College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

ARTS by George! Returns with Headliner Renée Elise Goldsberry

Zoe Harr — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 17:02:41 +0000

ARTS by George! Returns with Headliner Renée Elise Goldsberry Zoe Harr Fri, 06/30/2023 - 13:02

“An evening like no other,” ARTS by George! returns on September 30 for an evening that showcases the remarkable talents of Mason students amid an array of spectacular food and beverages, culminating with a special performance by Broadway superstar, Renée Elise Goldsberry in Concert.

Star of stage and screen, Renée Elise Goldsberry, is a Tony-, GRAMMY-, and Emmy Award winner, best known for her portrayal of Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. In an interview with NPR, Goldsberry recalls being cast in the role, stating, “I knew the role was special. I knew there was just magic everywhere. . . It was like nothing I had ever encountered.” As a member of the original cast, she also received a GRAMMY Award when the original cast album won Best Musical Theater Album in 2016, featuring her show-stopping rendition of “Satisfied.” In addition to her most recent Broadway appearances, she has also starred in The Color Purple (original cast, Nettie), Lion King (Nala), and Rent (Mimi Marquez). Watch Goldsberry capture “commanding power, laced with vulnerability” (Houstonian) in a clip from Hamilton below.

Audiences will also recognize Goldsberry for her many television roles on shows including ABC’s One Life to Live, CBS’s The Good Wife, and Disney+’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Her most recent role in Peacock’s Girls5eva sees her as a multi-faceted diva and leader of the reunited 90s musical girl group featuring fellow performers Sara Bareilles, Paula Pell, Ashley Park, and Busy Philipps Both funny and heartfelt, the television show features themes surrounding aging, fame, friendship, and family. Filmed during the height of COVID-19, Girls5eva released its first season in 2021, followed by its second season the following year to rave reviews by fans and critics alike. In a recent interview with TIME Magazine, Goldsberry discusses the experience of making this show and its importance during a global pandemic, "It sounds basic, but we’ve shot the show two seasons in a row in a surprising COVID winter and the show has really saved us. That’s what we’ve learned about humanity and what’s so crucial about art— how it helps us survive impossible challenges. In a world that is increasingly unrecognizable, here we are in the middle of it laughing.” Goldsberry’s performance earned her a nomination at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

Renée Elise Goldsberry performs at the Center on September 30.

Aside from her artistic endeavors, Goldsberry aims to use her platform and talents to inspire conversation about social justice and arts education. In a 2018 interview with the National Endowment for the Arts, Goldsberry states, “There’s a new Mozart, a new Miles Davis, a new Misty Copeland, a new Matisse potentially languishing in a math class somewhere. If we fail to introduce them to art, we fail humanity.” By discussing these issues, Goldsberry aims to provide a future that emphasizes the importance of arts being offered in schools. She continues, “If there is anything young people need, it is confidence and an identity and a purpose. Arts education gives that to so many people regardless of what careers they choose. Arts education also enables students to find out who they are.”

To see Renée Elise Goldsberry in action, whether it be receiving a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Hamilton, 2016) or performing a rendition of Justin Timberlake’s “Sexyback”, check out a YouTube playlist of her highlights below.

ARTS by George! raises support for student scholarships in visual arts, dance, music, theater, game design, film, arts management, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performance at Mason season at the Center for the Arts. Since its creation in 2006, ARTS by George! has raised more than $2 million for the arts at Mason. For more information about ARTS by George!, visit the website.

Individual tickets to Renée Elise Goldsberry in Concert go on sale August 1. Subscribe to the Center for the Arts today and receive early ticket access to this event as well as additional benefits including discounts all season long, free ticket exchanges, and priority access to seating. For more information, visit the subscriptions website.

Topics

CFA

Center for the Arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts

Green Machine

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) Arts Management Program

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) School of Music

College of Visual and Performing Arts Film and Video Studies

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Theater

School of Art

Computer Game Design

Mason Community Arts Academy

ARTS by George! Showcases the Arts at Mason and Raises Scholarship Funds

Zoe Harr — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 17:06:54 +0000

ARTS by George! Showcases the Arts at Mason and Raises Scholarship Funds Zoe Harr Tue, 09/06/2022 - 13:06

In This Story

Rick Davis

ARTS by George!

Kristin Chenoweth in Concert

“An evening like no other,” ARTS by George! makes its in-person return on September 24. The philanthropic event, headlined by Emmy^® and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, raises support for student scholarships in visual arts, dance, music, theater, game design, film, arts management, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performance at Mason season at the Center for the Arts. Since its creation in 2006, ARTS by George! has raised more than $2 million for the arts at Mason.

“More than any single performance or exhibition or screening could ever do, ARTS by George! offers a window into the life and work – the very heart – of this great College of Visual and Performing Arts,” notes Rick Davis, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). “In fact, it’s kind of a stained-glass window, composed of many colors and shapes and designs representing the many programs we offer, and it casts a beautiful light on the interplay of students, faculty, professional guest artists, and the communities that we all serve.”

School of Music students perform at a previous ARTS by George! event.

ARTS by George! begins by bringing hundreds of CVPA students and faculty together to collaborate in a series of behind-the-scenes showcase performances and exhibits, ranging from musical cabarets to virtual reality demos. From the School of Music, a taste from the many offerings including jazz, piano, symphony orchestra, opera, as well as special performances by The Green Machine. Introducing its upcoming production of the laugh-out-loud love story Head Over Heels, Mason School of Theater will perform highlights from the musical featuring music of the Go-Go’s and more! Additionally, guests will be invited to performances from the School of Dance, student film screenings from the School of Film, and Computer Game Design demonstrations. Programming begins at 5 p.m., presented across 10 open studios and rehearsal halls on Mason’s Fairfax campus, which will also have sumptuous beverage and cuisine stations offered throughout.

Co-chairs of ARTS by George! Anne Bolger and Steven Golsch emphasize the importance of the event, stating, “This benefit raises important scholarship funds to help our talented students and community arts partners and share their art and inspire the world. We are proud to support these programs and students as they fulfill their lifelong dreams.”

Kristin Chenoweth headlines the event on September 24.

After the thrilling showcase festivities, guests will transition to the Center for the Arts for a Live Fund-A-Student Auction, leading up to the performance by Kristin Chenoweth. In this 8:30 p.m. concert, Chenoweth will sing music from her album For The Girls, a heartfelt tribute to the great female singers throughout history. The album includes Chenoweth’s personally charged interpretations of classic songs identified with such iconic artists as Barbra Streisand, Lesley Gore, Linda Ronstadt, Dinah Washington, Dolly Parton, and more. To learn more about Kristin Chenoweth, please visit her website. The evening culminates with a special champagne toast onstage with ARTS by George! ticketholders and Ms. Chenoweth.

This year, the winner of the Arts by George! 2023 scholarship is Film and Video Studies student, Tiffany Vu. Past recipients include Erblin Nushi (Film and Video Studies, 2018), Mariah Rogers (The Green Machine, 2020), and Alana Lyons (Mason School of Theater, 2021). Student scholarships allow for the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (CVPA) students to explore creative projects while cultivating Mason’s enriching arts education and first-class performances.

Rick Davis encapsulates Mason and its community’s excitement, stating, “We’re delighted to be back to our full expression of CVPA’s contribution to the dynamo that is George Mason University.”

To learn more about Arts by George!, visit the website.