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

FRIDAY, MAY 5 | 8PMSATURDAY, MAY 6 | 3 & 8PM

SUNDAY, MAY 7 | 3PM

MEDIA SPONSOR KUSC

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CREATIVE TEAMDALE WASSERMAN (Book) penned the

stage version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which was based on the novel by Ken Kesey. The drama, set in a mental hospital, was seen on Broadway twice: in 1963 with a cast led by Kirk Douglas as Randle P. Mc-Murphy and in 2001 with Gary Sinise as the rebel patient McMurphy and August: Osage County’s Amy Morton as Nurse Ratched. Wasserman’s Broadway career began in 1954 as the production stage manager for The Azuma Kabuki Dancers and Musicians; that production played a brief revival in 1955 for which Wasserman was the lighting designer. It was the classic musical Man of La Mancha—based on Mr. Wasserman’s teleplay

, Don ui ote that solidified his career. The musical, which featured music by Mitch ei h and lyrics y oe Darion, played fi e road ay en a ements. The first, in 196 ,

starring Richard Kiley as Don Quixote, ran 2,328 performances; revivals were seen in 1972, 1977, 1992 and 2002. The musical is also a staple at regional theatres around the country. His screen work won him a WGA Award for “The DuPont Show of the Month”; he was also nominated for a 1961 Emmy Award for that same program. Dale Wasser-man was born Nov. 2, 1917, in Rhinelander, WI. He married Martha Nelly Garza in 1984; a previous marriage to actress Ramsay Ames ended in divorce.

MITCH LEIGH (Music) composed Man of La Mancha, which originally opened on Broadway in 196 and ent on to in fi e Tony ards, including Best Musical. Man of La Mancha ran for 2,328 performances on Broadway, making it one of the greatest musical successes of

all time, spawning numerous national and international productions. His other Broadway scores include Cry for Us, Sarava, Chu Chem and Ain’t Broadway Grand. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the New York Drama Critics Circle Award and the Contem-porary Classics Award from the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame for “The Impossible Dream,” and he is the first composer to recei e the ale rts Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musi-cal Composition. He has also been honored as the only living composer whose work was in-cluded in the Metropolitan Opera’s Centennial Celebration. Mr. Leigh produced and directed Yul Brynner’s farewell tour of The King and I. In September, 2000, the Music school at Yale University was named Leigh Hall.

JOE DARION (Lyrics) has worked in every field in hich ords are put to music, from popular songs to works for the concert stage. His opera based on Don Marquis’ immortal characters, Arch and Mehitabel, was turned into the Broadway musical Shinbone Alley, for which Mr. Darion supplied the book and lyr-ics. Popular songs for which he has supplied the lyrics, including “Ricochet,” “Changing Partners” and “Midnight Rain,” have sold in the tens of millions. One of the most popular has been “The Impossible Dream,” the hit song from Man of La Mancha, which won Darion the 1965-66 Tony Award for the best lyrics of the Broadway season. He also supplied the lyrics for the Broadway musical Illya Darling that as adapted from the film Never on Sunday. Among Mr. Darion’s more serious works, written with Ezra Laderman, are the oratorio opera Galileo and And David Wept, the cantatas A Handful of Souls and the Questions of Abraham and the mass A

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Mass for Cain. In addition to the Tony, he has received the Drama Critics Circle Award, the Gabriel Award, the Ohio State Award and the International Broadcasting Award.

GLENN CASALE (Director) Broadway: Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby (Tony Award nomination est e i al hich as filmed by A&E and garnered two Emmy Awards. Off-Broadway: The Property Known as Garland starring Adrienne Barbeau and Dragapella at Studio 54 (Drama Desk Lucille Lortel Award nominations for Best Production). Interna-tional: Disney’s The Little Mermaid; Beauty and the Beast (Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan and Russia) The Wiz, Regional: Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Little Mermaid, Ballroom; Camelot with Rachel York and Lou Diamond Phillips. Wrestlers starring Mark Harmon and George Clooney; Bingo!, From the Top starring Carol Burnett. Los Angeles Ovation Award-winning Best Musical Anything Goes starring Rachel York, Brent Barrett, Sally Struthers and Fred Willard. Camelot starring Michael York, The Prisoner of Second Avenue with Jason Alexander; Television: ABC TV’s The Faculty starring Meredith Baxter and The Wayans Brothers.

PATTI COLOMBO (Choreographer) Broadway: Peter Pan w/ Cathy Rigby (Tony nominated Best Revival). Emmy-nominated choreography for A & E television production. National Tours: Dr. Doolittle w/ Tommy Tune. Seussical, the Musical w/Cathy Rigby. 7 Brides (Elliot Norton Award [Boston]). Guys and Dolls. International Tours: UK Tour: 7 Brides Director/Choreographer.

China & Europe: China Goes Pop Director/Choreographer. Regional: Paper Mill: Kiss Me Kate, 7 Brides, On the Town (N.J. Critics

Choice Award). Pasadena Playhouse: Mask, Can-Can (Ovation nominated) Radio Gals (Ovation Award). Denver Center: White Christmas (Denver Critic’s Choice Award). Goodspeed: 7 Brides (Connecticut Critic’s Circle Award); Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Animal Crackers.

JEFF RIZZO (Musical Director) is pleased to be making his debut for McCoy Rigby Entertainment. He has conducted countless musicals in many U.S. cities, Japan and China. Most recently: White Christmas at the Ordway Center in Saint Paul, H2$ and Mary Poppins at Theatre Under The Stars in Houston, and Cabaret at the Sacramento Mu-sic Circus. Jeff experienced the 2011 Tokyo earthquake and the nuclear meltdown doing Joseph…Dreamcoat. He toured China in 2007 with 42nd Street, as well as the two-year run of the 2002 US National Tour, which played Segerstrom Hall and the Ahmanson. Jeff

as the audition accompanist for the film of Dreamgirls. He musically directed Madison Square Garden’s The Wizard of Oz starring Roseanne, the subsequent national tour and the Grammy nominated cast recording starring Mickey Rooney and Eartha Kitt. He was associate conductor of the U.S. premiere of Sunset Boulevard starring Glenn Close at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. Jeff toured three years with Annie, as associate conductor of the 2nd National Tour and conductor of the 4th National Tour.

