Interlude - September 8
September 8, 2020
Broadway actor Q&A, Songbook Hall of Fame inductions and more
Welcome back to Interlude, where our curated selection of online goodies will help ease your re-entry to reality after a long holiday weekend.
Two updates from the Sept. 3 Interlude:
- The Sept. 22 meeting of Luminaries featuring sculptor Arlon Bayliss is being postponed to a future date.
- The upcoming sessions of the Child & Adult Music Class take place on Thursdays, rather than Fridays.
Meet Songbook Hall of Famer Peggy Lee
Our friends at the Great American Songbook Foundation are kicking off their 2020 Songbook Hall of Fame virtual celebration with a week dedicated to one of this year’s inductees, the sultry singer and savvy songwriter Peggy Lee.
She’s a woman – W.O.M.A.N! Born Norma Deloris Egstrom, Lee (1920-2002) rose to fame singing with Benny Goodman’s big band and went on to record decades of jazz and pop hits, including “Fever” and “Is That All There Is?” She also was an actress, composer and songwriter, combining those talents to co-write six songs and voice four characters in the 1955 Disney classic Lady and the Tramp.
Listen to nearly two hours of Lee’s greatest hits with a Spotify playlist that will give you the Peggy Lee fever! And visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about this week’s Songbook Hall of Fame induction festivities.
Student Q&A features rising Broadway star
Know any artsy and talented high school or college students who’d like to pick the brain of a Broadway triple-threat? The Sept. 28 session of the Center’s KAR Front Seat features actor-singer-dancer Michael Stiggers Jr., veteran of the Tony Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Disney's The Lion King, in which he performed in the ensemble and understudied the lead role of Simba. As a voiceover artist, he has worked on national campaigns and projects for Adidas, Uber and Nickelodeon.
Sponsored by KAR Global, the KAR Front Seat Q&A series is currently taking place free of charge through Zoom, and there are two ways to participate:
- Students: To be one of 10 active participants in the conversation at 7 p.m. Sept. 28, email a proposed question by Sept. 16, along with your name, school and grade level, to Outreach@TheCenterPresents.org.
- Non-students: To watch the live discussion online via Zoom, register now on the Center’s website.
Learn more and register on our website.
Center and Songbook Foundation supporters to get inside scoop
Coming up Wednesday, Sept. 16, and taking place this year via livestream, the annual Donor Celebration recognizes the generous people who support the work of the Center for the Performing Arts and the Great American Songbook Foundation.
All member-level donors are invited to join President/CEO Jeff McDermott, Artistic Director and Songbook Foundation Founder Michael Feinstein, Songbook Foundation Executive Director Chris Lewis and others at 7 p.m. ET to learn what’s happening on campus and how the organizations are tapping digital technology to continue engaging and inspiring audiences throughout Central Indiana and around the world. Simply renew your membership – or make an initial gift of just $90 or more by Sept. 10 – to receive your invitation and join this community of arts supporters.
Support the Center for the Performing Arts
Support the Great American Songbook Foundation
P.S. You can also pledge an easy recurring gift of $10 per month to secure your invitation!
For questions about the Virtual Donor Celebration, contact Tara Eubanks at TEubanks@TheCenterPresents.org or call (317) 819-3534.
This week in performing arts history
Sept. 6: In 1979, Peter Pan begins a two-year run on Broadway, with Tony-nominated Sandy Duncan as Peter and George Rose as Mr. Darling/Captain Hook. The Center’s resident Central Indiana Dance Ensemble has staged the ballet adaptation of the classic story twice, in 2013 and 2018, complete with “flying” effects.
Sept. 7: In 1956, Michael Feinstein is born in Columbus, Ohio. After moving to Los Angeles and landing a job with lyricist Ira Gershwin, he embarked on a lifelong mission to celebrate and preserve the legacy of our nation’s timeless popular music. The Grammy- and Emmy-nominated performer founded the Great American Songbook Foundation in 2007 and has served since 2009 as Artistic Director for the Center for the Performing Arts.
Sept. 9: In 1971, John Lennon releases his solo album Imagine, which sat atop the Billboard 100 for 47 weeks. The Center has never presented a Beatle, but it has hosted performances by tribute bands The Fab Four and 1964: The Tribute.
Sept. 12: In 2003, revered singer-songwriter Johnny Cash died of respiratory failure at the age of 71. His eldest daughter, Rosanne Cash, played the Palladium in 2016, and the Center has hosted two performances by Cash tribute artist James Garner.
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