Soprano Kyaunnee Richardson Performs In Miami Saturday

Miami FL

04 March, 2021

8:28 AM

Description

Miami Times Staff Report, the Miami Times Mar 3, 2021 Critically acclaimed South Florida soprano Kyaunnee Richardson will present a selection of operatic and Broadway songs on Saturday, March 6, at 8 p.m. at the Sandrell Rivers Theater in Miami. The stage-to-screen simulcast hosted by Fantasy Theatre Factory (FTF) will stream free on Facebook and YouTube. Watching in the theater itself, which is located at 6103 NW 7th Ave. in Miami, comes with a $1 ticket price; seats may be purchased online at tickets.FTFShows.com. Richardson will be accompanied on piano by the renowned Gordon Roberts. A studio artist with Opera Orlando for its 2020-21 season and a frequent – and beloved – figure on that company's stage for several of its productions, Richardson said the inspiration for her show was the bustling, glittering home of Broadway itself in New York City. "I never grow tired of traveling to the Big Apple," said Richardson, who recently earned honorary mention for the longest cadenza in Andrew Lloyd Weber's virtual cadenza challenge, based around his "Phantom of the Opera"song entitled "Think of Me." "This concert reflects my adventures when I traveled there in 2018 and had the privilege of seeing the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel"with Joshua Henry and Renée Fleming," she said. Among the songs Richardson will be singing are "Show Me" from "My Fair Lady"(Frederick Loewe); "Not While I'm Around" from "Sweeney Todd"(Stephen Sondheim); and "Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess"(George Gershwin). Her operatic selections will include "Ah! Je veux vivre" from "Romeo and Juliette" (Charles Gounod) and "O mio babbino caro" from "Gianni Schicchi" (Giacomo Puccini). She will also perform "My Child's Eyes," written and composed by Roberts. A prolific pianist, conductor and composer, the Pennsylvania-born Roberts moved to South Florida in 1985 and has since built a reputation both locally and internationally for his work. Fantasy Theatre Factory CEO and Executive Artistic Director Larry Fields said it was Richardson's talent, musical selection and the intimacy of just her and a piano that "sold" him and his team when they selected her show for the ONE@SRT series, which was developed to showcases solo stage-to-screen experiences during the pandemic. "I'm a fan of both classical music and Broadway tunes, and Miss Richardson's voice is phenomenal," said Fields. "Listening to her audition took us to that 'happy place' that's not only enjoyable any time, but is something we all need right now. We are very excited about helping Kyaunnee get her voice heard." The show was recorded by Fantasy Theatre Factory board member and videographer/photographer Gregory Reed. Temperature checks and mask-wearing are required in the theater. The Miami Times is the largest Black-owned newspaper in the south serving Miami's Black community since 1923. The award-winning weekly is frequently recognized as the best Black newspaper in the country by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.