Matthew Schulte joined the HMC Board in 2015.
He is also a member of the Kansas City Royals Family. Matthew started with the Royals 10 years ago in the front office. While he started out in the Ticket Sales department, he has spent most of his time in various roles within the Marketing team. He now serves as the Senior Manager of Special Events and Promotions and is responsible for the giveaway items and special ballpark events. He was involved in executing MLB Jewel events that the Royals hosted, including the 2012 All-Star Game Festivities, 2014 Postseason, and the 2015 World Championship.
He was also a member of the Kansas City Chamber’s Centurions Leadership Program and received an ACE Diversity Award from this same Chamber.
Marilyn Maye surprises the audience at ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’
/in ReviewsSteve Wilson | Examiner.com
Dr. Joseph P. Nadeau made his last appearance with the chorus before he relocates to Los Angeles, California to become Artistic Director of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles. Nadeau has spent 15 years with the Heartland Men’s Chorus and outlined the 2013-2014 season productions before knowing he was leaving for the west coast. In 2002 under his direction, the chorus performed in London, Paris, and Hamburg completing a European tour.
Wonderful music, humor, traditional and not-so traditional holiday songs filled the stage for Friday night’s program. Humorous songs such as Shades of Christmas, White Christmas, Blue Christmas, and the Heartaches rendition of Lavender Christmas, and Black Christmaswith solos by Elven Hickmon, Kelly Marzett, Gregg Maupins, Calvin Quattlebaum, Brian Spurlock, Michael L. Wagoner, and Aubrey D. Williams filled the theater with laughter.
Whimsical songs such as Sparklejollytwinklejingley (from the musical Elf), A Song of Santa, and Boogie Woogie Santa featuring the Heartaches filled the second act. The chorus dance team made up of John Edmonds, Dean R. Faulk, Eryk Larabee, Tim Miller, David Pasley, and Michael L. Wagoner danced and flirted around the stage in comical routines set to Tropical Holiday Jingle Bellsand The 12 Rockin’ Gays of Christmas.
The overall show was highly entertaining and well produced. The only slight glitz in an otherwise fantastic show was when Kelly Marzett, as Mrs. Claus, and who sang Tropical Holiday Jingle Bells in Act One, forgot some of the words to the song and referred to a small note book apparently containing the words.
Kansas City legend Marilyn Maye made an appearance just before the last song of the chorus began the last song. Not listed in the program she said she had to come out and thank Dr. Nadeau for the work and dedication he had shown to the chorus over the years. She sang a song that she had written about him before joining the Heartland Men’s Chorus in Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Board Chair Keith Wiedenkeller presented Dr. Nadeau with a special Heartland vest and baton for his service to the chorus.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside is a grand way to bring on the holiday season and continues through Sunday, December 8 at the Folly Theatre.
Heartland Men’s Chorus festoons the holiday with spirit-filled concert
/in ReviewsBrrrr…..the temperature fell to more than frigid, and, yes, baby, it’s cold outside; but inside Kansas City’s Folly Theater, the atmosphere is anything but chilling. As a matter of fact, it’s warm, inviting, and invigorating as the Heartland Men’s Chorus presents its annual holiday concert for the Christmas season, Baby It’s Cold Outside.
Fun, spectacular, exciting, uplifting, funny, heartfelt–all describe the evening of music and laughter. Expect high level entertainment and family fun and a two-hour escape from the near 0 temps that blew into the area recently.
Each act presented so many opportunities for the audience to laugh and smile. Act I started with a new and upbeat take on “The Little Drummer Boy,” followed by the Charlie Brown standard, “Christmas Time Is Here.” After that, the fun began with a medley entitled Shades of Christmas. The medley featured three vastly differing views of Christmas–white, blue, and lavender–yes,lavender. While everyone knows the first two Christmas standards, they have probably never heard them preformed together like the HMC did. Then, to add a fabulous touch, the Heartaches, the select group from HMC, entered to perform a comedy piece, “Lavender Christmas.” Then all three pieces blended to one last chorus of each of the three selections. Boisterous applause displayed the audiences enjoyment.
After that stirring, humorous number, all the Black members of the chorus assembled to protest the lack of color in all previous TV Christmas specials before they burst into their stylized protest song, “Black Christmas,” to the delight of the near capacity crowd.
