Overture Magazine 2013-2014 January-February 2014 | Page 39

Program Notes } Jack Everly For Jack Everly’s bio., please see pg. 29. George Takei George Takei, an actor best known for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in the acclaimed television and film series Star Trek, has more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television guest-starring roles to his credit. Recognized worldwide as a member of the original Star Trek cast, Mr. Takei received a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame in 1986, and he placed his signature and hand print in the forecourt of the landmark Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood in 1991. Widely recognized for his vocal talents, George Takei has been a guest narrator with numerous symphony orchestras. In February 2013, he narrated A Survivor from Warsaw with the Nashville Symphony conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero. He narrated the Sci-Fi Spectacular with the North Carolina Symphony in June 2013, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in June 2012, Toronto Symphony Orchestra in May 2012, Detroit Symphony Orchestra in March 2012, Kansas City Symphony in January 2012, Naples (Florida) Philharmonic Orchestra in January 2011, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in July 2010, Cleveland Orchestra in August 2009, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra in April 2009, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in January 2009, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in January 2008 and Seattle Symphony in September 2007. All Sci-Fi concerts were conducted by Jack Everly. Mr. Takei narrated Look to the Future with the San Francisco Symphony in July 2009. In February 2008, he hosted To Boldly Go with the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Sarah Hatsuko Hicks. In November 2004, he narrated Copland’s Lincoln Portrait with the Honolulu Symphony conducted by Samuel Wong. He has narrated Johan de Meij's Symphony No. 1: The Lord of the Rings with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (Mass.) conducted by Kevin Rhodes as well as with the Long Island Philharmonic, Denver Symphony Orchestra, Orange County California Wind Orchestra and the Imperial Symphony Orchestra of Lakeland, Florida, all conducted by David Warble. George Takei last appeared with the BSO in the January 2008 Sci-Fi Spectacular program with Jack Everly conducting. Kristen Plumley Connecticut native  Kristen Plumley brings her joy of being on stage to every role she performs. Lauded as “sensationally note-perfect” (St. Petersburg Times), “a roguish comedienne” (The Middletown) and “Met-worthy” (The Dallas Morning News), Ms. Plumley has portrayed Adina (L’Elisir d’amore) and Gilda (Rigoletto) with Greensboro Opera Company, Musetta (La bohème) with Amarillo Opera, Norina (Don Pasquale) and Zerlina (Don Giovanni) with Virginia Opera, Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro) with New York City Opera, Despina (Così fan Tutte) with Lyric Opera of Cleveland, the Sultan of Egypt (Glück’s Les Pelerins de la Mecque) with L’Opéra Français de New York, Yum-Yum (The Mikado) with Opera Memphis and Josephine (H.M.S. Pinafore) with Nevada Opera. On the concert stage, Ms. Plumley has performed a broad spectrum of works, including Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War and Handel's Sing Unto God with the New England Symphonic Ensemble at Carnegie Hall. Additionally, she has sung Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Elgar’s For the Fallen, Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity and Bach’s Cantata No. 1 across the U.S., as well as Jack Everly’s Sci-Fi Spectacular with the Cleveland, Indianapolis and Seattle symphonies. Enthusiastic about contemporary works, she has been active in many new operas at Canada’s prestigious Banff Centre for the Arts and in companies throughout New York. Ms. Plumley received an artist diploma in opera from the Hartt School of Music and a bachelor of arts in psychology and music from Holy Cross College. Twice a winner in the Connecticut Opera Guil