Photo courtesy Carole Howard.
Fans of country singer-songwriter Tim Sullivan and his hugely talented musical family will want to save the date of Saturday evening, October 14 for a cabaret-style benefit concert in Durango showcasing the musical skills of three members of the family, plus two other special guests.
The theme of the event is ‘Broadway in the Rockies’. All concert proceeds go to the Jim and Elizabeth Sullivan Foundation for the Arts to provide scholarships for deserving local youth with a talent for music, dance or visual arts in the Four Corners.
The event will take place in the ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel at 7:30pm. Following the concert, there will be an informal reception and jam session in the DoubleTree’s Animas River Lounge. All attendees are welcome.
Local scholarship winners
Multiple Pagosa Springs youth have benefited from scholarships from the Sullivan Foundation. They include members of the Pagosa Springs Girls Choir, Kathleen Isberg’s piano student Jovanka Ponce de Leon, Venita Burch’s voice student Gustavo Palma, piano student Mark Holladay, and voice and piano student Regina Sikes.
Concert performers
Tim’s sister KT Sullivan returns to Durango from New York City to perform as the headliner for the concert. She is the star of numerous Broadway productions and an internationally acclaimed singer and recording artist. KT has sung in several venues in the U.S. including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Spoleto Festival and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as well as in London, China and Australia. Her theatre credits include Broadway where she starred in Marilyn Monroe’s role of Loralei in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” She also performed and danced the tango with Sting in “Threepenny Opera.”
Tim Sullivan is well known in Pagosa Springs for his many local performances when the dance floor is jammed with people doing the Texas two-step and line dances to his music, both original and covers of such greats as George Jones and the Eagles. Tim has performed in seven countries. He also has played with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and in Carnegie Hall, and been a featured performer with country stars such as Alan Jackson, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Glen Campbell and Tammy Wynette.
In addition to Tim and KT, their mother, Elizabeth Sullivan, returns to Durango from Oklahoma to perform. A brilliant vocalist, songwriter and piano player, Elizabeth is the matriarch of this accomplished musical family. When they were young, her eight children formed the Sullivan Family Gospel Singers with their mother, from whom they learned classical piano and voice as youngsters.
Tim and his family have performed in concert at Carnegie Hall four times. Their last performance was featured on NBC’s “Today Show” and NBC Nightly News.
Also on stage will be award-winning singer and recording artist Natalie Douglas as well as jazz pianist and composer Jon Weber, former host of Piano Jazz on NPR. Both Douglas and Weber have impressive U.S. and international performing credits and have wowed fans in Durango at previous Sullivan family benefit concerts.
Tickets and sponsorships
October 14 marks the 10th Sullivan family scholarship concert. Tickets are $100. Half-sponsor or full-sponsor tables with premium seating are available as well. Purchases may be made online at jesullivanfoundation.com or by emailing jesullivanfoundation@gmail.com or phoning Tim Sullivan at 970-749-5531 for assistance.
All seats are reserved. Seating is cabaret style and a cash bar is available.
Master classes available
While here, the gifted musicians from New York will follow their past tradition by hosting a vocal performance master class for local high school and college-age performers who want to take advantage of their experience and expertise. The sessions will take place at Stillwater Music’s performance space at 1316 Main Avenue, Suite C, in Durango on Friday, October 13 from 3-5pm and Saturday, October 14 from 10am – 2pm. Cost is $25 and scholarships are available through the Sullivan Foundation at j.e.sullivanfoundation@gmail.com.
One of the master class participants will be chosen to receive a scholarship from the Sullivan Foundation to perform next year in New York City. Two talented Pagosa youngsters have won this prestigious honor — Gustavo Palma and Allora Leonard. Both sang at the International Cabaret Convention at Lincoln Center and also performed at Birdland Jazz Club in New York City.
Some of the master class participants will perform at the October 14 concert.