HMC celebrated diversity and inclusion in its efforts to reach out, educate, and include everyone. As such, the programs always feature sign language for a way to reach hearing impaired individuals. Christmas concerts always include a Chanukah song.
Also, included in Act I, a tropical spin on “Over the Rainbow,” and many other standard Christmas carols added to the festivities along with a fun adaptation of the title song, “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
After intermission, HMC jettisoned into high speed and delivered dose after dose of fun entertainment complete with dancers, puppets, a drag queen, the Heartaches, and a special surprise guest to end the show. Even though the names of the songs are unknown, the entertainment value built with each selection while the HMC preformed all of Act II in Santa Claus outfits–other than the Heartaches as reindeer and the dance team as elves. Each song built on the rapturous applause of its predecessor.
To end the show, the surprise guest came onstage to join HMC for a rousing version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” But that’s not the end.
Baby It’s Cold Outside signaled the end of a 15-year association with artistic director, Joe Naeau. Noticeably touched by his past service and pending departure to a bigger venue in California, HMC President of the Board, Keith Wiedenkeller presented Nadeau with a framed baton, vest, and bow tie to symbolize the HMC. With heartfelt gratitude and noticeably emotional, Wiedenkeller fought for words to convey his earnest gratitude to Nadeau. The standing ovation for the presentation demonstrated the amount of love between the audience, the HMC, their director, and the family that they all created over his 15-year tenure. It’s obvious his talent and presence will be missed while his past dedication continues to elicit fond, familiar remembrances.
Only two opportunities remain to experience probably the most joyful Christmas concert of the Christmas season. HMC performs the best, brightest, and most fun holiday show in Kansas City. To be thoroughly entertained, run don’t walk to the HMC website or call the box office for tickets. The show is astounding and highly recommended for family entertainment. For information: hmckc.org.
Heartland Men’s Chorus brings music and humor into the holiday season
/in ReviewsThe Heartland Men’s Chorus is at it again. They have figured out how to combine traditional Christmas music with a wide variety of holiday music to present a heart-warming and joyous performance with Baby, It’s Cold Outside, this weekend at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. With such a wide variety of music, everyone is sure to find enjoyment in this performance.
The concert begins with The Little Drummer Boy, which can be previewed at https://hmckc.org/holiday-concert/. This link provides a video of a rehearsal version of this Christmas classic, done in the Heartland Men’s Chorus style. Following this opening, they move into a variety of colorful Christmas tunes, including Lavender Christmas and Black Christmas–both of which brought the audience to rollicking laughter. More solemn music followed, briefly, with more upbeat music to lead up to the intermission. After the intermission, the focus was on Santa Claus, with the Chorus members being dressed in Santa outfits. A variety of skits added to the music provided throughout the second half–most of which were hilarious. Smiles aplenty.
A very special treat of the evening was provided by Marilyn Maye making a guest appearance. This weekend’s performances are the last for Dr. Joseph P. Nadeau, as the Artistic Director of the Heartland Men’s Chorus. He has been in Kansas City, with the Chorus, for fifteen years. He is leaving for California, to conduct the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus. Ms. Maye sang a song for Dr. Nadeau and then sang with the Chorus. She was a glorious addition to the evening.
Once the scheduled performance was complete, two encores followed. Each of these songs have a special meaning to Dr. Nadeau and to the Heartland Men’s Chorus, and were fitting as a proper way to end the two hour performance.
Colossians 3:16-17 says, “Christ’s message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to your God with thanksgiving in your hearts. Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father,” (Good News Bible, 1978, New York, NY: American Bible Society). Music brings joy to God and to each of us. This event provides a variety of music for everyone to enjoy.
The Folly Theater provides a good seat to everyone. Parking is convenient, as well; although it can be somewhat pricey depending on the particular lot chosen. Refreshments of cookies and beverages are available prior to the concert and during intermission at a reasonable price. Good tickets are still available for the remaining performances, which are tonight (December 7) at 8:00pm and tomorrow (December 8) at 4:00pm. Tickets start at $15.00 and go up from there. Order your tickets now and be prepared to get in the holiday spirit–the Heartland Men’s Chorus way.