Cathy Holbrook - WKTV Journal

Lovers and Madmen

GVSU’s annual Shakespeare Festival returns this weekend featuring one of the Bard’s most famous comedies “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.” Roger Ellis directs the production that centers around four young lovers who leave Athens due to a law that requires a daughter to marry the wrong man or die. The group ends up in the lair of some fairies who decide to have some fun with them and a group of bumbling actors. Opening night is Friday Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. with shows running this weekend and next.

Music for the Soul

Shayna Steele joins the Grand Rapids Symphony for the “Queens of Soul.” (Supplied)

The Grand Rapids Pops pays tribute to the voices that revolutionized rock and revitalized R&B with Queens of Soul on Sept. 27-29 in DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW, to open the 2019-2020 Fox Motors Pops series. Special guest vocalists Shayna Steele, Kelly Levesque and Brie Cassil will be joining the Grand Rapids Symphony for such songs as Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary,” and Patti LaBelle’s “New Attitude.” Tickets start at $18 for adults and $5 for students. Visit grsymphony.org.

Lending Your Voice

WKTV Managing Editor Joanne Bailey-Boorsma with St. Cecilia Music Center Executive Director Cathy Holbrook. (WKTV)

St. Cecilia Music Center kicks of its season on Oct. 3 when country and folk singer Lee Ann Womack visits Grand Rapids. Or you could wait until Oct. 20 for when Judy Collins makes her way to the the facility located on 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Better yet, just visit scmc-online.org to check out the full St. Cecilia Music Center season, which includes a classical, jazz and folk. Want a few more hints? How about Rosanne Cash Feb. 19. For more, list to the Locally Entertaining podcast.

Fun Fact: Country Royalty

Since Rosanne Cash is coming to Grand Rapids (in February), we could not resist digging into her family past. Most people know Rosanne is the daughter of country legend Johnny Cash. Her mother was June Carter Cash, who was the daughter of Maybelle Carter. Maybelle was one third of The Carter Family, which also included A.P. Carter and his wife Sara. The Carter Family is considering the first family of country music.

Singer Cécile McLorin Salvant is the season opening performer for the St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2016-17 Jazz Series, — Singer Cécile McLorin Salvant is the season opening performer for the St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2016-17 Jazz Series.

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

You might say that songstress Cécile McLorin Salvant, the season opening performer for the St. Cecilia Music Center’s 2016-17 Jazz Series, wasted no time in adding Grammy winner to her already melodic name.

On the heals of being the youngest winner the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in 2010, McLorin Savant’s debut recording, WomanChild, was nominated for a Grammy in 2014 and her follow-up recording, For One to Love, won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album this year.

St. Cecilia executive director Cathy Holbrook, in supplied material, was not overstating facts when she said: states, “At 27 years old, Cécile is already a sensation.”

So expect a sensational night of vocal jazz when McLorin Salvant takes the stage Thursday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available.

McLorin Salvant’s repertoire includes interpretations of little-known and scarcely recorded jazz and blues compositions, as well as unique takes on jazz standards, and original music and lyrics sung in a variety of different languages – English, Spanish and French, her native language.

For a video of McLorin Savant, click here.

The rest of this season’s St. Cecilia Jazz Series includes young — as in 13-year-old — pianist phenom Joey Alexander on March 23, and the SFJAZZ supergroup performing the music of Miles Davis as well as their own compositions on May. 4.

At the McLorin Savant concert, there will be a free post-concert “Meet-the-artist” reception for all ticket-holders. A pre-concert reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres is available for $15 per person in addition to the ticket cost.

For more information and tickets, call 616-459-2224 or visit scmc-onlilne.org.