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4 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL What a great year for Art and Entertainment. Creativity, whether it’s expressed through music, dance or comedy, is ever-evolving, which means here at the Community Concert Hall there’s never a dull moment. With the ongoing generous support of many individuals and businesses who understand and appreciate the value of the arts to our vibrant community, we are inspired to search for and bring to Durango, artists who entertain, artists who enlighten, and artists who excel in both. I hope you discover something new, something familiar, and something that always brings you back to your Community Concert Hall!

Charles Leslie, Director

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 5 6 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL Contents 8 Community Concert Hall Sponsors 9 Why We Need Your Support 11 About the Community Concert Hall 12 Black Violin 13 The Choir of Man 14 International Guitar Night 16 Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour 17 The High Kings 18 The Actors’ Gang The New Colossus 20 Donny McCaslin Trio 21 Pilobolus Come to your senses. 22 Yarn Artists You Should Know Series 23 Yamato 24 Croce Plays Croce Featuring A.J. Croce 25 Adam Swanson: “From Ragtime to Rhapsody” 26 Community Concert Hall Supporters 28 Membership Benefits

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Why We Need Your Support

Your Community Concert Hall is located on the beautiful campus of Fort Lewis College; thus, many often assume that the college covers all our financial obligations, including the costs associated with booking performing artists. Well that’s not true. The Community Concert Hall is part of the FLC family, and the college does help us keep the doors open, but it is memberships and sponsorships from you- our generous community members and businesses—that allow us to bring the best in the performing arts to Durango. So, simply stated, we need you. Another myth is that ticket prices cover the cost of the shows. They could, if we raised the prices, but it’s our goal to make the performing arts accessible to everyone in the region. So, we work to keep the ticket prices as low as possible. Again, to help keep those ticket prices affordable, we need you. Fort Lewis College does help us maintain the physical structure, and we all know that times are challenging for all educational institutions and the college does a wonderful job of keeping students at the center of its central mission. After 22 years, the Community Concert Hall is almost always busy, and we do want to make sure the hall continues as a venue that’s state-of-the-art and one about which we can all be proud. To continue to serve 40,000 patrons each year, we need you.

To learn more about the opportunities and benefits of membership and sponsorship of your Community Concert Hall, visit www.durangoconcerts.com (and click “SUPPORT US”) or call 970.247.7657. For information about major gifts and sponsorships, please contact Charles Leslie, Director, 970.247.7468 or [email protected].

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 9 10 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL About the Community Concert Hall

TO PURCHASE TICKETS Online: www.durangoconcerts.com Telephone: 970.247.7657 In Person: The Ticket Office inside the Durango Welcome Center, 8th Street and Main Avenue Hours: Monday through Friday 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Gift Certificates available.

BONUS PRICING Receive 10% off your total when purchasing tickets to any three (3) Community Concert Hall produced shows in one (1) sales transaction.

GROUPS Enjoy an evening of entertainment with a group of fellow art lovers! Receive a 10% discount for groups of ten (10) or more, and a 20% discount for groups of twenty (20) or more. For Group Sales, contact the Ticket Office, 970.247.7657. Some restrictions may apply.

BECOME A MEMBER Tickets only cover a portion of the costs to bring world-class performers to our stage. Members help ensure that everyone in our community has access to the Community Concert Hall’s performances, arts education and community outreach.

CONCESSIONS Snacks and beverages are available for sale during most performances. Our lobby and concessions open 45 minutes prior to showtime. Drinks are only allowed in the seating area.

LATE ARRIVAL Latecomers who arrive after performances begin will be seated at the first convenient break, or possibly, depending on the show, at intermission.

ACCESSIBILITY Mobility: Wheelchair accessible and companion seating is available for purchase. Assisted Listening Devices are available free of charge. For more information please inquire at the will-call podium. For any questions, please refer to www.durangoconcerts.com or call the ticket office, 970.247.7657.

CELL PHONES, VIDEO, RECORDING DEVICES Please turn off or silence cell phones. If calls must be answered, please do so in the lobby and make every effort not to disturb fellow Concert Hall audience members. Recording devices, video and flash photography are prohibited.

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Visit www.durangoconcerts.com and click on “Stay Connected” to receive information about upcoming shows and special offers.

