Major support for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook is provided by Fisher Brothers, In Memory ofRichard L. Fisher; and Amy & Joseph Perella.

Wine generously donated by William Hill Estate Winery, Official Wine of Lincoln Center.

Saturday Evening, February 1, 2014, at 8:30

Heartbreak Country:Michael John LaChiusa’s Stories of America

with Kate Baldwin, Sherry D. Boone, Marc Kudisch, Bryce Ryness, Andrew Samonsky, Emily Skinner,and Mary Testa

Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Musical Director and PianoDavid Gardos, PianoSteven Lyon, ReedsLaura Bontrager, CelloMarc Schmied, BassDamien Bassman, Drums

Jack Cummings III, Conception and Director

This evening’s program is approximately 75 minutes long and will be performedwithout intermission.

Steinway PianoThe Allen RoomJazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall

Please make certain your cellular phone,pager, or watch alarm is switched off.

This performance is made possible in part by the Josie Robertson Fund for Lincoln Center.

Sponsored by Prudential Investment Management

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Additional support for Lincoln Center’s AmericanSongbook is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc.,of Houston, The DuBose and Dorothy HeywardMemorial Fund, The Shubert Foundation, Jill andIrwin Cohen, The G & A Foundation, Inc., GreatPerformers Circle, Chairman’s Council, and Friendsof Lincoln Center.

Endowment support is provided by Bank of America.

Public support is provided by the New York StateCouncil on the Arts.

Artist catering is provided by Zabar’s andZabars.com.

MetLife is the National Sponsor of Lincoln Center.

Movado is an Official Sponsor of Lincoln Center.

United Airlines is the Official Airline of LincolnCenter.

WABC-TV is the Official Broadcast Partner ofLincoln Center.

William Hill Estate Winery is the Official Wine ofLincoln Center.

Upcoming American Songbook Eventsin The Allen Room:

Wednesday Evening, February 12, at 8:30Sarah Jarosz & The Milk Carton Kids (limited availability)

Thursday Evening, February 13, at 8:30The Songs of Henry Kriegerwith Erin Davie, Charity Dawson, Darius de Haas,Joshua Henry, Matthew Hydzik, Rebecca Luker,Emily Padgett, Alice Ripley, Keala Settle, &Lillias White

Friday Evening, February 14, at 8:30Beth Orton

Saturday Evening, February 15, at 7:30 and 9:30Jonathan Groff

Wednesday Evening, February 19, at 8:30Marty Stuart & Connie Smith

Thursday Evening, February 20, at 7:30 and 9:30Portraits of Joni: Jessica Molaskey Sings Joni Mitchell

Friday Evening, February 21, at 8:30Aoife O’Donovan

Saturday Evening, February 22, at 8:30Ann Harada

Wednesday Evening, March 5, at 8:30Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of PopularMusic: The 1920s

Thursday Evening, March 6, at 8:30Deer Tick (limited availability)

The Allen Room is located in Jazz at LincolnCenter’s Frederick P. Rose Hall.

For tickets, call (212) 721-6500 or visitAmericanSongbook.org. Call the Lincoln CenterInfo Request Line at (212) 875-5766 or visitAmericanSongbook.org for complete program information.

Join the conversation: #LCSongbook

We would like to remind you that the sound of coughing and rustling paper might distract the performers and your fellow audience members.

In consideration of the performing artists and members of the audience, those who must leavebefore the end of the performance are asked to do so between pieces. The taking of photographsand the use of recording equipment are not allowed in the building.

Lincoln Center

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Michael JohnLaChiusa

Michael John LaChiusa—composer, lyri-cist, and librettist—established himself as apowerful presence on the American musi-cal theater scene after winning 1993 ObieAwards for his musicals First Lady Suiteand Hello, Again. Mr. LaChiusa was repre-sented on Broadway during the 1999–2000season by two more musicals, The WildParty and Marie Christine, which togetherreceived 12 Tony Award nominations, gar-nering Mr. LaChiusa nominations for BestScore and Best Book (along with George C.Wolfe on The Wild Party) for each produc-tion. He received his first Tony Award nomi-nation for Best Book (co-written with GracielaDaniele and Jim Lewis) for Chronicle of aDeath Foretold in 1996.

