Performances feature artists affected by cancer

June 6, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida Performing Arts and UF&Shands have announced Chords of Color’s second season, featuring four performances showcasing artists who are cancer survivors or have supported a loved one through an experience with cancer.

Among the lineup, UF Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer John Kaplan will share his 54-minute feature length documentary, “Not As I Pictured,” with visuals depicting his fight with a rare case of lymphoma. Kaplan has been recognized as International Educator of the Year along with being a Fulbright Scholar and two-time Pulitzer Prize juror.

Amid interpersonal discovery, Kaplan captures this journey through his camera lens, making it his social responsibility to share the emotional toll cancer inflicts on an estimated one in three people. This intimate documentary complements the Squitieri Studio Theatre’s space in a one-night-only event.

But the artists aren’t all local, such as “America’s Got Talent” Barbara Padilla, who will be performing at the Phillips Center for Performing Arts Sept. 23.

Padilla will tour her new album release, “Viviendo,” a collection of Latin Bolero music and other international favorites, as well as three original songs.

As the first runner-up of the national talent competition, Padilla’s story is a remarkable triumph as a cancer survivor. Padilla was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1996. Her treatment involved radiation therapy and chemotherapy, which were done near her vocal chords, and she was certain she would never be able to sing again.

After extensive treatment, Padilla overcame the lymphoma and began her career with a full scholarship at the University of Houston in 2000. Then, in 2009, Padilla decided to audition for “America’s Got Talent” and became an American favorite.

Now, she plans to kick-off a tour in Latin America this fall. Among the line-up, she’ll be singing the classic, Amado Mio, a Spanish/English duet with Raul Malo, former lead singer of The Mavericks. Padilla’s performance is sponsored by the Climb for Cancer Foundation.

But before Padilla graces the stage, The Fab Faux will kick-off Chords of Color and perform at the Phillips Center on July 22. The five musicians of The Fab Faux recreate the famous works and perennial hits of The Beatles, and also feature songs never performed live.

The Fab Faux’s repertoire is as diverse as the members’ musical backgrounds, too. Lead vocalist/bass and Grammy Award-winning Will Lee is best known for his bassist experience on “The Late Night Show with David Letterman” for more than two decades.

Another member, Jimmy Vivino, is the current music director/guitarist/arranger for “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.” Other members, Rich Pagano, Frank Agnello and Jack Petruzzelli, have toured with many well-known artists and recorded albums as well.

The Beatles tribute band is praised for its musical spirit and best represented through the experience of a live performance.
The last artists featured in the Chords of Color season is HippieFest. This five member powerhouse showcases seasoned performers who will perform at the Phillips Center on Aug. 24.

Each member has his own story of how he reached the top of the Billboard charts along with touring and recordings with their respective bands.

Singer Gary Wright is known for his smash hit, “Dream Weaver,” that still remains on classic rock radio stations today. Then there is Dave Mason, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as co-founder and original member of Traffic in 2004. He served as the guitarist, vocalist and songwriter of hits such as Hole In My Shoe.

Other members, Mark Farner, Rick Derringer and Felix Cavaliere are also instrumentalists and vocalists for bands popular between the ’70s and ‘90s.

Tickets for The Fab Faux, Not As I Pictured and Hippie Fest go on sale at noon June 17. Tickets for Barbara Padilla go on sale Monday, June 27 at noon. Visit or call the Phillips Center Box Office at 352-392-ARTS (2787) or 800-905-ARTS (toll-free within Florida) or visit performingarts.ufl.edu for more information.

Chords of Color for a Cause is made possible through funding from the University of Florida President’s Office and the Dharma Endowment Foundation.