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 11 Black Violin January 18, 2020 Wilner “Wil B” Baptiste (viola) and Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester (violin) are Black Violin, a genre-defying duo that fuses classical, hip-hop, rock, bluegrass, R&B and pop to create a unique, groundbreaking sound. Since forming Black Violin 16 years ago, the duo has performed an average of more than 200 shows per year ― many of which have been performances for young, low-income students in urban communities, with the goal of “Black Violin challenging stereotypes and preconceived notions of what a “classical musician” looks and sounds like. The duo has performed for audiences as works hard, but far afield as Dubai, Prague and South Africa, while also appearing at official makes it all NFL celebrations for three Super Bowls. They have entertained the troupes look like play… in Iraq, as well as presented at President Barrack Obama’s Inaugural Ball. Sometimes Wil-B immigrated to the United States with his family from the Bahamas at they play with the age of 11. He’d hoped to join the school band to play saxophone, but was accidentally placed in the string program. Unexpectedly, he grew to love the the intense viola and mastered it, along with the trumpet, drums and bass guitar. seriousness With the encouragement of his mother, Kev Marcus began playing violin at of orchestral age 9. He and Will-B met while attending the famed Dillard High School of the soloists; at others Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they were trained in the they fiddle as if classical tradition. During their classes and rehearsals, they developed firm classic techniques, while in free time listened to hip-hop and rhythm and blues. at a hoedown; Both Wil-B and Kev Marcus attended college on full music scholarships. at still others Black Violin was born when Marcus heard the music of violinist Stuff Smith, they strum the considered to be the first violinist to use electrical amplification techniques violin and viola on a violin. His professor sat him down at a lesson and told him to listen. like guitars.” Smith’s music struck Marcus as “unbelievable… classical violin with soul and fire. I loved it.” – New York Times He passed the music on to Wil-B and together they decided to form the band, calling it Black Violin after Smith’s eponymous soulful solo album. Inspired by Smith’s music, the two realized that they could synthesize all the styles they love. Black Violin is touring in support of the new album Take the Stairs, released this past November. Called a melding of aggressive beats and classical instrumentation, NPR agrees, noting “…their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation.”

12 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL Photos by Chris Cann The Choir of Man January 21, 2020 Dubbed “the best pub concert you’ve ever been to…” The Choir of Man was the runaway hit of the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, birthed from the creative minds of Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay ― the team behind The Magnets! And the Soweto Gospel Choir. Known around the globe as “the ultimate feel-good show,” The Choir of Man offers up 90 minutes of indisputable joy ― a party, a concert, a pint-filled good time set in a real working pub. Last year was a first for touring in the U.S., and given the response and popular demand, The Choir of Man is returning to the states for a new tour. The unadulterated entertainment combines high energy dance, live “The Choir of Man percussion, magnificent harmonies and foot stomping choreography from has something the talented nine “ordinary” guys who perform everything from sing- for everyone. along pub tunes to folk, and Broadway to classic rock, ensuring that there is something for everyone in this show for all ages. The show celebrates From pop to Irish music that has wide appeal, including songs by Adele, Queen, Paul Simon, folk songs to Katy Perry, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more, with the cast featuring world- R7B, this show class tap dancers, acrobats, singers, instrumentalists and poets. will tantalize Leading the cast are returning original U.S. tour members “Narrator” any music Denis Grindel (West End’s The Commitments, the European tour of Rhythm of the Dance, the Irish tour of Rent, Ireland and Helix productions lover’s palate.” of Spring Awakening), “Hardman” Tom Brandon (London’s Union Theatre production of Spend, Spend, Spend, the European Tour of Rhythm of the – BroadwayWorld.com Dance), and “Barman” Mark Loveday (British film Rise of The Footsoldier 3). Joining them is international recording artist Richard Lock as “Pub Bore”; as “Pianoman,” Alistair Higgins (RCT Theatres’ Peter Pan, Tobias in 88 London Road’s Sweeney Todd, UK tours of Shadowlands and Dreamboard and Petticoats; 2010 World Tap Championship silver medalist Jordan Oliver (U.S. tours of The Sound of Music and Evita, The Choir of Man Norwegian Escape and U.S. Tour 2019) as “Tapper”; as “Casanova,” Mat Beveridge (London’s On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Titanic in Toronto, films Home For Christmas, In Vitro and Trendy); as “Joker,” Daniel Harnett (The Choir of Man workshop, Norwegian and Sidney Opera House casts Prince Charming in Snow White UK, Witches of Eastwick in Manchester, and Sweet Charity at The Grand Theatre); and “Beast” is Ben Langridge of the Glasgow-based acapella group Choral Stimulation.

