Purdue News
Purdue News
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January 21, 2000 Purdue Convos pays tribute to Hoagy CarmichaelWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The end of the last century marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Indiana-born composer and performer Hoagy Carmichael. Purdue Convocations pays tribute to one of Indiana's most popular entertainers with The Hoagy Carmichael Centennial Celebration in the restored Long Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Lafayette at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17. Produced in association with Carmichael's son Hoagy Jr. and his company, The Hoagy & Bix Company, the program will feature 25 Carmichael tunes with new orchestrations that have been arranged specifically for this 50-city tour, as well as facts and anecdotes about Carmichael and his music. The evening will end with a newly written musical look at the song "Stardust" and the trip it took to become the most-recorded song of the 20th century. Conducting the 14-piece "Stardust Orchestra" will be musical director Tom Fay, who has many Broadway and off-Broadway credits including "Grind," "The Rink," "Zorba," the revival of "Damn Yankees" starring Jerry Lewis (which played Purdue in 1998), "Oh, Kay!," "Once Upon a Mattress" with Sarah Jessica Parker, "42nd Street," "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change!" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Featured performers include tap dancer Tony Waag, vocalists Becky Lillie and Dwayne Grayman, and vocal quartet The Small Frys. Since 1986, Waag has been a featured dancer and the executive director for the American Tap Orchestra, touring extensively throughout the United States and Europe. He was also seen in PBS's "Great Performances: Tap Dance in America." Lillie and Grayman have numerous cabaret, cruise ship, television and regional theater shows to their credit. Purdue Convocations will sponsor a reception before the performance and again at intermission in the Long Center's new reception room north of the building. A cash bar will be available. Tickets for the Feb. 17 performance are $20 for the public and $15 for Purdue students. Discounted tickets are available for groups of 20 or more. Charge by phone at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Additional information is available at the Purdue Convocations World Wide Web site at www.convos.purdue.edu. CONTACT: Sue Stevens, Convocations publicist, (765) 494-5045, snsteven@purdue.edu
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