Paragon Ragtime Orchestra Begins NSU’s 24th Annual Galaxy of Stars Series

Paragon Ragtime Orchestra Begins NSUs 24th Annual Galaxy of
Stars Series
An NSU Centennial concert featuring Pop Music circa 1909

. . . exceptional tunefulness and syncopated rhythmic infectiousness. -Wall Street Journal

Northeastern State University is proud to announce the 24th Annual Galaxy of Stars series lineup for 2009-2010. The series kicks off on September 19 with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra performing a special NSU Centennial concert featuring pop music circa 1909. Paragon is the worlds only year-round, professional ensemble recreating Americas original music. Paragon will perform at 7:30 pm. Each of the series performances will take place at the Tahlequah High School Performing Arts Center.

Paragon Ragtime Orchestra is considered an institution in vintage American popular music, and remains the world's most active ensemble of its kind. Pulling from the orchestras collection of 10,000 fully-orchestrated scores, this concert will celebrate the founding of Northeastern State University in 1909 with the joyful music played by PRO.

This amazingly skilled group of musicians joined by soprano Jody DallArmi will delight audiences with a wide range of music from Blues to waltzes, from operatic parodies and novelty numbers to marches and popular songs of the era. And of course there is the syncopated centerpiece of the PRO's collection, the rag, in its magnificent variety, from the symphonic to the slapstick. Don't miss the worlds only year-round, professional ensemble re-creating Americas Original Music right here in Tahlequah.

Plan to attend the PRE-SHOW RAGTIME LECTURE by Rick Benjamin, founder of PRO, 6 pm, Tahlequah High School Performing Arts Center.

On October 26, the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival will take the stage to share an evening of Russian music and dance. December will bring a beautiful new production to Tahlequah entitled All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 on Saturday, December 12 at 3 pm. Cantus, one of Americas finest professional all-male vocal ensembles, will join forces with Theatre Latte Da, a professional theatre company out of the Minneapolis area, for this must-see performance.

Next years series line-up brings three more performances. On February 26 at 7:30 pm, the fiddle will be the star for the first ever Jana Jae Fiddle Festival at NSU. Jae will bring together many of her favorite fiddlers to share the spotlight with her. Audiences can expect a range of styles from Country to Classical. In March will bring Neil Bergs 100 Years of Broadway on March 25 at 7:30 pm. The series will close on April 17 with Bearfoot. This fresh, hip young group from the wilds of Alaska will bring the series full circle from 1909 to 2010.

For more information, visit www.nsuok.edu/si. To purchase season or individual tickets, call 918-458-2075. The Galaxy of Stars series receives funding from the Oklahoma Arts Council, Mid-America Arts Alliance and National Endowment for the Arts.

8/27/2009

Published: 2009-08-27 00:00:00