WICA Presents THE KENTUCKY PROJECT, 3/14-4/24

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, under the leadership of Executive Director Stacie Burgua, is proud to present The Kentucky Project, March 14 - April 24, 2010.

The Kentucky Project combines the songs and stories of American history and offers opportunities for complex and inclusive civic dialogue. The music and drama, at times vivid and revealing, provide direct links to our national heritage and to the social and political struggles we have overcome or continue to face. The goals of The Project are to produce great art and to engage community members about the interconnectedness between themselves, their collective stories, and the ongoing struggles of our society.

The Kentucky Project is comprised of three productions: Simple Gifts: The Music of America, a WICA Conservatory Choir concert; Play Party: Songs and Stories of Appalachia, a Family Series presentation; and the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama The Kentucky Cycle.
The Project also features Special Events and Community Partnerships such as Ties that Bind: The Biggs, Rowen, and Talbert Families, an exploration of the ancestry and relationship of the fictional (The Kentucky Cycle) Biggs, Rowen, and Talbert families, and the real events that shaped lives of the people of Appalachia - and our nation. This event is presented in partnership with the Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island; and Our Lives, Our Land: The Kentucky Cycle Stories in the Good Cheer Garden. "Our Lives..." includes Prologues (30-minute educational programs with audience participation), a Community Discussion led by AmeriCorps volunteers, a sampling of food from Good Cheer Garden, and a performance by the WICA Chamber Singers.

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts has stepped out of a conventional theater role to become even more connected with its community. Through The Kentucky Project, WICA strives to cultivate civic engagement, and to encourage an investment and ownership in local, regional, national, and global communities. The Project's exploration of American content will encourage audiences to take a thoughtful look at our nation's cultural heritage.

You may also visit www.WICAonline.com to learn more about this extraordinary venture. 

Simple Gifts: The Music of America

The WICA Conservatory Choir, under the direction of Robert W. Prosch, presents Simple Gifts: The Music of America, at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, 565 Camano Avenue, Langley, WA, on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 7.00pm.

Whidbey Island's finest (and largest) choral ensemble, the WICA Conservatory Choir, invites you to celebrate our nation's musical traditions through classics such as Aaron Copland's Old American Songs, Down by the Riverside, Water is Wide, Shenandoah, and Amazing Grace.

Tickets are $10 and available from www.WICAonline.com or 360.221.8268 - 800/638.7631.

The Songs.

Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning arr. Philip Kern; Amazing Grace arr. John Coates, Jr.; Stephen Foster Medley Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair, Camptown Races, My Old Kentucky Home, Beautiful Dreamer, Oh, Susanna; Old American Songs I Bought Me a Cat (children's song), Simple Gifts (Shaker song), At the River (hymn tune), Ching-a-Ring-Chaw (minstrel song) Aaron Copland; Down by the Riverside arr. John Rutter; Red River Valley arr. Ruth Elaine Schram; Moon River Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini, arr. Steve Zegree; Zion's Walls arr. by Glenn Koponen; Peter Gunn Henry Mancini, arr. Jeff Funk; The Water is Wide arr. René Clausen; Shenandoah arr. Darmon Meader; Bile Them Cabbage Down arr. Mack Wilberg

The Artists.

The Creative Team

Robert W. Prosch (Conductor), Jess Foley (Choir Accompanist), Caitlin Goldbaum (Assistant to the Conductor)

The Musicians

WICA Conservatory Choir Vocalists

Les Asplund, Al Benson, Gay Bitts, Morgan Bondelid, Tony Caldwell, Jane Caveny-Brown, Kimberly Cerra, Melisa Colby, Ann Deacon, Norma DeMerchant, Carol Douthitt, Bruce Forbes, Patricia Friedman, Rocco Gianni, Sarri Gilman, Caitlin Goldbaum, Dayle Gray, David Gray, John Hastings, Dave Haworth, Anne Hayden, Tonya Henny, Kiana Henny, Linda Irvine, Ken Kortlever, Ben Kortlever, Kathleen Landel, Diane Lantz, Kevin Lungren, Mary Magill, Rebecca Maher, Paul McClintock, Linda McLean, Mary McLeod, Kris McRea, Ann Mercer, Dorothy Moffat, Christina Parker, Sarah Parker, Kathy Parks-Chambers, Ann Marie Pember, Katharine Pfeiffer, Ambria Prosch, Mona Reardon, Chris Rose, Kyle Stevens, Carolyn Sundquist, Joan Todd, Ed Walker, Carrie Walker, Norman Walker, Marcia Wiley, Leslie Woods, Jill Workman
WICA Chamber Singers

Les Asplund, Al Benson, Morgan Bondelid, Tony Caldwell, Melisa Colby, Carol Douthitt, Caitlin Goldbaum, Dave Haworth, Anne Hayden, Linda McLean, Christina Parker, Ambria Prosch, Chris Rose Carolyn Sundquist, Norman Walker

Photo of Jill Johnson and Steve Showell. Photo Credit: WICA

 

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