The Great Lakes Consort Baroque Ensemble

Lynne Marie Flegg (Oboe), Kristin Reynolds (Oboe), Mark Flegg (Trumpet), Nadine Deleury (Cello) and Angelina Pashmakova (Harpsichord) are congradulated and thanked for bringing their wonderful musical talents to The Playhouse and for taking us on a delightful European Holiday in the Baroque era.

Their music and oral presentations titillated our senses and put us into seventeenth century Europe. We learned much about the instruments, the music and the composers of the era, including Albinoni (Concerto a Cingue Opus 9, No. 9), Daquin (Le Coucou), Geminiani (Sonata in e minor), Purcell (Sonata in D Major), Scarlatti (Sonatas in C Major and d minor), Loeillet de Gant (Sonata in e minor), Telemann (Concerto in D Major) and, of course, J.S. Bach (Prelude from Suite No. 2 in d minor).

Our second season of Chamber Music at The Playhouse continues in wonderful fashion.

A Gershwin Get-Together

Penny Masouris presented a delightful oral and video presentation about George Gershwin's life and music, highlighted by her playing and singing more than twelve of his show tunes.
Penny's obvious enthusiasm toward Gershwin's music rubbed off on the Fine Arts audience and the guests, enticing several to join in with the singing.
This wonderful program provided a fitting kick-off to the second season of Chamber Music at The Playhouse concerts.

Quatuor Nouveau of Detroit

Joseph Deller, Judith Teasdle, Jessica Zelinski and Brandon Cota are congratulated and thanked for bringing their wonderful musical talents to The Playhouse for the season finale of Chamber Music at The Playhouse.
Their first piece, the seldom heard String Quartet in G major by C.G. Reissiger told us that the music of this composer should be reintroduced to the modern repertory. It was beautiful!
Next our interest was piqued by the varying treatment given to a Russian folk theme by eight different composers.
And last, but certainly not least, was the incredibly soulful, beautiful playing of Borodin's String Quartet in D Major. In this case, Borodin proved the experts wrong in the common saying that the minor is richer than the major. Every movement was a gem played with heartfelt devoltion to the music and the composer. (Did I hear Baubles, Bangles and Beads in there?)

The MSU Graduate Brass Quintet

The April 12th Chamber Music at The Playhouse concert was another smashing success, filling The Players Founders Room with beautiful people and with even more beautiful music! Mark Flegg and David Turrill (Trumpet), Michael Rieg (Horn), Simeon Stoyanov (Trombone) and Clinton McCanless (Tuba) are all to be thanked and congratulated! From their opening with Canona Bergamasca to their closing with That's a Plenty, The MSU Graduate Brass Quintet's music was fascinating and entertaining to all. This concert was a great change-of-pace for our Chamber Music at The Playhouse series. In their own words, a brass ensemble is not the typical chamber music offering. But the group was up to the task of presenting an interesting array of music, from Renaissance to Ragtime, to a discerning audience.
Click on Chamber Music at The Playhouse for information on the next concert by Quatuor Nouveau of Detroit in May.

The Absence of a Cello

Director John Diebel and Producer Norma Eschenberg gave Fine Arts audiences a wonderful weekend with this poignant comedy by Ira Wallach.
Andrew Pilgrim (Rob Green), a world-renowned physicist needing money, decides to turn to the corporate world.
He accepts help from Perry Littlewood (Charles Davis) in fitting the 'corporate mold'.
While sister Marian Jellicoe (Sue Owens), wife Celia (Laurie Striebel) and nosy neighbor Emma Littlewood (Karen Quarnstrom) look on, Andrew endures the first awkward meeting with the corporate rep Otis Clifton (Rick Christenhusz).

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As it turns out, Marian and Otis get a thing going,

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while daughter Joanna (Sharron Nelson) and Perry do the same.

Of course, Andrew has to carefully evaluate every question before deciding his future,

And after a loooong night out by Marian,

and Perry trying his hardest to be helpful,

Andrew finally says 'FORGET IT!!'