11/12/12

Story by Diane Carroll, 913-469-3425

BOWFIRE - Holiday Heart Strings

BOWFIRE to spread holiday cheer in show at Yardley Hall 

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – BOWFIRE's ensemble of world-renowned musicians will celebrate the holidays when they appear at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Yardley Hall.

Some of the world's greatest fiddlers and violinists, who perform in various genres, will present BOWFIRE – Holiday Heartstrings. The show will include favorite classics such as The Nutcracker Suite, Sleigh Ride, So This Is Christmas, Dreydl, Dreydl, Dreydl and The Christmas Song.

Tickets, which are $80, $50 and $40, are available through the college box office at 913-469-4445 or at www.jccc.edu/TheSeries.

BOWFIRE has been impressing audiences worldwide since forming in 2000.

The ensemble takes audiences on a journey that moves seamlessly from jazz to classical to bluegrass to Celtic to rock and world. The combination of master musicians, choreography and vocals is complemented by elaborate costumes and set design.

"When you put the best string players from around the world together on stage, something magical happens," said Lenny Solomon, the group's founder and artistic director. "We are changing people's perception of what a stringed instrument can do."

Solomon has a reputation as one of the world's most skilled and innovative jazz violinists. He has toured extensively in the United States, Canada and Japan with The Lenny Solomon Trio and was a three-time winner of the annual Violinist of the Year Award presented by The National Jazz Awards.

Besides Solomon, BOWFIRE performers include Stephane Allard, Quebecois jazz violinist; Bill Bridges, guitarist; Stephanie Cadman, Celtic fiddler; Shane Cook, fiddler; Bogdan Djukic, classical virtuoso/violinist; George Gao, Chinese Erhu; Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, violinist; Ray Legere, bluegrass fiddler; Lew Mele, bass; Jon Pilatzke, Celtic fiddler; Ben Riley, drummer; Bernie Senensky, pianist; Wendy Solomon, cellist; and Kelli Trottier, Celtic fiddler.

The creative team includes Olivier-nominated stage director Stafford Arima, whose list of credits in the musical theater world include Altar Boyz, the West End production of Ragtime, and Chef's Theater at New York City's Supper Club; choreographer Patricia Wilcox, who has created numbers for everything from Broadway shows to championship ice skaters; scenic director David Kornis, who has lent his creative talents in design to Broadway, film and television; lighting designer Ben Stanton, who is based in New York City specializing in design for theatre, dance, concerts and corporate events and renowned costume designer Karen Ann Ledger.

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