A Note From The Director

I'd like to thank all of you for coming out to support Chemeketa's theater department and the arts in Salem. With budgets, services, and salaries being cut nationwide, it's so important to remember programs that are sometimes forgotten. Your attendance, contributions, bids on our auction items, and continued support will make this fundraiser a success!

Heart & Music has provided me with an opportunity for many firsts. This is the first time I've organized and planned a fundraiser. This is the first time I've created an original revue. This is the first time I've ever directed a show on my own. Sounds like a lot of work and responsiblity, right? A lot of sleepless nights, stress, headaches, and gnawed fingernails? I'd do it all again ten times over if it meant I could work with such an amazing group of cast members, crew, volunteers, and friends.

As musical theater enthusiasts, we're blessed with the talents of so many gifted composers and lyricists. How does one choose a handful of songs to include in a revue? The hours of research and listening could continue months after today's performance and I'd still never be able to share all the music I'd like. I hope the selections we're presenting to you today will take you on a journey of love, life, friendship, and human emotion.

There is no star of this show, nor one person who deserves all the credit for this event. I want to thank the cast, staff, musicians, crew, and organizers of Heart & Music for all of their hard work and dedication. Words cannot adequately express how appreciative I am for their commitment and for the gift of time they've given to make this not only a fantastic show, but an incredible experience. This truly has been a group effort. Thanks most of all for sharing with all of us your "heart and music."

"You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give."

--Winston Churchill quote paraphrased by the character of
Will Rogers in The Will Rogers Follies

Mat Genuser, Director
Heart & Music