Song of Pueblo," Created to Teach, Inspire and Instill Pride

Friday, June 7, 2019

Dear City Council President and Members,

Please consider sponsorship ofthe 2019 "Song of Pueblo," created to teach, inspire and instill pride. The "Song of Pueblo" is an oratorio that tells the history of Pueblo and southern Colorado in a highly entertaining way. lt was written by the renowned California playwright, Daniel Valdez, and includes reenactment video and historical stills along with 100% live music and narration. lt's a Pueblo story that runs the gamut of emotions.

"Song" can be a destination offering for Pueblo. The production represents the various ethnic aspects of early Pueblo in songs such as "Elm Street" (ltalian), "Bojon Town" (Slovenian), "Founders' Fandango" (Mexican), "Mississippi Saints" (Mormon settlers), and Southern Colorado events such as those at Sand Creek and Ludlow.

Your sponsorship at the $ '1000 level will help provide support to pay the cost of the musicians, venue rentals, and programs for the four live concerts scheduled between June and September. The back cover of the free souvenir program has been reserved for the City of Pueblo to show its support for this Pueblo treasure. Sponsors will be noted in the video credits at the end of each performance. "Song" has no paid staff and is administered by a volunteer dedicated to this portrayal of a strong and diverse Pueblo.

Puebloans, Coloradans and visitors alike will come to see this show throughout the summer at the Hoag Theater on the Pueblo Community College campus (June 21 , July 19, and August 9), and school children will see a shortened version in September, thanks to a generous grant from the Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation. Pueblo City School is covering the cost of transportation.

"Song of Pueblo" debuted at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center in 2008 and has performed over 50 shows since then. lt is so well-liked that several attendees have seen it '10 or more times. ln 2019, the show was enhanced in several ways new performers, images, and videos. This signals an exciting new era for "Song- of Pueblo."

The new Song of Pueblo Ensemble features the following all-star musicians: Felicia Gallegos Pettis - vocals and narration, Carlos Crull - vocals and Native American flute, Shane Trout - drums, Aaron Clemente - guitar, Alan Polivka - accordion and musical director. Juan Espinosa directed and filmed the reenactment scenes at El Pueblo History Museum among other sites. Deborah Espinosa guides the program and forged a partnership with City Schools to include "Song" in the Local History Curriculum, which students will follow throughout the school year. Please support "Song of Pueblo" with your sponsorship of $1000.

Thank you.

Deborah Espinosa, Producer Juan Espinosa, Artistic Director $ouuenil Program . Gomiliments ol our $[onsors

