John Adams "1776";
Rodolfo LA BOHEME;
Curly OF MICE and MEN;
the Monk TORQUEMADA;
Sid El Karr DESERT SONG;
Prince of Persia TURANDOT;
Mario Lanza LIMBO LOUNGE ;
the lord CHRISTOPHER SLY;
Judge Danforth the CRUCIBLE:;
Karl Franz the prince STUDENT PRINCE;
Eisenstein DIE FLEDERMAUS;
Don Quixote MAN of LaMANCHA;
Dr. Evans ON BORROWED TIME;
emcee HOW TO TRAIN YOUR MAN;
minstrel ONCE UPON A MATTRESS;;
John Worthing IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST;
Verdi's REQUIEM,
Brahms REQUIEM
Mozart's REQUIEM,
Handel's MESSIAH,
Orff's CARMINA BURANA (Baritone Soloist)
Mendelssohn's ELIJAH + 47 more oratorios.
Background - played Tuba / Sousaphone since Junior High School. Graduated as a band director at Eastern Kentucky University, trained as a Naval Aviator in Pensacola, Florida. Served as a U. S. Marine Corps jet pilot in Vietnam (two tours) receiving 13 Air Medals and a Navy Commendation Medal. In my free time appeared in surrounding communities and on military bases as a soloist with dance orchestras, local musical productions, opera companies, military field bands, as well as touring with operatic ensembles, and symphony orchestras.
Highlights -
Tour Northern Spain as soloist with Camerata of Los Angeles 1980
1st Carnegie Hall performance with Camerata of Los Angeles June 1999
2nd Carnegie Hall performance with Camerata of Los Angeles June 2002 San Diego Opera, San Diego Civic Light Opera, Valley Opera, Old Globe, UCSD, SDSU, SDU, UCLA, USC, Southwestern University, California Western, U. S. International University, San Diego City College, Ventura Community College, Ventura Symphony, Yuma Symphony, U.S.Marine Corps Bands including the President's own, Royal Hawaiian Band, Savannah Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Pacific Lyric Theater, Holiday Inn, French Market Grille, La Strada, Four Winds, Giovanni's, Villa Lasagna, Verdi's Restaurant, Lawry Restaurants Five Crowns, Harold Kaye & Bill Davies Orchestras, Good Times, Lamplight Carolers, PARI'S ALLER/RETOUR BAR nightclub in Paris, Burbank Chorale, Showcase Singers "Dave and the DEE CEEs", the Poetry Show
"MAN with the HATS" Show and Nine shows in the new Sage Theater, Times Square, NYC May 2002, Cultural Exchange 12 day Tour of Mainland China Oct 03 to perform Tenor Soloist (60 piece orchestra & 44 voice Chorus) in Beijing, Nanjing, Tianjing, Hangzhou, Sozhou, & Shanghai.
Affiliations - AGMA, Actors Equity, Musician's Union
or if you prefer please read below
PILOT
PERIOD After graduating as a band director from Eastern
Kentucky University, I joined the military to be trained as a pilot. I was
commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and served 20 years as a
pilot flying 12 different aircraft types. During the 20 years, there are many
momentous moments but the most trying were those moments spent in a war zone.
I did fly the A-4 in North Vietnam like Senator John McCain did. We both got
shot at but I had good fortune and did not get hit. I did earn 13 awards of the
Air Medal while flying in Vietnam during my two tours there. Each Air Medal
represents 20 combat missions. Amazingly, I did not get a scratch on me during
all that time. The last half of my first tour would find me reassigned to be the
Staff Secretary to Major General Robertshaw the Commanding General for all
Marine Air in I Corps. It was during this period that I wrote, with the help of
the General, the Warrant Officer, the Lance Corporal, a song to honor the Marine
Corps. Armed with a couple of stanzas, I approached a musician that was
traveling with the Bob Hope Show in Danang, Vietnam. That musician suggested
that my efforts needed a chorus to be added to the song. Two months later
(Feb '67) I applied for copyright for the song which would become "A United
States Marine".
SAN DIEGO
After getting out of the Marine Corps without a single accident flying those 20
years, I still loved to sing so I decided to pursue the art realizing full well
that only a very small percentage of individuals ever become wealthy in so
doing. I auditioned for and did sing in the San Diego Opera for ten
(10)years. And get this.. in the very first opera, I
was given the opportunity to sing the role of the Prince of Persia in the
Puccini opera "Turandot". I would go on to learn,understudy,
and sing several compramario roles along with running the Opera's outreach to
the city and county schools there is San Diego. Other opportunities which I
had while in San Diego was to be asked to sing the role of Don Quixote in
Southwestern's production of "The Man of LaMancha", the
role of the student prince in the Balboa Park 4000 seat outdoor amphitheater
"the Starlight Bowl" production of Sigmund Romberg's operetta
"The Student Prince", the role of Sid El Karr in
"Desert Song", and the roles of "the lord" in
Christopher Sly", and John Adams in "1776" at
UCSD, Other opportunities were given me to sing the amante in
"Amelia Goes to the Ball" at CalWestern (now Point Loma
Nazarene College). San Diego State University (SDSU) allowed me to sing
a few roles in different productions - Judge Danforth in the
"Crucible" and Curly in "Of Mice and Men". At
SDSU I was recorded (33 1/3) as the Tenor Soloist in their production of Verdi's
"Requiem". At San Diego City College I was asked to sing
the minstrel in "Once Upon a Mattress". Balboa Park's Old
Globe invited Pacific Lyric Theater to perform in their theater where I did
the role of Herr Engel in Mozart's "The Impressario". As a
singer with Pacific Lyric Theater I was privileged to perform in several World
Premiers at the Casa Del Prado Theater in Balboa Park - Two operas
written by Howard Wells and a work by Mario Castel Nuovo Tedesco "The
Importance of Being Earnest" which was later produced in Los Angeles
for the Euterpe Opera Club in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
VENTURA
As a result of this Euterpe performance, I was invited to study with Madame
Luisa Franceschi who had retired in Ventura, California. Madame Franceschi had
had a studio in New York City where she and her husband had such talented
singers under their tutelage as Mario Lanza, Grant Garnelle, George London,
Zinka Milanoff, Eugene Connally, Richard Stillwell and while in Ventura a local
singer - Geraldine Decker who went on to sing at Seattle and the Met.
