Mamma Mia! @ Proctors, 7/5/11

http://blog.timesunion.com/localarts/mamma-mia-proctors-7511/16949/
July 5, 2011 at 11:52 pm by Michael Eck

by Michael Eck
Special to The Times Union
SCHENECTADY – The plot of the ABBA musical “Mamma Mia!” is driven by the
fact that young Sophie Sheridan is getting married.

On Tuesday night at Proctors, she wasn’t the only one.
At intermission, with the aid of Proctors staff, who set up a phony
giveaway to call attention, Matt Burmaster popped the question to his
fiancee, Megan Curry. Lucky for Matt, she said yes.

Onstage the action was considerably less dramatic.

“Mamma Mia!” is feeling a bit old, at least in the current traveling
production.
Often Tuesday’s band overwhelmed the singers (and even the lush, flown-in
choruses), and the entire first act seemed to be running low on energy.

Previous visits at Proctors have dazzled. This one didn’t do that. It
didn’t exactly disappoint, it just didn’t shine.

Thankfully, in act two, Kate Tuckerman, playing Sophia’s mother, Donna,
did rise, bringing the show home on a high note that paid off emotionally
and musically.
In the prologue, Sophie (Chloe Tucker) reveals that her father could be
any one of three men, all of whom she has invited to her island wedding
without her mother’s knowledge. A barrage of ABBA songs are used to knit
together the rest of the sketchy story, which has a plot thin enough and
predictable enough to continue giving jukebox musicals a bad name.

In the first act of this staging, even Tuckerman seemed a bit disengaged.
But the music was big and loud (as noted, very loud) and brash and ABBA
songs are, if nothing else, loads of fun.

Comedy was found with “Chiquitita” and “Dancing Queen;” poignancy with
“Thank You For The Music” and goofiness with “Super Trouper,” sung by the
one-time Girl Power group, Donna and the Dynamos (with Alison Ewing and
Mary Callanan joining Tuckerman for the nostalgic trip).

Big dance numbers like “Under Attack” and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” broke up
the small talk with lots of color and quick moves (courtesy of
choreographer Anthony Van Laast).

Ethan Le Phong, as cougar chaser Pepper, was especially impressive with
the endless leaps of “Does Your Mother Know.”
But it was late in the second act when Tuckerman took things to a
different, very meaningful place. Physically and vocally Tuckerman is
reminiscent of songwriter Shawn Colvin.

When she sang “Slipping Through My Fingers” she sang it with a mother’s
knowledge and grief. It was a beautiful, real moment in an evening of
artifice. That she topped that moment immediately with “Winner Takes It
All,” sung to her former lover, and one of Sophie’s possible dads, Sam
Carmichael (Tony Clements), was incredible.

Would that the rest of the show had that kind of power and focus.

As it is, it’s light summer fun with plenty of singalong songs.
MAMMA MIA!

Performance reviewed: 8 p.m. Tuesday

Where: Proctors, 432 State Street, Schenectady
Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes; one intermission.
Continues: 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday
and Sunday.
Tickets: $20-$65.
Info: 346-6204; http://www.proctors.org
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MAMMA MIA! WALKS DOWN THE AISLE OF PROCTORS!

THE GLOBAL SMASH HIT WILL PLAY July 5 - 10 ONLY!

Schenectady, NY – June13, 2011 -- Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, plays at Proctors from Tuesday, July 5 through Sunday, July 10. Performances begin on July 5 at Proctors, 432 State Street, Schenectady, NY 12305. Tickets are on-sale NOW!

Seen by over 45 million people around the world, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA!, is celebrating over 3,800 performances in its tenth smash hit year at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre and remains among Broadway’s top selling musicals. The current North American Tour has played over 3,000 performances in over 130 cities with 125 repeat visits. The original West End production of MAMMA MIA! is now in its twelfth year and has celebrated over 4,800 performances in London and the international tour has visited more than 50 foreign cities and been seen by 3.6 million people. The blockbuster feature film adaptation of MAMMA MIA!, produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman, is the most successful movie musical of all time grossing $600 million worldwide.

