Opera singer Madeline Andriesen is bringing something of a “thank you” concert to Haines this weekend.
The program for the Sunday evening show, featuring local pianists Nancy Nash and Lucinda Boyce, includes songs the soprano sang while growing up in the community as well as others she has learned during her seven years of studying opera. Both Andriesen and Boyce were students of Nancy Nash.
Andriesen, who is now based in Texas, said she wanted to give something back to the Chilkat Valley residents who supported her with scholarships and by tuning into her recitals.
She’s looking forward to performing Erik Meyer-Helmund’s Das Zauberlied, which is a new one in her repertoire.
“It’s a song about the charm of the love of a place and going back to it,” she said. “That is very much how I feel every time I come back to Haines.”
Another new one for her is Federico Moreno Torroba’s La Petenera, which she described as having a lot of fire and soul and coming from the rarity of a Spanish opera.
She’s also looking forward to reprising songs people may remember her performing here in high school, including Giacomo Puccini’s O Mio Babbino Caro, and “getting to do it justice.”
Proceeds from the concert are going toward the Foundation for the Chilkat Center, which was established to support the center. In the past, the foundation has paid for things like new curtains, lighting and sound equipment for the theater. It has also refurbished the concession center in the lobby.
Lorri Dudzek said some new improvements are going up this week, but said she didn’t want to spoil the surprise, so anyone who wants to see them will have to attend the champagne reception after the show.
Dudzek said the money from Andriesen’s concert will go toward the foundation’s Bitchin’ Kitchen project which was stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We still have money from the fundraisers that we did back in the day and we’re hoping to get some more money. We’re going to entirely redo the kitchen,” she said.
Andriesen’s show, Notes of Gratitude, starts on Sunday, August 10 at 7 p.m. in the Chilkat Center. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8 for students. The champagne and light food reception following the concert is included in the ticket price.