Under Madame Luisa's guidance the voice that you hear today is directly
attributable to her guidance. After working with me in different venues and
before her departing she had said the following to me regarding my future:
"Dave, go audition for all the operas that you want, but in my opinion - if you
get the right exposure, I expect to see you as a headliner in Las
Vegas."
L.A.
From 1979 - 1989, ten years, was invited to become a member of the "Showcase
Singers" in Orange County which necessitated a move to Los Angeles where I lived
for 22 years. The primary thrust of the Showcase Singers was to perform excerpts
of musicals and would lead to the ability to sing songs from 70 different
musicals. Other opportunities came with the move, exposing me to become soloist
with the Camerata of Los Angeles Chorus and Orchestra, soloist opportunities
with the New Valley Symphony, and a chance to do the role of Roldofo in the
Valley Opera production of "La Boheme". After
developing a new show which I called "the Man with the Hats" I was adopted by
the first of three agents whose efforts had me singing for Women's Clubs. Almost
simultaneously, I was sought to become a vocalist at an Italian restaurant,
Villa Lasagna followed then by a French restaurant on Wilshire in Beverly Hills
"The Chambord". During the day, I was on call to sing for the five parks of
Forest Lawn. An engagement which would last 13 years.
TRAVEL
Scattered throughout the years, were opportunities to sing twice in New York's
prestigious Carnegie Hall, the Sage Theater in Times Square, be a
soloist with Chorus & Orchestra in 18 concerts in different cities in 20
days touring Northern Spain, and occasional visits to Hawaii where I was invited
to sing with the state's Royal Hawaiian Band. With the seasoned performer, Lee
Cochran, we were hired by Holiday Inn to entertain on the 12th floor
where we outlasted three "rock" bands who were on the First floor. I also
developed a song and dance act, "Dave and the DeeCees" where while I sang the
two young ladies would change their costumes and while they danced I would
change my costume. We had twelve costume changes in this show. That show became
entitled "Anything West" and was performed for Yacht Clubs in Westlake
Village and Newport Beach and several fraternal
organizations.
LOSS In the year 2000, a
diagnosis of Esophageal Cancer caused everything to be placed on hold. The
battle resulted in the loss of a spouse, and understandably the years following
that were a very down period. A 2002 decision was made which resulted in the
investment and production of a Patriotic Music CD. which was entitled "Patriot
Voices" upon which you will find these selections:
THE CD - A United States Marine;
the Marines' Hymn;
Once a Marine;
I'll Carry the Torch;
United We Stand;
Defence of Fort McHenry;
Freedom is More Than a Four Letter
Word;
Flight 93;
Amazing
Grace;
Taps;
I Want to Be a Taliban Girl
& Not So Distant a Dream.
Efforts to get the CD into the Military Exchanges were
fruitless because they (the exchange system) would not make me a Vendor since I
only had one product. If there is an interest, please know that the CDs are
available at the time of each performance. Since I do not have a seller's
permit, I will accept your donations in exchange for the opportunity to obtain
this unique, landmark Patriotic CD which contains eight (8) songs which you have
never heard and only four with which you are familiar.
ONE-MAN
Since then I have developed a series of one-man shows which I call "Rockin' Hits
of YesterYear" which have become popular utilizing the old songs from my
era presented in a sing-a-long style for residents to join in and
sing. Facilities where I have been performing include:
Assisted Living,
Skilled nursing,
Convalescent Hospitals,
Adult Day Care Centers,
Independent Living,
Retirement Homes,
Retirement Apartments,
and various senior functions
(seniors' parties, birthdays, and anniversaries).
Each facility remunerates my efforts according to their
abilities. I do wear a tuxedo to make the event special for both myself and for
the residents. My music accompaniment is provided by my very wise purchase of
the BOSE Wave Player - a fifteen hundred dollar investment.
SHOWS
Should you desire to check out the listings of the songs contained in the
pre-packaged shows you can avoid the added investment of time in researching and
customizing a special performance.
Rockin' Hits of YesterYear I Valentine's
(in
development) Musicals
Rockin' Hits of YesterYear II Irish
Program Christian Oldies
Rockin' Hits of YesterYear III
Patriotic Christmas
Sing-a-Long
Rockin' Hits of YesterYear IV Patriot
Voices Israeli (in
development)
Rockin' Hits of YesterYear V
Halloween
You are invited to visit my Website. On the "MY JOURNAL"
page will find a list of all my one-man performances for the past 2
yrs. Complete with Facility name, City and State It will
also list the shows that are already on the schedule.
After perusing my website you will want to call
and discuss the details needed for your consideration.
[COMING Song listing for each show
has yet to be uploaded to the website]
The PRESENT I am a 76 year old Vietnam Veteran who has a GREAT VOICE and a large
repertoire. I am very blest to have the agility, stamina, and strength to enjoy
playing racquetball (2 hours on Tuesdays at CAL TECH in
Pasadena and 3 hours on Saturdays at the BLOCK in Orange) and I
enjoy entertaining SENIORS.
Thank you for your consideration to inviting this
entertainer to come to your location