Mr. LaChiusa received the first StephenSondheim Award (1989), the Gilman andGonzalez-Falla Musical Theatre Award(1995), and the Kleban Prize for MusicalTheatre (1999). He was the 1998–99 Brenaand Lee Freeman Sr. composer-in-residence at the Lyric Opera of Chicagoand an artist-in-residence at New YorkShakespeare Festival’s Public Theater from1997–98. In 2005 he received EmersonCollege’s Leonidas A. Nickole Award ofDistinction for Artistic Growth and Achieve -ment in Musical Theatre as well as theFlora Roberts Award, given annually by theDramatists Guild.

Mr. LaChiusa has been commissioned towrite musicals and operas by Houston GrandOpera, Musical Theatre Works, LincolnCenter Theater, New York Shakespeare

Festival, Signature Theatre in Virginia, andAudra McDonald for her Seven Deadly Sinsproject, which premiered at Zankel Hall in2004. He accompanied an array of femalestars singing songs from the LaChiusa cata-logue in The Girlie Show, which was part ofAmerican Songbook in 2004. His othermusicals include Giant (with a book bySybille Pearson), Queen of the Mist, LosOtros (with Ellen Fitzhugh), See What IWanna See, Little Fish, and Bernarda Alba.

Among multiple cast recordings, The WildParty (Decca Broadway) received a Grammynomination for Best Musical Show Album in2001. Mr. LaChiusa won a 2008 DaytimeEmmy Award for Outstanding Achievementin Music Direction and Composition for anepisode of Nick Jr.’s Wonder Pets. Queen ofthe Mist won the Outer Critics Circle Awardfor Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musicalin 2012, and Giant was nominated for nineDrama Desk Awards in 2013, as well as theLucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical.

Upcoming commissions include anEdgerton Commission from the OregonShakespeare Festival and a musical basedon The Minstrels, which he is developingwith Ellen Fitzhugh and Graciela Daniele.

Kate BaldwinKate Baldwin recently completed a run onBroadway as Sandra Bloom in Big Fish. Herother Broadway credits include Finian’sRainbow (Tony, Drama Desk, and OuterCritics Circle award nominations), The FullMonty, Thoroughly Modern Millie, andWonderful Town. In New York she also per-formed in the Public Theater’s Giant

Meet the Artists

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(Drama Desk nomination) and City Center’sFiorello!. Her regional credits include TheWomen (Old Globe), Henry V (ShakespeareTheatre of New Jersey), and She Loves Me (Williamstown). On television she hasappeared in Law & Order: SVU andStephen Sondheim’s Passion for PBS. Herfilm credits include Brooklyn Brothers Beatthe Best. She has released the solo record-ings Let’s See What Happens and SheLoves Him on PS Classics. Ms. Baldwin isa graduate of Northwestern University.

Sherry D. BooneSherry D. Boone’s Broadway creditsinclude Ragtime, Jelly’s Last Jam, and thetitle role in Marie Christine. Off-Broadwayshe appeared in First Lady Suite (TransportGroup), and her London credits includeCarmen at Royal Festival Hall. She has par-ticipated in national tours of The Phantomof the Opera, Les Misérables, andCarousel. Her regional theater creditsinclude Master Class and Eliza in My FairLady. She appeared in the opera TheScrimshaw Violin at the 92nd Street Y andGreen Eggs and Hamadeus at the MostlyMozart Festival. Ms. Boone debuted withthe National Symphony Orchestra at theKennedy Center in Rob Kapilow’s AndFurthermore, They Bite! and Two bySeuss. She has been a guest soloist withthe Philadelphia Orchestra, NashvilleSymphony, and the Toronto and HartfordSymphony Orchestras. She is founder andartistic director of Opera at Home, a cut-ting-edge opera company dedicated toincreasing opera audiences around theglobe. With Opera at Home, she collabo-rated with composer Sean Jeremy Palmerto produce and direct Ellen Craft: A NewAmerican Opera, based on true events of a

mixed-race woman’s harrowing escapefrom slavery disguised as a white man.Learn more at sherryboone.com.

