A2SO to Perform GERSHWIN'S MAGIC KEY, 10/25

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra presents Gershwin's Magic Key on Sunday, October 25 at 4:00pm at the Michigan Theater. As part of the Family Concert Series, this performance is sure to be a delight for the young and the young-at-heart. The musical story tells of a chance meeting on the streets of New York City between a poor newspaper boy and the great American composer, George Gershwin. The orchestra magically weaves Gershwin's greatest hits into the drama as the master composer shares historical anecdotes about his life and musical passion. A bonding friendship develops as they explore the vast melting pot of American music and discover the key to unlocking the boy's own musical potential. Family and student audiences will be captivated by over 20 of Gershwin's most popular compositions from classical compositions including Porgy & Bess, American in Paris, Cuban Overture, Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue to popular hits from the American Songbook including I Got Rhythm, Swanee, The Man I Love, Someone to Watch Over Me, and Fascinating Rhythm

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra is proud to announce that the performance of Gershwin's Magic Key is sponsored by Toyota.

Elic Bramlett - George Gershwin

Elic is excited to be playing George Gershwin in the new Classical Kids LIVE! Production, Gershwin's Magic Key. After joining Classical Kids during the 2005-06 season he has toured the US, Canada and Malaysia playing Mozart. A native of Phoenix, AZ, Elic now makes his home in the suburbs of Chicago. Stage credits include: The Music Man

at Marriott Lincolnshire, Stage Kiss and The Boys are Coming Home at The Goodman; Western Civilization at Noble Fool; Teapot Scandals, Elegies, Sweeney Todd, Macabaret, Hereafter, and Three Sisters at Porchlight; The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, Charlotte's Web, and Cinderella at Drury Lane; The Bomb-itty of Errors at The Royal George; and Saturday Night with Pegasus Players. In Forever Plaid, he has played the roles of Jinx, Frankie, and Sparky at several theatres including Chicago's original Royal George production. Elic also makes his living as a TV/Film actor, voice over talent, and as a director, producer, and teacher in the Chicagoland area.

Leslie Ann Sheppard - "Kid"

Leslie Ann is thrilled to add Gershwin's Magic Key to her Classical Kids repertoire. A principal actor with Classical Kids, she performs as Katarina in Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery, Christoph in Beethoven Lives Upstairs, and Karl in Mozart's Magnificent Voyage. An actor, musician, playwright and stage combatant, Leslie Ann acquired a BA degree from Illinois State University

and is the Artistic Director and a founding company member of the Suitcase Shakespeare Co. Chicago theatre credits include productions at Victory Gardens, Steppenwolf, Northlight, TimeLine, Chicago Children's Theatre, The Artistic Home, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, the Bristol Renaissance Faire, and the Chicago Fringe Festival. Film credits include The Mob Doctor, Powers, I Will Be Waiting, and Skull Speakers. Above all, faith, family, respect and the love of creating and sharing art drive Leslie Ann to strive for excellence. Mrs. Sheppard resides in Chicago with her husband, runs marathons for Team World Vision, and is a member of Actors' Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

Will Martin - Pianist, Co-Writer, Music Supervisor

Will is very pleased to play a pivotal role in the creation of Gershwin's Magic Key as co-writer, music supervisor and featured pianist. He graduated from Lawrence University in 2010, where he took the B.M. piano performance magna cum laude and the B.A. English magna cum laude. There, he received additional honors for his scholarly work on the original manuscripts of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. He studied piano under Anthony Padilla, Michael Mizrahi and Emma Tahmizian at the Lawrence

Conservatory of Music. Will has garnered acclaim for his exciting and idiomatic interpretations of Gershwin's music in particular. He has performed on broadcast in the Impromptu series on Chicago's WFMT 98.7, in concert on Wisconsin Public Radio, and won first prize in the Neale-Silva Young Artists Competition. Currently, Will works with the world's leading Gershwin pianist and archivist, Kevin Cole and continues to study piano with Sheila Paige. He began his musical journey at age seven when he was given the Classical Kids recording Mr. Bach Comes to Call. He isvery proud to now be working with that same organization to expose children to his favorite composer, George Gershwin.

Classical Kids LIVE! is produced by Classical Kids Music Education, a Chicago- based not-for-profit organization that works to enrich communities through direct access to culturally significant venues, professional artists and organizations, and high-quality theatrical concert productions, while fostering new appreciation for classical music and music history. In combination with the Classical Kids Teaching Edition, Classical Kids LIVE! serves as one of the worlds best educational outreach and community engagement programs contributing to the long-term health of classical music. Having received more awards and honors than any other entity of its kind, Classical Kids is proud to say, "We're making a difference!" (www.classicalkidsnfp.org)

Join us for a special afternoon at the Michigan Theater with your Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are available online at a2so.com, by emailing tickets@a2so.com, or by calling (734) 994-4801. Adult tickets are $12 and children tickets are $8. Subscriptions are available, Adult $30 and Children $18. First time subscribers buy one adult season subscription and get one child subscription FREE!

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