The Brownville Concert Series (BCS) is excited to have the amazing Marilyn Maye return for its 29th season. This is the third time Marilyn has appeared in Brownville. The first time was in 1991 for the second season, just after the hall had been struck by lightning and burned. She had to perform instead at Arbor Manor Steakhouse in Auburn. 

BCS brought her back for its 20th anniversary season in 2010 and also introduced her to Lincoln at the Rococo Theater. 

Marilyn will perform in cabaret on Friday and Saturday, July 12 and 13, at 7:30 p.m. and in concert on Sunday, July 14, at 2:00 p.m. Sponsors are Lowell Fey, Bruce Frasier and Richard Nielsen, and Marian Andersen.  

Marilyn will also be conducting a Master Class at 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the Concert Hall for vocal students. She has trained and mentored many singers over the years. The limit is five students, who will also receive a free ticket to her show Saturday night. Reservations for the class must be made by July 5 by calling the box office at 402-825-3331. 

Marilyn Maye is a highly praised singer, actress, director, arranger, educator, a Grammy nominated recording artist and a musical treasure. Her entire life has been committed to the art of song and performance. The award-winning Ms. Maye appeared 76 times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Perhaps the simplest Marilyn Maye accolade came after one of her show-stopping appearances when turning to his audience, Johnny Carson said, “And that, young singers, is the way it’s done.”

Her more than 100 engagements in the last nine years in New York include: sold-out multiple nights at the Metropolitan Room, Birdland, five two-week runs at Feinstein’s, New York’s Town Hall, and the 92nd Street Y Theater. 

In the Wall Street Journal last year, Will Friedwald wrote, “When going to hear Marilyn Maye, you’ll find on one side of the room are the Broadway and cabaret people, who tend to like their singing big and theatrical, with a lot of drama and stage presence. On the other side is the jazz crowd, who want everything hip and cool and understated, and will split the scene if anything doesn’t swing. Ms. Maye is the only pop-song diva working today who can satisfy both crowds at once.” 

In the New York Observer, Rex Reed wrote “Her show is not to be missed…It’s a master class in singing conducted by a polished pro who majored in unforgettable.”

All tickets are $25 ($16 for students). To purchase tickets online go to www.brownvilleconcertseries.com or Facebook or call 402-825-3331. While the Concert Hall is undergoing construction, enter by the rear doors nearest the parking lot. The Nebraska Arts Council (www.nebraskaartscouncil.org), a state agency, supports this program through a matching grant funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.