The Heritage Center in Leavenworth, Kan. will host a music event called Duetable on Aug. 27, with Joshua Shockey and local singer and owner of Harper Haus Music Company in Platte City, Michelle Harper.
Shockey and Harper began performing together as Duetable in 2019. They had met in 2018 while doing “Shrek The Musical” for Weston Community Theatre (WCT). They continued that friendship in 2019 when Shockey directed “Mamma Mia!” for WCT with Harper in the production, and again this past summer when Shockey directed “Willy Wonka” with Harper as Mrs. Gloop. They did their first Duetable show the same year as Mamma Mia!
Band K, a piano/guitar duo consisting of fellow musicians and friends, Bill Welch, on guitar, and Kari Rydalch, on keyboard, will be performing with Duetable. For the Aug. 27 show, they both will be playing multiple instruments, including, piano, bass and guitar.
Shockey had always listened to music growing up. “My mom listened to all kinds of music,” Shockey said. “I still have a little blue cassette tape with her name on it that is full of her favorite songs. Then, in seventh grade, I joined my middle school choir and that kind of sealed the deal. I fell in love with music and singing. I had a wonderful choir teacher in middle school, Valerie Smith, and then in high school, I was then beyond lucky to have a choir director who challenged us and helped foster his students’ love for music (and theatre) - Lester Dalton. He was also Melissa Etheridge’s choir director when she was in high school at Leavenworth High School. I played the trumpet in the middle school band, but did not stick with it after that. I do dabble a bit on the piano and I always say, ‘I chord very well.’”
Before he and Harper began singing together as Duetable, he did solo concerts and would feature a wide range of songs and styles including: country, pop, light rock and Broadway. He and Harper continue those genres and cover everything from Dolly Parton to Heart, Linda Ronstadt to The Beatles and Bette Midler to Guns N’ Roses.
As Duetable begins to build a name for themselves and their music, they have been performing a lot in Leavenworth.
“The goal is to branch out and work at many different venues,” Shockey said. “We would love to bring our concerts and entertain all around the area - fundraisers, special engagements; we are open to any and all new possibilities and willing to travel.”
After the last year and a half of COVID-19 restrictions, Shockey and Harper are glad to be back in concert.
“We had the chance to perform our second Duetable concert in the summer of 2020 (after rescheduling two times) for a limited audience and that was amazing,” Shockey said. “We were also able to get together with Bill and Kari (Band K) to record 14 songs (on video) to release as a 12-days of Christmas thing via Facebook and YouTube. So, we tried to keep our names out there and perform as we could, even if that meant virtually. But, in the end, nothing beats a live performance with a live audience and relishing in that feedback and the applause. At heart, Michelle and I are both entertainers... we love performing!”
Shockey and Harper believe the Heritage Event and Arts Center is a perfect place to share their music.
“They have been a great venue for my group (Shocking Productions) as a whole over these past six years,” Shockey said. “The Heritage Center and I started a relationship in 2015 when I started an oldies revue called ‘Malt Shop Memories’ (which will have its sixth installment this October at the Center). Outside of hosting my past concerts, Duetable performance and our Malt Shop productions, we have done Madrigal Dinner Shows, the hit musical ‘Nunsense,’ and several Christmas revues at the Center. It is a great place for us to explore and they allow us to try new things. Always gracious hosts.”
When Shockey and Harper first talked during rehearsals for Shrek in 2018, they bonded over a love of tacos, egg rolls and music. The duo developed a deep respect and admiration for each other’s individual talents after working together in subsequent shows. When Shockey asked her what she thought about doing a duet concert together and calling it Duetable, Harper thought it was a great idea. The duo grew even more with the addition of Band K. “They became the folks we wanted behind us every show,” Shockey said. “Michelle and I have a respect and trust for one another on stage (and off) and that is how it works for us. In our hopes to fly high together, we are willing to look like fools together first.”
The band’s shows draw a wide range of audience members and they take that into account as they decide on the set list or songs they might want to perform. They take many things into account, including what is fun for them, what is fun for someone who is 22 and what will bring back memories for someone who is 75.
“That is why our shows seem to be so eclectic - we don’t stick to just one thing or one genre,” Shockey said. We have songs in Duetable 3 (this show) that have carried over from Duetable 1 and 2. Songs we like and songs that mean something to the friendship Michelle and I have built, like S.O.S. from Mamma Mia! That was a show that meant a lot to both of us and we include that song from that show as one of ‘our songs.’ We love singing. We love making music together and with Band K. Michelle and I are both entertainers and performers at heart and deep in our soul(s), so the opportunity to be able to perform for a crowd is always what we look forward to the most with the hopes of bringing an hour or two of enjoyment and hope and escape to as many people as we can.”
For more information about the show and to reserve seats, contact The Heritage Event and Arts Center in Leavenworth, at (913) 682-2122, or visit their website. Find out more about Duetable by visiting their Facebook page. Attendees can get tickets for the dinner and the show, or just the show.