Peter Nero and the Philly Pops Announce Its New Season!05/20/2005Peter Nero and the Philly Pops� Announce 2005-2006 Season!
With an Additional Performance of Holiday POPS! The musical magic continues for another season of Peter Nero and the Philly Pops! Five fabulous concert series are planned for the 2005-2006 season, and an additional Holiday POPS! performance has been added, too.
The season begins on October 26th with the stylish music of Grammy Award-winner Melissa Manchester, whose wonderful songs and smash hit singles defined the .70.s and .80.s for so many. A multi-talented performer, she has also combined her acting and singing talents on the stage, with starring roles in Andrew Lloyd Weber.s Song and Dance and Music Of The Night. Melissa composed and recorded the score for Disney.s Lady and the Tramp II, and just released her 16th album, When I Look Down That Road. These concerts will have everyone tapping their feet and singing along!
It just wouldn.t be the holidays without Holiday POPS!, and this December we.ve added yet another performance, giving POPS fans a choice of seven concert dates to enjoy! Peter.s special guest will be one of his favorite singers, Ann Hampton Callaway. The POPS Festival Chorus will be on stage, too, making Holiday POPS! a perfect way for the whole family to celebrate the holiday season.
In February Peter and The POPS will travel the world, musically speaking, with the popular music of Italy, France, Spain, Russia and many other nations when they present International POPSpourri. And joining them is chanteuse Esther Heideman, whose beautiful soprano voice will bring the folk songs, opera arias and popular tunes of the world alive on stage in Verizon Hall. In 2000, Esther won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Licia Albanese Competition. In 2001, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut singing Pamina in Mozart.s Die Zauberflote. She has performed with Major orchestras throughout the United States and Europe, and is making her first appearance with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops.
One of the masters of American music will be celebrated in March, with an entire program of the music of George Gershwin. And no one interprets Gershwin.s music the way Peter does! By George, It.s Gershwin! will treat concertgoers to the composer.s orchestral music and a very special concert version of the opera Porgy and Bess. Howard University.s award-winning Choir will be there, along with acclaimed baritone Leonard Rowe, who has sung the role of Porgy with opera companies around the world. Leonard won both the Licia Albanese/Puccini Foundation and the Bellini International Voice Competition in 2003, and performed in the winner.s recitals at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
For four days beginning March 29th The Sounds of the .60.s will resonant in Verizon Hall when Peter Nero and the Philly Pops play the wonderful music of that era. Burt Bacharach, The Beach Boys.so many terrific songs that we all know and love! Of course, it wouldn.t be a .60.s concert without the music of The Beatles, and Classical Mystery Tour will be there to remind everyone just how great the Fab Four really were. These original cast members of the Broadway sensation Beatlemania look and sound just like The Beatles!
That unstoppable Philly POPS phenomenon Broadway Showstoppers will finish this season on a very high note, as Peter combines Broadway.s most exceptional talent with the magic of the Philly Pops orchestra. This season the vocal artistry of Susan Egan, Brian D.Arcy James and William Michals will bring the house down and audiences to their feet!
Brian D.Arcy James has had a distinguished career on the New York stage and in concert halls across around the world. He was nominated for a Tony Award in 2002 for his portrayal of Sidney Falco in the Broadway production of Sweet Smell of Success, co-starring John Lithgow. Most recently he appeared at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas with Barry Manilow. Brian performed Every Single Day from Manilow.s upcoming show Harmony, in which he will star when it opens on Broadway.
Susan Egan.s talents can be seen and heard in theatre, film, television and music. Recently she starred in the title role of Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway. Susan was the original Belle in Disney.s Beauty and the Beast, earning both Tony and Drama Desk nominations. She has also lent her voice to four Disney animated films, singing the lead roles in Hercules, Spirited Away, Lady and the Tramp II and Porco Rosso. Susan had a recurring role in the CBS series Almost Perfect and has been a guest on many other shows, including NUMB3RS, NYPD Blue, and Party of Five.
Subscriptions for the 27th season of Peter Nero and the Philly Pops are available by calling The POPS office, 215-546-6400 or online at
www.phillypops.org.
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