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 13 Photo by Larry Dimarzio International Guitar Night February 6, 2020 Annually, International Guitar Night’s founder Brian Gore invites a new cast of guitar luminaries from around the world for special concert tours highlighting the diversity of acoustic guitar music. For IGN’s 20th Anniversary Winter tour, Mike Dawes, Cenk Erdogan, Olli Soikkeli and Jim Kimo West take the stage. Mike Dawes is an English guitar player known for composing, arranging and performing multiple parts simultaneously on one instrument, using unique extended and micro-techniques. He is hailed as one of the world’s finest and most creative contemporary fingerstyle guitar performers. In addition to serving as lead guitar player for Justin Haward of the Moody Blues, he has been heavily featured on multiple DVD and PBS releases, notably “Spirits… Live”, which debuted at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Chart. He has amassed more than 80 million music video views online and was voted the “Best Acoustic Guitarist in the World” by MusicRadar and Total Guitar Magazine in 2017. Cenk Erdoğan was born in Istanbul in 1979 and by 1997 he’d won a four-year scholarship at Istanbul Bilgi University in the Music (Composition) Department. He graduated with first class honors in 2001 and emerged as one of the world’s experts on fretless guitar and modes in Turkish music. In 2009 the Cenk Erdoğan Trio featuring Tineke Postma played in the 16th Istanbul Jazz Festival and 19th Akbank Jazz Festival, and went on to perform in international festivals throughout the world. In 2014 he made the first educational website for fretless guitar playing and began teaching the techniques of the Turkish way of playing fretless guitar. Erdoğan has released numerous albums, and in 2016 he conducted and arranged for the Orchestra of “Sezen Aksu,” who is the diva of Turkish popular music.

14 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL Olli Soikkeli, born in Nurmes, Finland, began playing guitar at age 12. He soon was introduced to the music of Django Reinhardt and Gypsy Jazz, which has been his main musical focus ever since. Soikkeli began performing in jazz clubs and at festivals throughout Finland in his youth, which progressed to touring throughout Europe with musicians such as Paulus Schäfer and Arnoud Van Den Berg. He moved to New York City in 2014 and has performed in legendary venues such as the Birdland Jazz Club, Blue Note and Lincoln Center. In 2016, his Rhythm Future Quartet’s second album Travels received rave reviews, including Best Albums of 2016 by the Huffington Post and All About Jazz magazine. The Wall Street Journal wrote, “Olli Soikkeli [is] a riveting Finnish guitarist who combines astonishing dexterity and speed with pure soul in a way that places him among the worthiest current day successors to the legacy of the great Django.” Regarded as one of the world’s foremost “ki ho’alu” or Hawaiian “slack key” guitar artists, Jim “Kimo” West offers a warm and engaging fingerpicked guitar style that has its roots in 1840s Hawaii, when Mexican vaqueros first brought guitars to the islands. Best known as long-time guitarist for music comedy artist “Weird Al” Yankovic, West is a 2008 winner of the Hawaii Music Awards and three-time Na Hoku Hanohano (the Hawaiian “Grammy”) nominee. He is also a two-time winner of the LA Treasures Award for his efforts to keep this unique acoustic guitar tradition alive. His work with “Weird Al” earned him four Grammys as well as a Billboard #1 CD. A composer for film and TV, West’s most recent album release, Guitar Stories, goes beyond slack key, exploring other genres such as West African guitar and Middle Eastern sounds.

