The Brownville Concert Series will present Brownville favorite, Eric Michael Gillett, returning with an all-star cast: Karen Akers, Aaron Lee Battle, and Marta Sanders, to ring in the 2023 holiday season with a celebration of all that is promised during “the most wonderful time of the year!” Gillett is no stranger to holiday shows, having produced and directed multiple seasonal concerts, both in Brownville and in New York City. Join them for a very special evening of holiday spirit, filled with songs of the season, of gratitude, of family, of hope and inspiration. The show will be in concert on Friday and Saturday, December 8 and 9, at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, December 10, at 2:00 p.m. Sponsors are Lifetime Vision Center, Deborah Solie and Lou Solie in memory of John Solie, Auburn State Bank, and Ruth Keene.
Eric Michael Gillett’s film and television appearances include “The Producers,” “Maid in Manhattan,” “Good God,” “Out of Order,” “The Third Testament,” “The Judge, “My Brother,” “The Mysteries of Laura,” “The Blacklist,” multiple episodes of “Daredevil” and “Law & Order” (SVU and Mothership), and “Ed.” Broadway credits include original casts of “Sweet Smell of Success,” “The Frogs,” and “Kiss Me, Kate” (revival). His other major NYC credits include principal soloist turns with New York City Opera in “Cinderella,” “Pirates of Penzance,” and “Candide,” as well as New York City Ballet’s “Seven Deadly Sins.” Most recently, he appeared in the new developmental workshop, “Queen Mother” and in “Dirty Little Songs” at 54 Below.
Stephen Holden, in the “Times,” said, “The verb ‘sings’ is really inadequate to evoke the acute empathy with which Eric Michael Gillett transformed theatre songs . . . into lived experience.” He was a triple 2015 MAC Award nominee (Major Artist, Director, Revue-Dirty Little Songs), while winning his third Outstanding Director award from the organization. In addition to six MAC Awards in varying categories, Eric Michael is the recipient of the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s 2009 Dick Gallaghar Award.
Karen Akers honed her acting skills as an amateur performer, starting in The Arlington Players’ production of “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.” Akers first appeared on Broadway in the original production of “Nine.” Akers won a Theatre World Award for her performance. She was one of three actresses in the show nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Beginning in 1985, Akers appeared in such feature films as Woody Allen’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo” (as a celluloid chanteuse), and in “Heartburn” (as the mistress of Jack Nicholson’s character). She appeared on Broadway in “Grand Hotel.”
Aaron Lee Battle is a singer/actor. Aaron is a Backstage Bistro Award winner for Outstanding Vocalist. Aaron has appeared at many of the cabaret rooms in New York City over the years. These include Don’t Tell Mama, The Duplex, Judy’s, and Helens, not to mention the legendary Eighty-Eights and the Five Oaks (the old one). He has performed at The Apollo Theater’s Music Café with Tom Thorndike and as resident guest artist at Gunay Restaurant in Istanbul Turkey.
Marta Sanders has continued to draw on her mastery of the American nightclub style with her bold and brassy personality. Soon after arriving in Manhattan, her career led her to the New York cabaret circuit.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $16 for students and can be purchased online at www.brownvilleconcertseries.com, on Facebook or call 402-825-3331. The Nebraska Arts Council, 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.