An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna is about to let go of Sophie, the spirited daughter she’s raised alone. For Sophie’s wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends—practical and no-nonsense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya - from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own.

On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.

Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA’s songs from “Dancing Queen” and “S.O.S.” to “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me,” MAMMA MIA! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found.

Produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East and Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal, the creative team responsible for bringing MAMMA MIA! to theatrical life includes some of the most gifted and celebrated talents of musical theatre and opera. With music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd. MAMMA MIA! has choreography by Anthony Van Laast, production design by Mark Thompson, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material and arrangements by Martin Koch.

The performance schedule for MAMMA MIA! at the Proctors:
• Tuesday, July 5 - 8:00 pm
• Wednesday, July 6 - 8:00 pm
• Thursday, July 7 - 2:00 pm
• Thursday, July 7 - 8:00 pm
• Friday, July 8 - 8:00 pm
• Saturday, July 9 - 2:00 pm
• Saturday, July 9 - 8:00 pm
• Sunday, July 10 - 2:00 pm

Tickets for MAMMA MIA! are available at Proctors Box Office, (518) 346-6204 or online at proctors.org.

Significant discounts on tickets are available for groups of 20 or more. A listing of shows and pricing may be found on proctors.org/group_sales or by contacting Proctors Group Sales at 518-382-3884 ext. 139.

MAMMA MIA! is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

MAMMA MIA! at Proctors is sponsored by M&T Bank.

Free Parking for MAMMA MIA! at Proctors is available in the Broadway Garage provided by the Times Union. Go to timesunion.com for news and entertainment.

The special edition cast recording of MAMMA MIA! is available on Decca Broadway.
For information about MAMMA MIA! go to www.mammamianorthamerica.com.

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The Beat Goes on at 2011Jazz Institute;

Proctors Welcomes Jazz Great Wycliffe Gordon
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Popular Keith Pray and Arthur Falbush Return

In a nutshell
Jazz Institute
July 18-29, 9 AM - 4:30 PM
Final performance: July 29, 7 PM
Location: GE Theatre
Ages: All ages and levels of experience welcomed
Tuition: week 1: $200, week 2: $250, both weeks: $430

Schenectady, NY – July 5, 2011 – Aspiring Capital Region musicians, take heed! The JAZZ INSTITUTE swings into full session this month -- for a seventh successful season at Proctors!

This perennially favorite camp offers people of all ages and levels of experience the opportunity to learn jazz in a fun, hands-on, and all-inclusive way. The program includes master classes taught by special guest artists and will culminate in a spectacular final performance in which students will perform with renowned jazz great Wycliffe Gordon!

The final jam is scheduled for July 29 at 7PM in the GE Theatre at Proctors. The event is free and open to the public and something to see and hear!

All-Star Instructors
Wycliffe Gordon has been honored by the Jazz Journalists Association as 2011 “Trombonist of the Year” for his talent and contributions as a jazz musician within the field. This marks the sixth award given to Wycliffe, having previously been named Trombonist of the Year in years 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and now 2011. He is a former veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet, former member of Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and featured guest artist on Billy Taylor’s “Jazz at the Kennedy Center” Series.

Gordon rounds out a trio of JAZZ INSTITUTE instructors, which includes
veteran musicians and JAZZ INSTITUTE favorites Keith Pray and Arthur Falbush who have won the hearts and nourished the talents of participants since 2006 by instilling a passion for learning the music in their students.

Pray is a professional jazz saxophonist who teaches music in the Schenectady City School District. Falbush is a veteran trumpet player who has performed with Billy Taylor and Mercer Ellington, and currently directs the Jazz Orchestra and New Orleans Brass Band at SUNY Oneonta. Both instructors knew they wanted JAZZ INSTITUTE to be different from the countless other music camps being offered over the summer.

