Caryn Hartglass Will Appear in Concert at the Historic Hoover Theatre

Internationally renowned singer Caryn Hartglass, in concert with Mavis Hirohara on piano, will perform a fundraiser benefitting San Jose's Playful People Productions at Historic Hoover Theatre in San Jose on August 1 at 4:00 PM. Funds raised from this concert will support the nonprofit's Scholarship Fund to increase access for underserved communities to all programs.

For tickets ($15-50) or for more information on Playful People and their programs, visit https://playfulpeople.org or call (408) 878-5362.

Hartglass is an award-winning singer who has studied and performed around the world, earning accolades for her operatic and musical theatre performances. She now returns to the Playful People stage with some of her favorite songs: "The Glamorous Life" from A Little Night Music, "Patterns" from Baby, "I Miss the Mountains" and "You Don't Know" from Next to Normal, "Ladies Who Lunch" from Company, "My Husband Makes Movies" from Nine, "If He Walked Into My Life" from Mame, "Will You?" from Grey Gardens, "As We Stumble Along" from The Drowsy Chaperone, "Last Midnight" from Into the Woods, "My Old Man" by Joni Mitchell, and more. She will also be joined on stage by her partner, Gary De Mattei, for a duet of "Move On" from Sunday in the Park with George.

A native New Yorker, Caryn Hartglass grew up in a singing household (her parents, Lois and Hal Hartglass, courted each other by singing standards made famous by singers like Billy Eckstine and Sarah Vaughn). She earned Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in chemical engineering, and pursued that career for more than 20 years while continuing to actively pursue her passion for singing: performing in semi-professional theater, then starring nationally in musical theater, and internationally singing opera in Europe.

While living in France she studied voice with Mady Mesplé, France's most famed lyric coloratura, while studying French and German. During this time she won two international vocal competitions, one in France and one in South Africa, and recorded a CD with the French company, Ligia Digital. She and her life partner Gary De Mattei are the creators of "Hartglass & De Mattei, The Swingin' Gourmets," who kicked off Playful People Productions' new interactive Zoom cooking series at the end of 2020.

Mavis Hirohara is an accomplished soloist and accompanist with extensive experience in classical music, theater, and Chinese music. She has won multiple international competitions as both a soloist and a concerto performer, and has recently performed in multiple Northern California theater productions and choirs. In 2017 she was recognized in the MTAC Adult division as a solo piano competitor. A dedicated music instructor, Hirohara has spent the past decade teaching students of all ages and levels. She studied piano pedagogy and education at the renowned Shanghai Conservatory of Music as well as piano performance in San Francisco.

Pending changes in Covid requirements, the theater will be filled up to 80% capacity; patrons will remain masked so that Hartglass can perform mask-free.

Playful People Productions was first founded in 2010 as a positive, inclusive, family-focused theatre company, and has operated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit since 2017. While initially providing classes, camps, and shows for kids, the company has grown to offer similar classes for adults, and stages performances where family members can perform together. Most recently the organization has returned to its customary spaces at the Historic Hoover Theatre in San Jose, but is continuing some of its pandemic-responsive online programming (POP, Playful Online People) as well as On Demand video classes.

Mother and daughter team Barbara Galiotto and Katie D' Arcey are Positive Discipline trained; both have worked as early Childhood Educators; and as professional directors with children's theater. The pair have approximately 50 years experience between them in the musical theater world and, together with a small team of permanent staff and an array of talented directors, teachers, and support personnel, offer beginner through advanced theatre experiences for the whole family.

For more information on Playful People and their programs, visit https://playfulpeople.org or call (408) 878-5362.

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