Favorite Festival Moments

We asked some of the volunteers of the Columbia Festival of the Arts to provide us with their “Favorite Festival Moments” and here are some of the submissions:

I remember turning piano pages for Santiago Rodriguez around 1991-(I think it was the Schumann Piano Quintet); he was performing with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music ensemble. During those early years, the Lincoln Center Chamber Ensemble performed during at least two festivals. I was in awe of their musicianship-and their down-to-earth presence back stage. Fred Sherry, cellist, was particularly amiable.

Al McLaine

I was working security backstage when I met Bo Diddley and was privileged to hear some of his stories.

John Bannon

The artist that seems to come to mind is Marcel Marceau.  He performed two shows -- matinee and evening.  The Festival volunteers were there with hospitality set up as scheduled prior to his matinee performance.  Mr. Marceau was in the large dressing room at Rouse and we (the volunteers) were excited to see this living legend.  Prior to his matinee, he did not respond to, ask for or need anything from us. 

After he completed the matinee performance, he came back to his dressing room, came out into the area where the refreshments were and began to engage us in conversation.  He was warm and animated and totally different than before his performance.  He made a point of telling me about his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King and how highly he thought of Dr. King.  After his evening performance, he was presented with bouquets of flowers by his fans, which he brought backstage and handed immediately to the hospitality volunteers (I got the red roses) and thanked us for our assistance.

Dorothea Baity