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oIlSZlmualotSrds d Timeline of events for Song of Pueblo TON IGHT'S 1600's- 1700's - Ute, Arapa- hoe, Comanche, Apaches, and Song of Pueblo - the Mississippi Saints - Mor- Cheyenne are the primary tribes opening song, sets the scene mon followers of Brigham in the Arkansas Valley. of this special city - Pueblo. Young struggled westward in 1779 - Spanish Explorer Juan As the stories unfold, the search of their Promised Land. Bautista de Anza and his men vitality, the diversity, the The sick and weary Mormon killed Comanche Chief Cuerno stamina, and the energy of Battalion and the Mississippi Verde. the people comes through. Saints wintered at El Pueblo in 1803 - Louisiana Purchase 1846. transferred the area north and Ballad of Cuerno Verde east of Arkansas River to United - takes us through the hard- battle between Span- Song for Teresit? one States. fought - ish Gen. Juan Bautista de woman among the early 1806 Explorer Zebulon Mont- - Anza's battle and Comanche settlers at Fort Pueblo, Tere- gomery Pike erected a stockade Chief Cuerno Verde. sita Sandoval, is remembered at the convergence of the Arkan- above al! for her independence. sas and Fountain near present The Old Trading Post day Pueblo. - a fast-moving piece that 1842 - El Pueblo Trading Post takes us into an old adobe Corrido de Tierra Blanca was built by trappers and trad- post where a variety of goods - Christmas 183t ElPueblo great ers. animal pelts, cloth, cook- is the scene of a trag- - when two young Sandoval 1846-47 Mormon community ing utensils, tobacco, food edy - boys and Chepita Miera were wintered in Pueblo. staples and weapons - are sold. taken captive by raiding war- 1854 - Ute lndians attacked El riors. Pueblo. 1853 Charles Autobees built Founders' Fandango - continues the theme of the Death at Sand Creek his placita near El Pueblo. - social life at El Pueblo. With On Nov. 29,18il, Col. John 1860 Meeting held to organize - - so many people coming and Chivington and his men at- town of Pueblo. going it is hard to identify a tacked a peaceful Cheyenne 1861 - Territory of Colorado is single founder. and Arapaho encampment. formed, Pueblo later became one of 17 counties. 18il - Cheyenne and Arapahoe encampment at Sand Creek in Eastern Colorado raided by Col. Chivington. 1868 - Colorado Chieftain weekly newspaper was established, Four years later it became a daily called The Pueblo Chieftain. 1872 - Denver & Rio Grande Railroad arrived. 1873 - Town of Pueblo is incorporated. 1876 - Colorado statehood 1879 - Colorado Coal & Steel Works established, later to be- come CF&|. Reconstruction of Trading Post at El Pueblo History Museum (Continued on next page) PKOGKAM r Western Medley- These than a dozen countries songs take the audience brought their music, foods through the challenging and traditions as they came to times of the Gold Rush, work and raise families here. cattle drives, mining and stee! making. Flood ot'21 - At a most f, prosperous time for Pueblo a Ludlow Field - The com- tragedy strikes quickly in the poser wrote the haunting form of a flood which devas- Daniel Valdez wrote music to a poem, written tates the town. Hundreds are by union official Frank J. killed in the city's worst disas- music, lyrics after Hayes after the militia fired ter. on a tent city of striking months of research coal miners. Elm Street - ln the shadow When lbegan this pro- giant of the blast furnaces, cess of stony'elling about Headlines This tivety new arrivals brought a laste of - the Pueblo area lwas song is an nostalgic piece Italy to Elm Street that remains about the city's diverse to this day. overuhelmed with the his- newspapers, The Pueblo tory. What lfound could be Chieftain and the newsies Bojon Town - An East- days worth of music, so we who hawked the papers. ern-European neighborhood settled on these pieces ta sprang up around Eilerb tellthe story from early Na- Union Avenue Recalls Smelter. They were called "Bo- - tive America/Spanish times an era of prosperity evident jons." lt is said that when they in the bustling atmosphere emigrated through France, through the flood of 1921 of shoppers, venders and they were called "beaux gens" and a bit beyond. Each trolleys. or beautiful people. No other piece tells a story of the community uses the term, and hard times, sad times and there is no other community They Came to Pueblo joyous times but always lmmigrants from quite like "Bojon Town," - more about how the stamina of the people of Pueblo has prevailed." - Daniel Timeline Continued

1882 - Town of Central Pueblo incorporated. 1886 - Towns of Pueblo, South Pueblo and Central Pueblo incorporated. 1886 - Town of Bessemer incorporated. 1889 - Union Depot built to ac- commodate all railroad traffic. 1914 Ludlow 'Massacre'took 'Song cd Pucblo is a propcrty ol - place x* south of Pueblo. HISTORY/-a L 1921 Flood destroyed Pueb- @ - Main Street bridge over the Rivenrvalk lo's business district Song of ck off in June and run through September.. Concert dates include:

. June 21 Hoag Theater, Pueblo Community College . July 19 - Hoag Theater, Pueblo Community College . July 26- Trinidad State Junior College, Trinidad . August I Hoag Theater, Pueblo Community College . September- 24 Sangre de Cristo Arts Center Theater, Pueblo This shortened- program for school children is made possible by a grant from the Robert Hoag Rawlings Foundation.

This program will be distributed at all of the above performances and will be passed out to others seeking information about our concerts. Sponsors also will receive credit in the video credits at the end of each performance

Sponsorship cost:

. Back Cover $1,000 . lnside Covers $800 * lnside full page $600 . Half page $300 . Sponsorship listing $100

Your sponsorship dollars go to pay the cost of hiring the best professional musicians, video production, venue rental and equipment purchase and rental. We have no paid staff and our program is administered by a volunteer, Song of Pueblo began in November of 2008 and will continue as long as there is community support for this entertaining and educational production.