He has served on the faculty of the American Music and Dramatic Academy (LA campus) for 13 years. As a composer his work includes the scores for Jailbirds on Broadway, Wanna Play?! (published by Baker’s Plays) and a new musical version of A Christmas Carol. With partner Eric

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Andrist, he co-founded the Musical Theatre Guild. Born in Utica, New York, raised in Sac-ramento, California, and graduated from the University of Southern California, Jeff makes his home in Valley Village.

JULIA FLORES (Casting Director) Twen-ty-two seasons with McCoy Rigby Entertain-ment and La Mirada Theatre for the Perform-ing Arts. MRE productions include touring productions of The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby, Camelot starring Lou Diamond Phillips and Jesus Christ Superstar starring Carl Anderson. Onstage Series pro-ductions include American Idiot, Spring Awak-ening and Floyd Collins. Additional credits include productions for Boston Court Theatre, A Noise Within, The Pasadena Playhouse, The-atreworks, Denver Center Theatre, Ensemble Theatre Company, B Street Theatre, Universal Studios, Los Angeles Philharmonic, 24th Street Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage and Reprise!. Dedicating this to the best parents ever, my amazing Mom and Dad, Emilio and Lupe Flores. I love you both more than words can say.

STEPHEN GIFFORD (Scenic Design) is a Los Angeles based scenic designer whose work has been seen from Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre to Alaska’s Juneau Lyric Opera. In the Los Angeles area he has worked with Ensemble Theatre Company Santa Barbara, La Mirada Performing Arts Center/McCoy Rigby, The Colony Theatre, A Noise Within, The Theatre @ Boston Court, The Antaeus Company, International City Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, 3D Theatricals, The Falcon Theatre and many more. Stephen has had the honor of designing multiple large-scale musicals with McCoy Rigby

Entertainment; productions include Billy Elliot, First Date, Rent, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and First Date. He has a long-standing relationship with Sacramento Music Circus where he has designed more than 10 productions in the last fi e years. Stephen has also spent many years designing for industrial theatricals and exhibits for clients like Nike, AT&T and Ralph Lauren. His design for The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s The Game for Life, a fully immersive hologram theater, has been lauded throughout the industry. Stephen has garnered many awards and nominations from the Los Angeles Ovation Awards, Broadway World and the Los Angeles Critics Circle from which was honored with the Bob Z Award for Career Achievement in Scenic Design.

LEON WIEBERS (Wardrobe Designer) has designed productions in the U.S. and interna-tionally. He was a Fulbright Senior Scholar to South Korea examining traditional dress. His work encompasses musical theatre, dance, opera and straight plays. Recent credits: Dance pieces for odyTraffic, an ased modern company, at the Hollywood Bowl, Empire, a new musical for LaMirada Center for the Performing Arts, The Secret Garden for Cincinnati Playhouse and Center Stage in Baltimore, The Music Man for Glimmerglass Festival and the Royal Opera in Oman and The King and I for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre all directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge; Il Trovatore for the Sacramento Opera. He is a long-term collaborator at California Music Circus whose productions include: A Chorus Line, The Wizard of Oz, Show Boat, Anything Goes, I Do, I Do, Spamalot!, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, 42 Street, My Fair Lady, Gypsy, Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me, Kate, Jekyll and Hyde,

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Aida, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Grease, West Side Story, The Fanta-sticks and The Scarlet Pimpernel; Il Barbiere di Siviglia for the San Francisco Opera Center, Cymbeline at Georgia Shakespeare Festival, Il Trovatore for the English National Opera, El Niño for the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, Cosi Fan Tutti for Sacramento Opera, Living Pictures for the Getty Museum and Antigone for Portland Center Stage. Awards include: The Carbonelle Award, Fulbright Research Grant to Korea, Back Stage West Garland and LA Weekly Awards for Three Sisters for In-teract Theatre, LA and an LA Ovation Award for Ubu Roi at A Noise Within. He currently holds a faculty position at Loyola Marymount University and is member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

STEVEN YOUNG (Lighting Design) Re-cent designs include West Side Story, Ameri-can Idiot, Rent, Billy Elliot, Les Misérables and Next to Normal. Steven’s other credits include over 30 concerts for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles; Putting It Together for South Coast Repertory, In The Heights for Theatre Under The Stars in Houston; Paradise Lost : Shadows and Wings for Theatre@Boston Court. Awards include three Los Angeles

ation ards, the . . ee ly ard, fi e Garland Awards and the LADCC Angstrom Lifetime Achievement Award. As Principal Desi ner for li htin desi n firm isual Terrain, Steven has designed for Wuhan Movie Park in China, the USA Pavilion at the 2012 World Expo in Yeosu, South Korea, the Dragons Wild Shooting theme park attraction at Lotte World in Seoul, Northern Lights, an immersive media experience in Edmonton Canada, and Beyond All Boundaries for the

National WWII Museum in New Orleans. See www.syoungld.com / www.visualterrain.net

JULIE FERRIN (Sound Design) Ms. Ferrin is honored to be designing West Side Story with this amazing team, cast and crew! Julie recently designed ONCE ON THIS ISLAND with 3D Theatricals, PETER PAN and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST with Encore Entertainment and two tours of RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER that toured the USA. Ms. Ferrin is president of Sound Advice LLC, a sound de-sign, engineering and rental company. Please visit www.soundadvicedesigns.com for more information and follow us on Facebook at Sound Advice LLC. Julie is a proud member of USA 829 and IATSE Local 504. Thank you for supporting the arts and enjoy show!

