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Artwork designed by Richard White STRAUSSSTRAUSS PERFORMINGPERFORMING ARTSARTS CENTERCENTER UniversityUniversity ofof NebraskaNebraska atat OmahaOmaha ฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀ Notes from the Artistic Director Welcome to “Not the Same Old Song and Dance,” River City Mixed Chorus’ summer con cert all about the power of singing and dancing! From Broadway numbers, to Pop and Rock hits from multiple generations, to a Zimbabwean folk song, this concert explores the need to shake your groove thing and those songs that celebrate the art of dancing. Whether you only like toe-tapping, or whether you prefer the ballroom dances of love, or whether you enjoy a full on “Vogue” there’s a song in this concert for you. A very spe- cial thanks to choreographer Patrick Roddy and the guests and members of the River City Mixed Chorus who are add- ing such a fantastic visual element to our program today. “Not the Same Old Song and Dance” ends my second full yeyearar aass ArArtisticti st ic DirectorD ir ec to r of the RCMC, and the energy and momentum of this group keeps pushing onward and upward. What a great year we’ve had, not only with our hit Christmas show “Holidays Around the World” and this current summer concert, but also with in- creases in outreach, membership, involvement in the community, and new youth initiatives. The future is bright as we head towards our 30 th Anniversary season next year—please plan to join us at new venues for “River City’s Rock-n-Roll Holidays” at Creighton University in December 2013 and for “Closer Than Ever: 30 Years with the River City Mixed Chorus” at Iowa Western Community College in June 2014. We are so proud to represent Omaha as one of the oldest mixed GLBTA choruses in the country, and we are excited to continue to provide quality choral perfor- mances for the greater Omaha community. Looking forward to many more years with this ensemble and their passion for the community and for becoming a strong musical voice in it, I hope you’ll consider helping us as we continue with our mission, especially in this upcoming 30 th Anni- versary season. No matter your talents, there is a spot for you in our organization; whether as a singer (please join us at auditions in August!), volunteer, organizer, or patron, you won’t regret becoming a part of the River City Mixed Chorus family – I know I haven’t. Join us as we keep on with our “Song and Dance!” Barron Breland Notes From The Chorus President The weather is warming up, school is out and the music, dancing & fun in the sun of summer is just around the corner. It’s a great time of year, getting outside, enjoying time with our family and friends. And, for some of us, this is the summer for a high school reunion – though I’m not divulging how many years it’s been! This makes me reminisce as does some of the music you will hear in this concert. There are songs from days gone by, songs that will evoke memories and songs that will be new to you, songs that will become new favorites! WelcomeWe lc om e to ouro ur ssummerum concert -- we are thrilled to have you with us today. I hope that today’s concert brings you a memory or two along with a smile. I know the songs will get you humming along, tapping your toes and – you may even feel like dancing! Enjoy! Vicki Rushlau Notes from the Board of Directors President Thank you for coming to see “Not the Same Old Song and Dance”! It is so wonderful to see your faces in the audience. As performers, naturally, we love an audi- ence – but we also know that you’re here to show sup- port for the LGBT community and its allies – and to be entertained, of course! The board of directors of the chorus is the governing body of the organization. Think of us as the “business side” of running the chorus, responsible for establishing the mission and vision, setting a budget, raising funds, paying bills, and generally handling all the behind-the- scenes details. Many of us on the board also sing; but we deliberately seek out non-singing directors to help ensure that we are connected to our audience and the larger community we serve. As the chair of the board of directors, I am very proud of the work we’ve done this past year. We have reorganized our committee structure to help increase our focus on serving chorus members and on fundraising; and we have added to our mission by starting to reach out to the LGBT youth in our community. However, there is much more to be done. If you would be interested in serving on our board of directors, please contact me at [email protected], or catch me after the show. I promise you won’t regret it! Now sit back and enjoy our show! Mark Van Kekerix A. Barron Breland, DM Artistic Director