To be a visionary artist, the key is to be open to the journey and allow yourself to grow, change, adapt and find inspiration when different influences and life circumstances are presented. What a blessing when my path crossed with Rich Cook (our founding Artistic Director) and these extremely talented men. In 2019 I became their staging director, working on Masters and the Mouse and Glorious concerts. Accepting the honor of being A Cabbello’s next Artistic Director is a thrilling and exciting gift. Partnering with Kurt Kelley, an incredibly talented and dynamic music director, and our BelloGents is beyond extraordinary.

To be able to share this ‘off the charts’ tribute to the creative musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim, with all of you here in our new intimate and lovely performance home, CV REP, is so special. Thank you for being here!

Sondheim helped reshape and reinvent the Broadway musical, and was the master of the unexpected. His ability to marry a character’s words and music, that bare a character’s soul with the true hidden meaning behind the lyrics, was sheer genius. There is an immediate bond between anyone who has ever been involved with any Sondheim show because you realized you were a part of something special, and survived to tell the tale. My very first professional choreography gig was Follies. I remember wondering why everyone was sending me notes of encouragement and said ‘you’re going to need it’. I quickly learned ‘how the heck do we count this out’ – his rhythms and time signatures were so complex. There truly was nothing like it. It was like learning another language and I LOVED IT! To all of his fierce followers, I feel you.

His relentless ability to hold emotions in their rawest, intense form make you feel connected to yourself, the story he’s telling and to each other in the audience in empowering ways is sheer genius. Sit back, relax and enjoy. We can’t wait to share his music and those he inspired with YOU!

We miss him, but we will be singing his songs forever,

Linda Moran

Artistic Director