2025
SHOWCASE LINEUP
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2025
Montana Performing Arts Consortium
Artist Showcase & Conference
Showcase performances are free and open to the public.*
*Conference events (e.g., workshops, networking sessions, etc.) are for registered conference attendees only.
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SHOWCASE I
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 9:00AM
MANSFIELD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
2 Park Dr, Great Falls
John Roberts
Music / Global
Roberts y Pan Blanco is an original ensemble of energetic musicians that inspires the audience to dance and enjoy life! Many years of national and international touring, recording and performing experiences with Funk, Soul, Salsa, Orchestral, West African and Jazz ensembles have led to this project. With vocals in Spanish, English and Portuguese, this group is melding high-energy Funk, African and Latin grooves with soulful instrumental solos, aimed at sharing musical and cultural diversity with students and audiences.
Rocky Peter
https://www.rockypeter.com/presskit
Music / Popular
American IDOL Artist, Opened For Stevie Wonder, Performed in 2016 Rio Olympics, Currently Touring in Universities, Theaters, Casinos, and Festivals.
Sterling Drake
http://sterlingdrakemusic.com/
Music / Country
The journey of songwriter Sterling Drake has taken him from the Big Cypress of Florida to the mountains of Montana and everywhere in between. With a penchant for honest storytelling, Drake weaves his own perspective into the American songbook, prompting Rolling Stone to praise his “rough-hewn aesthetics." Last year, Drake took home Honky Tonk Artists 2024 at the Ameripolitan Awards in Austin, TX's Moody Theater. Sterling is teaming up with land conservation and mental health advocacy groups to address issues impacting the ranching community.
Mike Murray
https://www.mikemurraytunes.com
Music / Folk/Bluegrass/Americana
With a career in the music industry that spans well over a decade, thousands of performances across the US and beyond, seven studio albums, and music featured on network and streaming television, Montana Singer/Songwriter, Mike Murray, has developed the experience and versatility to explore a broad range of genres, both on stage and in the studio. With the pureness of a classic folk storyteller, his music carries a message of camaraderie, empathy, and naturalism while drawing inspiration from his adventurous life experiences in the outdoors.
INTERMISSION
Lucas Miller
https://www.singingzoologist.com
Family/Young Audience / Popular
Known nationwide as the "singing zoologist," Lucas Miller has introduced millions to the wonders of nature with his multimedia science presentations. With smart songwriting, zany humor, and creative use of video, Miller keeps audiences entranced while they learn about metamorphosis, ocean food chains, adaptations, and other curriculum-based science lessons.
Author of four children's books and host of a vibrant YouTube channel, Lucas has been setting a new standard for educational programs for over 30 years.
Jason Lyle Black
Music / Classical
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Jason Lyle Black is an internationally-acclaimed pianist, composer, and entertainer known for his unique charm and clever arrangements at the piano. Black's music has over 40 million views on social media, as well as over 5 million streams on Spotify. One of the most booked instrumental pianists in the U.S. arts market, Black has given headline concerts in more than 30 U.S. states. In addition, he is a bestselling piano arranger with Hal Leonard, a #2 Billboard charting artist, and one of the most popular headline performers on cruise ships.
Saint of Soldiers
Music / Folk/Bluegrass/Americana
Saint of Soldiers is a Montana-based band blending roots Americana, bluegrass, folk, and indie, resulting in a haunting, angelic sound inspired by their home state’s culture and history. Named after St. Ignatius, they honor Montana’s heritage through performances at historic venues and collaborations with local businesses. Their debut album, beginning to roll out in May 2025, features evocative and relatable storytelling. More than musicians, they’re storytellers and cultural ambassadors.
SHOWCASE II
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1:15PM
MANSFIELD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
2 Park Dr, Great Falls
Big Sky Country
https://www.facebook.com/bigskycountrygreatfalls
Music / Country
Big Sky Country is a country music band in Great Falls, Montana. Big Sky Country's music ranges from dance-able standards from the classic country songbook to hard-driving tunes from contemporary alternative country artists with all the twang and the leather you'd expect from the genre. Together, the band has decades of professional experience playing small venues and private parties. Jaret Toenyes on vocals and rhythm guitar, Clayton Parsons on lead guitar, Wally Jemmings on bass, Alan Williamson on percussion.
Take a trip back in time when the Telecaster reigned supreme and cut through a smoky honky tonk with Big Sky Country!
