By John Pluntze (aka "Music Rules")

Wood Valley visitors and residents alike will once again have a plethora of choices for terrific music this weekend -- everything from classic cabaret and Broadway show tunes, to rock 'n roll/blues/folk, as well as music that'll make you think immediately of Bonnie Raitt and Eric Clapton.

Sunday. Feb. 14 (Valentine's Day), from 6:30-9:30pm, Ketchum's nexStage Theatre will host its second annual board of trustees fundraiser -- dubbed "Divas and Desserts: A Cabaret Evening" -- featuring the musical stylings of "theater diva" Cheryl Morrell, "opera diva" Melodie Taylor Mauldin and "Nashville swing diva" Jilla Webb (accompanied by acclaimed pianist Joe Fos and bass player Gary Carlson).

Featuring the singers' personally-selected, show-stopping tunes (many of them popular and revered Broadway show classics and lovely ballads perfect for a Valentine's Day crowd), doors for the event open at 6:30, which will start with a cocktail get-together of champagne and decadent (mostly-chocolate) desserts, to be followed at 8pm by a 90-minute musical presentation featuring the five aforementioned acclaimed artists.

There will be a brief intermission during the singing "Divas" part of the show. 

Prior to the musical portion of the evening's events, patrons will also be encouraged to take part in a silent auction for a wide variety of donated luxury items local business owners and ardent nexStage supporters have contributed for the April 14th fundraiser (including a sumptuous oil painting courtesy of local Macedonian artist Blogojce), items that will be ornately packaged and presented as the"perfect indulgent Valentine's gifts."

Individual tIckets for the event are $80, but there are also three levels of sponsor tables that can be purchased as well -- "The Big Heart" table of 12 ($5,000), the "Friends and Lovers" table of eight ($2000),  and the table of eight "Theatre Lovers" ($1000) -- that can be purchased by groups of supporters as well. The group seating of 8-12 will be at round table s, but there will also be various romantic tables for two (and four) available as well, for those looking for a more intimate and cozy seating arrangement.

Call (208) 726-4TKS or 726-9124 for tickets and more info.
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Recently, I was fortunate enought to talk with some of the principals involved during a very entertaining (and often very funny, and occasionally moving as well) afternoon rehearsal they were having in the Lodge Dining Room of the Sun Valley Resort, and I asked them how and why they became involved with this nexStage fundraiser -- and the answers I got proved to be almost as varied as the myriad of possible songs they had considered for the April 14th event.

For Melodie Taylor Mauldin, who used to regularly visit Sun Valley with her family when she was growing up -- often at Christmas, too, when she'd happily and eagerly carol with friends of hers around town -- and who has appeared in a number of wonderful local productons here since moving to the Wood River Valley more than two years ago from Utah with her husband, John (himself a very accomplished singer and musician who has likewise been featured in a number of acclaimed local musical productions here in the Valley and who is the current Entertainment Director for Sun Valley Resort), the songs she selected -- which include "At Last" and "If I Loved You" -- hold a special importance and poignancy for her because they're among some of her father's favorites, a man who is currently dealing with terminal cancer back in Utah.

"This is going to be my very loving tribute to him," Mauldin said, her voice choking with emotion as she said it, adding that, "I feel incredibly blessed to be sharing the stage with these amazing, amazing people. I REALLY do...."

For Wyoming native and mother of two Cheryl Morrell, who has lived in the Wood River Valley for some 17 years now (she moved here from Seattle) and who has had a longstanding and very amicable working relationship with both the nexStage and The Laughing Stock Theatre, the chance to sing is something she "always, always relishes" and, indeed, the afternoon I arrived at the Lodge Dining Room to check out their rehearsal, Morrell had barely put down her purse and taken off her coat before she and Joe Fos were happily performing a beautiful duet of "Over the Rainbow" together.

Morrell, who began her singing career at age five (performing in her father's church), has had a myriad of musical theater roles here over the years -- everthing from performing alongside Bruce Innes in the Duchin Room ("Bruce is soooo generous and awesome to work with; I'd love to do that again!!") to appearing in local stage productions of "Annie," "Carousel," "Violet," "A Year with Frog and Toad" and "Oliver!" (Morrell's musical theater debut with the nexStage-supported Laughing Stock Theatre Company). She also is an avid jazz, blues and gospel fan as well, whose "musical adventures" over the years have taken her to New York City, among many other music Meccas.

"I can't ever imagine NOT doing this," Morrell told me, referring to singing and clearly elated by the chance to be part of the Sunday festivities. "When you're doing what you know you we REALLY MEANT to do on this Earth, it's the greatest feeling in the world, it really is -- and to be able to share it with a AUDIENCE is even better!!!"

Jilla Webb, whom I contacted by phone when she was still in Nashville getting ready for her arrival in Sun Valley on Friday, told me she was being deliberately secretive about the songs she had selected for the Sunday fundraiser, but said that "they're definitely NOT songs people in the (Wood River) Valley know me by or have heard me sing here before," and then added, "that I'm extremely excited about the prospect of being on that stage with Joe Fos and Melodie and Cheryl and Gary; they're tremendously gifted and generous and commited people I think the world of."

