25th Anniversary Season Launch
Join us from the comfort and safety of your home for the Center's 25th Anniversary Season Launch. Hosted by Center for Performing Arts advisory member and award winning WTTW Producer and Journalist Sylvia Ewing. Get a preview of the Center's 2020-21 Season with performances by Legends and Lions musicians: GSU alumnus Justin Smith and Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Artistic Director Orbert Davis, surprise birthday wishes from artists who have graced the Center's stage over the past 25 years, heartfelt stories of the role the Center has played in the Chicagoland community, performances from upcoming Opera Up Close Cabaret, information about our groundbreaking Beyond Conversation Series, DIY cocktails and more!
To donate, visit https://www.govst.edu/Arts25/
The Center for Performing Arts thanks its generous partners, funders, and individual contributors including the Center for Performing Arts Board of advisors, ComEd, The National Endowment for the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council, Governors State University, First Midwest Bank, and Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from Illinois Arts Council and the Crane Group. Additional support from the Western Arts Alliance Advancing Indigenous Performance Touring Fund, made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts, Andres W. Mellon Foundation, and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
Performances in order of appearance:
1. Medley – “Joy” by Justin Smith and “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye
Performed by Justin Smith and Legacy
Justin Smith, Saxophone
Jamiah “On Fire” Rogers, Guitar
Steve Manns, Bass
Antonio Richardson, Drums
Christian Yi, Piano
2. “Cake by the Ocean” by DNCE
Performed by Justin Smith and Legacy
3. “Bella figlia dell’amore” from Rigoletto by G. Verdi
Performed by
John Concepcion, Tenor
Pamela Williams, Mezzo Soprano
Desiree Hassler, Soprano
Michael Cavalier, Baritone
Paul Hamilton, pianist
4. Scene from “Failure: A Love Story” by Philip Dawkins.
Directed by Jeremy Ohringer.
Featuring Lanie Shannon, Kevin Kohn, Destiny Marino, Manuel Reza, Jermaine Tyler, Breigh Starkey, Susan Cohen Destefano, and Nina Sundsten
5. Excerpt from “Survival of the Saints” written and performed by Orbert Davis
6. “Cool Blues” by Charlie Parker performed by Justin Smith and Legacy
Justin Smith, Saxophone
Jamiah “On Fire” Rogers, Guitar
Steve Manns, Bass
Antonio Richardson, Drums
Christian Yi, Piano
7. “Happy Birthday to You” performed by Howard Levy
8. Excerpt from "Through the Eyes of a Friend: The World of Anne Frank" performed by Living Voices’ Rachel McClinton
9. “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou. Choreographed by Tammi Bolden. Performed by the GSU Dance Company featuring Tyra Barnes, Nekia Driver, Kemesha Franklin, Autumn Price, Joshua Tisdale, Summer Thurmond, and Sadee Wuethrich
10. “Nessun Dorma” from Turandot by Giacomo Puccini. Performed by Jared Esguerra
11. Violin Aria (“C'est l'amour vainqueur”) from Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jules Offenbach. Performed by Emma Sorenson
12. "The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book 1, 1.Prelude C Major" by Bach. Performed by Lana Rogachevskaya