Marc KudischOn Broadway, Marc Kudisch has appearedin 9 to 5 (Tony and Drama Desk nominations),The Apple Tree, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang(Tony nomination), Assassins (Drama Desknomination), Thoroughly Modern Millie(Tony and Drama Desk nominations), BellsAre Ringing, The Wild Party, High Society,The Scarlet Pimpernel, Beauty and theBeast, and Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat. His Off-Broadwaycredits include The Blue Flower, See WhatI Wanna See (Drama Desk nomination), TheMinister’s Wife, The Thing About Men, TheGlorious Ones, and City Center Encores! pro-ductions of Girl Crazy and No Strings. On theNew York operatic stage, he has appeared inA Little Night Music and The Pirates of Pen -zance. His regional theater credits includeThe Highest Yellow, The Golden Age, Zorba,The Sycamore Trees, and Summer andSmoke. On television and film, Mr. Kudischhas appeared in Break-In, Sex and the City,All My Children, Loving, Late Show withDavid Letterman, and Bye Bye Birdie.

Bryce RynessBryce Ryness’s Broadway credits includeWoof in the Tony Award–winning revival ofHair (Drama Desk nomination), Leap ofFaith, and Legally Blonde. Off-Broadway heappeared in Around the World in 80 Days,

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Hair, and See Rock City and OtherDestinations (Transport Group). Regionaltheater credits include Sleeping BeautyWakes, Floyd Collins, Leap of Faith, andCabaret. He performed in the national tourof Rent. His band, Ryness, has releasedtwo albums, which are available on iTunes.He served as the voice of Thug in the filmTangled. On television, Mr. Ryness hasappeared on Law & Order: SVU, Just forKicks, Late Show with David Letterman,and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.

Andrew Samonsky

Andrew Samonsky played Lt. JosephCable in Lincoln Center’s Tony Award–winning production of South Pacific, inwhich he was also seen on the Live FromLincoln Center broadcast on PBS. Hereceived a Drama Desk nomination for therole of Frank Russell in Michael JohnLaChiusa’s Queen of the Mist (TransportGroup). He originated roles in James Lapineand William Finn’s Little Miss Sunshine asJoshua Rose at La Jolla Playhouse, and inthe Scissor Sisters’ Tales of the City asBeauchamp Day at ACT. He was seen onBroadway in Scandalous as well as in CityCenter’s Merrily We Roll Along. Mr.Samonsky appears on the cast recordingsof Queen of the Mist, Merrily We RollAlong, and Disney’s On the Record.

Emily SkinnerEmily Skinner is best known for her Tony-nominated performance as Daisy Hilton inthe original Broadway production of Side

Show. Her other Broadway credits includeJekyll & Hyde, James Joyce’s The Dead,The Full Monty, Dinner at Eight, and BillyElliot. Other New York credits include theCity Center Encores! productions of PardonMy English and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,as well as Fanny Hill at the York. Her record-ings include Duets and UnsuspectingHearts, both with Alice Ripley, and a self-titled solo album. Ms. Skinner is a graduateof Carnegie Mellon University.

