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ONSTAGECE NTE R FOR TH E PE R FOR M ING ARTS AT PEN N STATE

Today’s performance is sponsored byLynn Sidehamer Brownand Kimberly WatkinsCommunity Advisory CouncilThe Community Advisory Council is dedicated to strengtheningthe relationship between the Center for the Performing Artsand the community. Council members participate in a rangeof activities in support of this objective.Nancy VanLandingham, chairLam Hood, vice chairWilliam AsburyPatricia BestLynn Sidehamer BrownPhilip BurlingameAlfred Jones Jr.Deb LattaEileen LeibowitzEllie LewisChristine LichtigMary Ellen LitzingerBonnie MarshallPieter OuwehandMelinda StearnsSusan SteinbergLillian UpcraftPat WilliamsNina Woskobstudent representativeJesse Scott

CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT PENN STATEpresentsBrian Stokes MitchellSimply Broadway7:30 p.m., Friday, October 17, 2014Eisenhower AuditoriumThe program will be announced from the stage.The performance is presented without an intermission.sponsorsLynn Sidehamer Brown and Kimberly WatkinsThe Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State receives state arts fundingsupport through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a stateagency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the NationalEndowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

RICHARD TERMINEBRIAN STOKES MITCHELLDubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, Tony Awardwinner Brian Stokes Mitchell has enjoyed a career that spans Broadway,television, film, and concert appearances with the country’s finest conductors and orchestras. He received a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award,and an Outer Critics Circle Award for his star turn in Kiss Me, Kate. Healso gave Tony Award-nominated performances in Man of La Mancha,August Wilson’s King Hedley II, and Ragtime. Other notable Broadwayshows include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jelly’s Last Jam, and mostrecently Lincoln Center Theater’s Women on the Verge of a NervousBreakdown.An extremely versatile and in-demand singer, Stokes has performed atvenues spanning jazz, opera, pop, country, and musical theatre worlds.He has worked with John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Keith Lockhart,Michael Tilson Thomas, Paul Gemignani, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and The Muppets.Stokes has made multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall, including hisdebut performance with the San Francisco Symphony, his televised per-

formance in South Pacific opposite Reba McEntire, and a sold-out soloconcert. He has been invited to the White House and has performed forPresident Obama and President Clinton.His extensive screen credits began with his seven-year stint on TrapperJohn, M.D. and continued with memorable appearances on Great Performances, Frasier, Glee, and the film Jumping the Broom. As a voice-overartist, he has played dozens of characters on animated programs. Stokes’narration of Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait and his narration of FirstFreedom—a documentary about the creation and evolution of religiousfreedom in America—both aired on PBS.Stokes has appeared on more than twenty albums, including his eponymous first solo CD. His latest album, Simply Broadway, features the baritone accompanied by solo pianist Tedd Firth. Inspired by a 1975 recording by Tony Bennett and Bill Evans, Simply Broadway was produced in asimilar “old-school” style without overdubs or audio separation. Stokesand Firth were in the same room at the same time as they recorded thetracks. The song selection includes works from Camelot, Porgy and Bess,Company, Sunday in the Park With George, Les Misérables, and otherclassics. Stokes produced the album and co-arranged the tracks withFirth.In addition to his concert circuit, Stokes also performs charitable concerts based on Simply Broadway with proceeds split by The Actors Fundand the non-profit theatre where the performance takes place. Stokes’goal is to share the concept of giving service to others as well as to promote the importance of the arts in everyday life.The New York Times review of his concert at Alice Tully Hall in New YorkCity proclaimed: “Mr. Mitchell commands a singularly thunderous baritonewhose size matches the egos of vainglorious stage characters like DonQuixote from Man of La Mancha and Lancelot from Camelot. Unfurled inlayers to uncover a feral growl at its bottom end, the voice accomplisheswhat no amount of heroic preening and posing could achieve. You tremble before its visceral impact. More important, you believe in these guys.Few other Broadway baritones have such vocal resources.”As a writer, Stokes has contributed to the book Hirschfeld’s Harlem,penned the preface to At This Theatre, and co-authored the children’sbook Lights on Broadway.For fun, he has been known to fly planes and jump out of them—althoughnot at the same time. He can also ride a bicycle on a high wire.Stokes has enjoyed working with numerous charitable organizations,including the March of Dimes and USO, and is chairman of the board forThe Actors Fund.He resides in New York City with his wife, son, and rescued mutt, Diggidy.For more information, go to www.brianstokes.com.

