Rodgers Theater presents fundraiser 'A Little Night Music'

Local musicians Pam Howard Becker, Cheri Dawe, James Todd and Kirk Mondy will present “A Little Night Music,” an evening of classical and popular music at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, at the Rodgers Theatre to help raise the matching funds for the CDBG Grant recently awarded to Rodgers Theatre, Inc. to renovate the theater roof.

“The Rodgers Theatre Board is very grateful to Pam, Cheri, Jim and Kirk for their willingness to donate their time and talents to help us raise money for our matching grant project,” Board President Wally Duncan said. “I’ve known them all for years, and they are outstanding musicians.”

Duncan added that this concert is part of an effort to broaden the variety of entertainment offered at the Rodgers.

“We want to expand what the Rodgers brings to our community. We have offered outstanding country, bluegrass and rock for years. We had a tribute to Motown a few weeks ago. Now we’re bringing the community great classical and Broadway music by people in our community,” Duncan said.

The program, which is being sponsored by Ozark Federal Credit Union and Fox Radio, will feature classical works by Handel, Chopin and Puccini, and selections from Carmen and La Boehme, Broadway tunes such as “Ol’ Man River” from Showboat, and “All I Ask Of You” from Phantom of the Opera, and popular songs by Willie Nelson, Scott Joplin and Barry Manilow.

Tickets for the performance are $10, and can be purchased in advance at Ozark Federal Credit Union, the Chamber of Commerce, Myrtle’s Place, Whitworth’s Jewelers, Jessica’s Emporium, online at www.rodgerstheatre.org, or may be purchased at the door.

This performance will bring together some very experienced musicians.

Pam Howard Becker was born in Lexington, Kentucky and raised in Franklin, Ohio. She is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville where she received a Bachelor’s degree in music education. She received a master’s degree in performance from the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Pam returned to Franklin, and taught elementary music and junior high band for five years. She spent her summers singing with the St. Louis Opera Theatre, The Cincinnati Opera Company and The Dayton Bach Society.

In 1989, Pam returned to Missouri with her husband, the late Bob Becker, and began teaching music and voice at Three Rivers College, and taught there for over 20 years. She and Bob sang together at many churches and other organizations in much of the Midwest.

Becker is in her 23rd year as director of music at First United Methodist Church in Poplar Bluff. She directs the Chancel Choir, which is known throughout the area for its fine musicianship and its performance of major choral works with professional ensembles. For several years, she produced and directed the popular “Christmas at the Rodgers” shows. She also directs The Chancel Ringers Bell Choir, as well as children and youth music, and has directed several musicals at Poplar Bluff High School, including Blood Brothers, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and a variety of Broadway hits. She has three children, Kaylin, Andrea, and Courtney, and makes her home in Williamsville.

Originally from Marion, Illinois, Dawe gave her first solo performance at age 3 when she sang “Silent Night” at the Marion First Baptist Church. Her high school years were spent in Durham, North Carolina, where she began formal voice training at Duke University. She studied vocal performance at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and studied with Marjorie Lawrence, who introduced her to the operatic performance. She sang with the Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theatre for five years, performing such roles as “The Doll” in Tales of Hoffman, Susannah in Susannah, Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Rosalinde in Die Fledernaus, and Alice Ford in Falstaff.

Dawe is a past winner of the vocal competition of Saint Louis Symphony Young Artists, the District Competition for the Metropolitan Opera and placed third in the Regional Met Auditions in Chicago.

Dawe moved to Poplar Bluff in 1978 with her husband, the late Jerry Dawe, when he became the Minister of Music at First Christian Church, and she taught at Southern Missouri Christian School. She taught music in Naylor for 20 years, and finished her teaching career at Poplar Bluff High School and Junior High. She has four children, Jeremy, Jonathan, Pilar and Simon, and she currently serves as Choir director at Fellowship General Baptist Church.

Todd is a Poplar Bluff native and has been singing as long as he can remember. He sang in the Poplar Bluff High School Concert Choir from 1968-72 and received an Associate of Arts degree in vocal music from Three Rivers Community College in 1981. James spent 23 years in the United States Air Force, which afforded him the opportunity to perform in a wide variety of music venues around the world, from Egypt to Florida to Alaska. He has performed solos in Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Grand Mass in C Minor, Saint-Saen’s Christmas Oratorio, Verdi’s Requiem, and has sung the role of Balthazar in Merottis, Amahl and the Night Visitors. James has continued singing since returning to Poplar Bluff in 2001. He has sung for the TRCC Patrons of the Arts, Three Rivers College and many local churches, and has performed the “Armed Forces Medley” for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs as part of their annual “Valentine’s for Veteran’s” concert and numerous other events honoring Veterans.

James is a member of the Palace of Praise Church. He and his wife, Brenda, have two children, April and Ricky, two grandsons, Taylor and Brendan, and one granddaughter, Layla.

Mondy is a nearly lifelong resident of Southeast Missouri. He developed a passion for music as a youngster, singing in church and studying piano throughout his high school years. He is a graduate of Three Rivers College and Southwest Baptist University (Bolivar) where he holds a Bachelor of Music (Church Music) degree. While at SBU, he was a member of the select Collegiate Chorale and Chamber Singers and performed a lead role (Martin) in Aaron Copeland’s opera The Tender Land. He also performed with the Chorale in many Masterworks concerts including Handel’s Messiah, the Vivaldi Gloria!, Bernstein’s The Chichester Psalms, and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis (with the Kansas City Philharmonic).

Mondy’s greatest musical passion has always been church music where he has been involved for over 35 years. He has led congregational worship, directed choirs, appeared in numerous cantatas and programs and played piano or organ locally since 1982. He continues to play the piano on Sundays at Fellowship General Baptist Church.

Mondy’s “day job” is with Ozark Federal Credit Union, where he has worked for 36-plus years. He and his wife, Carol (Todd), have two grown daughters, Hannah and Jessica, who both live in Columbia, Missouri.