FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2023
Kyle Knox and the Madison Symphony Orchestra Present
Beyond the Score® Mahler: Symphony No. 4 — Heaven or Earth?
Featuring American Players Theatre Actors, Visual Projections, Soprano Emily Secor, and Live Musical Examples Sunday, March 19, 2023 in Overture Hall
Madison, Wis. – Join the Madison Symphony Orchestra for anther installment of the popular “Beyond the Score® series, Mahler: Symphony No. 4 — Heaven or Earth?” Live actors and multimedia images are featured in the first half, followed by the MSO performing the entire work in the second half under the direction of Associate Music Director Kyle Knox. Joining the orchestra are American Players Theatre actors James Ridge, Colleen Madden, and Gavin Lawrence, Soprano Emily Secor, and MSO’s Dan Lyons on piano. Beyond the Score® is a production of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Gerard McBurney, Creative Director for Beyond the Score®.
“This program will be a great way to spend the afternoon, and an ideal antidote to the ongoing winter weather,” Music Director John DeMain said. “Conducted by our wonderfully talented Kyle Knox and supported by three star actors from American Players Theatre plunges into the depths of this deeply romantic work. Emily Secor, who has the voice of an angel, and who delighted us on our streamed Christmas concert of 2020, returns to sing the angelic last movement. For those of you unfamiliar with Mahler, this is an ideal introduction; his fourth symphony is tuneful, pastoral-like, devilish at one turn, and childlike and heavenly in the end.”
Symphony Concert, Ticket and Event Details
The lobby opens 90 minutes prior to the concert. The Symphony recommends concert attendees arrive early for the performance to make sure they have time to pass through Overture Center’s security stations. Single tickets are on sale now through the Overture Center Box Office. Tickets can be purchased online at overture.org, in-person or by phone by calling (608) 258-4141 during Box Office hours. A single performance of “Beyond the Score® series Mahler: Symphony No. 4 — Heaven or Earth?” concert will take place Sunday, March 19 at 2:30 p.m. and ticket prices range from $18-$74. More information is found at https://madisonsymphony.org/event/2023-beyond-the-score/.
About James Ridge, Actor
James Ridge has been a member of American Players Theatre for 24 seasons. Past roles include John Heminges, King Berenger, Cyrano, Iago, Mr. Bennet, Teach, Richard III, Jacques, Touchstone, Shylock, Malvolio, Puck, Charles Dickens, Lickcheese and Bluntchli. Having played Scrooge in CTM’s A Christmas Carol, he now directs the adaptation written by his talented wife, Colleen Madden. He has also worked with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Next Act Theatre, Forward Theater, Madison Repertory, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and Con Vivo.
About Colleen Madden, Actor
Colleen Madden is a member of American Players Theatre’s Core Company. Recent favorite roles at APT are Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday, Beatrice in A View From the Bridge, and Mariah in Twelfth Night, among many others. Apart from APT, she has also had the honor to perform with Forward Theater, Children’s Theater of Madison, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. T.V.: Chicago P.D., All My Children. Film: Aquarians, Trace the Line, Survival Guide and upcoming Brutal Season.
About Gavin Lawrence, Narrator
Gavin Lawrence has performed with American Players Theatre for six seasons, and was recently seen in Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop – APT’s first show back with a live audience. His plays have been produced in Minneapolis, Washington, DC, and Chicago. Cut Flowers, first produced by Mixed Blood Theatre, garnered five Black Theatre Alliance awards in Chicago including the Lorraine Hansberry award for Best Writing Of A Play. His play, Salt Fish and Bakes, was named Best New Script by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. His plays and musicals for young people have been produced at Universities and High Schools across the country as well as China. Most recently Gavin was awarded with the Fox/ TCG Resident Actor Fellowship for Distinguished Achievement. His fellowship allowed him a three-year residency at Baltimore Centerstage following the death of Freddie Gray and the ensuing uprisings in Baltimore and around the country.
About Emily Secor, Soprano
Praised for her “spicy and rich lyric soprano,” Wisconsin native Emily Secor enjoys performing on and off the operatic stage. She recently completed her tenure as Studio Artist with Madison Opera for the 2019-2020 season, where she performed the role of Annina and covered the role of Violetta in La Traviata, and performed the role of Miss Lightfoot in Fellow Travelers. Emily’s recent performances with Madison Opera as a Studio Artist during the 2018-2019 season included covering the role of Nedda in I Pagliacci, performing the role of Mrs. Nordstrom and covering Anne Egerman in A Little Night Music, and performing the role of First Woodsprite and covering the title role in Rusalka.
About Dan Lyons, Piano
Holding piano performance degrees from DePaul University and a doctoral performance degree from UW-Madison, Daniel Lyons is the Principal Pianist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and has performed in solo, chamber and concerto performances throughout the Midwest. While completing his doctoral program, he researched and performed piano compositions of Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin. He was also the founder of Madison Academy of Music, a private music studio in Madison that provides private instrumental instruction along with one of the country’s largest and most successful Kindermusik programs.
About the Madison Symphony Orchestra
The Madison Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 98th season in 2023–2024. The MSO has grown to be one of America’s leading regional orchestras, providing Madison and south-central Wisconsin with cultural and educational opportunities to interact with great masterworks and top-tier guest artists from around the world. 2023–2024 is Music Director John DeMain’s 30th anniversary season. The MSO’s 100th anniversary season celebration will take place during the 2025–2026 season. Learn more at madisonsymphony.org
Major funding for the Beyond the Score® concert is provided exclusively by the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.
Contact: Peter Rodgers, Director of Marketing
Phone: (608) 260-8680 x226
Mobile: (415) 713-0235
Email: prodgers@madisonsymphony.org
Web: madisonsymphony.org
Link to 22-23 Symphony Season photos: https://bit.ly/mso-22-23-season-photos
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