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 15 Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour February 13, 2020 For more than 30 years, the award-winning comedy television series “Mystery Science Theater 3000” (MST3K) has been known as one of the top cult TV shows of all time. MST3K has maintained its reputation thanks to its fervently devoted fan base known as “MSTies.” Created by Joel Hodgson, the first season of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” aired in 1988 on KTMA-TV in Minneapolis. The series follows a hapless host trapped by mad scientists on a satellite in space who is forced to watch some of the most outrageously unfortunate B-movies every created. To keep sane, he built two robot sidekicks and together they do a running commentary on the films, affectionately mocking their flaws with inspired “If the tour is wisecracks and acting as a lively movie theater peanut gallery. The series coming anywhere went on to headline on the Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi Channel. near your town, MST3K has earned a place in history as one of the Top 100 TV Shows of and you consider all time, receiving multiple Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award. yourself a The series was revived in 2017 with all new episodes streaming on Netflix. MST3K fan, you Then came the live shows: Following the successful live shows “Watch Out absolutely owe it for Snakes! Tour” in 2017 and “30th Anniversary Tour” in 2018, Hodgson will don the red jumpsuit one final time as his character Joel Robinson to host to yourself to get “The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour.” a ticket.” “This is our third national tour, and it’s bigger than the first two combined,” – Geek.com says Hodgson. “I really wanted to do something special since it’s my farewell tour with MST3K Live.” The “Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour” will feature never-before-screened films, including No Retreat, No Surrender and Circus of Horrors.

16 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL The High Kings February 15, 2020 The true heirs of Ireland’s folk heritage, The High Kings have emerged as internationally acclaimed folk and ballad singers and instrumentalists. Ten years ago, the four Irish singers, performers and songwriters decided to take a calculated risk. The constituent parts of The High Kings each had a wealth of history in the music business behind them, but knew that in order to maintain any level of creative interest, they would have to boldly go where no other Irish ballad group had gone before…The heyday of ballad groups such as and The Dubliners was a distant memory for generations of music fans, and to have another bunch of Irish lads taking up the baton and continuing the tradition, was great news to thousands of fans worldwide. “We could sing well, play our instruments well and harmonize well,” says Darren Holden, humbly underselling the numerous skill sets of the individual members. “People were looking for guys with character, presence ― not just cardboard cut-outs ― so the respective experience we all had wasn’t just helpful but essential… We knew within the space of a few songs that there was magic.” Today, under the musical direction of David Downes of Riverdance fame, The High Kings are Irish natives (born in Carrick-an-Suir, County Tipperary; formerly of the Clancy Brothers), Martin Furey (born in Dunmore East, County Waterford; formerly of the group Bohinta), Brian Dunphy (born in ; formerly a cast member of Riverdance), and Holden (born in County Kilkenny; formerly a cast member of Riverdance, among other Broadway productions, and a successful solo artist). The High Kings latest release, DECADE-Best of The High Kings, was released in November 2017.

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 17 The Actors’ Gang The New Colossus Directed by Tim Robbins February 25 and 26, 2020 In The New Colossus, The Actors’ Gang members tell their ancestors’ stories, their struggles and their journeys from oppression to freedom. The play celebrates the courage and great character of the refugees who came to this country throughout the last 300 years. The ensemble of 12 reflects the great diversity that has defined who we are as a nation. The New Colossus is a celebration of our diversity. “Even in a dark Set somewhere between the 19th century and present day, the play chronicles forced migration and the constant struggle for survival and time for those dignity in an uncertain and hostile environment. The members of the acting hoping to escape company are from different parts of the world. They tell their stories, each in to America or a different language, and each in different dress. those already THIS PLAY SHOWCASES THE STORIES OF: here — a time Homayun Dideban Born in Isfahan, Iran, in 1937 Mehmet Fatih Tras Born in Adana, Turkey, in 1984 when, as Tim Anna Margaret Wong Born in Borneo, Malaysia in 1934 Robbins suggests, Jetta Rothschild Born in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1870 ‘the beacon has Ly My Dung Born in Dalat, Vietnam, in 1953 Sadie Duncan Tensas Parish, Louisiana, in 1830 dimmed’ — the Gabriela Mia Garcia Born in Puruandiro, Michoacan, Mexico, in 1970 play leaves no Elin Matilda Nylund Born in Kronoby, Finland, in 1885 space for despair.” Aranka Markus Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1933 Mirko Petkovic Born in Mokro Polje, Yugoslavia, in 1922 – Los Angeles Times Tatyana Losifovna Birger Born in Moscow, The Soviet Union, in 1961 Helga Schmidt Born in the Alpbach, in the Austrian Alps in 1888 The New Colossus shares a title with the sonnet written by poet Emma Lazarus in 1883 for an exhibit to raise funds for the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty, which opened in 1886. Though the Statue of Liberty was not conceived as a symbol of immigration Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” reinvented the statue’s purpose, turning Liberty into a welcoming mother, a symbol of hope to the outcasts and oppressed of the world:

