Past Events
Klea Blackhurst in "Everything the Traffic Will Allow: The Songs and Sass of Ethel Merman"
On Saturday, May 1, 2010 Friends of School of the Arts rolled-out the Red Carpet and welcomed Broadway sensation Klea Blackhurst to the Main Stage Theatre. Blackhurst performed her highly acclaimed, one-woman show – Everything The Traffic Will Allow: The Songs and Sass of Ethel Merman at School of the Arts. The event, sponsored by Friends of School of the Arts, raised vital funds to support the academic, artistic and humanistic success of students at School of the Arts. Immediately following the performance, guests were treated to an elegant dessert reception catered by the Rochester Riverside Convention Center and served by School of the Arts students. The evening concluded with musical entertainment provided by the SOTA Jazz Band, student art displays and plenty of socializing.
Klea Blackhurst took New York by storm in 2001 with her award-winning and critically acclaimed tribute to Ethel Merman. The show has continued to wow audiences and critics alike nationwide ever since. The concert highlighted what is arguably the greatest body of show music ever written for a single performer. In this funny, loving tribute to the Broadway legend, Ms. Blackhurst breathed new life into classic numbers like "I Got Rhythm," "Blow Gabriel Blow," and "There's No Business Like Show Business." Between songs, Blackhurst regaled the more than 300 guests with fascinating facts and amusing anecdotes about Merman and her relationships with musical theatre legends from the Gershwins to Stephen Sondheim. Each story was told with robust enthusiasm and delivered with a bright and appealing informality. This event offered a rare chance to experience Blackhurst's crackling wit and powerful vocals as she performed her brilliant, savvy valentine to one of American theatre's greatest stars. At the end of the 90-minute show, the audience sprang to its feet giving Ms. Blackhurst an enthusiastic and well-deserved standing ovation.
Click here to download the complete program in PDF format.
Sponsors for "Everything the Traffic Will Allow: The Songs and Sass of Ethel Merman" included:
Advantage Federal Credit Union, The Bonadio Group, Canandaigua National Bank and Trust, Diamond Packaging, Eastside Psychotherapy Associates, Nanette Elliott, Excellus, Kodak, LECESSE Construction, M & T Bank, Rochester Teachers Association, J. Michael and Alice K. Smith, WLJZ – Legends Radio 102.7 and School of the Arts.
