McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, hosts “When You Wish Upon A Star: A Jazz Tribute to 100 Years of Disney"*at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. The National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s house band, led by pianist and music director Sean Mason, joins with guest vocalists Kim Nalley and Sasha Dobson to deliver unforgettable jazz renditions of iconic songs from the Disney movie score archive. The museum is under the artistic direction of Jon Batiste ("The Colbert Show") and Christian McBride (host of NPR’s “Jazz Night in America"). A free MAC Chat will take place at 6:30 p.m. WDCB 90.9FM Chicago’s Home for Jazz, is the Media Sponsor for this performance.
The program features selections from hit Disney films including “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Lady and the Tramp,” “Mary Poppins,” and “The Jungle Book” that have also been recorded by Disney music fans and jazz greats Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Dianne Reeves and others. Songs will include “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “He’s a Tramp” and “The Bare Necessities,” among others. The concert tour grew out of programming created by the museum in support of the launch of Disney’s film “Soul.”
Sean Mason, pianist and music director of the show, began playing gospel, R&B and soul music on the piano at an early age, which later developed into an original jazz style. As a bandleader, Mason leads two groups, the Sean Mason Trio based in Charlotte, and the Sean Mason Quintet based in New York. Both groups play Mason’s original music.
Dr. Kim Nalley, a lead vocalist, was awarded “Most Influential African American in the Bay Area” in 2005 and “Best Jazz Group in 2013. Nalley completed a worldwide tour in venues from Moscow to Lincoln Center and festivals from Umbria Jazz to Monterey Jazz. Nalley garnered critical acclaim, awards and high rankings on jazz charts internationally, and has recorded with artists like Nora Jones and composed with Bill Murray.
Co-lead vocalist Sasha Dobson has performed worldwide in diverse contexts. Daughter of Gail and Smith Dobson, an establish San Francisco musical family dynasty, vocalist and highly sought pianist, Dobson developed an understanding of jazz from an early age, which allowed her to develop into the powerhouse singer she has become.
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem (NJMH) is a Smithsonian affiliated museum, led by co-Artistic Directors Batiste and McBride, to preserve, promote and present jazz by inspiring knowledge, appreciation and the celebration of jazz locally, nationally and internationally.
Tickets
McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage presents “When You Wish Upon A Star: A Jazz Tribute to 100 Years of Disney”* at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21. Tickets range from $50-$65. A free MAC CHAT will take place at 6:30 p.m. For tickets or more information visit www.AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000. The MAC Box Office is open noon–6 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday and two hours prior to performances.
* This production is not affiliated with, sponsored or authorized by The Walt Disney Company.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and a versatile black box Studio Theatre), outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit www.AtTheMAC.org or @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.
Support for the McAninch Arts Center is provided in part by Bank of America, Brookdale Senior Living Glen Ellyn, the DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville, Anonymous, Sullivan Taylor Family Trust, Frank Modruson and Lynne Shigley, The DuPage Foundation, Ball Horticultural, Clayco, Enjoy Illinois, Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; JCS Arts, Health and Education Fund of the DuPage Foundation; Wight & Company, WDCB 90.9 FM and College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.