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Don't try to figure him out, Just Laugh!

As executive director of The Tassel Center for the Performing Arts, Rachel Morgan knows unusual talent when she sees it. Canadian Michel Lauziere fits the bill.

As a visual humorist, Lauziere cut his teeth working for 10 years as the straight man in a comedy duo. In 1988 he launched his solo career working as a fantasy artist, a musician and as "a creative performer."

Lauziere will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at The Tassel, 1324 Tilden St., Holdrege.

Morgan has trouble finding words to describe the work of Lauziere.

He appears as "The Balloon Man" and "The One Man Band" while wearing the hornophone suit and playing his dishophone.

Fluent in five languages, Lauziere can perform his show in English, French, German, Spanish or Italian.

Lauziere's Web page defines himself as "inventor, acrobat, comedian and musician rolled into one charismatic 'Master of unusual comedy.'" He has appeared at more than 600 performances in North America, including "The Late Show with David Letterman," the Jerry Lewis Labor Day MDA Telethon, "The Arsenio Hall Show," American Comedy Awards and many half-time shows at NBA games. Internationally, Lauziere has worked in more than 45 countries and 400 cities.

March 6, 2008

Four guys with mics prove to be lots of fun

by Jack Donoghue

If thers's a question about how much fun you have with four guys with mics, the answer was more than obvious Tuesday night at the Tassel.

Cadence, an a cappella quartet that doubles as its own back-up band delighted and involved a redily-willing audience witha top-quality, high energy, low-tech offering in a sparkling curtain closer for the Tassel Performance Arts series.

The lively, amibitious outing that included "Minnie the Moocher", "Matilda", Mozart and even "Sweet Adeline" - to drop just a few names - also played to memebers of the audience.

Being part of the entertainment is the best theater experience. There's nothing better than a program that brings up the house lights and extends itself throughout the auditorium, even to what the vocalists smilingly called the "cheap seats."

Cadence singers got good mileage out of sharing the evening with concert-goers and "My Romance" will never be the same for Chelsea Feusner of Holdrege, the subject in a special spotlight serenade on stage.

The group's uncanny ability to turn vocal into instrumental, according to the turn, brightly embellshed a thoughtful mix of sing-along tunes and those not off-the-rack.

The "Brown-Eyed Girl" found herself back in the days of "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and Nat King Cole was able to "Straighten Up and Fly Right" in good company with "The Duke From Dubuque."

If there's a question about which male vocal quartet is outstanding in its field the answer is obviously Cadence, right through the encore.

A wonderful show. Take a bow.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN - Holdrege, NE (Wednesday, May 2, 2007)

Carlson, Garrison slate Oct. 30 debate at Tassel

The Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring a debate between District 38 legislative candidates Tom Carlson of Holdrege and Wayne Garrison of Nelson.

The debate will be held on 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 30 at The Tassel Performing Arts Center in Holdrege.

"We are very pleased that we can host this debate. It is one of our main functions as a Chamber to keep our community informed and aware of the issues that our community faces," said Kara Mueller, executive vice president. "We hope that this debate will help people make an informed decision on Nov. 7."

Another debate has been set for Nov. 1 at Superior High School. This debate will also be at 7 p.m. and is sponsored by the Superior chapter of the FFA.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN - Holdrege, NE (Tuesday, October 24, 2006)

Tassel Council awarded grant for Arts Series

The Tassel Coordination Council announced today that it has been awarded a grant of $2500 by the Nebraska Arts Council. This grant will support the 2006-2007 Tassel Performing Arts Series.

Nebraska Arts Council's Executive Director, Suzanne Wise, commended The Tassel Coordination Council for its programs, noting "The Tassel Coordination Council does an outstanding job of providing arts activities in Holdrege. It is through fine organizations like this that Nebraska's children receive a better education in the arts, and the quality of life is improved for all Nebraskans."

The Tassel Performing Arts Series opens its season with the Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats and follows with Jose Franch-Ballester, Angela Jia Kim, The Good Humor Men, the Metropolitan Strings Quartet, Club Swing, Allegro Chamber Trio, Soli Deo Gloria Cantorum, and Cadence. Season tickets are still available at $60 for adults and $30 for students. For more information about the Tassel Performing Arts Series, contact the Tassel at 308-995-2717 or visit us on the web at www.thetassel.org.

The Nebraska Arts Council grants monetary resources to Nebraska's nonprofit organizations for arts projects and programs in communities throughout the state. This financial support is made possible by funds appropriated by the Nebraska Legislature and through competitive grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Nebraskans wishing to learn more about these grants should visit the NAC website at www.nebraskaartscouncil.org.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN - Holdrege, NE (Wednesday, August 9, 2006)

Kids put on musical at Tassel

The Tassel Coordination Council, Inc., (TCC) in Holdrege presented "Feelin' Good" a children's musical about staying healthy and fit on Friday, July 21.