18 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL Photos by Ashley Randal

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shire. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! At the end of each performance, the actors engage the audience and ask them to share either their experience of immigration or their family’s experience. Notes director Tim Robbins, “It’s so fascinating seeing the audience reaction to The New Colossus, learning where our audience comes from and hearing so many stories of their families’ journeys to the United States for a safer life. Every evening, after the performances, we hear moving testimony from the audience, from a woman bon in a Displaced Persons Camp for Holocaust survivors in Norway to young people who spent the past 4-5 years in refugee camps before receiving asylum in the U.S. The New Colossus and the power of the true stories being told in this piece bring people together in such an inspiring way.” Over the past nearly 40 years, The Actors’ Gang has produced more than 200 plays in Los Angeles, 45 U.S. states and of five continents. The company was founded in 1981 by a group of young artists looking to build a theater that would present relevant and vibrantly entertaining plays. Guided by founding artistic director, Tim Robbins, the company provides a supportive environment for a diverse ensemble of artists and the development of their groundbreaking work. As the company notes, “With our productions, education, outreach programs and tours we strive to strengthen communities in a way that only the medium of theater can. We produce plays that contribute to the ongoing dialogue about our society and culture, while never forgetting that theater’s primary purpose is to entertain.”

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 19 Donny McCaslin Trio March 4, 2020 Days before his January 2016 death, David Bowie released his final album, Blackstar. While the work represented an endpoint for the legendary artist, it marked a new beginning for the jazz artist Donny McCaslin, who, armed with his saxophone, defined Blackstar’s visionary stylistic fusion. McCaslin has had a saxophone in his hands from his earliest years and has integrated the entire range of sounds that a tenor sax can produce into his repertoire: from mainstream modern to funky fusion to laid-back balmy ballads, all flavored with his own experimental style. He grew up gigging with his father’s jazz ensembles in Santa Cruz, Calif. and by the time he was in high school he had formed his own band, and was selected to play at the Monterey Jazz Festival for three years in a row. He attended Boston’s esteemed Berklee College of Music, and began his recording career in the “Musicians such late ‘90s. Collaborating with Bowie, however, altered how he approached his craft. as McCaslin often play in Notes McCaslin, “His aesthetic in the studio was, ‘Go for what you’re hearing, don’t worry about what it’s going to be called or categorized as. their own small Let’s have some fun. Let’s make some music.’” With McCaslin’s latest work, circuit, but have Blow, he embraces Bowie’s philosophy, and showcases his fascination with much to offer avant pop. popular music.” McCaslin continues to evolve his live show with his bandmates, sharing the fresh material with audiences around the world, going “all in” with – NPR. new territory.

20 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL Photo of Pilobolus © Christopher Duggan; © Megan Moss Freedom courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow

© Carlos Villamayor

© Christopher Duggan; courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow Pilobolus Come to your senses. March 9, 2020 After nearly 50 years, Pilobolus Dance Theater remains a major American dance company of international influence. Pilobolus, with its unique vision of modern dance, stretches the boundaries of human movement with a dazzling mix of humor, intelligence, physical invention and raw athleticism. With Come to your senses. the company combines dance, video and theater to create a journey through diverse worlds, each with its own atmosphere, characters and emotional tones. The show explores the relationship to the senses with fun, tenderness and humor. The company has taken five dance pieces and three videos to create an evening that is inspired by creative collaborations with Radiolab, MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, and a new piece developed with collaborator Thao Nguyen, host of the podcast “Song Exploder.” Launched in a Dartmouth College dance class, Pilobolus’ collaborative choreographic process and unique weight-sharing approach to partnering gives the company a non-traditional but powerful set of skills from which to create “dance.” The Pilobolus Dance Theater performs internationally and possesses a repertory of more than 85 works, some of which have been adopted into the repertoires of other major dance companies, including the Joffrey and Aspen/Santa Fe Ballets. The unusual name “Pilobolus” has its origin in the natural world. “Pilobolus” (crystallinus) is a phototropic zygomycete – a sun-loving fungus that grows on a stalk in pastures and barnyards. When ripe, the Pilobolus blasts off its sporangium with incredible force (purportedly with acceleration from zero to 45 mph) dramatically propelling spores throughout its environs. Pilobolus Dance Theatre sees itself as an “arts organism,” making its mark and statement in the dance and artistic world with the same strength and force as its namesake, the Pilobolus, does in nature. All sectors of the company are bound by the mission, “to create and sustain an arts organization dedicated to the choreography and performance of dance-theater works at the highest level of imagination and energy, and to use our organization and creative methodology to stimulate, educate and expand the audience for dance through innovation, collaboration and public service.”

