Best of Broadway!

November 1st, 2024, Cary Arts Center

CSC Best of Broadway!

Nathan Leaf, Conductor
Josh Johnstone, Assistant Conductor
Allen Bailey, Piano

Martin Stam, Bass
Stephen Coffman, Drums
Rusty Smith, Trumpet
Sean Devlin, Trombone
Wayne Leechford, Reeds
Wes Everett, Emcee

 

Welcome to the first performance in the 34th season of your Concert Singers of Cary. Since our founding, Concert Singers has brought exciting choral music to audiences in Cary and beyond, and this year is no exception. From beginning to end, this season is full of enticing choral offerings, some serious and meaningful, some just plain fun, and all designed to speak to you, our audience. We invite you to visit our website and see what we have coming up.

Tonight, we’re kicking off the year with the music of the stage. Your favorites from Broadway, old and new, classic and modern, exciting and comforting. Collectively, these songs take us through our shared times together, give us a view of where we have been, and offer some perspective on where we should go from here.  So sit back and enjoy – we are glad you are here!

Program

Please silence all cell phones. Taking photos or using recording devices during the performance is a distraction to the performers and to other audience members and is strictly prohibited.

Another Op’nin’, Another Show, from Kiss Me Kate, Porter, arr. Kern

Seventy-Six Trombones, from The Music Man, Willson arr. Lojeski
    Thom Haynes, soloist

Whatever Lola Wants, from Damn Yankees, Adler and Ross, arr. Albrecht

Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat, from Guys and Dolls, Loesser, arr. Brymer
    Devon Cessna, soloist

Getting to Know You, from The King and I, Richard Rodgers
    Fran Bushman, soloist

Some Enchanted Evening, from South Pacific, Richard Rodgers
    Nikhil Gheewala, soloist

Medley from Oklahoma, Rodgers, arr. Leavitt
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’
Oklahoma!
The Surrey with the Fringe on Top
Many a New Day
People Will Say We’re in Love
    Bianca Muñoz and Al Pasquale, soloists

If I Loved You, from Carousel, Richard Rodgers
    Fran Bushman, soloist

Hello Young Lovers, from The King and I, Richard Rodgers
    Valerie Wettlaufer, soloist

You’ll Never Walk Alone, with Climb Every Mountain, Rodgers, arr. Hayes
    Valerie Wettlaufer, soloist

INTERMISSION

Selections from West Side Story, Bernstein, arr. Huff
Something’s Coming
Tonight
One Hand One Heart
Somewhere
    Francesca Balestrieri, soloist

Sondheim! A Choral Celebration,   Sondheim, arr. Huff
Comedy Tonight
Into the Woods
    Maggie Hemedinger and Josh Johnstone, soloists
Not While I’m Around
Send in the Clowns
The Little Things You Do Together
    Rachael Lubbers, soloist
Being Alive
    Devon Cessna, soloist

Seasons of Love from Rent, Larson arr. Emerson
    Jaylen Spencer, soloist

Do You Hear the People Sing, from Les Mierables, Schönberg, arr. Lojeski
    Alex Smith and Jaylen Spencer, soloists

You’ll Be Back, from Hamilton, Miranda, arr. DeSpain
    Drew Schell, soloist

Reprise: Tonight!, from West Side Story, Bernstein, arr. Huff

Biographies

Nathan Leaf, Conductor

Nathan Leaf has been the Artistic Director of the Concert Singers of Cary since 2017. He is also the Director of Choral Activities at North Carolina State University, founded the chamber consort, Voices of a New Renaissance, and was for seven years choir director at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Durham. He has performed as a singer with some of the top vocal ensembles in the country, and has collaborated with many of North Carolina’s leading musical organizations, including the North Carolina Symphony, the North Carolina Master Chorale and Chamber Choir, the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, Mallarmé Chamber Players, the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra, and the NC HIP Music Festival. He has served as a clinician and guest conductor throughout the country, and choirs under his direction have toured extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Josh Johnstone, Assistant Conductor

Joshua Johnstone is a North Carolina native, humanist, and avid musician, and has sung for the Concert Singers of Cary as a fill-in since 2017. In 2022, he became a full member and Assistant Director, supporting the Artistic Director by leading sectionals and rehearsals when necessary and conducting repertoire. Joshua works in the software industry as a risk analytics professional, and holds BAs in music and math from UNC-Greensboro, as well as a Masters of Financial Mathematics from NC State University. He began serving on the CSC Board of Directors in 2023.

Allen Bailey, Pianist

Allen Bailey received a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro 1987. As a student of Dr. George Kiorpes, he was awarded the Dean’s Scholarship and won the University’s Concerto Competition in 1985. His professional career as a soloist and accompanist has spanned the state during which he has worked with churches, soloists, large ensembles, professional and amateur, scholarly and civic. Affiliated groups include the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Duke University, NC State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Meredith College, Peace College, NC public schools, Durham Chorale, NC Master Chorale, Concert Singers of Cary, Wake Forest United Methodist Church, and The NC Symphony. Currently, Mr. Bailey is employed by Fidelity Investments as a Software Engineer, specializing in network security.