TERRY HANRAHAN (Props Design) has just had an absolute blast through her many years of building props for McCoy Rigby Entertain-ment, 3D Theatricals, Fullerton Civic Light Opera, Reprise!, Theatre at Boston Court and others… where else can one make a career of creating fake projectile vomit as for God of Carnage? Or giant light up pill bottles for Next to Normal? And who can forget the pa-rade of little flo er pot unny ra its for Good People? And speaking of good people… getting to have this much fun through the years with all of the fabulous, fun and very good people on the teams for these produc-tions has been quite a blessing. Lots more fun was had in the Art Departments of Disney Educational, Kids Incorporated, All That and Kenan and Kel… looking forward to whatever craziness is next!

KATIE MCCOY (Hair/Makeup Design) Recent designs for La Mirada Theatre/McCoy Rigby include the world premiere of Jane

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Austen’s Pride and Prejudice a Musical, Rent, First Date, Mary Poppins, Carrie the Musical, Billy Elliot, Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, The 39 Steps, Life Could Be A Dream, American Idiot, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Lend Me a Tenor. She has served as Head of Wigs on national tours of The Little Mermaid, Elf the Musical, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer the Musical and Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan. Ka-tie’s credits as a stylist include Hairspray, The Buddy Holly Story, Steel Magnolias, Little Shop of Horrors and many shows at The Sac-ramento Music Circus. Katie has also served as a styling consultant for recitals at McCoy Rigby Conservatory of the Arts and for NBC Sports. Currently residing in Southern Cali-fornia, Katie’s greatest joy comes in knowing that she has made an impact on the quality of the show through the work she does be-hind the scenes.

WILLIAM ALAN COATS (Production Stage Manager) Management credits include Broad-way and four National Tours. A Bay Area Outer Critics Circle, Garland and Ovation Award-winner, Mr. Coats directorial & choreo-graphic work has been seen at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater, Houston’s Theater Under the Stars, North Shore Music Theatre, Westches-ter Broadway Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, Music Theater of Wichita, Sacramento Music Circus and a Gershwin tribute for The Library of Congress. Thirty three productions with the North Carolina Theatre spanning performing, directing, choreographing and current resident Stage Manager.

McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (Tom McCoy & Cathy Rigby McCoy, Executive Producers) Celebrating its 21st Anniversary season at La Mirada Theatre for the Perform-

ing Arts, McCoy Rigby Entertainment (MRE), is one of the world’s premier theatrical production companies. Headed by Executive Producers Tom McCoy and Cathy Rigby, MRE has produced over one hundred musicals, plays and concerts featuring some of the big-gest stars in the industry today. In addition, MRE has launched several Emmy Award-win-ning and Tony Award-nominated Broadway, international and national touring produc-tions including: Peter Pan, Seussical the Musical and Annie Get Your Gun, all starring Cathy Rigby; Frank Wildhorn’s Jekyll and Hyde starring American Idol contender and Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis along with Grammy Award nominee and R&B superstar Deborah Cox; Jesus Christ Super-star starring Carl Anderson and Sebastian Bach; Camelot starring Michael York and Lou Diamond Phillips and Happy Days written by Gary Marshall and Paul Williams. Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby has made four stops on Broadway and received four Tony Award nominations including Best Revival of a Mu-sical and Best Actress in a Musical. The A&E TV network premiere of Peter Pan, starring Cathy Rigby, received one Emmy Award and four Emmy Award nominations. MRE’s other credits include numerous award-winning documentaries and stadium events.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PER-FORMING ARTS Winner of the Los Angeles Ovation Award for 2012-13 “Best Season of the Year,” La Mirada Theatre has been hailed by the LA Times as “one of the best Broad-way-style houses in Southern California.” Now in its fourth decade, La Mirada Theatre has been producing quality productions for Southern California audiences since 1977.

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STAFF & CREW FOR MAN OF LA MANCHA COMPANY

Production Stage Manager……………….……............…….………. WILLIAM ALAN COATSAssistant Stage Manager……….…....…….......………………………..….KIMBERLY MITCHELLLighting Designer……………….……..……….......…….………………………....STEVEN YOUNGSound Designer..…………………….……….........……………………………………..JULIE FERRINScenic Designer…..……………………………………………………………….STEPHEN GIFFORDSet Builder………….………..…...SETS TO GO/MARK HENDERSON AND TIM FARMERProperties Designer……………….....………………………………………….TERRY HANRAHANWardrobe Designer……………….........……………………………………….…...LEON WIEBERSHair/Wig/Makeup Designer……….........………………………………………..KATIE MCCOYContractor………………………..…….....……………………………………..….TIM CHRISTENSENAudition and Rehearsal Pianist…….....…….…….......……………...….………………JEFF RIZZOCasting Director………………….………..………………………….……………………JULIA FLORESCasting Assistant……….…………..….....……...…………………………….……….KELLY DORNEYHead Wardrobe………….……….……...……..……………………..………….CASSIDY SANTOSWig Running Head……..…….......…………….……….……………………....ELIZABETH BOHKSDresser………..………….…………………………………….......…….……........…CASEY ZELHARTDresser………..……….……………..…………………………..…………….............DIANA RENNIEDresser………...………………………………..…………..………......................…STEZY BUTCHER

MCCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION STAFF

Executive Producers…………………………….TOM MCCOY AND CATHY RIGBY MCCOYOffice Manager………………………….........………………………………………………ANA LARAContracts, Payroll Manager…………………........................................………DAVID NESTORProduction Manager…………………………....………………………………………...PATTI JACOBProduction Accountant………………………………....……………………...…..……..ELISA SZIEFFTechnical Director…………………………....…….......…………………………MICHAEL ROMANSocial Media/Marketing………….……….……….......………………………LINDSAY BROOKSProduction Accountant.....................................................................................ELISSA SZIEFFAccountant Assistant.............................................................................................KATE KINGAccountant Assistant.......................................................................................PAUL ZELHART