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 21 Yarn Artists You Should Know Series March 15, 2020 As might be expected, a band that has dubbed itself Yarn tends to spin a yarn or two. According to singer/songwriter Blake Christiana, “That’s what we do… we tell stories, live and in the studio… truth and fiction. We don’t always opt for consistency… There’s a difference in every show (depending on the audience). You never know what you’re going to get.” It was this flexibility that inspired Yarn to release a series of singles digitally on the 13th of every month, beginning Jan. 2018. Now, those songs have been put together for Yarn’s Lucky 13 Vol. 1 and Lucky 13 Vol. 2. Essentially road stories, the underlying theme is sharing the feeling of what it’s like to spend time on the road, traveling from city to city, with all the surprising experiences encountered along the way. “When one unravels Yarn, The band, currently featuring Christiana, guitarist Rod Hohl, bassist Rick Bugel and drummer Robert Bonhomme, spent two years honing their it’s best to chops in residency at the famed Kenny’s Castaway in New York’s Greenwich add one’s own Village. Five studio albums followed, and then the band took to the road, interpretations.” playing more than 170 shows per year and sharing stages with stars such as Dwight Yoakum, Charlie Daniels, Marty Stuart, Allison Krauss and more. – Anonymous Yarn has earned a slot on the Grammy ballot four times, garnered nods from the Americana Music Association, found a home on Sirius FM, iTunes Pandora, CNN and CMT and more. When audiences expressed their admiration, it brought the band a following of diehard devotees, popularly known as “The Yarmy.”

*Limited seating as the audience will be seated on the stage with the performers.

22 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL Yamato March 25, 2020 Yamato’s creativity and innovation has conquered theaters around the world. Since the group’s formation in 1993, the slogan has been, “Let’s go to wherever we are invited! Let’s give energy to the world.” A group of a dozen players begin their performance by hitting a Japanese Taiko drum made from a giant, 400-year-old tree. They move their entire bodies in sync as they strike the drum with their souls, creating a powerful surge of energy. Indeed, Yamato’s live performances are so full of intensity that they make audiences jump and their hearts race. Audiences are overwhelmed by the beat of the music as their bodies are uplifted in sync with the powerful sounds. Yamato is considered the epitome of the Japanese spirit – a roaring sound, taking audiences to new adventures in performance art. Yamato, from Nara Prefecture in Japan, exhibits exemplary originality and innovation through the traditional Japanese musical instrument, the wadaiko (Japanese drum), and now tours throughout the world, performing more than 200 shows per year. The current show is entitled “Passion,” and the troupe lives up to the title. Yamato celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018, having toured and performed internationally in more than 50 countries, with 3,500 performances, reaching some 8 million people.

