Wayne State College’s 2024-25 Black & Gold series of concerts will kick off on Thursday, November 14, at 7:30 P.M. in Ramsey Theater with a performance from the unique musical group, The Queen’s Cartoonists.
The Queen’s Cartoonists’ special twist is that they perform their music live in perfect sync with classic cartoons projecting right behind them. The band matches the energy and style of the cartoon being projected, taking you through the experience in a highly immersive fashion. They have played in a wide variety of venues, opened for the New York Philharmonic, and played an extended run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. They have also been featured in over 50 publications including the The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, and NPR’s All Things Considered.
“Projections of animated films dazzle the audience, while the band re-creates original soundtracks note-for-note, or writes their own fresh compositions to modern pieces, all the while breathing new life into two uniquely American forms of art: jazz and animation. Tying everything together is the TQC brand of comedy – anecdotes about the cartoons and their composers, stream-of-consciousness humor, and elements of a musical circus”, said the band’s “about” page on their website.
For students and faculty, the event is completely free, but you will still need to obtain a ticket using your NUID number. For everyone else tickets will cost $10.
The Black & Gold series of performances has been going on for more than 50 years. Every year this series of shows brings in full scale opera and theater productions, dance performances, orchestras, and chamber music. The series is named after Jeanne Gardner whose legacy as a champion of arts in Northeast Nebraska is still felt today. The performances are funded by contributions from Wayne State College, the Jeanne Gardner endowment, and the Nebraska Arts Council. All performances for the Black & Gold series take place in the Ramsey Theater.
“The series currently includes 4 performances (not just concerts) throughout the academic year. We are generally able to secure 3 traveling productions in addition to the President’s Holiday gala, which features the Department of Music students and faculty. For this year, we will feature the Alvin Ailey II dance troupe on February 12 and Cirque Mechanics on March 18 in addition to the Holiday Gala and Queen’s Cartoonists”, said Dr. David Bohnert, Dean of Arts & Humanities at Wayne State College. “I think the concert will appeal to all audience members!”