ORCHESTRA

JEFF RIZZO – Conductor/MDADAM BAHTIA – Trumpet 1

TONY BONSERA – Trumpet 2CHARLIE MORILLAS – Trombone

DANIELLE ONDARZA – French HornEILEEN HOLT – Flute/Piccolo

DAVID KOSSOFF – Oboe/English HornJOHN MITCHELL – Bassoon/Clarinet

JUSTIN SMITH – GuitarMARK CONVERSE – Percussion

TIM CHRISTENSEN – Bass/Contractor

36MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

37

MARTHA GRAHAM AND AMERICAN MUSIC

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

CHRISTOPHER ROUNTREE, CONDUCTORWILD UP

SATURDAY, MAY 13 | 8PM

MEDIA SPONSOR KUSC, KPCC

THIS PERFORMANCE IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BYELIZABETH A. PURCELL

PROGRAM

This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

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PROGRAMPROGRAM

Artistic Director: JANET EILBERExecutive Director: LARUE ALLEN

The CompanyABDIEL JACOBSEN LLOYD KNIGHT

BEN SCHULTZ XIN YING

CHARLOTTE LANDREAU LLOYD MAYOR ARI MAYZICK LORENZO PAGANO

SO YOUNG AN LAUREL DALLEY SMITH ANNE O’DONNELL ANNE SOUDER LESLIE ANDREA WILLIAMS KONSTANTINA XINTARA

ALYSSA CEBULSKI JACOB LARSEN MARZIA MEMOLI

Senior Artistic Associate: DENISE VALE

Major support for the Martha Graham Dance Company is provided by

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Howard Gilman Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council

New York State Council on the Arts with the support of

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature

The Artists employed in this production are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists AFL-CIO.

Copyright to all Martha Graham dances presented held by the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, Inc.

All rights reserved.

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PROGRAM

PANORAMATheme of Dedication—Imperial Theme—Popular Theme

Choreography and Costumes by MARTHA GRAHAMMusic by NORMAN LLOYD Lighting by DAVID FINLEY

Regisseur, AMÉLIE BENARD Rehearsal Supervisor, MADELEINE DAHM

Premiere: August 14, 1935, Vermont State Armory, Bennington, VT

CSUN and Community DancersMIKAYLA ALPERT, LIZA BARSKAYA, SAMANTHA BEATTY, ELISSA BROCK, ERICA BURKE,

DYONNA CANNON, MELISSA CANTARERO, DOMINIQUE DAVIS, JAYY GAMBLE, JAZZ HAYES, AUTUMN HOOKS, ZAHRA INNISS, ANGELA JANNEY, JAYDE KIEF,

ALEXISJULIET MARTINEZ, CHERISE MCKENZIE, LINDSAY MORRISON, SARAH NO, EMEKA NWOYE, BIANCA ORTIZ, BRIANNA ORTIZ, CHELSEA PETTIFORD,

BYRON RAMIREZ, JESSE RICALDI, JARED RICE, MALENA SEGOVIA, SARA SILVA, LINDSEY WOERNER AND DEVIN ZIEL

Original reconstruction in 1992 by Yuriko, from the Julien Bryan film.

†Arranged and orchestrated by Stanley Sussman.

DARK MEADOW SUITEChoreography and Costumes by MARTHA GRAHAM

Arrangement by JANET EILBERMusic by CARLOS CHAVEZ

Lighting by NICK HUNG

Premiere: January 23, 1946, Plymouth Theatre, New York City

ANNE O’DONNELL AND LORENZO PAGANO

SO YOUNG AN, LAUREL DALLEY SMITH, ABDIEL JACOBSEN, CHARLOTTE LANDREAU, JACOB LARSEN, ARI MAYZICK,

MARZIA MEMOLI, LESLIE ANDREA WILLIAMS

Commissioned by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation in the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

†La Hija de Colquide used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., agent for Carlanita Music Company, publisher

and copyright owner. Arranged and conducted by Aaron Sherber.

†

†

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DIVERSION OF ANGELSChoreography and Costumes by MARTHA GRAHAM

Music by Norman DELLO JOIOOriginal lighting by JEAN ROSENTHAL

Adapted by BEVERLY EMMONS

Premiere: August 13, 1948, Palmer Auditorium, New London, CT

†Used by arrangement with Carl Fischer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

INTERMISSION

CAVE OF THE HEARTChoreography and Costumes by MARTHA GRAHAM

Music by SAMUEL BARBERSet by ISAMU NOGUCHI

Original lighting by JEAN ROSENTHALAdapted by BEVERLY EMMONS

Premiere: May 10, 1946, Columbia University, New York City

Originally commissioned by the Alice N. Ditson Fund, Columbia University.

†Medea, Opus 23, used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

The Couple in White

The Couple in Red

The Couple in Yellow:

LESLIE ANDREA WILLIAMS, ABDIEL JACOBSEN

ANNE O’DONNELL, LORENZO PAGANO

LAUREL DALLEY SMITH, ARI MAYZICK, SO YOUNG AN, MARZIA MEMOLI, ANNE SOUDER, KONSTANTINA XINTARA, JACOB LARSEN

The Sorceress, Medea

Jason

The Princess, Creon’s Daughter

The Chorus

XIN YING

BEN SCHULTZ

CHARLOTTE LANDREAU

KONSTANTINA XINTARA

PROGRAMPROGRAM

†

†

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NOTES ON THE REPERTORYPANORAMA (1935) Premiered in 1935, at the famed summer

retreat in Bennington, Vermont, Panorama was considered to be experimental. It was 45 minutes long and used an “avant-garde” score by Norman Lloyd. The dance also featured 33 student dancers and evoked the power of the people to make change. Panorama was lost until 1992, when the sections of it performed toni ht ere disco ered in an early film.

