Golden Link Presents
Claudia
Schmidt
With special Guest Maria Gillard opening
Saturday, January 28, 7:30 pm
Rochester
Christian Reformed Church, 2750 Atlantic Avenue, Penfield
$18 ($15 for Golden Link
members; $10 for students; 12 years and under free)
If it were the intention of the
creator or creators of this universe to perfectly blend together
the night sky with moon and stars, it might have been their
intention as well to deliver Claudia Schmidt as their messenger of
reminder.
To say that Schmidt is simply a performer with a talent to
entertain would be a miscarriage of understatement. Schmidt takes
her audiences into her world as easily as the child who discovers
the endless universes that exist in a cardboard box.
From lying on sandy beaches under an endless barrage of northern
lights, to the expected anguish and frustration of spinning tires
on cars stuck deep in snow, from the age-old struggle of change
between adolescence and adulthood to the observation of sheer
idiocy, she leaves it to the imagination of her audience to
conjure their own images of her storytelling and song. No
interpretation of a Claudia Schmidt song or story is wrong-she
invites audiences to tie their associations to her style.
Schmidt weaves her way through her
concert in much the same manner as a jester. Interwoven anecdotes,
revealing her past and present, bring people to expect a
relationship between themselves and memories driven deep with the
passage of time. The concert is an endless display of
self-realization through humor and longing, leaving audience
members yearning to become an integral part of her world.
Claudia Schmidt has been perfecting her craft of performing for
almost four decades. It is a quirky and wonderful hodge-podge (her
word!) of music, poetry, story, laughter. drama, and celebrating
the moment. Work in clubs, theaters, festivals, TV, radio has
added depth and dimension, and since she has always included her
original work along with very personal versions of the work of
others, what you get is a unique look at the world from someone
who says what she sees with clarity, humor, and wonder.
The San Francisco Bay Guardian said: Schmidt's shows are a lot
like falling in love. You never know what's going to happen next,
chances are it's going to be wonderful, every moment is burned
into your memory and you know you'll never be the same again."
More succinctly, Garrison Keiilor said "when Claudia sings a song,
it stays sung"
Maria Gillard
A talented singer, songwriter, and educator from the Finger Lakes,
Maria Gillard has a compelling voice that draws you into the
lyrics which, when combined with memorable melodies, head straight
for the heart. Her music has been described as soul-stirring,
evocative, contagious, lively, and energizing.
"Maria Gillard sings from the soul, with a clear-eyed vision that
cuts straight to your heart. Every time Maria sings, I learn
something more about me."
- Julia Figueras, WXXI.