Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehar’s much-loved operetta The Merry Widow will be performed this Saturday by the Susanville Choral Society along with some very special guest artists. The 110 year-old operetta, based on an 1861 comedy play, includes well-known music including the Vilja Song and the Merry Widow Waltz with special performances by Professor Daniel Paulson and pianist Donna Axton.
“We have been fortunate enough to recruit Tenor, Daniel Paulson, of Sacramento, to play the role of Count DaniloDanilovitsch, First Secretary of the Pontevedrin Embassy, in our performance of the Merry Widow,” said Choral Director Liudmila Mullin. “Daniel will perform several solos and duets with his magical tenor voice, and bring an extra element of comedy and excitement to the show.”
Paulson holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance from Sacramento State University and a Masters of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from California State University Los Angeles. He is a Professor of Voice and Choral Music at Sacramento City College.
Recent performance roles for Paulson include the Evangelist in Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion; Bach’s Solo Cantata Ichhabegenug, and a Sacramento-area premier of John Adam’s The Wound Dresser.
He is also the resident artist with the Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and founder and Music Director of the internationally recognized women’s vocal ensemble, VoxMusica.
“Returning to Susanville is our guest pianist, Donna Axton. Those who attended the Choral Society’s concert in January of this year, or were fortunate enough to receive invitations to any of our private salon concerts this year, including the show featuring Elizabeth Pitcairne and her famous Red Violin, will be familiar with Donna. Traveling here from the Tahoe Basin, she will play an enormous role in our pocket orchestra,” said Mullin.
Axton’s background is very interesting – she is currently the Director of Music Programs for Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada’s only accredited, private, four-year institution, where she teaches a wide variety of music courses. She is also the school’s choral director, a 45-voice choir that routinely performs in public concerts.
With plenty of diverse experience in her field, Axton spent 14 years touring the U.S. and world as a pianist in Hoyt Axton’s Country Western, Boogie-Woogie, Gospel, Rock and Roll Band. She played on 21 albums and co-produced two. She also appeared on dozens of television shows, including the Tonight Show. She also has many writing and arranging credits to her name including a collaborative work with writer Chip Meyrelles creating an oratorio version of John Milton’s Paradise Lost.
“The list of Donna’s accomplishments and experiences is phenomenal, and we are so thankful she is willing to join with the Susanville Choral Society and our performance of The Merry Widow,” said Mullin.
The Merry Widow performance will be held at the Susanville Elks Lodge on Main Street this Saturday, May 16th, beginning at 7:00p.m. Tickets to the event, a meager $10 for adults and $5 for youth, are available at Axia Home Loans and Margie’s Book Nook, and at the door. For more information on the show, contact the Choral Society at [email protected], or by phone at 251-6738.
