Moonlight melodies page

Moonlight melodies
sAT. MAY 31, 2003   8 PM
sTRAUSS pERFORMING aRTS cENTER
uno CAMPUS
rESERVATIONS: 402-345-1576
aDMISSION: ADULTS $20, sTUDENTS & SENIORS $16

Press Release:                                   Click to view POSTER       Back to NEWS
          AN ENCHANTING EVENING OF AMERICAN SONG
Jill Anderson and Camille Metoyer Moten, two of Omaha’s favorite female vocalists, present an evening of the greatest songs from the early- to mid-20th century. The two singers will travel through each decade, capturing the spirit and style of the times, including comedic Oriental fox trots of the 1920s; elegant, starlit ballads of the ’30s; spirited Andrews Sisters WWII-era hits of the ’40s, and playful jazz tunes of the ’50s. The concert includes pop and jazz standards such as “My Blue Heaven,” “Stardust,” “Over the Rainbow,” “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy,” and “Downtown.” Special guest, Lauren Pascale, will join them for the WWII Andrews Sisters numbers.

Anderson and Metoyer Moten have extensive individual histories on the Omaha music and theater scene. They first sang together on the Orpheum stage with the Omaha Symphony in Opera Omaha’s 2001 gala concert, “All American!”

JILL ANDERSON was recently seen in the Alexander Payne film, “About Schmidt,” and onstage in Opera Omaha’s season opener, “Richard Rodgers’America.” Her lively singing voice was spotlighted at the Library of Congress in a New York Festival of Song concert featuring lyrics written by P.G. Wodehouse for early Broadway productions. The Washington Post reviewer gushed: “What a bonanza! Four smashing singers -- sopranos Sylvia McNair and Jill Anderson, tenor Hal Cazalet, baritone Jason Graae -- sang, mugged and hoofed their way through the systemic center of classic Broadway.” Her belting vocal style has been a feature of numerous Opera Omaha productions, where Anderson has provided comedic renditions of such songs as “Cain’t Say No” and “Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair.” Her theatrical credits include a “Best Actress” award from the Theatre Arts Guild for her portrayal of Annie Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker” at the Omaha Community Playhouse. She has released two CDs of traditional Irish folk music, and was a member of folk trio Beyond the Pale. Her next engagement will be with the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival as the female lead, Viola, in the comedy, “Twelfth Night.”

CAMILLE METOYER MOTEN is known locally for her remarkable versatility and creative vocal styling. Her skills span many mediums, including opera, Broadway, jazz, pop, and gospel. She has studied and performed classical and jazz music in New Orleans , where she was frequently accompanied by Ellis Marsalis (father of famous trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.) Locally she has delighted theatergoers and won Theatre Arts Guild and Playhouse awards for her portrayals of Eva Peron in “Evita” and Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Of her performance as Mary Magdalene in “Jesus Christ Super Star” at the Orpheum, the World Herald review said: “She wowed audiences with her smooth, melodious tones.” Besides her work at nearly every local theater, Camille has found great success in her one-woman cabaret show. She has been a featured vocalist for the Ak-sar-ben Coronation for many years and has also performed as a soloist for Soli Deo Gloria Cantorum, Nebraska ’s first professional choir. Her tremendous skill and expressive style have become an unwavering mainstay in the professional music arena of Omaha .

LAUREN PASCALE is an exciting newcomer to the Omaha music scene, having performed at Unity Church as a special soloist. For this performance, she will be joining the two featured performers in singing a set of songs made popular by the Andrew Sisters.