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Entertainment

They're building show to help build houses

By BREANNE GILPATRICK
Published May 20, 2005

Ten performers: One has sung with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, one has performed with Renee Fleming, Tyne Daly and Craig Shulman, another studied voice in Italy.

And Sunday night all 10 will perform together at a San Antonio church to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

The vocalists and pianists will perform 25 different numbers during the "Artists for Humanity" concert at San Antonio Community Church.

The concert and accompanying silent auction will aid the homebuilding efforts of the east Pasco Habitat for Humanity affiliate. And it will include songs from several operas as well as Broadway shows, including The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables and Annie Get Your Gun.

"It's a huge variety of style for the audience's sake," said Dade City resident and pianist Barbara Friedman.

Dolores Riego de Dios did most of the organization for the concert. Riego de Dios has sung with the Virginia and Tampa operas and performed with people such as Tyne Daly and Renee Fleming.

Saturday night won't be the first time six of these performers have appeared together for charity. Last summer Riego de Dios, Friedman, Michael Pruitt, Virginia Seaman and Melody Ossi performed at a fundraising concert to benefit the family of a cancer victim. And from that concert came the idea to continue performing, said Friedman, 57, the original group's pianist.

"We kind of fell in like with each other and kind of became friends," said Friedman, who is also president of the Heritage Arts Center Association and the producer of Pasco's annual "Spotlight on Talent" competition.

The group continued to expand after February's "Moonlight and Ivory" concert in Dade City. Four additional members were later asked to join in the early plans for the "Artists for Humanity" concert.

Two of the newer members include Friedman's daughter and her son-in-law, Rebecca and David Groomes. Both Friedman and Rebecca Groomes will play piano in the concert.

"We're going to be turning pages for each other," Friedman said. "It will be really fun to have her in this concert."

Dade City resident Brad Stevens also joined the group after the "Moonlight and Ivory" concert. And Lin Grant, who has performed with Pavarotti and Domingo, was asked to join the group because of experience with Opera Tampa.

Stevens, who is also the pastor at San Antonio Community Church, offered to provide the concert venue by volunteering his church.

Stevens said he grew up involved in music, directing his first choir as a teenager. Saturday's concert will provide him a chance to step outside his usual role as a vocalist to sit behind the piano, he said.

"I don't get much chance to do things like this anymore," said Stevens, 48. "It's exciting for me to be involved in a group of this caliber."

Originally Riego de Dios and Friedman had discussed holding the concert to benefit the relief efforts for December's tsunami. But as weeks went by, the group decided to change the beneficiary to East Pasco City Habitat for Humanity.

John Finnerty, executive director for the Dade City office, said proceeds from the concerts will be put toward building eight east Pasco homes.

"I just thought it was a great idea," Finnerty said. "I'm kind of a Broadway fan anyway."

Stevens said he would like to see the group members continue to perform together, but at the moment they are focused on getting through Saturday night.

"Right now we're looking at the program and we're thinking we've really got to work fast to get everything in," he said.

WHAT: Artists for Humanity Concert to benefit East Pasco Habitat for Humanity. WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: San Antonio Community Church, State Road 52. HOW MUCH: Tickets are $20 and include gourmet catered desserts and coffees. Tickets can be purchased from Habitat board members, at the door subject to availability, or by calling Dolores Riego de Dios at (352) 588-4058.

[Last modified May 20, 2005, 01:06:18]