Webb, who has likewise appeared alongside Bruce Innes in the Duchin Room and who like Morrell, is featured on a very successful CD that she and Innes collaborated on years ago -- Webb and Innes, incidentally, will once again be performing in the Duchin Room on Monday (Feb. 15), from 9pm -1am -- is planning on  releasing an album later this year featuring many of the big-band songs her mother (Jilla Webb Sr.) used to perform with the Harry James Orchestra, and she also has a Christmas CD in the works for later this year.

In addition to her many musical forays in the Valley over the years, Webb has also been a featured vocal teacher at the nexStage as well, a theater she obviously has a great affinity for.

Musical director Patty Parsons Tewson flew in from Alaska to be a part of this Feb. 14th fundraiser, and she, like the other people involved with this eagerly-anticipated nexStage production, could not be more unbridled or unceasing in her enthusiasm for the upcoming Sunday show, and for the people who are graciously donating their time towards it.

"I'm so grateful to be back in Ketchum, getting the chance to direct these marvelous singers and extraordinary women! Thomas Wolfe was wrong: When you're from this beautiful Valley, with these amazing friends, you can ALWAYS 'go home again'."

A Valley resident for over 27 years now, Tewson had an extensive, multi-layered and celebrated singing career of her own (it began at age six, singing "O Holy Night") before becoming a highly sought-after musical director some 25 years ago -- including for the Laughing Stock Theatre Company, and, most recently, for a production of "Letters to the Editor" that was sponsored by the Fairbanks Drama Association.

"This (musical directing work) is something of a passage for me," Tewson explained, saying that even though she no longer sings professionally anymore, she loves any chance to be around singers. "I'm having an absolute ball with these girls!!"

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In OTHER music-oriented news readers of this (local music scene-oriented) "Harmonic Convergence" column may want to make note of for the weekend:

Boise-based rock/blues/folk singer-songwriter-guitarist MATT HOPPER
http://www.myspace.com/matthopper
will perform in the Wood River Valley -- both today (Thursday. Feb. 11th), from 4-6pm, kicking off the six-week "Cox Communications Winter Concert Series" that is beginning this afternoon across from Giacobbi Square (in the Ketchum Town Plaza), and Hopper will also be appearing on Friday night (Feb. 12th) at 8pm inside the much warmer Sun Valley Brewery Restaurant and Bar in Hailey. Expect to hear echoes of musicians such as The Stokes, Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Drive-By Truckers, Jack Johnson and Van Morrison throughout.

On Saturday evening (Feb 13th), Boise-based jazz and blues singer GALE CHAPMAN -- a regular at Chandler's Steak House, among many other music-friendly venues in the Boise area -- ( http://www.myspace.com/Gaylechapman ) -- and bass guitarist-vocalist SANDY SANFORD will return to Papa Hemi's Hideaway in Ketchum for another concert there, from 6:30-9:30pm. 

Chapman, who was once backup singer for Prince (in the 1980s), seriously wowed Wood River Valley audiences with her often verrrrrry Bonnie Raitt-like vocals last summer during a standing room-only solo concert at the Zenergy Health Club (poolside), and has appeared with Sanford (who can sometimes be a dead-ringer for Eric Clapton in the vocals and strings departments, both, btw!!) twice before at Papa Hemi's Hideaway .. and both times they absolutely killed it there!!!

And I have nooo reason AT ALL to think this coming Saturday will be any different...
(In addition to Chapman's MySpace page, music samples of her work can also be found at http://www.irichimusic.net

Finally on Sunday, April 14th -- also at Papa Hemi's Hideaway in Ketchum -- there will be a special Valentine's Day evening of amorous-oriented music, courtesy of new local faves Alejandro Rivas and Maria Laura Bustamante. These two immensely-talented singer-songwriter-guitarists and native Peruvians, who've appeared at a variety of Valley venues already (including CIRO Market's Wine Lounge -- where they appear every Wednesday evening from 4-6pm during the weekly wine-and-cheese tastings there, and then again from 6:30-9pm or so -- the nexStage Theatre, and the "Train on Main's" very popular Peruvian restaurant there at 6th and Main in Ketchum), are slated to return to their native country on March 15th so be sure and check 'em out AT LEAST once before they leave the Wood River Valley next month!!!

Samples of their unabashedly lovely and lilting music can be found at their http://www.myspace.com/alejandroymarialaura page.
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Questions or comments regarding this "Harmonic Convergence" SVO column can be sent to John at: WriteStuffIdaho@gmail.com And to read any of John's previous "HC" columns -- which include raves on local faves such as Cow Says Mooo, Sheryll Mae Grace, Maria Laura Bustamante and Alejandro RIvas, Bruce Innes, and Art Wallace -- simply type "John Pluntze" into the SVO search engine here.