“We knew the program had to be fun and challenging and that our curriculum should reflect how jazz had been taught before it became an academic undertaking,” says Falbush. “By learning jazz by ear, students learn to listen and think for themselves.”

JAZZ INSTITUTE is part of the SUMMER ADVENTURES program at Proctors. Through jazz, students will develop skills that include listening, critical thinking, communication and teamwork, all while building the self-esteem needed to thrive in real-life performance situations. What makes JAZZ INSTITUTE at Proctors so unique is that students learn entirely by ear - with no sheet music.

The JAZZ INSTITUTE at Proctors and SUMMER ADVENTURES camps at Proctors are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties.

Free Parking In the Broadway Garage provided by the Times Union. Go to timesunion.com for news and entertainment
Parking for the JAZZ INSTITUTE at Proctors is available in the Broadway garage, courtesy of the Times Union.

CONTACT
For more information about the JAZZ INSTITUTE and SUMMER ADVENTURES at Proctors, contact: Jessica Gelarden, Education Program Manager (jgelarden@proctors.org), 518-383-3884 x150.

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Education at Proctors acknowledges the contribution of Proctors Summer Intern Jared Schadewald, a Senior at the College of Saint Rose in the preparation and writing of this press release on the JAZZ INSTITUTE at Proctors. He plans to pursue a career in Communications.

Mamma Mia!

Broadway Camp for Kids Takes Center Stage at Proctors
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A lifetime of memories in a week of learning!

In a nutshell
Broadway Camp: Mamma Mia!
July 5-9, 9 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: GE Theatre
Ages: 15-19 year olds
Tuition: $350

Schenectady, NY – June 27, 2011 – A heads-up to all aspiring performers in the Capital Region: Proctors is offering the adventure of a lifetime with BROADWAY CAMP: MAMMA MIA! in July, The camp offers young adults -- ages 15-19 -- the extraordinary opportunity to hone their acting, dancing and vocal skills in an intense week of training with the cast of the global smash hit MAMMA MIA!

BROADWAY CAMP: MAMMA MIA! is part of the SUMMER ADVENTURES program at Proctors. It is specifically designed for students who take acting, dance, and/or voice lessons; participate in school or community stage productions and want to pursue performing in college and beyond. Participating students will enhance performance skills with instruction in the fundamentals of music theatre, master classes with Broadway artists, and Q&A sessions with the cast of Mamma Mia!

Top-Notch Teaching Staff
The team of professional Instructors leading BROADWAY CAMP: MAMMA MIA! include cast members Alison Ewing, Christopher Hudson Myers, Ethan Le Phong, and Christopher Sergeff, as well as acclaimed Broadway actor/director Kevin McGuire, who has played lead roles on Broadway, national and international tours of Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Jane Eyre and starred as Uncle Archie in The National Company of The Secret Garden. Additional instructors include renowned vocal coach Kelly Bird, as well as master dance choreographer Sara Weck-Keller. For more information on the instructors, visit: http://www.proctors.org/events/broadway-camp-mamma-mia.

According to the American Camp Association, more than 10 million young people will attend camp nationwide this summer. SUMMER ADVENTURES camps at Proctors, such as BROADWAY CAMP: MAMMA MIA!, are carefully designed to appeal specifically to young people who see the entertainment industry in their future. Each program allows aspiring artists to be part of an interactive environment that fosters creativity and improves performance technique while developing life skills such as independence, teamwork and self-esteem.

“We’re more excited than ever about our SUMMER ADVENTURES offerings,” says Jessica Gelarden, Education Program Manager at Proctors. “From the quality of the instructors to the depth of interaction among the staff and participants, SUMMER ADVENTURES continues to garner rave reviews. We anticipate nothing less for BROADWAY CAMP: MAMMA MIA!”