Mary TestaMary Testa most recently appeared in theopera Anna Nicole, which opened the 2013Next Wave Festival at BAM. She is winnerof two 2012 Drama Desk Awards, one inrecognition of three decades of outstand-ing work and one for Queen of the Mist.On Broadway she has appeared in Guysand Dolls, Xanadu (Drama Desk nomina-tion), Chicago, 42nd Street (Tony nomina-tion), Marie Christine (cast album), On theTown (Tony nomination), A Funny ThingHappened on the Way to the Forum (castalbum), The Rink, Marilyn, and Barnum.She also appeared in the City CenterEncores! production of The Ziegfeld Folliesof 1936 (cast album). Her Off-Broadwaycredits include Queen of the Mist (Trans -port Group; Drama League and LucilleLortel Award nominations), Love, Loss, andWhat I Wore, Regrets Only, See What IWanna See (Drama Desk and DramaLeague nominations; cast album), First LadySuite (Transport Group; Drama Desk nomi-nation), String of Pearls (Drama Desk nomi-nation), The Vagina Monologues, FromAbove (Obie Award), Lucky Stiff, A NewBrain (cast album), Tartuffe, On the Town(Obie Award), Scapin (Classic Stage Com -pany), and In Trousers (cast album). Her

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film credits include Franny, Eat Pray Love,The Bounty Hunter, Stay, Tony ’n’ Tina’sWedding, The Business of Strangers, TheOut-of-Towners, and Sleepers. On television,Ms. Testa has appeared on Two Broke Girls,Over Under, White Collar, Nurse Jackie,Whoopi, Sex and the City, and Law & Order.

Mary-Mitchell CampbellMary-Mitchell Campbell (musical directorand piano) was recently seen conductingand playing for Carole King, Alicia Keys, andKaty Perry at the Dolby Theatre in LosAngeles alongside Quincy Jones. Her NewYork credits include Company (Drama DeskAward for Outstanding Orchestrations), TheAddams Family, Carrie, Hello Again (DramaDesk nomination for Outstanding Orchestra -tions), In Transit, Sweeney Todd, RoadShow, Next to Normal (Second StageTheatre), First Lady Suite, and Sweet Charity(Lincoln Center Theater). Ms. Campbell’sregional credits include Little House on thePrairie (Guthrie Theater) and 3hree (PrinceMusic Theater). Internationally, she hasworked on Grace, the Musical (with CyColeman in Amsterdam) and Green Violin(St. Petersburg). She recorded As I Am withKristin Chenoweth.

In addition to her musical career, Ms.Campbell is passionate about arts educa-tion and poverty reduction and is thefounder of Artists Striving to End Poverty(ASTEP); learn more at asteponline.org.She has been featured on the televisionshow Giving and was named NY1’s NewYorker of the Week for her philanthropicwork. She has served on the faculties ofNYU, Boston College, and The JuilliardSchool. Ms. Camp bell holds degrees fromFurman University and North CarolinaSchool of the Arts.

David GardosDavid Gardos (piano) is a musical director,conductor, and pianist/keyboard player

from Australia. His Broadway credits includeBig Fish (keyboard) and Chaplin (associateconductor/keyboard). He served as associ-ate conductor for the first national tour of Inthe Heights. Mr. Gardos holds a master’sdegree in orchestral conducting from theUniver sity of Cincinnati College-Conserva -tory of Music and a bachelor’s degree inmusic education from the Sydney Con -servatorium of Music. Selected New Yorkand regional credits include Gloryana,Naughty/Nice, The Great Pretender, AltarBoys (Westchester), Giving Up Later(Cincinnati), and Tell Me on a Sunday(Kookaburra Theatre Co., Sydney).

Steven LyonSteven Lyon (reeds) is a New YorkCity–based multiple woodwind artist. Heregularly performs in various musical set-tings in a variety of musical styles. Mr. Lyonhas been a member of the Broadwayorchestras of West Side Story, TheAddams Family, People in the Picture, and,most recently, Second Stage Theatre’sLittle Miss Sunshine, as well as a sub onmany other shows. He has recorded withsingers including Plácido Domingo,Rebecca Luker, and Kelli O’Hara, and hehas performed with singers includingKristin Chenoweth, the Irish Tenors, andAnne Hathaway. Mr. Lyon attended TempleUniversity and New Jersey City Universityfor undergraduate and graduate studies.

