RESPECT
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Respect means the recognition of one's power.
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MUSE/IQUE presents Respect, a bold tribute to the women musicians and artists who carved out their own destinies in male-dominated industries, and whose profound impact we still feel rippling throughout mainstream culture today.
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Artistic & Music Director Rachael Worby conducts the MUSE/IQUE orchestra in an uplifting exploration of women artists who built power with their wit, flair, drive, daring, and presence, and became cultural titans with epithets crowning them: Queen, Godmother, and High Priestess, to name a few.
Our all-star ensemble includes vocalists Crystal Starr, Mary Bridget Davies, Rachel Gonzalez, and Suzanna Guzmán, and readings by actors Wendie Malick and Michole Briana White.
With timeless anthems like "I Will Always Love You," "Natural Woman," and "Respect," you'll leave this show feeling inspired and supercharged.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Two-time award-winning recording artist Crystal Starr, as The Source Magazine calls her “The Girl with the Golden Voice,” released her new single “Good Times” this July 2023 which hit #3 on the Commercial pop charts in the UK. As an artist, she encapsulates the iconic pop stars of the past and present: J.Lo, Alicia Keys, Tina Turner and Whitney Houston. Crystal has starred on Broadway in the hit musical "Baby Its You" and has been captivating audiences all over the world. She has performed/opened for acts such as Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, John Legend, Paul Stanley, Drake, and many many more.
Mary Bridget Davies: The acclaimed stage actor and blues rock singer began her career performing at blues jams in Cleveland. In 2005, she achieved a significant milestone by winning the lead role in the touring production of Love, Janis. Notably, Davies toured Europe with the original band of Janis Joplin, Big Brother and the Holding Company. In 2012, she further solidified her reputation by taking over the lead role in A Night with Janis Joplin during its tour. Subsequently, in 2013, she made her Broadway debut, earning a prestigious Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical and winning the 2014 Theater World Award. Her upcoming live album will be released on September 1st, 2023.
LA native Singer-Songwriter Rachel Gonzalez is a blend of soul driven melodies & intentionally honest storytelling. Her voice carries her message of healing straight to your heart, and is something you can’t quite ignore. Growing up singing in church and high school choir sparked her love for music, and her time at Berklee College of Music inspired her to develop her voice and sound as an artist. Now, she is pursuing her love for music as an artist, vocalist, and songwriter creating music in so many different facets with so many amazing musicians.
Suzanna Guzmán: Two-time Emmy Award winner and 2023 Los Angeles Opera Legacy Ambassador is known for the title role in Bizet’s Carmen. Hailed by TIME magazine as “a fire-eating singing actress!” she has appeared in many world premieres creating Paula, in Daniél Catán’s Florencia, The Duchess in Menotti’s Goya, Yuval Sharon’s Hopscotch and recently Nicholas Lell Benavides’s Caravana de Mujeres.
Honors include: Grammy nod for Best Classical CD with Southwest Chamber and Tambucco; Nederlanders Lifetime Achievement Award, 1st Place Western Region Metropolitan Opera, Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Actress in Amahl and the Night Visitors at the Kennedy Center, honorary DMus from Occidental College, to name a few. Her weekly radio show Sunday Evening Opera ran for nearly twenty seasons and she starred as TV-Host of the PBS Series Open Call. This season included: Abuela Claudia - In the Heights with Rubicon Theatre, Ms. Lynch - Grease and Mother Abbess - McCoy Rigby’s The Sound of Music. Guzman is a company member of the Industry Opera and a longtime performing artist on the roster of the education department of The Music Center.
