What better time than Mother’s Day to shine a light on female songwriters? And who better to handle the Fresnel than the Musical Theater Project? For today’s 3 p.m. Vocal Minority concert, TMTP managing director Heather Meeker has put together “a terrific lineup” of songs dating back to 1902. “We’re covering more than 100 years of women songwriters, all the way from Tin Pan Alley greats like Dorothy Fields (“The Way You Look Tonight”) to Broadway lyricists like Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime).” The all-female company includes pianist/singer Nancy Maier, Casey Goldbach, Cynthia O’Connell, and Ursula Cataan, with Ann Gilbert on bass. Meeker says she and Maier worked long and hard on the program. “We wanted to select a good balance of songs that demonstrate the depth and breadth of musical theater. Plus they had to showcase the female voice,” she says. “But in the end, it was about putting together a show that generations can enjoy together.” It all happens at the Breen Center on the campus of St. Ignatius High School. Tickets are $24, $18, and $10. Or treat Mom to the special Mother’s Day package that includes brunch at nearby Light Bistro and show tickets; those prices range from $54 to $60. Learn more on the website.
Africa & Byzantium considers the complex artistic relationships between northern and eastern African Christian kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire from the fourth…