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FEBRUARY 6 AND 7, 2016
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EMPORIA ARTS COUNCIL BRINGS OPERA TO EMPORIA
By Regina Murphy
[email protected]
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Evelyne O’Connor, Paul Kennedy and Brian Romano have planned a special pre-concert dinner as a
fundraiser for the Emporia Arts Council.
Sarah Mesko
Brent Funderburk
The Emporia Arts Council is offering a chance to see some of the
upcoming American stars of opera
when “The Metropolitan Opera
Rising Stars Concert Series” comes
to Emporia State University’s Albert Taylor Hall on Feb. 13.
The concert will begin at 7:30
p.m. and will “offer fans across
North America a rare opportunity
to experience remarkable young
artists on the cusp of extraordinary
careers,” according to
tour management.
Wo r l d class talent
The Emporia concert
will feature four vocalists and one
pianist: soprano Janai Brugger,
mezzo-soprano Sarah Mesko, tenor Sean Panikkar, baritone Trevor
Scheunemann and accompanist
Brent Funderburk.
“It is exciting; it’s something
I don’t believe we’ve had before,”
said Emporia Arts Center Executive Director Dawn Young. “It’s a
chance of a lifetime. These artist
are planning on ending their season at the Met in New York City, so
it’s wonderful to have that in this
community, to have that artistry
available.”
The group will perform selec-
Janai Brugger
tions from “Carmen,” “Faust,”
“Cosí fan tutte,” and many other
operas along with musicals such as
“Porgy and Bess,” “South Pacific”
and “My Fair Lady.”
Brugger is a 2012 winner of all
three prizes in Plácido Domingo’s
prestigious Operalia competition
and of the Metropolitan Opera
National Council Auditions. She
made her debut at Washington
National Opera as Micaëla in “Carmen,” a role she sings at Lyric Opera of Kansas City in April.
Mesko was a national finalist
of the 2009
Metropolitan
Opera National Council Auditions,
pe r fo r m i ng
with the Met
Orchestra under Patrick Summers. She is also
among a rare number of singers
who have won the Richard F. Gold
Career Grant more than once: in
2011 from Washington National
Opera and in 2009 from Central
City Opera. She has received praise
for the role of Suzuki in “Madama
Butterfly” and Dorabella in Mozart’s “Cosí fan tutte.”
Panikkar is recognized for his
“surpassing musicality and passion, commanding self-confidence
and gorgeous expression.” The
Please see Opera, Page 3
Sean Panikkar
Trevor Scheunemann
By Cathryne Scharton
[email protected]
AMERICUS — Americus has a new
restaurant. Rolling Hills restaurant
opened its doors on Jan. 22.
The restaurant is in the building
where The New Breck Cafe was.
Restaurant owner Angie Brockelman completely redesigned the
interior of the building (but credits the interior design to husband
and co-owner Brett Brockelman).
Some of the recipes on the menu
are new, but some of the recipes
came from previous owner of The
New Breck Cafe, Jena Johnson.
The name Rolling Hills came
about after Brockelman was talking with her friends, who suggested the restaurant be named after
the Flint Hills somehow.
Brockelman, who lives in Emporia, previously looked at restaurant spaces in Emporia, but did
not have any luck. After finding
the building at 622 Main St. was
available she decided it would be
a good location to try opening a
restaurant.
Brockelman said the restaurant
employs 10 people, most of them
part time.
Rolling Hills sees customers
from a variety of areas including
Dunlap, Council Grove, Emporia
and Americus. The restaurant
sees many local farmers that
come in for lunch during the
week.
Brockelman ran into one major
roadblock along the way; the onPlease see Rolling, Page 3
CATHRYNE SCHARTON/GAZETTE
Rolling Hills offers a 14-ounce Kansas City strip. The meat is hand-cut and aged in-house.
Good Evening
VOL. 124, NO. 187
Steak dinner suddenly sounds really good.