A. Barron Breland joined the River City Mixed Chorus as Ar- tistic Director in January, 2011. With degrees in Music The- ory and Choral Conducting from the University of Georgia and Indiana University, Breland has a diverse background in PDQ\GLIIHUHQWÀHOGVRIPXVLFLQFOXGLQJWKHSLDQRDQGVD[R - SKRQH6LQJLQJIURPWKHDJHRI%UHODQG·VÀUVWH[SRVXUHWR professional choral music was in 1990 as a member of the At- lanta Boy Choir where he performed with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, as well as in tours and festivals throughout Europe. Breland has emerged as one of a new talented generation of conductors, set apart from others by his eclectic interests and skills equipped to perform music from masterworks of the Baroque and Classic eras to great contemporary works of art, including repertoire in various popular styles. Breland completed his doctorate in choral conducting at the Jacobs School of Music at IU in 2009, where he has been a member of the choral conducting faculty, preparing the University Singers for a performance with Dale Warland in 2008, and giving over 12 performances as guest conductor of the 120-member Grammy-nominated Singing Hoosiers. Currently Breland is on faculty at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, con- ducting the Chamber Choir and University Chorus and teaching classes in music history and music theory. In his brief tenure at Creighton, the Chamber Choir has performed at NMEA and ACDA conferences and they are performing the core repertoire of the virtuoso chamber ensemble. Breland was named Nebraska Choral Directors Association’s Outstanding Young Choral Director of 2012. Stacie Haneline Assistant Artistic Director Stacie Haneline is on the piano faculty of the University of Nebraska Omaha. She also coordinates the Collaborative Program and serves as the collaborative pianist for the de- partment. She holds degrees in Piano Performance from Converse College under Dr. Douglas Weeks and the Man- hattan School of Music under Dr. Marc Silverman. Ms. Haneline has performed extensively with artists in opera houses, symphonies, chamber programs and choral societ- ies throughout the United States and Australia. As the Ex- ecutive Director of the Omaha Chamber Music Society, shehe has workedwor ked through-th roug h out the Omaha community artistically with development of outreach programs, educational programs and concerts series. Salli Compton Accompanist As the accompanist for River City Mixed Chorus, Salli en- joys the weekly privilege of playing for the most talented chorus in town directed by the most accomplished con- ductor. Playing for singers has always been her musical passion. Her mother taught Salli to accompany by singing beloved Broadway tunes from the kitchen with a variety of tempos and dynamics. Salli’s gifts from the universe have included many different church choirs, numerous Com- munity Theater folk, elementary school children, vocal stu- dents of all ages, and her extended RCMC family. When she is not playing the piano, she is thinking and breathing the art of teaching children. Joyce, Whit, Luke, Mack, Laci, Henry and Maggie learn every show right along with her while keeping her in the now. She believes that music is the expres- sion of the essence of life. Patrick Roddy Choreographer Patrick is happy to be designing the choreography for the River City Mixed Chorus! His work has also been seen at SNAP! Productions, the Shelterbelt Theatre, BroadStreet Productions, the Ak-Sar-Ben Coronation, the Omaha Community Playhouse, the Nebraska Theatre Caravan and Creighton University, where he is Dance Coordinator. Vicki Rushlau Chorus President Vicki Rushlau is a native Nebraskan, and in her fourth season with RCMC. She has worked at Mutual of Omaha for more than 30 years and is a Senior Administrative Assistant in the Brand Management Division. In her spare time she enjoys reading, listening to music, camping with her wife & friends and just spending time with her grandchildren. Her friends describe her as fun loving, reliable/dependable, and genuine. Her wife, Mary, their children and grandchildren inspire her each and every day. Though Vicki sang all of her life in church and school, it is only recently that she has again been a part of a chorus. Being a member of the chorus has brought the music and the passion for it back to Vicki’s life. And it’s more than just the music -- the chorus has provided many new and wonderful family members! Thank you for joining us today for our toe tapping show, Not the Same Old Song & Dance! Tracy Loucks Sign Language Interpreter Tracy Loucks hails from Nebraska and obtained a BFA degree in Theatre Arts from the University of New Mexico in 1985.

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