By Amar Guriro

KARACHI: A three-member delegation of the US-based American Voices Foundation (AVF) is on a visit to Karachi for a week. They will attend several workshops on music, theatre and dance to teach and share their experience with young musician, dancers and vocalists.

The delegation comprises pianist and executive director of AVF John Ferguson; vocalist, dancer, choreographer and director Michael Parks Masterson and director, choreographer and writer Carole Hanna McCann. They will also perform a short play with Nida Butt’s group and hold a jazz concert during their visit. Daily Times talked with the guests about musical theatre. All three members of the delegation are experts in their fields. Their performances have reached millions of people through radio and television broadcasts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Germany, France, and India and many other countries.

“It’s our first ever visit to Pakistan, so we all very excited…we received a warm welcome and want to see music students here, so they can perform with us,” said Ferguson, whose work includes over 100 concerts, broadcasts and master classes each year throughout Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. “In musical theatre, the audiences not only listen to music, but watch performances as well,” said Michael Parks Masterson, who is a sought-after performer, director, and choreographer in the United States and Japan. He has performed as Hoke in Driving Miss Daisy, Teen Angel in Grease, Ophelia in 15 Minute Hamlet, and Jim in Big River in addition to performing as a bass soloist in multiple Broadway revues. He also performed on Broadway in Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables. “The most memorable moment of my career was performing at the ‘Christmas at the White House’ concert held at the White House in which I performed with renowned soprano, Renee Fleming,” said Michael.
Source: Daily Times
Date:2/1/2010