Lyric Fest Presents Bewitched, the Bothered, Bewildered Songs of Rodgers & Hart

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mallory McFarland | Morahan Arts and Media
mallory@morahanartsandmedia.com | 646-241-0899

Lyric Fest Presents Bewitched,
the Bothered, Bewildered Songs of Rodgers & Hart

May 23 at Moorestown Community Center
May 24 at The Academy of Vocal Arts

Tribute to the American Songbook Features
Mezzo-soprano Suzanne DuPlantis and Baritone Brian Major,
with Pianist John Conahan and Sax Player Ron Kerber

“nothing short of miraculous” — Chestnut Hill Local

www.lyricfest.org 

Philadelphia, PA (May 1, 2023) — Lyric Fest concludes its 2022-23 season with a tribute to the Great American Songbook on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 7:00pm at the Moorestown Community Center in Moorestown, NJ and Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 7:00pm at The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Entitled Bewitched, the program brings audiences the tart, heart wrenching lyrics of Lorenz Hart, spun into effortless melody by Richard Rodgers.

A duo like no other, Rodgers and Hart produced over 500 songs and 28 Broadway Shows, collaborating for more than two decades before Hart’s tragic and untimely death in 1943. Their marvelous songs stand out as a unique mingling of this creative spark. Bringing to life a selection of their dynamic songs and stories are mezzo-soprano Suzanne DuPlantis and baritone Brian Major. Composer John Conahan joins the two as pianist, with Ron Kerber on sax.

DuPlantis shares, “To close out our 20th anniversary season, we’re having a party! We’re so excited to have not only John Conahan, a fabulous pianist, composer, arranger, and studio musician at the keyboard, but we’re joined also by Ron Kerber, one of Philadelphia’s first call saxophonists and woodwind artists. Both of these musicians are cherished collaborators and dear friends of Lyric Fest. John’s arranged and composed for LF since the beginning, and Ron’s been featured on many of our cabarets (as well as on my CD, Lazy Afternoon, Songs of Love and the South.) What a joy to have these two premiere instrumentalists join us for some of our  favorite songs. The audience is invited to stay and have a toast to Lyric Fest at the close of the concert.”

Performance Details
Bewitched
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 7:00pm
Moorestown Community Center | 16 E Main St | Moorestown, NJ
Tickets: $25
Link: https://lyricfest.org/concerts/bewitched/

Bewitched
Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 7:00pm | 1920 Spruce St | Philadelphia, PA
The Academy of Vocal Arts
Tickets: $25
Link: https://lyricfest.org/concerts/bewitched/

Suzanne DuPlantis, mezzo-soprano
Brian Major, baritone
John Conahan, pianist
Ron Kerber, sax

Selections by LORENZ HART and RICHARD RODGERS:

Dances on the Ceiling
Spring is Here
I Could Write a Book
Lady is a Tramp
Small Hotel
Where or When
Wait Till You See Her
Have You Met Miss Jones
     Brian Major

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
To Keep My Love Alive
Ship Without a Sail
My Funny Valentine
It Never Entered My Mind 
Glad to be Unhappy
Blue Moon
Manhattan
     Suzanne DuPlantis

This Can’t Be Love
I Wish I Were in Love Again 
My Romance 
     Suzanne DuPlantis and Brian Major

About Lyric Fest
Lyric Fest has been hailed in the press as “An irresistible mix of high art and humane feeling… As entertaining as a well-managed party” (Broad Street Review). Founded in 2003 with the goal of celebrating and revitalizing the art song tradition, it is the only performing arts organization in the Mid-Atlantic region with a primary focus on song in all its varied expression. 

Lyric Fest has produced and presented over 100 distinctly crafted and curated concert programs. Each has featured multiple artists of national and international stature sharing song through theme and story, together with the spoken word. The organization has defined commissioning new works as an integral part of its mission and programming philosophy. To date, Lyric Fest has commissioned an impressive body of more than 200 new American songs from many of the nation’s preeminent composers.

Lyric Fest is run by two of its founders, artistic directors Suzanne DuPlantis and Laura Ward. Known for their excellence and innovation in creating rich, thematic, accessible concerts, Lyric Fest performs throughout the Philadelphia region, and has brought programs to Washington DC; Moorestown, NJ; Wilmington, DE; New Orleans, LA; Pittsburgh, PA; Brooklyn and New York City, NY; and San Jose, CA. Learn more about Lyric Fest at lyricfest.org.

About Suzanne DuPlantis
Suzanne DuPlantis co-Founded Lyric Fest with a passionate commitment to song, and a belief in its power to reach all listeners. Serving as its Artistic Director, she enjoys sharing a new vision for song with Lyric Fest audiences through creative program building; writing scripts and program notes; graphic design; and most recently, by creating innovative song videos to accompany Lyric Fest’s live and virtual concert offerings. As a performer, Suzanne made her New York debut at Alice Tully Hall with Musica Sacra and her Kimmel Center debut in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Orchestra 2001. Her career in opera has spanned debuts with companies across America in roles from Rossini’s heroines Rosina and Isabella, Carmen to Waltraute. In oratorio, chamber music and song, Suzanne has appeared with many of Philadelphia’s premiere music organizations including The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble, Bucks County Choral Society, Singing City, The Wister Quartet, and Orchestra 2001. She has premiered new works written especially for her by Kile Smith, Andrea Clearfield, Robert Maggio, Roxanna Panufnik, Logan Skelton, Allen Krantz, and Benjamin C.S. Boyle. She is featured on several recordings, including Lyric Fest’s In This Blue Room by Kile Smith, and Daron Hagen - 21st Century Song Cycles; has recorded Brian Gaber’s Ancestral Waters for mezzo, orchestra and jazz trio; and has released a CD of American Songbook Standards, Lazy Afternoon – Songs of Love and the South, with Harold Evans and Ron Kerber.

