Come see us this season and look whose been here over the past seasons.
Illustrated presentation by Robert J. Foster, Professor of Anthropology, University of Rochester
Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) was born in Aurora, NY and became a distinguished Rochester attorney and businessman who served two terms in the New York State Legislature. He was also an internationally known scholar who corresponded with Charles Darwin, influenced Karl Marx, and established the fields of anthropology and archeology in the United States. In 1931, a Democrat and Chronicle article hailed Morgan as “Rochester’s most distinguished man of science.” Today, however, Morgan is hardly remembered in the city that he once called home. What are Morgan’s legacies and how might they be appreciated today?
Jump Castle Riot, a modern blues/rock band from Charleston, SC, consists of Nina
Murchison (vocals), Jay Van Raalte (guitar/vocals), Bradley Palles (drums) and Derk
Van Raalte (bass). JCR has been praised for its effortless chemistry and explosive
sound, which has been described as “if Ella Fitzgerald fronted a band made up of The
Killers and The White Stripes.” The group shares a special connection with the area as
the mother and wife of two members of this exciting band, Lisa Shilepsky Van
Raalte, grew up in Aurora and is happy to introduce them to family and friends.
https://www.jumpcastleriot.com/
Singer songwriters Molly Ruggles and Will McMillan from the Boston area will perform old favorites from Oscar Hammerstein, as well as a few original songs chosen with a Finger Lakes audience in mind.
Will has performed at venues such as Scullers Jazz Club, the Hi-Hat Club (RI), the Inn on Newfound Lake (NH), Westbeth Performance Center (NYC), Spring Island (SC), and Yin Par LeGarcon Chinois (Shanghai). For years McMillan hosted “Will & Company,” a series in Harvard Square highlighting local performers and songwriters, which earned him an IRNE Award for Best Cabaret Show in a Small Venue. He has released four CDs—”Sketchbook 1″ and “Blame Those Gershwins” with pianist Steve Sweeting, “Reel One” with the vocal ensemble At The Movies, and “If I Loved You,” with singer Bobbi Carrey and pianist Doug Hammer. You are welcome to visit his blog, AMusicalifeOnPlanetEarth.WordPress.com or his web site, WillSings.com. You can also watch him perform on YouTube by searching “Will McMillan.”
Molly Ruggles played piano and conducted pit bands for Opryland USA in Nashville, the College Light Opera Company on Cape Cod, and Brown University. She led a house band at the Arboretum in Providence for five years. She also played with the band Bougainvillea, and worked with singers Henrietta Robinson, Lisa Thorson, and Sayida Rivers Farmer. She taught a songwriting seminar at MIT for seven years and recently produced a workshop performance of her original musical The Mis-Matched Pair. You are welcome to visit her web site at MollyRuggles.com.