For more information about BROADWAY CAMP: MAMMA MIA! and SUMMER ADVENTURES at Proctors, contact: Jessica Gelarden, Education Program Manager (jgelarden@proctors.org), 518-383-3884 x150.

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Education at Proctors acknowledges the contribution of Proctors Summer Intern Jared Schadewald, a Senior at the College of Saint Rose in the preparation and writing of this press release on BROADWAY CAMP: MAMMA MIA! He plans to pursue a career in Communications.

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Summer Chess Under the Marquee Announces 5th Season

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Play begins at Proctors on June 27 at 11:30 am

Schenectady, NY – June 26, 2011 -- Proctors and the City Mission announced today that Summer Chess Under the Marquee will launch its 5th season on Monday, June 27th at 11:30 am.

The 90-minute program will run every Monday through August 29 – and is free. Players of all ages and abilities are invited on a first-come first-served basis.

Summer Chess Under the Marquee is coordinated by the Schenectady Chess Club and is sponsored by the Downtown Ambassadors, City Mission and Proctors.

Proctors CEO Philip Morris has been a staunch advocate of Summer Chess Under the Marquee: “This event continues to attract new people to Proctors,” he said, “ and enhances our goal of becoming a an important gathering place in Downtown Schenectady for sharing ideas, teamwork and fun in an inviting and comfortable environment.”

According to Mike Saccocio, Executive Director at the City Mission of Schenectady, “The City Mission is involved in Summer Chess for the same reason that we participate in the Downtown Ambassadors. Anyone, no matter their personal circumstances, can learn to play chess and get involved in helping create a better Downtown Schenectady. This is a great way to get everyone together."

Chess in downtown Schenectady began in late May of 2007 as a joint project between Proctors, The City Mission of Schenectady and affiliated members of the Third Way Committee (now the Downtown Ambassadors). Proctors donates indoor space adjacent to its Apostrophe Café and Lounge and the new Schenectady Heritage Area Visitors Center at Proctors during the winter months. The Schenectady Chess Club coordinates weekly play and tournaments throughout the year. The Schenectady Chess Club is the region's oldest chess organization, tracing its roots back over a century.

Members of the community interested in playing are encouraged to arrive under the Marquee in front of Proctors by 11:30am on Monday, June 27. The Schenectady Chess Club will facilitate matching people of similar skills and play will continue until 1pm.

Members of the press and photographers are encouraged to attend.

CONTACTS:

For more information on Summer Chess Under the Marquee:

· Ashok Aaron, City Mission of Schenectady, 346-2275 x318

· Michael Saccocio, Executive Director, City Mission of Schenectady, 346-2275 x345

· Dan Sheehan, Proctors, 382-3884, x 116

[The New York Times Theatre Section]

Leslie Uggams Plays Concert At Capital Repertory Theatre 7/19-31

Broadway World

Capital Repertory Theatre presents a LIMITED TWO-WEEK ENGAGEMENT of Tony

and Emmy Award winning Leslie Uggams in concert between July 19 - July 31,

2011. Stephen Holden, music critic for The New York Times, called Uggams "a show-biz trouper with ...

See all stories on this topic:

“A show-biz trouper with sawdust in her blood. Dazzling.” – New York Times

“Leslie Uggams totally charms the audience.” – Variety

“Her bright star still shines. She came on strong and never let up, pouring her heart and indefatigable talent into a score of songs.” – Boston Globe

“Uggams’ forte is the scope of her expressivity: She can finesse the tenderest tremolo and wail to beat the band.” – Boston Globe

“Whether dialing down her voice so that it sounds like a muted trumpet or opening up, full on, as a one-woman brass section, she emits such exuberance that listeners can't help but foot-tap or head-bop along.” – Los Angeles Times

“If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Leslie Uggams has still got it with a vocal dynamism that would shame those less than half her age.” – LA Weekly