TEDD FIRTHTedd Firth is a New York City basedaccompanist, jazz pianist, arranger,and orchestrator. As an accompanist he has worked with BrianStokes Mitchell, Lee Ann Womack,Tom Wopat, Faith Prince, MarilynMaye, Hilary Kole, Linda Lavin,James Naughton, Lucie Arnaz,Jane Olivor, Karen Akers, Darius deHaas, Mary Cleere Haran, MargaretWhiting, Carol Sloane, BobStewart, Marlene VerPlanck, NancyMarano, K. T. Sullivan, ClaiborneCary, and many others. Among thejazz musicians he has performed orrecorded with are John Pizzarelli,Houston Person, Frank Wess, MarkWhitfield, Red Holloway, BennyGolson, and Joe Morello. NewYork City appearances includeCarnegie Hall, Blue Note, Birdland,The Iridium, Algonquin Hotel, CaféCarlyle, Feinstein’s at the LoewsRegency, Rainbow Room, TheTown Hall, Russian Tea Room, andGracie Mansion. Numerous nationalappearances include a performance at the White House. As anarranger and orchestrator, Firth’swork has been performed by PeterNero and the Philly Pops; theDetroit, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh,and Stamford symphony orchestras; Ocean City Pops; and theSpokane Jazz Orchestra. Televisionappearances include The TodayShow, All My Children, and TheCaroline Rhea Show.CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT PENN STATE7:30 P.M. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 EISENHOWER AUDITORIUM

CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT PENN STATEBenjamin EalovegaThe iconic British vocal ensemble pays homage to theintersection of popular, jazz, and Broadway music thatdazzled the airwaves for much of the twentieth century.The King’s SingersGreat AmericanSongbookSavor a cappella settings of classic songsby the likes of Cy Coleman (“The Best is Yetto Come”), Richard Rodgers (“My FunnyValentine”), Cole Porter (“I’ve Got You UnderMy Skin”), Harold Arlen (“I’ve Got the Worldon a String”), Irving Berlin (“Cheek to Cheek”),and Jerome Kern (“I Won’t Dance”).7:30 P.M. TUESDAYFEBRUARY 17EISENHOWER AUDITORIUMON SALE NOW!cpa.psu.edu814-863-0255

CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT PENN STATE7:30 P.M. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 EISENHOWER AUDITORIUMON SALE NOW!cpa.psu.edu 814-863-0255

Bold listings represent members whoincreased their donations by 10 percentor more this season. Be Bold! ContactDave Shaffer, assistant director forspecial programs, at 814-863-1167.MembersThe Center for the Performing Arts recognizes the following membersfor their support. For information on the membership program orhow you may contribute to the Center for the Performing Arts, pleasecontact Dave Shaffer at 814-863-1167 or DaveShaffer@psu.edu.LeadershipCircleEncoreCircle 3,000 and more 1,000 to 1,999Lynn Sidehamer BrownMimi U. Barash CoppersmithMarty and Joan DuffBlake and Linda GallRobert and Helen HarveyBob and Sonia HufnagelRichard and Sally KalinDan and Peggy Hall LeKanderBarbara PalmerDotty and Paul RigbyLouis P. Silverman andVeronica A. SamborskyGeorge and Nina WoskobGrace M. BardineMary and Hu BarnesPhilip and Susan BurlingameEdda and Francis G. GentryRichard B. GidezJudith Albrecht and Denny GioiaDavid and Margaret GrayMichael P. Johnson andMaureen MulderigStan and Debra LattaBenson and Christine LichtigKenneth and Irene McllvriedKaren Scott ShearerJackson and Diane SpielvogelCarol and Rex WarlandTerry and Pat WilliamsDavid and Diane WisniewskiDirector’sCircle 2,000 to 2,999Patricia Best and Thomas RayLynn Donald BreonJanet Fowler Dargitz andKarl George StoedefalkeRod and Shari EricksonEdward R. GalusArnold and Marty GascheDonald W. Hamer and Marie BednarBeverly HickeyHoney and Bill JaffeKay F. KustanbauterEileen W. LeibowitzTom and Mary Ellen LitzingerPieter W. and Lida OuwehandWilliam RabinowitzRobert Schmalzadvocate 500 to 999Pamela M. AikeyNed and Inga BookJack and Diana BrenizerSandra Zaremba and Richard BrownRichard Carlson and Lori ForlizziJoseph and Annie DoncseczMichael T. and Ann F. DotseySteve and Sandy ElbinMark A. FalvoJoel GaesserNancy S. GambleJohn and Carol GrahamAmy Greenberg and Richard DoyleBill and Connie HayesSteven L. Herb andSara Willoughby-HerbNancy L. HerronLam and Lina HoodCindy and Al JonesJames and Bonnie KnappJames and Barbara KornerJohn and Michelle MasonPatrick W. and Susan N. MorseMarcia and Bill NewtonSteve and Anne PfeiffenbergerJack and Sue PorembaPatricia Hawbaker QuinlivanAndy and Kelly RenfrewShirley SacksRussell and Jeanne SchleidenPaul and K. C. SheelerVaughn and Kay ShirkSusan and Lewis SteinbergMarilynne W. StoutKenton StuckElizabeth TrudeauGeorge and Debbie TrudeauMark and JoAnne WesterhausMary Jane and William WildCharlotte ZmysloPartner 250 to 499Steve and Chris AdamsWilliam W. AsburyDr. Deborah F. AtwaterSven and Carmen BilénAlan BrownRichard W. Bryant