This week at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, opera star Michel Bell will be making an appearance. Ludwig Brunner, the director of the Quick Center, gives insight about the Broadway singer.
“Michel Bell is a very famous bass-baritone with a very unique career. Mr. Bell started out very many years ago as a popular singer,” Brunner said. “Then he became an opera singer, and then he became a Broadway star.”
According to Brunner, Bell starred in a multitude of shows and was nominated for a Tony for his role in “Showboat,” which included a U.S. tour. He also starred in the show “Civil War” and was a soloist in “Riverdance: The Musical.”
“[Showboat] originated in Toronto, but it toured all over the United States and to London. He won many other awards in different cities,” Brunner said.
Bell has performed at the White House, the Kennedy Center and has given a masterful performance at the Lincoln Memorial to 600,000 people, including the First Lady, for America’s Millennium.
The specialty program Bell will be doing on campus is titled “America In Song.” On Sept. 27 at 4 p.m., Bell gave a talk about his remarkable career, life and his various genres of performance, which was free to all students.
On Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m., he will perform songs to the Piano accompaniment of Catherine Matejka, in a concert to the St. Bonaventure University community. His performance will include highlights from “Porgy and Bess” and “Showboat,” as well as “Civil War” and a collection of popular American songs.
One of Bell’s most iconic performances is “Ol’ Man River” from “Showboat.” His deep, resonating voice is something not to be forgotten. His visit to the Quick Center is sure to be a treat for all who listen, said Brunner.
By Anastasia Smith, Staff Writer
smithan18@bonaventure.edu
