Love Lives Here presents the 15th Annual Martin Luther King Celebration!

We Were All Strangers Once
Honoring the experience of Black Montanans

Love Lives Here in the Flathead is hosting its 15th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on January 17, 2020 at 7:30 pm at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on Spokane Ave. and 2nd Ave. Each year, the celebration combines live musical performances, spoken word presentations and reminders of the long and hard-won struggle that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. championed in his lifetime. We Were All Strangers Once chronicles the history of the Black experience in Montana.

“At one time, Montana had three Black newspapers, an all-Black army regiment in Missoula, a Black jazz club in Great Falls, and Shotgun Mary, a gun-toting, wagon-riding postal carrier,” said Allen Secher, who is producing the show with Bruce Guthrie. “This year we will present a cast of talented Montana performers including composer and arranger Lance Bendiksen, violinist Wai Mizutani, multi-talented musician and composer Erica von Kleist, and Montana’s well known vocalists Halliday Quist, Mike Eldred, and Andre Floyd. The history of the Black experience in Montana will be narrated by Broadway and Hollywood actor David Ackroyd.”

One of the evening’s highlights will be a performance of Ballad for Americans, a patriotic cantata written for the great Paul Robeson in 1939. It is an expression of pride in America’s journey toward freedom and equality. NPR radio personality Allen Secher will lead the performance, joined by a spoken word chorus of local people representing the diversity of America in the Flathead Valley. Secher, a Freedom Rider during the Civil Rights era, marched with Dr. King in 1964.

Music producer and composer Lance Bendiksen has had far reaching success in the ever-changing music industry. His talents as a composer stem not only from his experience writing more than 2,000 songs and publishing 200, but also scoring films and television shows that have aired in over 1,200 markets. Lance has written an original composition, “In A Dream,” which will be performed by Hailaday Quist and Mike Eldred.

“Lance is an accomplished composer, but what separates Bendiksen from the others is his gratitude and eagerness to give back to the community,” said Secher. 

Renowned violinist Wai Mitzutani escaped from China at age 14 and became the youngest first violinist in the Hong Kong Philharmonic orchestra at age 15. Internationally respected, he has performed with superstars from pop and classic rock to opera and classical, including Michael Jackson, Elton John, and YoYo Ma. He teaches at Flathead Community College.

Multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and entrepreneur Erica von Kleist studied at the renowned Juilliard School and in 2004 earned the first bachelor’s degree in jazz in the school’s history. After graduation, Erica’s next ten years were filled with performances, tours, and several Grammy-nominated recordings with various artists. One of her most recent endeavors is “Boobs... and Other Stories,” a hilarious one-woman show with Erica at the helm on piano and voice. This show features original songs that focus on the struggles that women often face in society.

Halladay Quist is a singer-songwriter, model, and multi-instrument musician with the voice and heart of an angel. Halladay plays bass, banjo, guitar, ukulele, and just about anything you put in front of her.          

 Mike Eldred is one of North America’s most in-demand and beloved tenors, thrilling audiences in concert halls, on Broadway, and on recordings, radio, and television. He appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables as Jean Valjean and in the original cast of the Tony-nominated The Civil War. An artist of tremendous depth and reach, Mike’s diversity and generosity of spirit fuel the many facets of his career. He is increasingly interested in using his performances to raise awareness and funds for causes close to him.

 Andre Floyd, musician, educator and performer with the band Mood Iguana, hails from Big Arm, MT. He is a graduate of the University of Montana and has been performing in the Flathead Valley for many years.

We Were All Strangers Once is sponsored by Love Lives Here, an affiliate of the Montana Human Rights Network. Tickets are not required for the performance, but a donation of $10 is suggested to help Love Lives Here’s efforts toward dismantling discrimination in the Flathead Valley by bringing the community together in understanding and harmony. More information can be found at http://loveliveshereflathead.org.