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 23 Croce Plays Croce Featuring A.J. Croce April 16, 2020 A.J. Croce performs Croce Plays Croce, a special night of music featuring a complete set of classics by his late father Jim Croce, some of his own tunes, and songs that influenced both men. Jim Croce was an American folk singer with a short-lived professional recording and touring career, but decades of posthumous fame as one of “In such a the greatest songwriters and artists ever, with sales surpassing 50 million crowded music records, including three #1 songs and ten Top 10 hits. Timeless songs include universe, it is “Operator,” “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” and “Time in a Bottle,” a song written for A.J. when he was a child. Throughout the evening, A.J. speaks a pleasure to on his musical connection to his father, painting a picture for the audience of witness triple family, artistry and memory. uniqueness: A.J. Croce holds an abiding love for all kinds of music ― blues, soul, pop, pianist, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll. His nine albums have all charted across a wide array of songwriter, charts. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter has also landed 18 singles on a variety of Top 20 charts. singer and at such a level, A virtuoso piano player, Croce toured with B.B. King and Ray Charles before reaching the age of 21, and over his career has performed with a wide range and who does of musicians, from Willie Nelson to the Neville Brothers, and Bela Fleck he sound like? to Ry Cooder. He has also co-written songs with formidable tunesmiths The answer Leon Russell, Dan Penn, Robert Earl Keen and multi-Grammy winner Gary Nicholson. is himself… A.J. Croce.” While admitting he probably could have fared quite well simply covering his father’s songs, Croce is glad he didn’t, and worked to hone his own music – The late New and voice. But about a dozen years ago, he rediscovered his Jim Croce’s Orleans piano man, music when he began digitizing his father’s tapes. Discovering that “he was Allen Toussaint playing stuff I played myself” helped A.J. connect more deeply with this father’s music. A multi-instrumentalist, A.J. learned his father’s songs the old-fashioned way by playing them on the guitar and by listening to the recordings, because there were no Jim Croce chord books. Today, he loves seeing “the joy it brings audiences” when he performs the classic songs.

24 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL Adam Swanson: “From Ragtime to Rhapsody” April 29, 2020 Adam Swanson is one of the world’s foremost performers of vintage American popular music, including ragtime, early jazz, the Great American “Adam is an Songbook and more. He holds a bachelor’s degree in classical piano and a amazing talent master’s degree in musicology from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns and a true gem. Hopkins University. We are thrilled Though only 27-years-old, Swanson has been a featured performer and to have him as lecturer at ragtime and jazz festivals across the United States. Plus, he is the only four-time winner of the World Championship Old-Time Piano part of the Strater Playing Contest. Hotel family, and In 2007 he appeared alongside John Arpin at the Bohém Ragtime and Jazz we encourage Festival in the Republic of Hungary and has also toured Switzerland and everyone to come Australia. He made his New York debut in Carnegie Hall at the age of 19 see him perform where he performed with Michael Feinstein. when he’s here, Swanson has accompanied silent films at the prestigious Cinecon Classic but it makes us Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and played privately for noted Disney/Hollywood composer Richard M. Sherman (Mary Poppins). equally proud In 2013 he made his first appearance at the Kennedy Center Millennium to see him take Stage in Washington, D.C. the BIG stage His heart remains in Durango, however, and he is a regular entertainer at the at the Concert Diamond Belle Saloon and Henry Strater Theatre, providing non-stop music Hall and perform during the specially-scheduled “Silent Movies with Swanson.” He also enjoys “sittin’ in” with the Bar D Wranglers during their Christmas Jubilee. for the regional community. The April 2020 performance marks his debut as a solo performer on the Concert Hall stage. You will not be disappointed.” – Rod Barker, owner, Historic Strater Hotel.

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 25 Thank You to our Generous Supporters

Become a member of the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College to help us continue to bring the world to Durango and the Four Corners! Join by visiting www.durangoconcerts.com and click the SUPPORT US button.

