Every once in a while I sit back and think, “I know some talented folks.” And I’ve actually worked with them. What a blessing having so many talented friends. All of those pictured in the montage have performed at Carnegie Hall at least once…some more than once. Top row from left: Seunghee Lee, Ashley Bell and Clare Maloney. Second row from left: Annette Homann, Deni Bonet and David Goldman (Upcoming debut in April). Third row from left: Matt Smallcomb, Harriet Stubbs and Alicia Svigals.
“Charles, a chronicler of New York life and culture, blends the city’s rich history with music imagery and performance art and captures the vibrant and unique experience that is New York City.” Author and Historian Peter Quinn
*****
From the time I was a young boy growing up in New York, I was fascinated by the connection between, music, imagery and history. Pure and simple…that’s my passion. Now I am bringing this passion forward through personal recollections, anecdotes and stories of the artists and musical geniuses who have intertwined the history of Carnegie Hall with the history of New York, making Carnegie one of the world’s most prestigious venues.
I know some of you have purchased tickets, but if you haven’t or if you’d like one or two more there are eight seats left. https://bit.ly/2ODqsjL
I hope you can join Seunghee Lee (Sunny), Clare Maloney, Robert Anthony Mack, Jiin Yang, Baron Fenwick and me for an evening of entertainment and conviviality at “the cell,” on December 13, 7:30pm.
Thank you for your support,
Charles
The final show of the 2019 series, “Classically Exposed: From Carnegie Hall to the Cell,” will be performed at the Cell on December 13, 7:30pm.
The show, written and created by Charles R. Hale, pays homage to some of Carnegie Hall’s great performers and performances including the music of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, Leonard Bernstein, Fritz Kreisler, Benny Goodman, Patsy Cline, Edith Piaf and Marian Anderson, John McCormack, Giacomo Puccini, and more.
We’ve assembled an outstanding group of musicians for the event: Seunghee Lee (Sunny)/clarinet, Baron Fenwick/piano, Robert Mack/vocals, Jiin, Yang/violin and Clare Maloney/vocals. Charles R. Hale created and narrates the show.
Tickets, which are $20, and additional information can be purchased by clicking here.
Performers from the series, “Classically Exposed: From Carnegie Hall to the Cell.”
The first six shows of the series “Classically Exposed: From Carnegie to the Cell” were a great success and Seunghee Lee (Sunny) and I are looking forward to the final show of our first season….December 13, titled, “From Carnegie to the Cell.” For tickets and info click here.
We’ve worked with and we thank the incredibly talented musicians who performed in the series over the past year: Jiin Yang, Wayne Weng, Matt Baker, Elizabeth Tasch, Clare Maloney, Nicole Zuraitis, Yuri Juarez, Renato Diz, Brandon Ilaw, Mitch Lyon, Ken Kubota, Jonathan Ong, Abby Rojansky, Jonathan Dormand, Dorothy Ro, Pablo Cafici, Emily Daggett Smith, Brendan Spelt, JP Jofre, Michael Katz and Luke Fleming.
Empire Wild: Brandon Ilaw, Mitch Lyon and Ken Kubota
Charles R Hale Productions and Musical Solis are proud to present their next show in the series “Classically Exposed: From Carnegie Hall the The Cell,” Friday, October 13 at The Cell Theatre in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. “From Bows to Beats” will feature Empire Wild and its members, cellists Mitch Lyon and Ken Kubota and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Ilaw. The three Juilliard graduates teamed up in 2018 after discovering a shared interest in musical styles far afield from their classical training. Through original songwriting and imaginative covers they bring virtuosic technique to far reaching genres as well as a passion for musical exploration.
We had a chance to meet and listen to Empire Wild back in March when they performed at our “sneak preview” of our upcoming shows. They were fabulously exciting and they are enormously gifted musicians. Not only will you hear great music but you’ll also get an inside look at how young classically trained musicians like these are changing the way we experience music in the modern digital age.
For tickets, which are $20, and information CLICK HERE
The Cell is located at 338 West 23rd St in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.
A special note of gratitude to the generous Executive Producers who have made “Classically Exposed: From Carnegie Hall to The Cell” possible. Thank you Tom Myles, Gail and Joseph McElligott, John Moran, Michael Fletcher, Chris Grygon, Seunghee Lee, Clarinet/Sunny Kang, and David S. Goldman.
Featuring the Verona Quartet, Manhattan Chamber Players, Renato Diz, Yuri Juárez, Clare Maloney, Nicole Zuraitis, Jiin Yang, Wayne Weng, JP Jofre, and Empire Wild
Next Show: From Opera to Pop to Jazz, June 28, 7:30pm at The Cell featuring Grammy nominated Nicole Zuraitis and Clare Maloney. For tickets and information CLICK HERE
Vera Maura’s photos, “Classically Exposed: Carnegie Hall to The Cell.” A Charles R Hale Productions/Musica Solis presentation.
