February 20, 2004

The Morrison Center Marks Its 20th Anniversary
Two free ‘Bravo Broadway’ performances are a gift to the community

Editors: Please note advisory at end of release On April 15 and 16, 2004, the Morrison Center for the Performing Arts at Boise State University will present two performances of “Bravo Broadway,” a special concert of musical treasures selected from enduring Broadway hits. Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15, and 8 p.m. Friday, April 16. Complimentary tickets to this concert are a gift to the community from Velma Morrison, as president of the Morrison Center Endowment Foundation, to mark the 20th anniversary of the Morrison Center. Tickets will be available on a first come first served basis, with a limit of two tickets per household. Order forms will be available in local newspapers and on media Web sites in early March; a self-addressed stamped, return envelope must be included. Tickets may also be picked up at the Morrison Center Box Office beginning March 15. At the April 15 performance, Morrison Center Honor Medallions will be presented to four individuals who have made notable contributions toward establishing the Center as one of the premier performing halls in the Pacific Northwest. The honorees are banker/philanthropist Ralph Comstock (whose award will be accepted by his widow Bea Comstock), Boise State music professor Del Parkinson, retired architect Ernest J. Lombard, who designed the Morrison Center, and Boise Philharmonic conductor Jim Ogle. The show will be performed by three award-winning stars direct from the New York Broadway stage: soprano Jan Horvath, tenor Michael Maguire and baritone Doug LaBrecque. The pianist will be Robert Felstein. (More information on these performers can be found at www.bravobroadway.com) “Bravo Broadway” is being produced for the Morrison Center’s 20th Anniversary by Artists’ Management Ltd. of New York. The show will include orchestral accompaniment featuring the Pianoforte Orchestra. “Bravo Broadway” has received favorable reviews in other areas. A reviewer at the Blossom Music Festival noted, “The three singers each exuded a palpable charisma, actually inhabiting the roles of various stage characters as they soloed, harmonized and sometimes danced on such lovely numbers.” A Nashville Symphony reviewer wrote, “Nothing against a fully staged Broadway musical, but maybe this is the way to hear these songs. ‘Bravo Broadway,’ featuring three veteran Broadway singers, has hit upon a sure-fire crowd-pleasing formula.” -30- Contact Scott Bodmer Morrison Center for the Performing Arts Business/Marketing Director 208 426-1629 Media Contact Kathleen Craven communications and marketing 208 426-3275 Editors’ advisory • For additional information on “Bravo Broadway” or to arrange talent interviews, contact John Such, executive director of John Such Artists’ Management, at (212) 926-4833. Contact Jack Rucker, Morrison Center Board of Governors Chair, at 938-9402 for additional information on the following topics: 1. Center governance 2. Relationship with Boise State University 3. Related organizational matters 4. Honorees and the award ceremony 5. Why “Bravo Broadway” • Contact information for award winners: 1. Del Parkinson, Boise State University music professor – 426-3300 2. Ernest J. Lombard, retired architect – 939-3311 3. Jim Ogle, Boise Philharmonic conductor – 344-7849 • Telephone interviews with Velma Morrison can be arranged through Eileen Leisk in her Boise office at 345-5225. Topics of discussion might include: 1. The history of the center including: a. Harry Morrison’s personal vision b. The public vote c. Private funding 2. Why this gift to the community at this time • Background information for stories on the Morrison Center will be made available at your request. Story lines might include: 1. A look back on the vote to build the center 2. A look back on fund raising for the center 3. A review of some of the most important shows 4. The Morrison Center’s support of the local arts 5. Velma Morrison’s “An idea too right to be wrong” statement 6. The Morrison Center auxiliary 7. Update on Scott Schlofman, the young boy who donated 50 cents to the center. a. He is now in his 20’s, a dental student in Virginia. b. He is available for a telephone interview by calling 804-399-5878.