“This performer's bravura song styling and delectable warmth and wit, along with intriguing anecdotes about her life and career, yield a spectacularly entertaining evening. Uggams demonstrates her versatility and sublime affinity for torch songs. Music direction and orchestrations are sensational.” – Backstage

“Leslie Uggams can act and sing up a storm. She has a divine vocal instrument. She can sing a soft quiet ballad in almost a whisper and then belt out the next song to the rear balcony. She's also a singer who really lives her material; she digs deeply into what each song says and then shares that with her audience. She's pure bliss!” – BroadwayWorld.com

“Ms. Uggams regales a captivated audience with perfect mastery tone and technique.” – Edge Los Angeles

“Uggams has rhythm and grace, class and intelligence.” – Los Angeles Examiner

“A fabulous evening of song! Backed by a sensational eight-piece band, the divine Miss U takes us on a journey, her voice still that unique blend of soul, power, and vibrato.” – StageSceneLA

“Fifty-three years in show business have given Leslie Uggams the right to claim her place in that special category reserved for only the greatest – like Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington and Lena Horne. She can belt powerful vocals and then deliver the sweetest, most poignant renditions that can almost reduce one to tears.” – ReviewPlays.com

“ ‘Uptown/Downtown’ is an alluring musical evening with the celebrated Leslie Uggams.” – Pasadena Independent

“100 percent sweet!” – Bitter Lemons

New Schenectady Heritage Area Visitors Center Headed for Proctors

Schenectady, NY - June 20, 2011 - Schenectady will locate a new Heritage Area Visitors Center at its biggest attraction, Proctors, in downtown Schenectady, local officials announced today. Proctors hosted 1,728 events last year attracting more than 600,000 people to downtown Schenectady.

Acting Mayor Gary McCarthy said, “The City is pleased to cooperate fully with this effort to create a Visitors Center that will showcase Schenectady and offer residents and guests information about our heritage and our future as a technology leader.”

“Placing the Visitors Center at Proctors makes perfect sense. Working together we’ve created a new and exciting environment in Schenectady County with Proctors as our centerpiece. This new Center will show all that we have to offer including thriving businesses, restaurants, and theaters that our residents and visitors can enjoy,” said Judy Dagostino, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature.

“This is an exciting initiative for Proctors,” said CEO Philip Morris. “The Heritage Area Visitors Center is yet another step toward achieving our goal of making Proctors an important gathering place for the community – and for those visiting Schenectady. We’re pleased to move this project forward with the strong support of the City, County and Metroplex.”

The project will be funded by a $180,000 Federal Highway Administration National Scenic Byways Grant administered by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). A $40,000 local match will be provided by the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority. The new Visitors Center will be completed by late summer.

Eric Hamilton, Chair of the Scenic Byway Program said, “The Mohawk Towpath Byway is excited about this project and the opportunity that it provides. The visitor center is located at the western gateway to the Mohawk Towpath Byway in an area that will capture the interests of large numbers of residents and visitors alike. The materials presented here will spark further interest in our area's heritage and encourage further exploration as a visitor leaves the center.”

Mark Woods, Coordinator of the Scenic Byways Program at NYSDOT, said, "The new visitors center will celebrate the local, regional and nationally significant story of this historic area at the crossroads of two designated scenic byways in the heart of Schenectady."

ADIRONDACK Studios, an Argyle, NY firm that has been the fabricator of sets for Disney’s The Lion King as well as sets for the Boston, Los Angeles and New York Opera companies was commissioned along with Stracher Roth Gilmore Architects of Schenectady to design the new facility that will be located across from the Proctor’s box office. The 1,200 square foot exhibit area will be easily accessible from the State Street entrance of Proctors entertainment complex.

