POPLARVILLE – Marion County native Philip Fortenberry will bring his artistry to Poplarville on Monday, Oct. 19, when Pearl River Community College presents “The Man at the Piano.”
The concert will be held at 7 p.m. in the Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Arts.
Fortenberry grew up in Hub, a small Marion County community where he began playing piano at church at age 7. He is an alumnus of William Carey University where he received the Distinguished Service Award in 2004.
His career has taken him to Broadway, the White House, Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and HBO.
“Growing up as a kid in rural South Missisisppi, I never dreamed the journey of my life would have taken me where it has, nor could I have imagined the experiences I’ve been so blessed to know,” Fortenberry said.
His concert will tell his life story and will include Broadway show tunes, classical pieces and sacred music. Fortenberry holds a master’s degree in classical piano performance from New Jersey City University and has studied at The Julliard School.
He currently is organist for his church in Las Vegas where he is the associate conductor for the Las Vegas production of the hit musical, Jersey Boys, at the Palazzo. He has been the featured artist-in-residence at the Liberace Museum’s Cabaret Showroom and was the body and hand double for Michael Douglas in the HBO biopic Behind the Candelabra about Liberace.
“This concert is an opportunity for me to share what is possible, in particular, with those younger than I who do aspire to create artistic lives for themselves, who dream of a life beyond the illusion of a limited future simply because they come from some place like my home in Hub or Picayune or Poplarville,” Fortenberry said.
Reserved seating is $15 for orchestra level and $10 for balcony. For tickets, call 601 403-1180 or go to brownpapertickets.com
