2015/16 Season Colorado Symphony Pops Series presented by Arrow Electronics
POPS • 2015-2016 ONE SINGULAR SENSATION: A TRIBUTE TO MARVIN HAMLISCH COLORADO SYMPHONY CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor JODI BENSON, DONNA McKECHNIE, DOUG LaBRECQUE, HEATHER LACY, vocals MEMBERS OF THE COLORADO SYMPHONY CHORUS, MARY LOUISE BURKE, associate director Tonight’s concert is gratefully dedicated to Julie Rubsam and Anonymous Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 7:30 pm Boettcher Concert Hall HAMLISCH HAMLISCH/LIEBLING/Blank HAMLISCH HAMLISCH HAMLISCH HAMLISCH/Tunick HAMLISCH/KLEBAN/Tunick/Moore HAMLISCH HAMLISCH/BERGMAN
Overture to A Chorus Line Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows Through the Eyes of Love Ordinary Miracles The Last Time I Felt Like This Nothing At The Ballet Nobody Does It Better One Song
— INTERMISSION — HAMLISCH They’re Playing Our Song (Entr’acte) HAMLISCH/Blank Smile HAMLISCH/Blank Disneyland HAMLISCH Dreamers HAMLISCH/Burns/Blank They’re Playing Our Song 1 and 2 HAMLISCH Sofie’s Choice HAMLISCH/Paich The Way We Were HAMLISCH/KLEBAN/ Inside the Music/The Music and the Mirror (Byers/Wheeler/Tunick/Blank) HAMLISCH/Blank What I Did For Love
SOUNDINGS 2015-2016 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG PROGRAM 1
POPS BIOGRAPHIES CHRISTOPHER DRAGON, conductor Australian conductor Christopher Dragon began his appointment as Associate Conductor of the Colorado Symphony in the 2015/16 season. In 2013 he was appointed the inaugural Assistant Conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, a title he holds until the end of 2015. This role provided him with the opportunity to work closely with Principal Conductor Asher Fisch in addition to numerous other engagements. In April of 2015 Dragon made his debut at the Sydney Opera House conducting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Australian singer/ songwriter Josh Pyke. In 2016 he will be making his debut with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Dragon is a member of the prestigious Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program through which he has worked with orchestras in Australia and New Zealand under the guidance of Christopher Seaman and the orchestras’ Principal Conductors. In 2014 Christopher was invited to conduct the Princess Galyani Vadhana Youth Orchestra in Thailand and earlier that year participated in the Jarvi Winter Academy in Estonia where he was awarded the Orchestra’s Favourite Conductor Prize. Dragon has also studied with numerous distinguished conductors including Paavo and Neeme Jarvi at the Jarvi Summer Festival, Fabio Luisi at the Pacific Music Festival in Japan, and conducting pedagogue Jorma Panula.
MARY LOUISE BURKE, associate director, Colorado Symphony Chorus Mary Louise Burke is in her 22nd season as Associate Chorus Director of the Colorado Symphony Chorus. In addition to assisting Chorus Director Duain Wolfe, she also prepares the chorus for various Colorado Symphony pops concerts and special chorus projects. She is also Associate Director of the Colorado Children’s Chorale, conducting the Concert Choir and acting as vocal coach for the Chorale. With an expertise in vocal technique, Burke frequently does seminars in vocal and choral techniques for area church and community choirs. She is the Assistant Music Minister at Montview Presbyterian Church and has taught classes in “Find Your Authentic Voice” at the University of Denver. She has a Doctorate in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado.
JODI BENSON, vocals Jodi Benson is honored and blessed to be a recipient of The Disney Legends Award having served the company for over 27 amazing years. Jodi has received worldwide recognition as the beloved, original voice of Ariel in the Academy Award winning Disney film The Little Mermaid. She continues to bring Ariel to life as well as the bubbly voice of Barbie in Disney/Pixar’s Golden Globe winner Toy Story 2 and Oscar winning Toy Story 3. Other films: Flubber (Weebo), Thumbelina, Tinkerbell: Secret of the Wings, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning, The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea, Lady and the Tramp II (Lady) and as Patrick Dempsey’s assistant Sam, in Disney’s Enchanted — as a real person with legs! Benson received nominations for the Tony Award and Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress in a Musical for originating Polly Baker in the Tony Award winning Gershwin musical Crazy For You. Her animated TV series include the Emmy winning PROGRAM 2 SOUNDINGS 2015-2016 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG
POPS BIOGRAPHIES “Camp Lazlo,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Sofia The First”(Disney) and many others. As a concert soloist, Jodi has performed with symphonies all over the world. Jodi gives thanks to God for her loving husband, Ray, and amazing children, son, McKinley and daughter, Delaney.
DONNA McKECHNIE, vocals Donna McKechnie, the Tony Award-winning star of A Chorus Line, is regarded internationally as one of Broadway’s foremost dancing and singing leading ladies. She recently launched her new series at Birdland Supper Club in New York called In Good Company and will be one of the stars in the upcoming concert show called 4 Girls 4, produced by Wayne Gmitter and John McDaniel. Her Broadway shows include How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (National Tour), The Education of H*Y*M*A*N-K*A*P*L*A*N, Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (which she also choreographed), On The Town, Promises Promises, Company, and State Fair, for which she received the Fred Astaire Award for Best Female Dancer for the 1996 Season. Donna’s one woman musical, My Musical Comedy Life received unanimous raves from New York theatre critics, won a Mac Award Nomination for Best Female Singer and the Bistro Award for Outstanding Major Engagement. McKechnie’s memoir, Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life, was published by Simon and Schuster. Donna was featured in the documentary film, Every Little Step and was also featured in the film, 36 Saints.