TAP INTO SOUL
Multidisciplinary / Popular
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Blending multi-octave vocals and world-class tap dancing in a soulful setlist featuring both classic and contemporary chart-topping hits, Solomon Jaye’s TAP INTO SOUL offers an exciting new take on a timeless genre of music. From James Brown to Bruno Mars, the music featured in this show transports listeners from the 1950s to today in the blink of an eye! If you haven’t experienced the incredible cross-genre mashup of music, dance, and electrifying energy created every time Solomon Jaye steps onto the stage, it’s time to TAP INTO SOUL!
Keith Alessi
http://www.tomatoestriedtokillme.com
Theatre / Folk/Bluegrass/Americana
Keith Alessi was neither an actor nor a musician, and his journey to the stage was a highly improbable one.
Keith takes you on the journey of his unique personal story about how music was the catalyst to ultimately saving his life. A heartwarming, true story of transformation, this show is like a homecoming.
When faced with a deadly cancer battle, his musical pursuit took him on a journey that became the key to saving his life.
Empire Trio (formerly O Sole Trio)
Music / Popular
Empire Trio features the lush and mesmerizing voice of soprano Erin Shields, baritone Adam Cannedy, and the versatile and virtuosic David Shenton on piano and violin.
From deliciously witty to incredibly moving, Empire Trio's shows have it all; they breathe new life into familiar toe-tapping favorites with their unique and innovative arrangements. The trio has garnered rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. Empire Trio continues to tour extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and the UK.
Luca Stricagnoli
http://www.herschelfreemanagency.com/luca/luca.html
Music / Rock
After astounding International Guitar Night audiences, and garnering over 100 million YouTube views, Italy's LUCA STRICAGNOLI is back with his own solo show, featuring high-energy instrumental renditions of classic rock songs played on a variety of custom acoustic guitars, including the Triple Neck, the Reverse Slide Neck, and the Soprano Guitar. Able to play multiple melodies and rhythms simultaneously with his special playing techniques, Luca has transformed his instrumentals into a solo art form all his own.
SHOWCASE III
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 4:00
MANSFIELD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
2 Park Dr, Great Falls
Larry & Joe
Music / Folk/Bluegrass/Americana
Larry & Joe is maestro llanero Larry Bellorín and GRAMMY-nominated Latingrass virtuoso Joe Troop. Their bilingual (eng/esp) show includes virtuosic folk fusion on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, upright electric bass, guitar, maracas, and voice - plus storytelling, humor, singalongs, and dancing.
Matt Baker
http://www.comedystuntshow.com
Family/Young Audience / Comedy
Matt Baker is a comedian and variety artist based out of the Pacific Northwest. He holds three Guinness World Records and has appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden, America's Got Talent, Comedy Central and Huckabee.
His unique show combines demonstrating unusual skills like catching a bowling ball on his face, escaping handcuffs and shooting blow darts with clever comedy that is great for all ages. With 25 years of professional performing experience Matt is the ultimate showman.
Phoenix
Music / Folk/Bluegrass/Americana
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The American folk pop duo Phoenix consists of award-winning songwriters Tim and Kathy Crosby - who have been performing together for well over 2 decades.
Tim and Kathy have performed together from Las Vegas to Nashville, in venues large and small. Being compared to the likes of Willie Nelson, Gillian Welch, and David Rawlings, Mary Travers, and June Carter Cash - Phoenix rises in the joy of a sound that highlights the multi-instrumental talents of both musicians while focusing on a variety of vocal styles and abilities.
Acoustic Eidolon
Music / Global
ACOUSTIC EIDOLON features Hannah Alkire on cello and Joe Scott on double-neck guitjo, an instrument of his own design praised by USA Today as a “beautiful harp-like sounding instrument…like nothing we’ve ever heard before.” With 13 albums to their credit, these masterful artists captivate audiences with their signature “new acoustic” mix of global musical influences. ACOUSTIC EIDOLON has graced stages worldwide and audiences return again and again to hear their soul-stirring and genre-bending blend of original and previously-recorded music.
DECADES IN DUET
Music / Popular
Vocalists, multi-instrumentalists, and award-winning husband/wife songwriters Annalyse McCoy and Ryan Dunn celebrate love and music in DECADES IN DUET! This dynamic duo brings their years of headline experience in New York City and Nashville together to create this special concert event. Featuring cross-genre favorites from the 60s/70s, classic pop from the 80s/90s, and modern crossover hits, the eclectic array of music in DECADES IN DUET surprises audiences at every turn.