This performance was a culmination of a week long camp, held July 14-21 at the Tassel Performing Arts Center called "Music in Motion."

The camp was a cooperation of the Tassel Performing Arts Center and the YMCA of the Prairie. Chelsea Anderson-Fuesner taught the week long camp and worked with 26 students in grades kindergarten through fifth.

Songs in this musical included the "Exercise Tango," "The Food Pyramid," and "Couch Potato." Many songs featured soloists.

Feusner remarked, "It was incredible what these students accomplished in one week of rehearsals. I'm proud of each and every one of them."

One of the highlights at the end of the performance was the opportunity for the audience to participate in some of the activities the students enjoyed throughout the week. The performance ended with a rendition of "The Electric Slide" and "The YMCA" which students had used during the week to get their bodies and voices energized.

"Music in Motion" was sponsored by a Kinder Morgan KM for Kids grant.

Executive Director for the Tassel, Rachel Morgan commented, "It was a great way for both the Tassel and the YMCA to work together."

The next show at the Tassel is "Annie Get Your Gun" presented by Theatre of the American West and will run Thursday, July 27 and Friday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for students under 12. Tickets are available at the Holdrege area banks and at the Tassel.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN - Holdrege, NE (Tuesday, July 25, 2006)

Tassel is the host for two enchanted evenings of music

Thursday and Friday, June 28 & 29 was an enchanting evening at the Tassel Performing Arts Center.

The Tassel presented Theatre of the American West's production of "Some Enchanted Evening", a musical review of famous Rogers and Hammerstein music.

Audiences were treated to a refreshing evening of songs such as "It's a Grand Night for Singing" from State Fair, "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma!, and "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel.

This special production featured six musicians; Chelsea Richards, Samantha and Kassandra Wendell, Dustin Witte, Charles Davies, and Holdrege's own Chelsea Fuesner.

Fuesner remarked, "We worked hard on this production, and being able to bring it to the Tassel stage is a special treat for us." This two night showing marked the end of the run for this show.

The next show at the Tassel Performing Arts Center is "Annie Get Your Gun", also presented by the Theatre of the American West on Thursday and Friday, July 27 & 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale at the Tassel and Holdrege banks. The Tassel is holding it's second annual "Steak and Theatre" event on Thursday, July 27 with a steak dinner before the show.

For more information, contact the Tassel at 995-2717 or info@thetassel.org.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN - Holdrege, NE (Thursday, July 6, 2006)

Museum, Tassel open funds with PCCF

The Nebraska Prairie Museum and the Tassel Coordination Council have both recently opened new funds with the Phelps County Community Foundation.

These funds will allow the public to support The Tassel and the museum by making contributions through the Foundation. Donors who wish to contribute to these organizations can make gifts and memorials to benefit the museum or The Tassel in a variety of ways:
· Stop in the Foundation office at 701 4th Ave (Johnson Center) in Holdrege
· Mail a check to the above address
· Call in with a credit card payment (308) 995-6847
· Visit the website at www.phelpsfoundation.org and click on "ways to give" under the donor tab.

Donors giving gifts and memorials to The Tassel, museum, or any fund held at the Phelps County Community Foundation will receive a charitable tax receipt.

The Foundation will notify charitable organizations of gifts made to their funds.

Others interested in promoting organizations through the Phelps County Community Foundation may call or stop by the Foundation office for more information.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN -- Holdrege, NE (Thursday, May 26, 2005)

Jensen drums up interest in big band benefit concert

He knows a lot more about Glenn Miller than he did when he and his family happily huddled around the old Zenith radio.

And Dick Jensen of Holdrege knows that he'll never know enough.

It's like being a breeder reactor, he said. "The more I learn, the more I want to find out."

In a perpetual pursuit to bring back those good old days, he's helping engineer a big band benefit conert for The Tassel Performance Center Sunday, October 10 at 3 p.m. at The Tassel that'll include a tribute to Glenn Miller commemorating the centennial celebration of his brith.

And Dick has been enjoying an annual five-hour pilgrimage to Clarinda, Iowa, for the Glenn Miller Festival.

That's where he met Irwin "Whitey" Thomas, a first-chair trumpet in the Glenn Miller Band.

"He knows so much about Miller, jazz, the bands, the singers, so many details that most people would never know," he said.

He said Mr. Thomas regretfully declined an invitation to make a guest appearance at the Big Band Reprise benefit at The Tassel.

Big Band Reprise will recreate elements of the Chesterfield radio show in a tribute marking the 100th anniversary of Glenn Miller's birth.

"The curtain opens with the band playing 'Moonlight Serenade,'" said Dick, replaying the emotional Clarinda Chesterfield recreation. "The audience is mostly no-hair, gray hair, and there's not a dry eye in the place."