Laura BontragerLaura Bontrager (cello) came to New YorkCity in 1986 to attend The Juilliard School,where she received her bachelor’s andmaster’s degrees. Ms. Bontrager hasappeared with many orchestras and cham-ber music ensembles, in jazz and popularsettings, on Broadway, and frequently insolo recital. Her commitment to contempo-rary music has been an essential part of hermusical life. Most recently, she recordedDavid Wolfson’s Sonata for Cello and Piano

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on the Albany Records album SeventeenWin dows. Ms. Bontrager is a longtimemember of the cello quartet CELLO andthe Auro suono Trio. She is a certifiedSuzuki teacher and is a faculty member atthe Diller-Quaile School of Music and theChapin School in Manhattan.

Marc SchmiedBrooklynite Marc Schmied (bass) has beenpart of the New York music scene for thelast 20 years. After bass studies at Juilliardhe began performing in the classical, jazz,and theater worlds. Classical credits includethe Albany Symphony, Hudson ValleyPhilharmonic, and the Manhattan ChamberOrchestra. Broadway credits includeMatilda, How to Succeed in BusinessWithout Really Trying, La Cage aux Folles,Evita, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,Cabaret, 1776, Little Me, Oklahoma!, andThe Music Man. Lincoln Center Theatercredits include Marie Christine, SouthPacific, The Light in the Piazza, Dessa Rose,The House of Bernarda Alba, and TheGlorious Ones. He is often asked if hewishes he played the flute.

Damien Bassman Damien Bassman (drums) wrote and playedthe drum/percussion books for the Tony andPulitzer Prize–winning Next to Normal, TheColor Purple, The Addams Family, HighFidelity, and Mario Cantone’s Laugh Whore,and he wrote the drum book for the recentrevival of Michael John LaChiusa’s HelloAgain. As principal percussionist of AbsoluteEnsemble he has toured and recorded withfusion legend Joe Zawinul and artists suchas Paquito D’Rivera, Mike Keneally, MarcelKhalife, Carel Kraayenhof, and GregorBregovich. Mr. Bassman has performed inover 20 countries and has been a featuredsoloist with the NDR Radio Philharmonic,Tonkünstler Orchestra, and the MDR andAdelaide Symphony Orchestras. Heappeared in Kristin Chenoweth’s American

Songbook 2013 Live From Lincoln CenterPBS broadcast, and his other televisioncredits include the Late Show with DavidLetterman, The View, Oprah, Good MorningAmerica, and the BBC’s Live from theProms. Mr. Bassman is the percussioninstructor and orchestra coach for the BalticYouth Philharmonic and the I, CultureOrchestra of Poland, and he is on the facultyof Marymount Manhattan College. He hasdrummed for Elton John, Barry Manilow,Ben Folds, John Cameron Mitchell, andRufus Wainwright, and is the drummer forNew York–based artists including Briand’Arcy James, Judy Kuhn, Jarrod Spector,Rachel Potter, Ariana DeBose, Farah Alvin,Kelli O’Hara, and the Tom Kitt Band. Heproudly endorses Toca Percussion.

Jack Cummings IIIJack Cummings III (conception and direc-tor) is co-founder and artistic director ofOff-Broadway’s award-winning TransportGroup Theatre Company. He most recentlydirected the world premiere of TerrenceMcNally’s And Away We Go for the PearlTheatre Company. He is a five-time DramaDesk Award nominee for OutstandingDirector (The Audience, The Boys in theBand, See Rock City and Other Des -tinations, Hello Again, and Queen of theMist). Other favorite Transport Group cred-its include the first New York revivals ofMichael John LaChiusa’s First Lady Suite(starring Mary Testa and Mary Beth Peil),Tad Mosel’s Pulitzer Prize–winning All theWay Home, William Inge’s The Dark at theTop of the Stairs (starring Michele Pawk),the world premieres of Normal (starringBarbara Walsh) and Marcy in the Galaxy,and a deconstruction of the 1928 play ThePatsy (starring David Greenspan).