The project will feature five areas that highlight the legacy of Schenectady area and alert visitors to the role that Schenectady plays in green energy and other emerging technologies. The five exhibit areas include History, Landmarks, Industry, Culture and Visionaries.
The Visitors Center exhibits will employ state of the art digital print and TV technologies. The area will include enhanced lighting to highlight the area – and a new ceiling over and adjacent to the exhibits will create an intimate space to view and participate in the exhibits. The exhibit space will also include display racks to showcase marketing materials on various historic points and places of interest within Schenectady County and the Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway.

A unique feature of the Visitors Center is that it is designed to be a revolving exhibit, enabling Proctors to introduce new subject matter throughout the year. The exhibit panels are designed to be easily and cost effectively updated.

Representatives from numerous organizations came together to develop the content of the exhibit including the Schenectady County Historical Society, Schenectady Museum, Mabee Farm, local historians, Proctors History Committee, Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway, Revolutionary Byway and the City of Schenectady.

The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway is a national and state designated byway from Waterford to Schenectady. It connects to the Revolutionary Byway that runs to Port Ontario.

Ray Gillen, Metroplex Chair and Commissioner of Economic Development for Schenectady County said, “By working together we were able to utilize this grant funding to take a high visibility space within the Proctors complex that was not being utilized and turn it into a resource that will help theater goers and other visitors to downtown learn about everything that Schenectady County has to offer.”

LEGENDARY ACTRESS AND SINGER EXTRAORDINAIRE

LESLIE UGGAMS

In Acclaimed UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN

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Created by Leslie Uggams and Michael Bush

Directed by Michael Bush

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At Albany’s Capital Rep, July 19 – 31; LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

Tony and Emmy Award-winning Star of Stage and Screen Sings of Her Career

from Harlem to Broadway in a Musical Retrospective

that Aims for a Future on the Great White Way

Editors: PHOTOS, COMPLETE BIO, AND PHONE INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Additional information, audio and video clips can also be found at www.leslieuggams.com

Albany, NY (June 15, 2011) – Capital Repertory Theatre presents a LIMITED TWO-WEEK ENGAGEMENT of Tony and Emmy Award winning Leslie Uggams in concert between July 19 – July 31, 2011.

Stephen Holden, music critic for The New York Times, called Uggams “a show-biz trouper with sawdust in her blood” whose jazzy voice, “dazzling smile,” and internal feistiness are reminiscent of an earlier musical giant, Lena Horne.

The legendary actress and singer brings her acclaimed two-act solo show UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN to Capital Rep after a triumphant engagement at Pasadena Playhouse, for which Ms. Uggams won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Solo Performer in Spring 2011. The LA Times said of Uggams, “Whether dialing down her voice so that it sounds like a muted trumpet or opening up, full on, as a one-woman brass section, she emits such exuberance that listeners can't help but foot-tap or head-bop along. She makes a song her own, using it to express something deep inside.”

UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN was developed in 2010 and first played at New York City’s Jazz at Lincoln Center. The show is directed by Michel Bush, who previously directed Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Story for Ms. Uggams and Cactus Flower at Capital Rep in 2010. It is only natural that the unique alchemy of these two show business veterans should reveal itself again in the limited, two-week run of UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN at Albany’s Capital Rep.

In this special show, Ms. Uggams is accompanied by eight swinging pop-jazz musicians and affixes her signature style and personal stamp on classic songs, which mark milestones in her Uptown (Harlem) and Downtown (Broadway) careers. Her renditions of modern classics highlight her musical journey: Born in a Trunk tells of her beginnings as a nine-year-old opening for greats such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington. If He Walked into My Life recalls her two-year run in the hit musical revue Jerry’s Girls based on the music of renowned composer Jerry Herman. Two numbers from Hallelujah, Baby! celebrate her Tony Award-winning Broadway debut at the age of 24.

Beyond her distinguished career as a stage actress, concert performer and recording artist, Uggams probably is best known for her history-making role as Kizzy in the unforgettable and groundbreaking television series, Alex Haley’s Roots. Garnering worldwide recognition as a dramatic actress as a result of this remarkable portrayal, Uggams earned the Critics Choice Award, an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination. She later starred in the NBC miniseries Backstairs at the White House, now available on DVD.

