Sault native Mike Dempsey is back for “just one more” performance at the Soo Theatre, along with his many friends.
“Mike Dempsey and Friends: A Tribute to Judy Garland” will be presented at the Soo Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 pm. In this show, which has been performed all around the state by Mike with Linda Freeze as Judy Garland and John Young as the several men with whom Garland sang through the years, the decades of songs made famous by Garland and composed with the best composers of the day.
Both Linda Freeze and John Young have been featured along with several other fine singers in the six previous Mike Dempsey and Friends productions here. The other musicians who will be onstage at various times during the evening are: Karen Hughes and Maureen Delaney-Lehman, sopranos; Lola Kennedy, mezzo soprano; Tom Ewing, narrator; Gig Stewart, double bassist; and Eric Gadzinski, percussion.
The first half of the Sept. 3 performance features many of the songs that Judy Garland made famous in her long performing career. The second half of the show will be a special presentation by the singers who have performed with Mike throughout the years.
Dempsey was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie and attended St. Mary’s and Sault High. He received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Michigan State University, and then served in the U.S. Army. He has been the choral director at both Pontiac Central and Pontiac Northern High Schools, and also served as choir director at several Oakland County area churches.
In addition, he has been music director for such large-scale musicals as
South Pacific, Oklahoma, Carousel, The King and I, Music Man, Kiss Me Kate, Superman, Charley Brown, Mame, My Fair Lady, Gypsy, Sweet Charity, Lil’ Abner and Sound of Music.
In 1995 Dempsey founded a performing ensemble, “Mike Dempsey & Friends.” In addition to writing the script and arranging the music, Mike serves as pianist. This small group has performed composer-theme musicals throughout Southeastern Michigan and in Sault Ste. Marie at the Soo Theatre.
This show is unique in many ways, one of which is that Mike and all of the performers donate their time and talent as a fundraiser for the Soo Theatre Project, Inc., for which the Sault is very grateful. His shows up here have been very popular. He started performing up here in 2009 with his Gershwin show, followed in 2010 with Rodgers and Hammerstein. In 2011 he and his fine performers did a show featuring movie music that had been nominated for Oscars. This was followed in 2012 by “The Great American Songbook,” in 2013 by “Encores” (many of the much-requested songs they’d done in the past, to the audience’s delight), and in 2014 by “All That Jazz.”
Mike has been married to Ellen for 54 years, and they have three sons. As a published composer he is a member of ASCAP. Recently, he was chosen to accompany Tony award winner Anna Maria Alberghetti in a Detroit area performance. He is delighted to return to his hometown and to the Soo Theatre, where he has many happy memories.
Remembering the great job the cast did previous shows, he is looking forward to “A Tribute to Judy Garland” this year.
A part of this show will be a silent auction of several lovely items that have been donated to the theatre for this purpose. This will be the third year for such an auction.
Tickets for “A Tribute to Judy Garland” are now on sale at the Soo Theatre in the STARS office. They will also be available at the door.
