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Guest conductor race enters home stretch

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By Rick McCrabb, Staff Writer 8:25 PM Wednesday, October 19, 2011

MIDDLETOWN — It’s “down the stretch” time in the two-horse race to see who becomes the guest conductor of the Middletown Symphony Orchestra.

The two candidates — Elizabeth Lolli, superintendent of Monroe Local Schools, and T. Duane Gordon, executive director of the Middletown Community Foundation — have fund raisers planned before the winner is announced on Nov. 19 and one of them will direct the symphony.

Lolli’s final events: Variety of Talents Show, 6 p.m. Saturday, First Baptist Church, Breiel Boulevard and includes variety show, appetizers and silent auction. Cost to attend is $20 per person; and Sons of Italy Spaghetti Dinner, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Nov. 5, Monroe United Methodist Church/Atchley Hall. Cost is $8 per adult and $4 per child under 12.

Gordon will wrap up his activities with a Halloween Costume Gala from 7 p.m. to midnight Oct. 29 at BeauVerre Studio on Central Avenue. Cost is $50 per person.

The Guest Conductor Pop’s fund raising concert was established in 1974 was created to provide financial support as the cost to maintain the symphony increased.

Over the years, more than 115 business and community people have pick up the baton to be part of this event to raise funds and aid the symphony.

During the second half of the symphony concert, “I Got Rhythm! Mickey and Judy’s Hollywood,” starring Shauna Hicks and Jeff Harna, will be featured.

Gordon’s theme is “Flash Gordon” and Doug Bean is chair and Janet Crawford and Ellen Paxton are co-treasurers.

Gordon has sung twice with the Middletown Symphony Chorale, twice in the Middletown Civic Chorus’ annual production of Handel’s “Messiah” and most Sundays with the First United Methodist Church Temple Choir.

He has also appeared in a number of musical and dramatic roles at Middletown Lyric Theatre, including earning two Orchid Awards from the Association of Community Theatres in Cincinnati for his appearance MLT’s production of “Ruthless: The Musical.”

He is president of the Kiwanis Club of Middletown, former secretary of the South Main Historic Neighborhood Association and chair of this year’s Butler County National Philanthropy Day luncheon.

Lolli has been an educator for 33 years, 16 of those were spent as an educator in the Middletown school system teaching music and third grade in several Middletown schools.

She is an active member in the Monroe United Methodist Church, participating regularly church activities to include: Bible studies, singing in a women’s trio, and is a member of the Church Handbell Choir.

Serving as her co-chairs are David and Ginger Bruggeman and David and Carole Schul. Her theme is “LolliPops.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.

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