About Laura Ward
Laura Ward is pianist and Artistic Director of Lyric Fest, www.lyricfest.org, a unique vocal recital series in Philadelphia. As a distinguished collaborative pianist she is known for both her technical ability and vast knowledge of repertoire and styles. Concert engagements have taken her to Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Spoleto Festival (Italy), and the Colmar International Music Festival and Saint Denis Festival in France. She has served on the faculty of The CoOPERAtive Program at Westminster Choir College, the Academy of Vocal Arts, Temple University, Ravinia Festival Steans Institute, Washington Opera, University of Maryland, and the Music Academy of the West. Laura’s discography includes Lineage with Grammy-nominated baritone, Randall Scarlata, In This Blue Room: Lyric Fest Performs Songs of Kile Smith, Daron Hagen 21st Century Song Cycles, Hat er mir Rosen Gebracht: Songs of Joseph Marx with soprano Kendra Colton, Songs of Innocence and The Raven with The Raven Consort, and, most recently, Spirits in Bondage: Songs of Benjamin C.S. Boyle. Laura is also a recording artist and editor of song accompaniments for publisher Hal Leonard having co-edited: Richard Strauss: 40 Songs, Gabriel Fauré: 50 Songs, and Johannes Brahms: 75 Songs, and recorded over 2,000 song accompaniments for Hal Leonard Publishing. These volumes help countless singers and pianists experience, learn and enjoy the art song repertoire, and help introduce a world of art song to many who have had little exposure to classical song. A native of Texas, Laura received her Bachelor in Music degree from Baylor University, holds a Masters in Collaborative Piano at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and a Doctorate In Collaborative Piano from the University of Michigan where she was a student of Martin Katz.

About Brian Major
Charismatic baritone Brian Major continues to be praised by critics for his “velvety voice’ and “commanding stage presence.” During the 2021-2022 season, Mr. Major made his role debut as Scarpia in Tosca with Opera Columbus, sang the role of Taylor in the world premiere of Undying Love at Hearing in Color in Chicago, returned to Sarasota Opera as Ezio in Atilla, and made his Boston Lyric Opera debut as Emile Griffith in Champion. He also returned to the Columbus Symphony to sing Schaunard in La bohème, joined Opera Carolina as Amonasro in Aida, made a debut with the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra singing the title role of Don Giovanni, sang in a concert of operatic excerpts with the Elkhart Country Symphony and performed at Carnegie Hall as a soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C, K. 220 and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with MidAmerica Productions. In 2022-2023, Mr. Major will make his role debut as Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff with Maryland Lyric Opera and will join the roster of The Metropolitan Opera where he will make his house debut as Baron Douphol in La traviata and cover Benny “Kid” Paret in Champion.

An accomplished recitalist and concert artist, Mr. Major has been the baritone soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. These works were performed with The Siena Chamber Orchestra in Italy, Sun Valley Opera in Idaho, Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, and the Michigan State University Symphony Orchestra.  Mr. Major has won numerous awards and honors on the competition circuit including 2nd Prize at the Harold Haugh Opera Vocal Competition, 1st prize at the Opera Ebony Vocal Competition, 3rd prize at the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, 2nd prize at the Opera at San Nicola Vocal Competition, 1st prize at Harlem Opera Theater’s Vocal Competition, 1st prize at the Atlanta Music Club Vocal Competition, and an Encouragement Prize at the Palm Beach Atlantic Vocal Competition.  Mr. Major holds degrees from Morehouse College, Boston University, and Michigan State University. www.brianmajorbaritone.com.

About John Conahan
As a composer, John Conahan’s choral and orchestral works have received much acclaim and are performed frequently all over the world. His works have been premiered by an array of artists including Lorin Maazel, Marin Alsop, Denyce Graves, Donald Nally & The Crossing, Deborah Voigt, Antioch Chamber Ensemble, Jeffrey Brillhart & Singing City, Lyric Fest, and Sir James Galway at venues including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Lincoln Center. www.johnconahan.com.

About Ron Kerber
Ron Kerber is one of Philadelphia’s first call saxophonists and woodwind artists. His career has crossed numerous musical genres having performed with Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Joni Mitchell, Natalie Cole, Elton John, Idina Menzel, Michael Bublé, Manhattan Transfer, Rufus Wainwright, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, Lang Lang, and Herbie Hancock among others. Ron has recorded with Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Williams, Melody Gardot, Teddy Pendergrass, Kool & the Gang, The O’Jays, and numerous other artists. He is a longstanding member of the Philly POPS, and has performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Orchestra 2001. Ron was a professor at The University of the Arts, and has served on the Board of Trustees of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. “Philadelphia saxman Ron Kerber… shows nothing but a veteran's poise, playing alto, tenor and soprano sax, and he demonstrates his aptitude for all three horns… Kerber has a lot to say.” (Paul Olson)

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