1. VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW THAT I…  make up a stupid speaking voice for my dog Sam. And no, I will not do it for you when I come to the Norton Center ;-) 

2. WHEN I’M NOT ON TOUR I… am doing many things. Tending to things at home in NY. Taking Bikram yoga. I love going to theater, concerts, and the movies. I love to read- never enough time. Rehearsing music and constantly changing repertoire. 

3. WHAT I LOVE MOST ABOUT MY ART IS… how it constantly evolves and surprises me. If someone told me years ago that I would be a concert/recording artist/ actor as well a kid who just wanted to be on Broadway  I would have been skeptical. 

4. A LIFE LESSON I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH CENTRE COLLEGE STUDENTS IS: Stay out of your own way. In everything. We can overthink things to the point where we don’t let our instincts guide us or worse, act out of fear. 

5. I DEFINE ART AS: that which informs, illuminates, electrifies and evolves through the worlds of individual and /or group expression. 

6. MY MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN SHOW BUSINESS THUS FAR WAS: So many— but I would say when I was doing a concert, wasn’t in great voice but was determined to communicate the lyric of the song I was singing. The song was Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic” and I realized that there was nothing more important than conveying those words and somehow it felt so intimate and so powerful. I wasn’t concerned with how I sounded- just that the meaning was coming through. 

7. THE PERSON WHO MOST INFLUENCED ME IS: I would say my mother.

8. IF I COULD BE ON STAGE WITH ANYONE, PAST OR PRESENT, ALIVE OR DECEASED, FICTIONAL OR REAL, IT WOULD BE: Leonard Bernstein, Stevie Wonder, Judi Dench, Judy Garland, Josephine Baker 

9. WHILE TOURING, ONE OF MY GUILTY PLEASURES IS: Going to my hotel room, crawling into bed, ordering room service, and vegging out on the TV 

10. IF I COULD ENSURE THAT THE AUDIENCE TAKES HOME ONE THING AFTER MY PERFORMANCE, IT WOULD BE: That I shared my heart and soul through my music.

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More about the artist:
dariussepiasmileDarius de Haas is a Chicago born singer with “deeps roots in jazz and soul” (New York Times) and an award winning actor.  He was part of the original Broadway productions of Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Carousel (revival), Rent, The Gershwins’ Fascinating Rhythm, Marie Christine, and the 20th anniversary concerts of Dreamgirls and Hair. Notable Off-Broadway, regional, touring and premiere credits include his Obie Award winning leading performance in Running Man, Once On This Island (1st National Tour),  the John Adams opera I Was Looking At The Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, and  Jesus Christ Superstar- Gospel at the Alliance Theater. He is known to many musical theater fans for his role of Cain in the Stephen Schwartz musical Children of Eden in which he sang “Lost In The Wilderness.”

His stature as a solo artist was launched when he made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Cincinnati Pops. Soon after he performed his own two highly acclaimed concert tributes–featuring the music of Billy Strayhorn and Stevie Wonder–for Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series. His singular abilities and range in popular music, jazz, and musical theater  have established him as a performer in a variety of settings as well as a guest with several orchestras and groups including the National Symphony, The Philly Pops,  Baltimore Symphony, The Los Angeles Master Chorale ,  London’s Royal Festival Hall, The Kennedy Center,  and The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater’s 50th Gala Celebration.  Recent concerts include  Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert of Music at Disney Concert Hall and “Too Hot To Handel” (w/Marin Alsop) at Carnegie Hall.  He has performed, recorded and/or toured with such diverse artists as Elvis Costello, Debbie Harry, Marvin Hamlisch, Roberta Flack, and Vanessa Williams.  

TV appearances include  My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs,  In The Life, The View, Good Morning America, The Today Show,  and A&E’s Private Sessions. His voice can be heard on the soundtracks of the films  Anastasia,  Martin and Orloff,  and Chicago. 

Darius is featured on numerous original cast recordings. His solo works include Darius de Haas: Day Dream- Variations on Strayhorn and Quiet Please, with pianist Steven Blier.   

Please visit www.dariusdehaas.com.

Darius de Haas will perform in Club Weisiger at the Norton Center on Friday, October 18.  All tickets are $30, seating is limited.  For more information visit NortonCenter.com.