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Date 5-11-06
Contact Angela Kilcrease 601.266.4988
WITH PHOTO
Hattiesburg—For
the last 2005-2006 season event for the Symphony Orchestra at the
University of Southern Mississippi, three local performers reunite
in A Toast to Broadway 2 at 7:30 p.m., June 2 on the Saenger
Theater stage in downtown Hattiesburg.
The concert
will feature favorite Broadway hits with performances by Maryann
Kyle, Brenda Parker, and the Brian Blair Trio. Joining them will
be guests Mildred Hong, James Martin, and cast members from the
recent Southern Miss production of West Side Story.
"These
wonderful performers have come together to end our season with showstopper
after showstopper," said Dr. Jay Dean, music director of the
symphony. "Many will remember the first Toast to Broadway
last June. Added as part of our subscription series this year, we
know this show will be even more enjoyable, with more surprises
than last year and a great kickoff to the summer."
The evening's
gala program, with music provided by the Brian Blair Trio, includes
Broadway hits from musicals like Beauty and the Beast,
Guys and Dolls, Sunset Boulevard, Les Miserables,
Ragtime, and Phantom of the Opera, among others.
"I feel
so honored to perform with these talented artists once again,"
Parker said. "The rehearsals have been such fun, and the show
will definitely be a crowd pleaser."
Parker, a native
of Laurel, graduated from Southern Miss, where she studied theater,
radio, television and film and majored in education. Her theater
background includes productions at the University of Southern Mississippi,
Laurel Little Theatre and Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera.
She has played
the leading role in Sound of Music, South Pacific,
Gypsy, Mame, and Hello Dolly, as well
as directed and starred in Driving Miss Daisy, which earned
her the Mississippi Theatre Association's Best Actress award.
Kyle, director
of Southern Opera and Musical Theatre and assistant professor of
voice at Southern Miss, has sung leading roles with the Chattanooga
Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Southern Arts Festival Opera,
the University of Illinois, East Tennessee Opera, LSU Opera, Gulf
Coast Opera, and the Opera at Southern Miss.
She appeared
as Miceala in Carmen, opposite internationally renowned
mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, and as a guest soloist of the Miami
Festival, opposite famed bass-baritone William Warfield.
Hattiesburg
native Brian Blair is a pianist and entertainer, who travels the
Southeast performing with a repertoire of over 1,300 songs. He has
made seven recordings and has been pianist, musical director, and/or
director for 44 productions since 1976.
His list of
credits includes performing for four different Mississippi governors
since 1980 at the Mississippi governor's mansion.
Well known
to audiences in the area as a leading lady in HCLO, Hong is a regional
Metropolitan Opera auditions winner and has performed lead roles
in musicals like Sweeny Todd, Man of La Mancha,
Oliver, Big River, Sound of Music and
Meet Me in St. Louis, among many others.
Martin, a baritone,
has won critical acclaim for his performances in opera and concert
as a versatile singer/actor and entertainer, with an artistic repertoire
that spans from Bach to bebop, Busoni to Burleigh and Berg to Bernstein.
A graduate of The Julliard School, he has enjoyed a national career
with leading musical organizations and has participated in numerous
international festivals and concerts. Martin now makes his home
in Jackson.
Other concert
soloists include Daniel Lewis of State Line, Ala., sophomore voice
performance major Lesley Shannon of Columbus, and junior voice performance
major Robyn Holmes of Petal. Musical theater veteran John Michael
Lopinto will serve as stage director.
To round out
an already exciting evening of entertainment, Dean will officially
announce the star-studded 86th Symphony Orchestra season for 2006-2007.
Tickets for
the 7:30 p.m. concert are $18, $16, and $14. Students with school
IDs will be admitted for $6. For tickets, call the Southern Miss
Ticket Office at 601.266.5418 or 800.844.8425. Order online at www.southernmisstickets.com.
For more information, call the Symphony office at 601.266.4001.
Click
to enlarge
Hattiesburg area performers pictured from left, Maryann Kyle, Brian Blair and Brenda Parker are headline performers in A Toast to Broadway 2, the final season event for the University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. The performance is set for 7:30 p.m. on June 2 at the Saenger Theater in downtown Hattiesburg. (Submitted Photo)
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