DARK MEADOW SUITE (1946)The Dark Meadow Suite is made up of

highlights from a much longer work by Martha Graham, Dark Meadow from 1946. The Suite, created in 2016, is designed to feature the exceptional choreography that Graham created for the ensemble of dancers in Dark Meadow. Both the unison dancing and the partnering have been recognized as some of Graham’s most architectural, ritualistic and profound creations. They are clearly inspired by Graham’s love of the rituals of the natives

of both the American Southwest and Mexico, which she observed as a young woman. The Mexican composer Carlos Chavez wrote the spacious musical score for Graham. The danc-ers often work in counterpoint to the score using the sound of their feet and other body percussion effects. In her original program note, Graham wrote, “Dark Meadow is a re-enactment of the mysteries which attend the eternal adventure of seeking.” It is an abstract work about life’s journey and the search for connection with one’s self and one’s commu-nity. This dance is a prime example of Graham as a leader in mid-20th Century modernism.

DIVERSION OF ANGELS (1948)Diversion of Angels, originally titled Wilder-

ness Stair, premiered at the Palmer Audito-rium of Connecticut College on August 13, 1948. The title, as well as a set piece designed by Isamu Noguchi suggestive of desert terrain,

as discarded after the first performance, and the dance was reconceived as a plotless ballet. Diversion of Angels is set to a roman-

MAPLE LEAF RAGChoreography by MARTHA GRAHAM

Music by SCOTT JOPLINCostumes by CALVIN KLEINLighting by DAVID FINLEY

Premiere: October 2, 1990, City Center Theater, New York City

RICHARD VALITUTTO, piano

LAUREL DALLEY SMITH, ARI MAYZICK AND LESLIE ANDREA WILLIAMS

SO YOUNG AN, ALYSSA CEBULSKI, ABDIEL JACOBSEN, LLOYD KNIGHT, JACOB LARSEN, CHARLOTTE LANDREAU, LLOYD MAYOR, MARZIA MEMOLI, ANNE O’DONNELL, LORENZO PAGANO, BEN SCHUL

TZ, ANNE SOUDER, XIN YING, KONSTANTINA XINTARA

†Elite Syncopations (1902), Bethena (1905) and Maple Leaf Rag (1899), arranged by Chris Landriau.

†

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tic score by Norman Dello Joio and takes its themes from the infinite aspects of lo e. The Couple in Red embodies romantic love and “the ecstasy of the contraction”; the Couple in White, mature love; and the Couple in Yellow, a flirtatious and adolescent lo e.

artha raham recalled that hen she first saw the work of the modern artist Wassily Kandinsky, she was astonished by his use of color, a bold slash of red across a blue back-ground. She determined to make a dance that would express this. Diversion of Angels is that dance, and the Girl in Red, dashing across the stage, is the streak of red paint bisecting the Kandinsky canvas. —ELLEN GRAFF

CAVE OF THE HEART (1946)Premiered at Columbia University in

1946 and originally entitled Serpent Heart, this dance is a psychological study of the destructive powers of love, the dark pas-sions that guard the human heart, coiled like a serpent ready to strike when attacked. Medea, princess of the kingdom of Colchis, was known as a sorceress. Pierced by Cupid’s bow, she fell in love with the adventurer Jason and used her magical powers to help him ain the olden leece. Sacrificin all that as dear to her, she fled ith him to his home in the kingdom of Corinth, where they lived as man and wife and had two small children. But Jason was ambitious, and when offered the Princess of Corinth in marriage, he abandoned Medea. This is the moment in which Martha Graham’s dance begins. Betrayed and exiled from her home, Medea plots a course that will end with the death of her rival, the Princess, and the murder of her own two children. The Chorus, foreseeing the tragedy about to be enacted, tries to prevent

it, and suffers its unfolding. Graham’s dance confronts us with the horror of a woman betrayed, so crazed by vengeance that she commits the unthinkable, the murder not only of her lover’s new wife, but of her own children. She is the most detestable of beings, but she is not alien to us. In her ex-ploration of these dark and primal passions Graham reveals the full range of what it is to be human. Ultimately this is a dance of transformation, as the Sorceress (Medea), cleansed y flames, is returned to her father the Sun. —ELLEN GRAFF

MAPLE LEAF RAG (1990)Maple Leaf Rag premiered in 1990 at the

City Center Theater in New York City. The last complete ballet to be choreographed by Martha Graham, the dance takes a sly look at the foibles of a contemporary choreogra-pher (such as Graham herself) and gently mocks the plight of the artist in the throes of creation. With costumes by fashion designer Calvin Klein and a score featuring the music of Scott Joplin, the dance was immediately a favorite for Graham audiences. A ridicu-lous boomerang-shaped barre dominates the stage, the perfect prop for the cast of unruly characters that inha it this allet. i e fi -ments of the imagination, these dancers enter and exit at will in a parody of movement themes drawn from classic Graham repertory.

Maple Leaf Rag is Martha Graham’s humor-ous and loving tribute to the choreographic muse. It is also a fond tribute to the Scott Joplin music of her youth and to her long association with Louis Horst, her one-time mentor and lover. “Louis,” she says at the very beginning of the dance, “play me the Maple Leaf Rag.”

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ABOUT MARTHA GRAHAMMartha Graham has had a deep and lasting

impact on American art and culture. She sin-le handedly defined contemporary dance as

a uniquely American art form, which the nation has in turn shared with the world. Crossing artistic boundaries, she collaborated with and commissioned work from the leading visual artists, musicians and designers of her day, in-cluding sculptor Isamu Noguchi and composers Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber and Gian Carlo Menotti.

Graham’s groundbreaking style grew from her experimentation with the elemental move-ments of contraction and release. By focusing on the basic activities of the human form, she enlivened the body with raw, electric emotion. The sharp, angular and direct movements of her technique were a dramatic departure from the predominant style of the time.

raham influenced enerations of choreo -raphers that included Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor and Twyla Tharp, altering the scope of dance. Classical ballet dancers Margot Fonteyn,

Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov sought her out to broaden their artistry. Artists of all genres were eager to study and work with Graham—she taught actors including Bette Davis, Kirk Douglas, Madonna, Liza Minnelli, Gregory Peck, Tony Randall, Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson and Joanne Woodward to utilize their bodies as expressive instruments.

