RUSSIANS

After catching Haale on stage at the Courthouse Square in Redwood City, northern California, last month, we decided to go back and see the Russian singers, musicians and dancers on stage. Nikolai Massenkoff, international acclaimed star of the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival, founded the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival in 1975 because of his love for his Russian heritage. He has performed more than two decades both nationally and internationally to great acclaim. These performances included: Carnegie Hall; Olympic Stadium in Seoul, Korea before a live audience of 90,000 people; over 100 performances at the International Division of Epcot Center's World Stage in Florida; with major symphony orchestras -- San Francisco, Baltimore, Edmonton, Honolulu, Palm Beach, Flagstaff, London and Edmonton. At Stanford University Stadium, Nikolai performed with over 600 musicians and dancers and rode into the stadium on a black stallion. Hundreds of white birds were released into the air as well as thousands of balloons, while the audience cheered. He has appeared on stage with Jerry Lewis, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Liberace, Dinah Shore, Bob Hope, Julio Iglesias, Glen Campbell and Brooke Shields and performed in 35 states and seven countries. During this event, Nikolai invited all Russian veterans to join him on stage with their WWII Medals when he dedicated a 1940 medley of songs to them.