In the news: Broadway's Leading Ladies, Chris Botti recap
February 18, 2020
Broadway veterans set their sights on the Palladium
Donna McKechnie of 4 Girls 4
The latest issue of Carmel Monthly has a cool interview with veteran Broadway dancer, singer and actor Donna McKechnie, whose run as the original Cassie in A Chorus Line earned her the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She will grace the Palladium stage Saturday, Feb. 29, as a member of 4 Girls 4: Broadway's Leading Ladies in Concert, featuring the similarly accomplished Andrea McArdle (Annie, Beauty and the Beast), Maureen McGovern (“The Morning After,” Little Women) and fellow Tony winner Faith Prince (Guys & Dolls, Bells Are Ringing).
Apparently the four longtime friends are having a good time on the road with pianist and music director Billy Stritch, himself a pillar of New York's jazz and cabaret scenes.
"We are women who are not ingenues any longer but seasoned performers," McKechnie told CM head writer Janelle Morrison. "It’s not spoken about, but the experience of seeing four wonderful female performers — together on stage — is very powerful. For me, just sitting and watching when one of them comes front and center on stage, they bring a whole history with them."
The Hoosier Village Songbook Series performance is sponsored by Community Health Network.
Botti and band delight capacity crowd
IU grad Chris Botti
Trumpeter Chris Botti wowed a sold-out house Feb. 9 at the Palladium with a set highlighted by Gershwin standards and nods to jazz greats Miles Davis, Bill Evans and Louis Armstrong. His typically stellar band was complemented by saxophonist Andy Snitzer, violinist Caroline Campbell and operatic tenor Rafael Moras.
Nationally known music photographer Mark Sheldon captured some memorable images for NUVO. See the full gallery here.
In advance of the show, Carmel Monthly's Morrison published a Q&A with Botti, who reflected on his student years at Indiana University and the lessons he learned from showbiz greats like Frank Sinatra and Don Rickles. Read the interview here.
Chris Botti's stellar side musicians take center stage at the Palladium. Photos by Mark Sheldon.
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