During her long and illustrious career, Gra-ham created 181 dance compositions. During the Bicentennial she was granted the United States’ highest civilian honor, The Medal of Freedom. In 1998, TIME Magazine named her the Dancer of the entury. The first dancer to perform at the White House and to act as a cultural ambassador abroad, she captured the spirit of a nation. “No artist is ahead of his time,” she said. “He is his time. It is just that the others are behind the time.”

ABOUT THE COMPANYThe Martha Graham Dance Company has

been a leader in the development of con-temporary dance since its founding in 1926.

(1946) MARTHA GRAHAM IN CAVE OF THE HEART

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Today, the Company is embracing a new pro-gramming vision that showcases masterpieces by Graham alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists. With pro-grams that offer a rich thematic narrative, the Company creates new platforms for contem-porary dance and multiple points of access for audiences.

Since its inception, the Martha Graham Dance Company has received internation-al acclaim from audiences in more than 50 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Russia and the Middle East. The Company has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House, Covent Garden and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Perform-ing Arts, as well as at the base of the Great Pyramids in Egypt and in the ancient Herod Atticus Theatre on the Acropolis in Athens. In addition, the Company has also produced se eral a ard innin films roadcast on P S and around the world.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS JANET EILBER (Artistic Director) has

been the Company’s artistic director since 2005. Her direction has focused on creating new forms of audience access to Martha Graham’s masterworks. These initiatives include contextual programming, educa-tional and community partnerships, use of new media, commissions and creative events such as the Lamentation Variations and Prelude and Revolt. Earlier in her career, as a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, Ms. Eilber worked closely with Martha Graham. She danced many of Graham’s greatest roles, had roles created for

her by Graham, and was directed by Graham in most of the major roles of the repertory. She soloed at the White House, was part-nered by Rudolf Nureyev, starred in three segments of Dance in America, and has since taught, lectured and directed Graham ballets internationally. Apart from her work with

raham, s. il er has performed in films, on television and on Broadway directed by such greats as Agnes deMille and Bob Fosse and has received four Lester Horton Awards for her reconstruction and performance of seminal American modern dance. She has served as Director of Arts Education for the Dana Foundation, guiding the Foundation’s support for Teaching Artist training and contributing regularly to its arts education publications. Ms. Eilber is a Trustee Emeritus of the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She is married to screenwriter/director John Warren, with whom she has two daughters, Madeline and Eva.

DENISE VALE (Senior Artistic Associate) joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1985, attaining the rank of principal danc-er. Roles performed include the Pioneering Woman in Appalachian Spring, Woman in White in Diversion of Angels, Chorus Leader in Night Journey, Chorus in Cave of the Heart, the Attendant in Hérodiade, Leader in the 1980s reconstruction of Steps in the Street, and Night Chant, a ballet created for Ms. Vale by Martha Graham in 1989. Graham solos performed include Lamentation, Frontier, Sa-tyric Festival Song and Serenata Morisca. This is her first season ith the ompany.

ABOUT WILD UPwild Up is the ultimately fle i le, o any-

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where, play anything modern music collec-tive led by Artistic Director/Conductor Chris-topher ountree. Their pro rams reflect the emerging cultural leadership of a generation. Lines are blurred, rules are broken, concerts become events, events become enduring memories. In a single engagement, wild Up creates a theatrical and musical context where the greatest musicians on the scene today become an orchestra that celebrates tradition while reshaping it. In a single evening the audience may celebrate Erick Satie, Ted Hearne, John Lennon, Alexander Scriabin, Chris Cerrone, Velvet Underground, Steve Reich andrew McIntosh, Jen Hill, Nina C. Young and on and on and on….

CHRISTOPHER ROUNTREE (Artistic Director) We see Lady Macbeth in a dozen crooning silhouettes washing blood out of rags in a bathroom; hear Stravinsky pouring out of an abandoned warehouse; watch a violinist cutting himself out of duct tape with a razor as his amplified iolin sits atherin feed ac

and witness as a long lost John Adams suite comes alive at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Con-ductor and composer Christopher Rountree is standing at the intersection of classical music, new music, performance art and pop.

Rountree, 33, is the founder, conductor and creative director of the pathbreaking L.A. chamber orchestra wild Up. The group has been called “Searing. Penetrating. And Thrill-ing” by NPR’s Performance Today and named “Best Classical Music of 2015” by the New York Times. wild Up started in 2010 with no funding and no musicians, driven only by Rountree’s vision of a world-class orchestra that creates visceral, provocative experiences that are unmoored from classical traditions.

Whether he’s conducting, composing or cu-rating a program, Rountree’s approach—with its “infectious enthusiasm” (L.A. Times) and “elegant clarity” (New York Times)—is united by extremely high energy and a deeply en-gaged relationship between a score, musicians and audience.

WILD UP

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“For most people, programming and con-ducting are about restraint, intellect.

I want to get rid of restraint: I want to go all the way there. To make something searing, on fire and ra . The authentic thin , ith its soul bared and teeth gritted.” Rountree says. “I want to empower musicians and to energize an au-dience. It’s not that I’m a ‘conduit for the score’ – everyone in the hall is a part of a circuit that connects the conductor, the musicians, the score and the listeners. A concert shouldn’t leave peo-ple when people leave the concert hall.”

If there is a dam separating establishment classical music from more adventurous forms,

ountree finds himself spillin o er oth sides – conducting Opera, and writing experimen-tal narrative work about frozen yogurt for Jennifer Koh

In the coming year, Rountree makes his debut with San Diego Opera, conducting Peter Brook’s La Tragédie de Carmen, and with the Kitchen-er-Waterloo Symphony, he helps resurrect works of Graham, Barber and Chavez with the Martha Graham Dance Company, makes an album with Pulit er finalist hris errone, leads wild Up as Group in Residence at National Sawdust in Wil-liamsburg, and conducts the score to Evil Dead, live with Bruce Campbell at the ACE Hotel in LA. He returns to the San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox, to the Los Angeles Philharmonic as part of a twelve hour festival celebrating John Adams and new music in LA, and to Opera Omaha, conducting Jonathan Dove’s Flight.