Michael Katz and Luke Fleming
Michael Katz and Seunghee Lee
JP Jofre and Michael Katz
Emily Daggett Smith
Brendan Speltz
Pablo Cafici, Emily Daggett Smith, Brendan Speltz, JP Jofre, Michael Katz, Luke Fleming and Seunghee Lee
Emily Daggett Smith, Brendan Speltz, Seunghee Lee, Michael Katz and Luke Fleming
Thank for this wonderful review and write up by Vincent Nauheimer:
“Classically Exposed: From Carnegie Hall to the Cell”
Last night, 23rdStreet in the Chelsea section of Manhattan was filled with magical sounds emanating from the Cell Theater…a preview of Charles R. Hale Productions and Musica Solis’ “Classically Exposed: From Carnegie Hall to the Cell.” If last night was a glimpse of what is to come in this seven-event series, which will explore classical music and its relation to pop, jazz, and other musical genre, one word comes to mind for the rest of the season: Anticipation.
Nicole Zuraitis, Mitch Lyon, Seunghee Lee, Brandon Ilaw, Clare Maloney and Ken Kubota
Charles R. Hale and Seunghee Lee (Sunny) have a common interest, which was clearly established last evening: They both seek to promote young and upcoming musical artists. Their unique ability to both find and attract superb talent was clearly demonstrated in this preview of their 2019 series.
CLICK HERE FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TICKETS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL EVENT.
Charles R. Hale
Renato Diz/piano and Yuri Juarez/guitar performed the evening’s opening set. Renato, who has performed throughout the world and who be can be heard on over twenty albums and Yuri, who has recorded a number of albums, and has received the Latin Jazz Corner Award for album of the year, “Afroperuano” were sensational. Watching the finger work of these two enormously talented musicians was special. Their performance included “Concierto de Aranjuez” by Joaquin Rodrigo and “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla, which they arranged with improvisational references to jazz and other musical genres. Brilliant.
Renato Diz and Yuri Juarez
Sunny, a renowned international solo clarinetist and recording artist, led the trio Empire Wild in “Another Day of Sun” from the movie LaLa Land. The superb performance highlighted the fact that what would normally be considered a classical ensemble—two cellos, a clarinet and piano—is equally at home performing pop tunes. Empire Wild, which consists of cellists Mitch Lyon and Ken Kubota and the multi-instrumentalist Brandon Ilaw captivated the audience with their virtuosity. Ken played his cello in ways that would have made Casals proud. He played it across his lap like a guitar, plucked the strings and played it with a bow. Mitch Lyon has an affinity for folk music and arranged a beautiful piece with Brandon and Ken’s accompaniment. The versatile Brandon sang a number of tunes, played the piano, cajon, and kept time with a band of bells around his ankle. The three Julliard graduates performed brilliantly and have bright futures.
Brandon Ilaw, Mitch Lyon and Ken Kubota
Capping off a mesmerizing evening with a grand performance were Clare Maloney and Nicole Zuraitis, who will, from my point of view, be forever known as the “Cell Sopranos.” Both Clare and Nicole were classically trained and have branched out to become versatile performers. Nicole, nominated for a Grammy in 2019, is a singer songwriter and Clare has been hailed by audiences around the world for her magnificent voice and range. Clare led off with the flirtatious “Musetta’s Waltz” (Quando m’en vo) from Puccini’s La Boheme. Each lady in turn sang a popular song with its roots in opera and then Nicole did a solo rendition of “O Solo Mio.” The evening ended with a stirring performance of the “Flower Duet” from Delibe’s opera Lakme. Dame Joan Sutherland would have enjoyed listening to these two women sing.
Clare Maloney and Nicole Zuraitis
It was a beautiful evening of musical entertainment made more memorable by the interactions of the artists with the audience. The “cell” is a cozy intimate theatre, where there is little space between the artist and the audience Does that work? It certainly does. The audience came to their feet several times during the performances. In addition, spontaneous applause broke out in the middle of a number of the instrumental solos.
Anticipation for the future shows in this series was palpable and I, and I’m sure the entire audience, anxiously await the next performance. Thank you to Charles, Sunny Lee and all of lasts night’s performers for a memorable evening.
CLICK HERE FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TICKETS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL EVENT.
All photos by Vera Maura.
Seunghee Lee, Clarinet “Sunny”and I have assembled an outstanding group of musicians for our 2019 series “Classically Exposed: From Carnegie Hall to The Cell.”
This Friday night, Feb 22nd, 7:30pm, you can get a sampling of four of the shows when Sunny, Empire Wild, Renato Diz, Yuri Juárez, Nicole Zuraitis and Clare Maloney will be performing at The Cell, located at 338 West 23rd St in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.
This is a free event but you must reserve a seat by emailing me at charles@crhproductions.com
emailing me at charles@crhproductions.com
Hope to see you there.