She also recently starred in the Broadway-bound Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Story at the Pasadena Playhouse in California.

Ms. Uggams plans to bring UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN to Broadway in the near future.

Leslie Uggams’ CD of UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN will be available for sale in the lobby during her run at Capital Rep. The CD features 21 tracks from the show.

Performance details and ticket information for Leslie Uggams’ UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN at Albany’s Capital Rep for the TWO WEEK LIMITED ENGAGEMENT (July 19 – July 31) are available at www.capitalrep.org and www.proctors.org. Seating will be limited. For Information about group discounts, call 518-382-3884 x 187.

Leslie Uggams’ UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN at Capital Rep is sponsored by Krackeler Scientific, Inc.

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LESLIE UGGAMS: UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN

AT A GLANCE

Who: Capital Repertory Theatre and the legendary Leslie Uggams

What: UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN concert

When: July 19 – July 31, 2001

Where: Capital Repertory Theatre, 111 N. Pearl St, Albany, NY 12207

Musicians

Among the eight notable musicians who will accompany Leslie Uggams in her LIMITED ENGAGEMENT of UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN at Albany’s Capital Rep are:

· Conductor and piano, Don Rebic

· Drums, Buddy Williams

· Guitar, Steve Bargonetti

plus locals Mike Wicks on bass and Vincent Bonafede on electronic keyboard

Leslie Uggams Career Highlights

Made her national TV debut at the age of six on Beulah, starring as the niece of Ethel Waters
At nine, she opened for Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, giving 29 performances per week
Appeared on Your Show of Shows, The Milton Berle Show, and The Arthur Godfrey Show as a child star
Won $12,500 at the age of 15 on Name That Tune. As a result, Mitch Miller signed her to a recording contract; her regular appearances on Sing Along with Mitch made her the first African-American performer to be featured on a weekly national prime time television series
Made her Broadway debut at the age of 24 in Hallelujah, Baby! and won a Tony Award® for Best Actress in a Musical 1968
Starred in her own musical variety television series, The Leslie Uggams Show, in 1970
Won the Critics Choice Award and was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Kizzy in the TV miniseries, Alex Haley’s Roots
She later starred in the miniseries Backstairs in the White House, which is available on DVD
On Broadway, she starred in Blues in the Night, Jerry’s Girls and Anything Goes
Starred in Jerry Herman’s Broadway at the Hollywood Bowl
Recently starred in The Rink at the Cape Playhouse, Hello, Dolly! at Houston’s Theater Under the Stars, and Stormy Weather: The Lena Horne Story at the Pasadena Playhouse

Recent Appearances

· May 21, 22 and 23 – 92nd Street Y, NYC – Lyrics and Lyricists – Carried Away: Being Comden and Green

· June 5 - Jazz at Lincoln Center – Michael Feinstein’s Jazz and Popular Song Series – I Got Rhythm: The Common Roots of Popular Song and Jazz

· Jun 7-8 - Jazz at Lincoln Center – Michael Feinstein’s Jazz and Popular Song Series – Sweet and Low Down: How Popular Standards Became Jazz Classics

Upcoming Appearances

· Trouble in Mind – with Andre De Shields, La Chanze and Bill Irwin, American Airlines Theatre - New York, June 20.

· Memphis Beat – TNT television series – recently filmed a guest appearance for Season 2, which premieres June 14 – played mother of Lt. Tanya Rice played by Alfre Woodard – airdate TBD

· UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, October 22

· UPTOWN, DOWNTOWN, Del Webb’s Sun City Theater – Palm Desert, CA, November 13

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Unique Installation from Yates Magnet School Featured

At June 17 ART NIGHT celebration at Proctors
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Free, Fun and Open to All

Schenectady, NY (June 15, 2011) --The Yates Magnet School takes center stage in the Wright Family Atrium of the GE Theatre at Proctors on Friday, June 17 for ART NIGHT at Proctors. The school’s installation, titled “Swatches of Gratitude,” will share the night with Capital Region frontrunners on the arts and entertainment scene – including Nip Rogers, Matthew Billie, and Shenanigans.