Wendie Malick is a Golden Globe and two time Emmy Nominee for her role as Nina Van Horn on “Just Shoot Me”. She won 4 Cable Ace Awards on HBO’s ground breaking comedy, “Dream On”, and she and her cast mates on “Hot In Cleveland”, earned a Peoples Choice Award and a SAG nomination. Favorite animated shows: “Bojack Horseman” (Annie Nomination), and “The Owl House” (Peabody Award). Malick has recurring roles on “Shrinking”, “Physical”, “Billions” and “Young Sheldon”, among others. Film roles include “Adventureland”, The American President”, “Waiting”, “Fifty-Nothing”, “Confessions of A Shopaholic”, “Endings Beginnings” “A Little White Lie”, and the upcoming “7000 Miles”, and “Mother Of All Shows”. Theater: BIG NIGHT (Kirk Douglas), CLOSURE (New Jersey Rep), BLITHE SPITIT and WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF THUNDER” (Williamstown), THE UNDERPANTS (Geffen), and Off Broadway: NORTH SHORE FISH and BURLEIGH GRIMES. Malick returns to the Geffen Theater this Fall in THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY. Malick is on the board of The Environmental Media Association, and the advisory Board of Return to Freedom, a wild horse sanctuary. She and husband, Richard Erickson support an orphanage in Tijuana and a field hospital in the Congo.
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Michole Briana White is a seasoned vet in film, theatre, television and commercials. She
currently stars in the STARZ hit series BLACK MAFIA FAMILY and is proud to be in the final
season of ATLANTA Episode 4, “LightSkinned-ed” for FX. She starred in James Wan’s film
MALIGNANT, now streaming on multiple platforms, as well as the Gotham Award winning web series THE STRANGE EYES OF DR. MYES and is co-creator of its upcoming sequel. She was recently seen on Dick Wolf’s FBI INTERNATIONAL for CBS, Michael Bay’s SONGBIRD, and can be seen in the soon to be released film BABY BLUE directed by Adam Mason. Michole has also recently recurred on Amazon's last season of GOLIATH, Netflix’s DEAD TO ME and Dr.Dre’s VITAL SIGNS. She is a singer/songwriter and licenses her music for film and television. She has performed with the LA Philharmonic at Disney Concert Hall and her vocals were featured on the Daytime Emmy Awards. Michole was a series regular on 100 CENTER STREET, directed by Sydney Lumet, in 25th HOUR and SHE HATE ME directed by Spike Lee and starred in Ava Duvernay’s first feature I WILL FOLLOW. Some of Michole’s theatrical credits include the original Off Broadway production of August Wilson’s JITNEY as well as RADIO GOLF at The Goodman Theatre and The Kennedy Center, Suzan Lori-Parks's FU*KING A at The NY Public Theatre and the musical WHEN JAZZ HAD THE BLUES playing the iconic role of Lena Horne. She’s also been seen in a myriad of commercials including a long running Geico Campaign. Michole has been the recipient of the Obie, Ovation, NAACP, Audelco and Drama Critics Circle Awards.
The MUSE/IQUE Orchestra
Led by Rachael Worby
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Jamey Tate - drums, arrangements
Michael Valerio - bass, arrangements
Rob Schaer - trumpet, arrangements
Alan Steinberger - keyboard/arrangement
FLUTE
)Jay Mason (and alto saxophone)
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OBOE
Sean Franz (and bari saxophone)
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CLARINET
Damon Zick (and tenor saxophone)
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BASSOON
Amber Wyman
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HORNS
Danielle Ondarza
Sarah Bach
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TRUMPET
Ellen Shinogle
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TROMBONE
Nick Daley
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TUBA
P. Blake Cooper​
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GUITAR
Errol Cooney - guitar
VIOLIN
Ina Veli - Violin I
Lisa Dondlinger - Violin I
Ana Landauer - Violin II
Mina Hong - Violin II
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VIOLA
Karoline Menezes
Xenia Deviatkina-Loh
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CELLO
Ginger Murphy
Sarah Kim
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Brady Steel Orchestra Contractor
Caroline Boyce - Librarian
Thank you to our generous season sponsors:
Anonymous (2), Avery and Andrew Barth, Michael Casey, Nancy and Michael Harahan, The Havner Family Foundation, Ellen and Harvey Knell, The Jerry and Terri Kohl Family Foundation, Lois Madison: The Madison Foundation for Families, Debbie and Rick Powell, and Alyce de Roulet Williamson.