The Tassel event will include pieces by many other big bands of the era, and it'll all be music to the ears of the long-time drummer.

"My father loved jazz and big bands," said Dick. "That's what I grew up with and it's something I really enjoy."

Dick started playing drums while he was in high school. In 1961, he signed up with Lavala Freeburg's Starlight Serenaders.

"I played for Lloyd Porter for years, and I'd get calls from bands coming through the area looking for a drummer," he said.

He's got a drum set in the basement and often picks up the sticks and returns to yesteryear's bandstands.

"I'll come down here, crank the stereo up and play right along," he said, with a broad smile.

And it's all more personal now -- especially with it's Glenn Miller.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN -- Holdrege, NE (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)

Concert to celebrate band leader's birth

A benefit concert at The Tassel Performance Center in Holdrege in October will be part of a musical celebration of the 100th anniversary of Glenn Miller's birth.

The "Big Band Reprise" will be on the stage at The Tassel Sunday, October 10 at 3 p.m., sharing the music of Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Duke Ellington and Peggy Lee.

The 16-piece band includes Holdrege High School Band Director Bryan Bohn and Minden High School student Andrew Meyers.

The benefit concert for The Tassel will be the first event utilizing the new reserve seat ticketing system, with all tickets for reserved seating.

Tickets are available by calling The Tassel at 308-995-2717 or by email at info@thetassel.org.

To order tickets by mail, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Tickets/Big Band Benefit, PO Box 526, Holdrege, NE, 68949.

Anyone wanting more information can call Janet Bailey at 995-5399 or Sylvia Person at 995-6488.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN--Holdrege, NE (Thursday, September 16, 2004)

Tassel director: Growth is goal

HOLDREGE--Ranae Krajewski wants to use her experience as a manager and her love of theater to help The Tassel Performing Arts Center grow.

Krajewski was recently named executive director of The Tassel, an 800-seat Holdrege facility for the performing arts. The Tassel hosts local events, such as high school band concerts and theater performances, as well as bringing in outside acts and being available for rental.

On the job since June 1, Krajewski said she was planning to improve The Tassel by listening to the community in order to get acts they will enjoy. She also said she would not only like to appeal to the people of Holdrege, but also the people around the area, "especially people who haven't been able to experience the theater or some of the acts that we're bringing in."

After serving as the office manager of Good Samaritan Health Systems' Wellness/Fitness Center for 3 1/2 years, Krajewski had to return to her hometown Grant in October 2003 to take care of her mother after a liver transplant, she said. During that time, her brother-in-law found an ad for The Tassel position and thought the job would be a great fit for her.

While Krajewski's job at Good Samaritan was outside her field, the learning experience prepared her for her work at The Tassel. "I could bring my love for the theater and the performing arts in with my experience for office management. They're a great mixture for this job, and it's been a nice transition."

In her life and her education, the performing arts, especially theater, have been important to Krajewski. "It's been a big part of my life, and I just think it's important everyone be able to have the opportunity to experience it, and that's what The Tassel's all about," she said.

While doing a lot of work with the theater, Krajewski said she really found her love in acting since she played Juliet in fifth grade. "It's so much fun to see people relate to the characters on stage and see people get lost in a couple hours' worth of performance."

Krajewski attended Chadron State College for two years, majoring in secondary education with endorsements in English, speech and theater, and graduated with a fine arts degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in December 1999.

Whether Krajewski will be acting in any shows at The Tassel is "to be negotiated," she said.

Krajewski said she is excited with being involved with such a modern facility, which was opened in 1999. "The community is so lucky to have this because there's so much that can be done here," she said. "I really want to be a part of seeing this grow."

Upcoming events include a performance of the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" by The Theatre of the American West Aug. 9 and a big band concert Oct. 10 benefiting the Tassel Coordination Council and celebrating Glenn Miller's 100th birthday. Tickets are available by calling 308-995-2717.

KEARNEY HUB--Kearney, NE (Wednesday, July 21, 2004)

Six puppeteers to offer unique message Aug. 4

Six puppeteers will blend black-light, shadows, humor and songs into a unique spiritual message on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. at The Tassel Peroformance Center in Holdrege.

There is no admission charge.

The One Way Street Ministry Team will present "Join the Hall of Faith," a lively musical about heroes of the Bible and a perspective on testimonies of faith in today's world. The show will include a large costume puppet, blacklight effects, shadow puppetry, and songs and dialogue that combine humor within a spiritual message.

Sponsors for the performance are North Park Assembly of God Church, Trinity Evengelical Free Church, First Baptist Church and Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church.

HOLDREGE DAILY CITIZEN--Holdrege, NE (Friday, July 2, 2004)