Opera, Broadway, jazz, blues, soul, spiritual and gospel will all combine in one explosive, musically charged night. Do not expect a wide variety of artists, but rather three men with three versatile voices, in the “Three Mo’ Tenors” concert.
Tonight at 8 p.m. the Ohio Theatre will display the musical styles of Rodrick Dixon, Victor Trent Cook and Thomas Young.
The concert is touring nationally with 40 performances in more than 25 cities. It was also on the PBS “Great Performances” special in August.
Marion J. Caffey conceived and directed the performance. He was inspired by the “Three Tenors” concert, but reminds audiences this show is not a spoof of the tenors or their work.
“Imagine, if you will, the same three voices crossing seven musical forms and spanning four hundred years of music in one evening,” Caffey said.
Caffey is impassioned by the talent of black operatic tenors, he said. He hopes to see more blacks on the operatic and classical concert stage.
Caffey has written, directed, choreographed and performed on Broadway. The Connecticut Critics Circle awards graced Caffey with best director and best choreographer for his work in “Blackbirds of Broadway.”
Each of the three performers have been classically trained, but this event gives the men a chance to show off their diverse range of musical styles.
Cook, one of the dynamic trio, has been nominated for a Tony award for his performance in “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” and starred in Broadway’s “St. Louis Woman,” opposite Vanessa Williams. Cook began singing at age three, and his voice has been heard in the White House, Carnegie Hall and by the Pope.
Dixon received the Mary Dawson art guild “Tenor of the Year” award and the 1991 Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation. For three consecutive years, he has been the tenor soloist for the popular “Do It Yourself” Messiah at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall.
Young, the third voice in this outstanding cast, is one of today’s foremost tenors in contemporary opera. He has made appearances in the major music centers of more than 20 countries. He is recognized for his two roles in the City Opera performance of “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.”
This concert will also serve as a tribute to CAPA President Douglas F. Kridler, who will be leaving CAPA to become president of the Columbus Foundation. This event also recognizes donors to the CAPA Annual Fund. The fund drive supports the operations of the Ohio, Palace and Southern theaters in downtown Columbus.
Concert tickets are available at CAPA ticket offices at the Ohio and Palace theaters and all Ticketmaster locations.