Choir Members

Soprano

Kelly Amato
Sharanya Ananth
Francesca Balestrieri
Shannon Beall
Catherine Bennett
Christine Bowden
Megan Brachtl
Elizabeth Brown
Frances Bushman
Debbie Carroll
Kelly Cash
Joan Eastwick
Heather Fitch
Lindsey Gallegos
Andrea Garcia
Stacy Hanna
Christianna Hellwig
Kathryn Jones
Yen-Ping Kuo
Sofia Leander
Kaitlyn Lincoln
Rachael Lubbers
Alicia Martinez
Bianca Muñoz
Beverly Olson
Laura Pavlot
Lauren Presley
Kiran Saini
Melissa Sawyer
Trisha Scott
Wendy Shaw
Emily Simon
Nikki Stoudt
Dana Thomas
Jennilyn Tillotson
Laura Yurco

Alto

Mana Aoi
Nikki Black
Christine Bonin
Hadyn Boyte
Liz Davis
Debi DeAnn
Sonia Dubiansky
Elizabeth Dworkin
Susan Ebbs
Shayna Feldstein
Giuliana Giddings
Jessica Hamm
Shirley Hand
Lenora Harris-Field
Pamela Hartsfield
Maggie Hemedinger
Muriel Hoequist
Georgina Ishak
Cristina Jannings
Pauline Jillson
Kay Kaufman
Sarah Kiker
Brenda Kucin
Grace Matthews
Madison Muralt
Morgan Pyrtle
Terri Ring
Katie Robbins
Kristen Ruffato
Valerie Saba
Mara Sanchez
Susan Schnurr
Jaime Schnurr
Sue Schule
Nancy Smith
Faith Stevenson
Deborah Stirdivant
Rachel Stuart
Jackie Tice
M.J. Weissenberger
Libby Wendorf
Carolyn Wilcox

Tenor

Neal Braswell
Stephen Cole
Phil Ferski
Nikhil Gheewala
John Harrington
James Matzko
Chuck McCullen
Cary Murphrey
Rick Parker
Drew Schell
Jaylen Spencer
Paul Stapleton
Marc Stracuzza
David Talbot
Samuel Tucker

Bass

Rock Angier
Kevin Ballesteros
Forrest Burris
Devon Cessna
Ryan Chung
Coltan Compton
Casey Erklin
Gavin Foley
Thom Haynes
Teylor Jenkins
Josh Johnstone
Jeremy Kelly
Gary Lew
Matthew McEntire
Al Pasquale
Jonathan Pelletier
Elijah Powell
Alex Smith
Jeff Wright

Donors

Thank you to our generous donors!

Visionary
Town of Cary
United Arts Council

Silver Baton
Cary Art Daze Festivals: Spring Daze and Lazy Daze

Patron
Ann Bingham* & Joeseph Tanzini
Megan Bracht* & Jared Selig
Debbie Carroll* & Ken Ganong
Wes Everett
Dr. & Mrs. Bruce I. Howell
Charles McCullen
Paul Stapleton
Melissa Weissenberger*

Benefactor
Nancy Canterbury
Sue Chaploney
Rachael Dwight
Stacy Hanna*
Thom Haynes+
Josh Johnstone*+
Nathan Leaf*+
Laura Yurco

Producer
Rock Angier
Rex Dwyer
Joan Eastwick
Yen-Ping Kuo
Rachael Lubbers*+
Adam Luck
Ellen Schlomer+
Jeffrey White+
Jeff+ & Kitty Wright

Sponsor
Christine & Christopher Bonin
Hadyn Boyte
Kelly Cash
Debi DeAnn* & Ric Goldstein
Susan Ebbs
Ken Fortier
Nikhil Gheewala
Susan Hanna
Lenora Harris-Fields
Pamela Hartsfield
Jim & Pauline Jillson
Kay Kaufman & David Winkler
Emiko Kuroda
Girard Lew
Laura Moore
Kenneth Muller
Laurie Ray
Terri Ring+
John Rowe
Jan Schnurr
Susan Schnurr
Sue Schule
Deborah Stirdivant
Rachel Stuart
David Talbot
Jackie Tice
Jennilyn Tillotson
Brian Wong

Friend
Kelly Amato
Mana Aoi
Francesca Balestrieri*
Sara Battles
Shannon Beall
Catherine Bennett
Forrest Burns*
Rebecca Crumby – in memory of Joe Ferguson
Elizabeth Dworkin
Aurian Eghbalian
Catherine Engel
Shayna Feldstein
Phil Ferski
Heather Fitch
Mandi Goswami
Shirley Hand
John Harrington
Claudia & Simon Kaplan
Melissa Martin
Bianca Muñoz*
Madison Muralt
Cary Murphrey
Sarah Neely
Beverly Olson+
Al Pasquale
Elijah Powell
Mara Sanchez
Emily Sawyer
John Schell
Jaime Schnurr
Trisha Scott
Greg Tarsa
Dana Thomas
Daniel Tsui
Carolyn Wilcox
Taylor Williams
Katherine Womack

CSC Board Members *
CSC Staff / Vounteer Staff +

Keep the Music Going!

Contributions from supporters are an essential part of our funding. Please consider joining the CSC “Family” as a financial supporter; your gift will be greatly appreciated and tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. You also will be acknowledged in all CSC concert programs as a Supporting Member.

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Or Mail your contribution check, payable to Concert Singers of Cary, to the address below.

Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the Charitable Solicitation Licensing Section at 888-830-4989. The license is not an endorsement by the State.

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Special Thanks to Our Sponsors

The Concert Singers of Cary
Cary Arts Center
101 Dry Avenue
Cary, NC 27511-3312

910-242-4314

The Concert Singers of Cary have earned a Silver Seal from Candid.

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We're a proud member of the Cary Chamber of Commerce, Chorus America, The Heart of Cary Association, and ArtsNC.