DOUG LaBRECQUE, vocals Doug LaBrecque thrilled theatre audiences as The Phantom and Raoul in the Harold Prince production of The Phantom of the Opera. In addition, LaBrecque has starred on Broadway as Ravenal in the Hal Prince revival of Showboat, a role he also performed in Canada and Chicago. He was featured in Oscar Hammerstein’s 100th Birthday Celebration on Broadway at The Gershwin Theatre, and toured nationally with Les Miserables. A graduate of University of Michigan he was also featured in the world premiere of A Wonderful Life, written by Sheldon Harnick and Joe Raposo, and starred in the premiere revival of Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner’s Love Life. One of the most prolific concert performers of his generation, LaBrecque has been a soloist with some of the world’s finest symphony orchestras including The National Symphony, The Israel Philharmonic (Tel Aviv), The Chicago Symphony, among many others. In a tribute to Richard Rodgers, Mr. LaBrecque recently made his Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist with the New York Pops, the same season he debuted with The Boston Pops. International engagements have included The Korean National Symphony in Seoul, Korea, The Shanghai Radio Orchestra in China, The Hong Kong Philharmonic, The Vancouver and Calgary Symphonies in Canada, The Brazilian Symphony Orchestra in Rio De Janeiro, The Jerusalem Symphony, and numerous return engagements with the Israel Philharmonic. Mr. LaBrecque recently appeared in Alba, Italy as the guest soloist in an all Bernstein concert and returned to the International Music Festival in The Czech Republic.
POPS BIOGRAPHIES HEATHER LACY, vocals Heather Lacy is making her second appearance with the Colorado Symphony after performing as Alma Hix in the Colorado Symphony’s production of The Music Man in September 2015. Heather’s credits include A Man of No Importance, The Archbishop’s Ceiling, Harvey, Camelot, Blithe Spirit ( The Arvada Center), Big River, Guys and Dolls ( Lone Tree Arts Center), The Doyle and Debbie Show and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Denver Center for the Performing Arts). Special appearance in “Smile” by Kira Acosta, Grace Aschenberg, Lauren Clarke Beaber, Michelle Campbell, Valeria Lopez, Maddy Newhouse, Callia Stylianou.
COLORADO SYMPHONY CHORUS 2015/16 Colorado Symphony season marks the 32nd year of the Colorado Symphony Chorus. Founded in 1984 by Duain Wolfe at the request of Gaetano Delogu, then the Music Director of the Colorado Symphony, the chorus has grown over the past three decades into a nationally respected ensemble. This outstanding chorus of 160 volunteers joins the Colorado Symphony for numerous performances (more than 25 this year alone), and radio and television broadcasts. The Chorus has performed at noted music festivals in the Rocky Mountain region, including the Colorado Music Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival and the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, where it has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Dallas Symphony. For over two decades, the Chorus has been featured at the worldrenowned Aspen Music Festival, performing many great masterworks under the baton of notable conductors Lawrence Foster, James Levine, Murry Sidlin, Leonard Slatkin, Robert Spano and David Zinman. The Colorado Symphony Chorus is featured on a recent Hyperion release of the Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem and Hough’s Missa Mirabilis. In 2009, Duain Wolfe conducted the chorus on a concert tour of Europe, presenting the Verdi Requiem in Budapest, Vienna, Litomysl, and Prague. The Chorus will return to Europe in 2016 for concerts in Paris, Strasbourg and Munich. For an audition appointment, call 303.308.2483. Duain Wolfe, Founding Director and Conductor; Mary Louise Burke, Associate Conductor; Travis Branam, Assistant Conductor; Taylor Martin, Staff Conductor; Eric Israelson, Chorus Manager; Barbara Porter, Associate Manager Brian Dukeshier, Joshua Sawicki, Danni Snyder, Accompanists Soprano Lindsay Campbell Kerry Cote Lynnae Hinkley Lisa Kraft Krista Kuhn Cathy Look Anne Maupin Stephanie Medema Barbara Porter Shirley Rider Kelly Ross Nancy Saddler Stephanie Solich Nicole Stegink Judy Tate Stacey Travis Sherry Weinstein
Alto Kay Boothe Kim Brown Amy Buesing Martha Cox Sheri Daniel Carol Eslick Ellen Janasko Deanna Kraft Joanna Maltzahn Susan McWaters Kali Paguirigan Mary Thayer
Tenor Roger Fuehrer John Gale Matthew Gray David Hodel Ken Kolm Ken Quarles Ron Ruth Ryan Waller
PROGRAM 4 SOUNDINGS 2015-2016 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG
Bass Grant Carlton Bob Drickey Bob Friedlander Eric Israelson Mike Kraft Ken Moncrieff John Phillips Russ Skillings Wil Swanson