RUSS AND BETTE SERZEN Peggy Sharp MEMBERS ENDOWMENT FUND Ray & Brenda Sima Aamann Degarth Ann Willard Richard Podlesnik Albert Bronson Betsy Stoneback Richard Quinn Alexander Hinkle Bette Serzen Steve & Jessica Zeller Anita Blanchard Dan & Polly Morgenstern Ann Green George Usinowicz CORPORATE SPONSORS Anne McCarthy James & Lynda Thompson Alpine Bank Betsey Stoneback Jacquelyn & Bryan Dear Affordable Framing Plus Bette McCallister Jacqueline Zirkelbach American General Media Bonnie Schmidt Kathleen Bulow-Cohen April’s Garden Boyd Richardson Krisinda Rapiejko Ballantine Communications Bruce & Barbara Garlick Lois Bartig Coca-Cola of Durango Carole Halbig Mary Lyn & Richard Ballantine and Farmington Catherine Baker Nancy Ottman & Jim Ottman Comcast Spotlight Catherine Burns Tish & Pete Varney Comfort Inn & Suites Charles & Marty Rigby Virginia Miller-Cavanagh Duck Girl Art Charles Woods Durango & Silverton Cheryle Brandsma FRIENDS OF THE COMMUNITY Narrow Gauge Railroad Danica Lively CONCERT HALL FUND Durango Herald Daniel Huff Amber Tomberlin Durango Magazine Deanna Frost Andrea Grace Durango TV Debbie Kurz Bette McCalister Fort Lewis College Debbie Tavarez Carol Salomon & Four Corners Broadcasting Deborah Lycan Norman Broad Hampton Inn Derek Temp Van Atta Cheryl Brandsma Highway 3 Roadhouse Eric Beyler Cheryl & Rodney JTM Music Gail Hanson Class-Erickson KDUR Gail Harriss Deborah Briel KSUT Gaines Godfrey Dory Daniel Nature’s Oasis George Usinowicz Gaines Godfrey The Palace Restaurant James & Lynda Thompson Georgia Gabehart Pinpoint Imagery James Peters Giordano Ascenzi Rochester Hotel & Leland Jan Hollister Jeffery & Caroline Munger House Bed & Breakfast Jan Schill John & Anne-Marie Perri Seasons Rotisserie and Grill Jeff Munger Kathleen A Bulow-Cohen Steamworks Brewing Co. Jennifer Hollingsworth Kenneth Snider Strater Hotel & Joan Hollister Krisinda Rapiejko Mahogany Grille John Angst Marcia & Gordon Clouser TBK Bank John Watson Marne Prouty Travelhost Magazine Jon Powell Mary Gilbert The Wells Group Joyce Phillips Nick Suess Xrock Joyce Stevenson Patrick San Marco 360 Durango Judith Noteboom Paulette & Clyde Church

26 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL Julia Dodd Marjeanne Allen Richard Reitz Katherine Elliott Mark Jastorff Robert Campbell Kathleen Bulow-Cohen Mark Witman Ruth Watkins Kim Giesler Mary Gilbert Sandy Zink Kimberly Jackson Michael Schultz Scott Ryan Laurel Vogl Michelle Deagen Steve & Emile Elias Laurie Meininger Mitzi Thompson Sue & Wayne Caplan Linda Bonnell Nancy Kimble Susan Bittick Linda Espinosa Nanette Hinton Susan Matteson Lisbeth Butler Patricia Dommer Terry & David Clark Lorna Campbell Patricia Lindenfelser Thane Malison Marc Katz Pegi Peterson Timothy Miller Marc Masor Ray Sima Virginia O’Neill

This list reflects all donations received from January 1, 2019 through October 31, 2019. Donations made after these dates will appear in the Winter/Spring 2020 program.

COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL 27 Membership Benefits

Plaza Orchestra Balcony Spotlight Backstage

Acknowledgement in season program ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Invitation to member only special events ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Access to member only promotions ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Invitations to artist meet and greets (as available) ✓ ✓ ✓

Complimentary concession vouchers 6 2

Ticket discounts 10% 10%

Invitations to season supporter appreciation event 2

Complimentary tickets to Community 4 Concert Hall produced events in the current season (4 tickets per event maximum)

Membership benefits, discounts and coupons are only available for Community Concert Hall Performance Season Events and my not be available for off-season shows. Discounts cannot be combined. #Plaza members receive $175.00 in benefits for a net donation of $825.00. **Orchestra Members receive $20.00 in benefits for a net donation of $480.00. Other ways to donate: Friends of the Community Concert Hall Helps fund the Concert Hall Performing Arts series of national and international touring artists as well as educational programs. (Does not include member benefits). Russ and Bette Serzen Endowment Fund Established by Bette Serzen in honor of her husband Russ, a great jazz fan, the endowment fund will ensure that the Community Concert Hall continues its role as the leading performing arts venue in the Four Corners. The Community Concert Hall is a destination for 40,000 individuals each year, including children and students experiencing their first live performance. (Does not include member benefits).

28 COMMUNITY CONCERT HALL