Last year, Rountree made his Chicago Sym-phony, LA Opera and Atlanta Opera debuts, returned to the Music Academy of the West, to Ensemble LPR at (le) poisson rouge and twice to the San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox series, conducted the Interlochen World Youth

Orchestra on the New York Philharmonic’s 2016 Biennial, premiered David Lang’s new opera Anatomy Theater, joined Jennifer Koh and Shai Wosner with wild Up at the Laguna Beach Music Festival, and conducted Diavolo’s new show “L’Espace du Temps: Glass, Adams, and Salonen.”

As a composer, his recent premieres and commissions include a new piece for The Crossing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a re-orchestration of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Foreign Bodies, a choral work for Bjork’s choir Graduale Nobili in Reykjavik, Iceland, a piece based on Stephen Mitchell’s Rilke for friends Aperture Duo, Jodie Landau, and Danielle Birrittella, and two new pieces for Jennifer Koh: a short solo theater piece on the New York Philharmonic’s Biennial, and a large scale concerto co-com-missioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Jenny and wild Up.

In past years, Rountree founded an educa-tion intensive with the Los Angeles Philharmon-ic, continued an education partnership at the Colburn School, founded an opera workshop with The Industry and taught “Creativity and Consciousness” at Bard College’s Longy School. He debuted Opera Omaha performing John Adams’ “A Flowering Tree,” debuted on the San Francisco Symphony’s SoundBox series, and started a three-year stint as guest conductor of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

With his eclectic style and resume, he’s been tapped to curate events for contemporary art institutions, including the Getty Museum, MCA Denver and the Hammer Museum, where a long-running wild Up residency brought the group to national prominence.

Through it all, Rountree is guided by his vision of a more engaging classical music cul-

47

ture that blows up the old boxes. “I don’t have enough tattoos to be the badboy provocateur of classical music,” Rountree jokes. “But is the goal to dismantle the barriers to the artform, and to build something entirely new — some-thing bursting with life, contemporary rele-vance, and deep mindfulness? That is exactly what we’re doing.”

MARTHA GRAHAM CENTER OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE

StaffLaRue Allen, Executive DirectorJanet Eilber, Artistic DirectorDenise Vale, Senior Artistic AssociateAaron Sherber, Music DirectorFaye Rosenbaum, General ManagerSimona Ferrara, Company ManagerA. Apostol, Development

fi er e e eAmanda Hameline, e e e fi erJeff Sykes, Development AssistantOliver Tobin, Director of

Martha Graham ResourcesBrigid Pierce, Marketing ManagerJulian Zentner, Marketing and

Archive AssistantCharley Harris, Administrative AssociateHaejin Han, Production SupervisorNick Hung, Resident Lighting DesignerYi-Chung Chen, Lighting SupervisorKaren Young, Costume SupervisorJennifer O’Donnell, Wardrobe SupervisorAnne Posluszny, Theatrical

Property RestorerJennifer Patten, Head of SchoolTadej Brdnik, Program Director:

Accelerated and Extension Programs

Virginie Mécène, Program Director: r e er fi e r r

Director of Graham 2Tami Alesson, Director of Student Affairs

er e r r fi erShelby Leshine, School AdministratorJanet Stapleton, Press Agent

RegisseursTadej Brdnik, Linda Hodes, Peggy Lyman, Virginie Mécène, Miki Orihara,Marni Thomas, Ken Topping, Denise Vale,Blakeley White-McGuire

Board of TrusteesKenneth Bloom, ChairmanJudith G. Schlosser, Chairman Emerita Inger K. Witter, PresidentLorraine Oler, SecretaryLaRue Allen, Executive DirectorJanet Eilber, Artistic DirectorAmy BlumenthalAudra D. CohenMerrie S. FrankelBeau GageInga M. GolayJohn HottaEmil KangJean-Paul LafayeJayne Millard

North American RepresentationRena Shagan Associates, Inc.(www.shaganarts.com)

International RepresentationLaRue AllenExecutive Director(lallen@marthagraham.org)

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VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FOUNDING DONORS

CORNERSTONE FOUNDERS

$5,000,000+

Linda and Mike Curb ’63, Hon. D. ’09

FOUNDERS

$1,000,000 $4,999,999

Mary ’63 and Jack BayramianJean and David Fleming Hon. D. ’09 Sheila and Stanford L.

Kurland Family Foundation The Ralph M. Parsons FoundationNancy and Clyde Porter Nextel Communications

ffice of Super isor e arosla s y

$500,000 $999,999

The Ahmanson Foundation ffice of Super isor ichael D. ntono ich

CSUN Foundation Board Follett Higher Education Group

Joseph Drown Foundation Larry Layne and Sheelagh BoydMuriel Pollia Foundation

FOUNDING BENEFACTORS

$100,000 $499,999

Josephine ’61, M ’70 and Robert BarberaDr. Ami and Remo BelliCalifornia Community Foundation CSUN Alumni AssociationRobbi and Rickey GelbLawrence K. Gould, Jr.The Green FoundationHGA Architects and EngineersMary and Samuel Bond Haskell, IIISherry and Albert Lapides M ’68Virginia ManciniMGM and UA Service CompanyNational Notary AssociationNorthern Trust, NALisa and Charles Noski ’73, M ’95,

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!