Art Night at Proctors begins at 5PM and parents of students of the Yates Magnet School invite the community to celebrate its gift to Proctors at 6PM with a cake tribute in the atrium.

“Swatches of Gratitude” is a modern arrangement of shibori woven by students of the Yates School – embellished on strips of silver screening, and mounted on wire mesh in the Atrium.

In his artist’s statement on the project, PAVLOS MAYAKIS says that the project was designed to express the collective gratitude of the student body and staff of Yates Arts in Education Magnet School for its long, enduring, generous relationship with the children. This expression of gratitude was shaped by the children themselves in the form of a collective loom controlled shibori art project that culminated in an installation.

Loom controlled or woven shibori is a combination weaving and dyeing technique wherein supplemental pattern threads are woven into the cloth, pulled taut to preserve the patterns, and then dyed or painted. The extra pattern threads are then removed revealing the pattern and preserving the memory of the cloth. The children of Yates would like to honor their continuing relationship with Proctors by preserving their collective memories in this colorful manner.

A bead was employed along with wire to embellish the already beautiful cloth. To embellish is to make beautiful! The children and their relationship with the Proctors is indeed a beautiful fabric. Each child had the opportunity to weave and have one of their “expressions of gratitude” staged onto a strip of screening adorned with beads. They contributed their individual voices by compressing their thanks with one word -- voiced -- that appears on the back of their swatch. A screen was used to “stage” the loom controlled shibori, the beads, and the one word “thank-you”. One strip of screen represents one classroom. These collective screens represent the many shared screenings, stage experiences, and other activities that the children were able to experience through the generosity of Proctors.

“Weaving represents the bonds amongst us and the cohesion of human groups, or even of the city, weaving seems to fabricate society more than any other art form,” says the artist. “It represents social connectiveness. I cannot imagine a more suitable craft than weaving that is rich in both historical and contemporary metaphors that would justly serve the purpose of this project.

“On behalf of the children of Yates Arts in Education Magnet School,” says Mr. Mayakis, “I proudly present to Proctors theater, a ‘staged’ screening, of “Swatches of Gratitude".

School Statement
Yates Arts in Education Magnet School has an over 20 year history of introducing the children of Schenectady to the visual and performing arts as part of their elementary education. Many of the prime experiences for the children have been at Proctors.

The weaving project was a perfect way to illustrate the integrated arts curriculum taught at Yates, and to serve as a gift to Proctors for the many years of quality theater, educational programming and cooperative projects that have been presented to all the children of Schenectady.

Weaving uses math and science. It incorporates design, movement and rhythm. Add collaboration, color and cultural heritage. All these things are aspects of elementary education -- and the theatre.

The reasons for this project were varied…to thank Proctors from the children of Schenectady, to illustrate the Yates Art and Education curriculum to the community, to celebrate our continued partnership.

ART NIGHT at Proctors is sponsored by Aperitivo Bistro, Bettie’s Cakes, Cabot/Vermont, Hermies Music Store and SEFCU.

Free Parking for ART NIGHT at PROCTORS in available in
the Broadway Garage, courtesy of Times Union. Go to timesunion.com for news and entertainment.

Full details on all the events that constitute this informative and fun night at Proctors, visit http://www.proctors.org/events/art-night-jun

Contact:
For more information about ART NIGHT at PROCTORS, contact

• Megan Murphy, Proctors, 518-382-3884, 191, mmurphy@proctors.org

• Richard Lovrich, Art Director, Proctors, 518-382-3884, rlovrich@proctors.org