Other New York credits include the worldpremieres of A Thousand Words Come toMind by Michele Lowe and Scott Richardsand Polly Pen’s Arlington, both for Inner

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Voices/Premieres. Regional credits includeA Streetcar Named Desire for Penn -sylvania’s Gretna Theatre, Tony Kushner’sadaptation of The Illusion for NevadaTheatre Company, and Violet and TheYoung Man from Atlanta for VirginiaRepertory Theatre. For PBS, he directed amusical version of A Tale of Two Cities(filmed in Brighton, England) starringMichael York. Mr. Cummings is currentlydeveloping the new musical The BlondeStreak by Dan Lipton and David Rossmerfor Grove Entertainment. Upcoming pro-jects include the Transport Group produc-tions of John Cariani’s Almost, Maine andJohn Van Druten’s I Remember Mama, aswell as the 2013 Drama Desk Awards. Mr.Cummings received his master of fine artsdegree from the University of Virginia andhis bachelor’s degree from the College ofWilliam and Mary. He is married to actressBarbara Walsh.

American SongbookIn 1998, Lincoln Center launched AmericanSongbook, dedicated to the celebration ofpopular American song. Designed to high-light and affirm the creative mastery ofAmerica’s songwriters from their emer-gence at the turn of the 19th century upthrough the present, American Songbookspans all styles and genres, from the

form’s early roots in Tin Pan Alley andBroadway to the eclecticism of today’ssinger-songwriters. American Songbookalso showcases the outstanding interpretersof popular song, including established andemerging concert, cabaret, theater, andsongwriter performers.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts(LCPA) serves three primary roles: presenterof artistic programming, national leader inarts and education and community relations,and manager of the Lincoln Center campus.A presenter of more than 3,000 free andticketed events, performances, tours, andeducational activities annually, LCPA offers15 programs, series, and festivals includingAmerican Songbook, Great Performers,Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Outof Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, theMostly Mozart Festival, and the White LightFestival, as well as the Emmy Award–win-ning Live From Lincoln Center, which airsnationally on PBS. As manager of theLincoln Center campus, LCPA provides sup-port and services for the Lincoln Centercomplex and the 11 resident organizations.In addition, LCPA led a $1.2 billion campusrenovation, completed in October 2012. inOctober 2012.

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Lincoln Center Programming DepartmentJane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic DirectorHanako Yamaguchi, Director, Music ProgrammingJon Nakagawa, Director, Contemporary ProgrammingLisa Takemoto, Production ManagerBill Bragin, Director, Public ProgrammingCharles Cermele, Producer, Contemporary ProgrammingKate Monaghan, Associate Director, ProgrammingJill Sternheimer, Producer, Public ProgrammingMauricio Lomelin, Associate Producer, Contemporary ProgrammingNicole Cotton, Production CoordinatorRegina Grande, Assistant to the Artistic DirectorJulia Lin, Programming AssociateAnn Crews Melton, Programming Publications EditorKristin Renee Young, House Seat Coordinator

For American SongbookMatt Berman, Lighting DesignScott Stauffer, Sound DesignJessica Barrios, Wardrobe Assistant

Performance rights for Giant, The Wild Party, Queen of the Mist, Marie Christine, andBernarda Alba are available through R&H Theatricals at www.rnh.com.

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ALL CLASSES ARE HELD IN IRENE DIAMOND EDUCATION CENTER. JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE IRENE DIAMOND FUND FOR ITS LEADERSHIP SUPPORT OF PROGRAMMING IN THE IRENE DIAMOND EDUCATION CENTER.

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