VPAC GREAT HALL

Hon. D ’07Valerie and Sanford P. ParisJoAnn and Leonard RothEda and Robin Rousselet ’79, M ’97, M ’10State Farm InsuranceU.S. Congressman Brad ShermanBob Stiefel ’67 and Ed ImparatoManja and Dennis SwansonMilt ’68 and Debbie ValeraValley Alliance for the ArtsWalter Lantz FoundationWells Fargo

FOUNDING DISTINGUISHED PATRONS$25,000 $99,999

ADP FoundationEdythe and Eli BroadLinda BrownNancy CartwrightCharlene and Burton Sperber Foundation

Karen Dunbar-Enzer ’81 and Earl Enzer ’83Jaleh ’86 and Galen EtemadIlene and Stanley GoldGoldman Sachs & Co.John Golisch ’72Cynthia Haas Griffeth ’78 and William C. Griffeth ’80Elizabeth Levitt HirschHorace Heidt Big Bands FoundationJanet and Benjamin KaplanEllie and Mark LainerElizabeth and Howard LayneMarla and Cary LeftonDr. Jolene Koester and Dr. Myron W. LustigErika and Gus Manders ’64Timothy Miklaucic and Ana Loehnert Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co., LLP Barry J. NadellWalter J. Perez, Calif. Industrial Grp. Corp.Samuel Goldberg & Sons Foundation, Inc.Stern Family FoundationValley Presbyterian Hospital

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TWO EXCITING PROGRAMS TO WRAP UP THE STUDENT MATINEE &

MASTER CLASS SERIES

APRILFREE STUDENT MATINEE

TAJ EXPRESS: THE BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL REVUEThursday April 20, 2017

Taj Express explodes with the sounds of India and Bollywood, capturing the vibrant, expressive spirit of the world of Bollywood movies that have been entertaining billions of people in India for generations. Through a fusion of film, dance and music, this da lin international sensation will take audiences on a live cinematic journey through modern Indian culture and society.

Generously Sponsored by Carolyn Clark Powers

MAYONEOFAKIND EXPERIENCE FOR CSUN AND LOCAL DANCERS

MARTHA GRAHAM’S PANORAMA

VPAC is proud to partner with The Mar-tha Graham Dance Company to create the opening piece for their engagement on May 13, 2017. The piece is the Martha Graham classic, Panorama, first performed in 19 . Panorama uses numbers and geometric design to drive home Graham’s intense socio-political themes, with a score by Norman Lloyd.

VPAC is bringing together CSUN, CSUN Alumni, select high school and other commu-nity dancers to perform the 10-minute piece that will open the performance Martha Gra-ham and American Music on VPAC’s Great Hall sta e. This e perience ill e the first of its kind at VPAC and will certainly create lasting impact for all the student artists involved.

TAJ EXPRESS

ARTS EDUCATION

PANORAMA

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ART GALLERY

In 2011, artist Pascal Giacomini participated in the 2nd Ghetto Biennale, an international art festival based in a Haitian slum. The founders of the event are Vodou (aka Voodoo) sculptors, whose home studios anchor a community of artists and artisans creating an unparalleled output of art for sale on local and foreign art markets.

While there, Giacomini started documenting the feverish artistic activity in this unlikey place. In the process, his project expanded to include an exploration into Haiti’s post-earthquake art scene, its rich culture and love affair with Vodou, one of Haiti’s two national religions.

The insights gained provided powerful enough to inspire a photographic exhibition, a whole new way of approaching Giacomini’s work as a sculptor, and the production of a feature-length documentary (running time, 52 minutes).

Haiti has been called a nation where art is life. People want to know why, and ho this is possi le in such a po erty stric en place. iacomini s film, Out of Chaos, An artist’s Journey in Haiti, goes on a mission to illuminate.

OUT OF CHAOS

VPAC ART GALLERY | LOGE LEVELMARCH 10 MAY 13, 2017

AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY IN HAITI

PASCAL GIACOMINI

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JOIN US!

Valley Performing Arts Center’s generous supporters make it all happen—from arts education for young students to a sustainable future for VPAC’s extensive programs and state-of-the-art facility.

VPAC loves to shower its supporters with recognition and perks, so please consider joining our family. In addition to invitations to special events, annual contributions of $2,500 qualify for Porter Pavilion

membership (full-season subscribers are in for $1,500). Porter Pavilion is open before evening performances, with complimentary drinks and a quiet place to sit with friends.

For more information on how to make a gift to VPAC, please contact Maria Paredes at 818.677.8849.

PORTER PAVILION

TICKETS & ORDERING

VALLEYPERFORMINGARTSCENTER.ORGSign up for “My VPAC Account Manager.”

My VPAC Account Manager is Valley Per-forming Art Center’s way of providing you the best service to take care of your ticketing subscription online. Visit the site to sign up today. You may renew or purchase a new subscription with this feature.

IN PERSONVPAC TICKET OFFICECALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE18111 NORDHOFF STREETNORTHRIDGE, CA 913308448

The Tic et ffice is located to the north of Valley Performing Arts Center’s courtyard on Orange Grove Walk across from the Matador Bookstore. Patrons may park in the G3 Parking Structure located on Zelzah and Prairie streets.

HOURS OF OPERATIONTUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, 11 A.M. 4 P.M. (HOURS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

ONLINE

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WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS AND PARTNERS FOR THESE EVENTS

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IN VENUE DINING OPTIONS

BISTRO ON THE TERRACE

Join us on the 4th Floor Balcony level for a gourmet bistro bite, a glass of wine and a spectacular view of the Valley. Open most evenings (weather permitting) one hour before the show and closing 5 minutes before curtain.

CONCESSIONS IN THE LOBBY

Light fare and drinks available before the show and open during intermissions (by show basis).

Avoid waiting in line and pre-pay for your intermission food and beverage in person before the performance begins!

BISTRO ON THE TERRACE

NEW VPAC DRINK TUMBLERS

You may now bring a beverage into the concert! Available for purchase at concessions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL

STEPHANIE GOODSON AT 8186772076

OR CSUN.EDU/ORANGEGROVEBISTRO

NEW SEASON ON-SALE DATES

May 9 Series on sale with priority seating

Jun 20Single tickets on sale

Series continue with best available seating

Sep 9 Series sales end

Sep 16 Opening night

VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | 2017-18 SEASON

VPACatCSUN

170328_Booklet-AD_Interior-Dates_5.5x8.5.indd 1 3/30/17 9:42 AM