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BLOSSOM MUSIC FESTIVAL S
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sunday July 27
BROADWAY STANDING OVATIONS The Cleveland Orchestra Jack Everly, conductor Christina Bianco, vocalist Ben Crawford, vocalist Ted Keegan, vocalist Ron Remke, vocalist Men of the Blossom Festival Chorus
for finding your own rhythm. PNC is proud to be a sponsor for The Cleveland Orchestra’s Blossom Weekend Concert Series. es.
Š2014 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC
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BLOSSOM MUSIC FESTIVAL
Sunday evening, July 27, 2014, at 7:00 p.m.
THE CLEVEL AND ORCHESTRA conducted by JAC K E V E R LY
B ROA D WAY S TA N DI N G OVAT I O N S featuring Christina Bianco, Ben Crawford, Ted Keegan, and Ron Remke and the men of the Blossom Festival Chorus
Overture: Broadway Divas arranged by Jack Everly and Fred Barton orchestra
“This Is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse mr. crawford
“Maria” from West Side Story
music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim mr. keegan
Love Duet Medley
arranged by Wayne Barker ms. bianco, mr. crawford, and mr. keegan
Seventy-Six Trombones from The Music Man by Meredith Willson; arranged by Richard Hayman orchestra
“Defying Gravity” from Wicked lyrics and music by Stephen Schwartz ms. bianco
Blossom Music Festival
Program: July 27
PROGRAM LISTING CONTINUES
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PROGRAM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Leading Men Medley arranged by Jack Everly mr. crawford and mr. keegan
INTERMISSION
Overture to West Side Story
music by Leonard Bernstein; arranged by Maurice Peress orchestra
Broadway Diva Impressions arranged by Fred Barton ms. bianco
Chicago Medley
music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb; arranged by Michael Gibson orchestra
“Falling Slowly” from Once
music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová; arranged by Jack Everly ms. bianco and mr. crawford
“The Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart mr. keegan
Selections from Les Misérables
music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, original French lyrics by Alain Boubill and Jean-Marc Natel, English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, music arranged by Wayne Barker ms. bianco, mr. crawford, mr. keegan, and mr. remke with the men of the blossom festival chorus
This concert is sponsored by PNC Bank, a Cleveland Orchestra Partner in Excellence. This concert is dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Kern in recognition of their extraordinary generosity in support of The Cleveland Orchestra’s 2013-14 Annual Fund. Media Partners: WCLV Classical 104.9 FM ideastream® and The Plain Dealer
This concert has been designated as an official Pre-Games Kick-Off cultural event of the 2014 Gay Games, being held August 9-16 in Northeast Ohio. The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to be a Community Patron Partner of the Gay Games.
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Program: July 27
Blossom Music Festival
Jack Everly Jack Everly is one of North America’s leading symphonic pops conductors and serves as principal pops conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He is also principal pops conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic in Florida, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa, Canada. In addition, he serves as music director of the National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth on PBS. Mr. Everly made his Cleveland Orchestra debut at Blossom in 2009 and most recently appeared earlier this summer as part of the 2014 Blossom Music Festival. In addition to the ensembles he directs each season, Mr. Everly’s recent and upcoming symphonic engagements include appearances as a guest conductor with the orchestras of Atlanta, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Washington D.C. He was conductor and music director for fourteen seasons with the American Ballet Theatre, where he was first appointed by Mikhail Baryshnikov. In addition, he teamed with Marvin Hamlisch for a number of Broadway shows, including The Goodbye Girl, They’re Playing Our Song, and A Chorus Line. He conducted Carol Channing hundreds of times, in two separate Broadway productions of Hello, Dolly! Leading the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s holiday celebration concerts each December, Mr. Everly conducted the ISO’s first pops recording, Yuletide Celebration, which featured some of his own orchestrations. His other recordings include In the Presence with the Czech Philharmonic and tenor Daniel Rodriguez, Sandi Patty’s Broadway Stories, and Everything’s Coming Up Roses: The Complete Overtures of Broadway’s Jule Styne. He has also been music director on many Broadway cast recordings. In television and film, Jack Everly has appeared on In Performance at the White House and conducted the songs for Disney’s animated classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In 1998, Jack Everly created the Symphonic Pops Consortium with the Indianapolis Symphony and four partnering orchestras. The Consortium is dedicated to providing superior quality artistic pops programs through collaboration, innovation, celebration, and perspiration. When not on the podium or arranging, Jack enjoys home life with his family, which includes the dog Max.
Blossom Festival 2014
Conductor
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Christina Bianco Christina Bianco has become a worldwide YouTube sensation with her diva impression videos — her rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” got the attention of millions, which led to an appearance performing on The Ellen Degeneres Show. She has also sold out a critically-acclaimed extended run headlining at London’s famed Hippodrome. In New York, her credits include the Off-Broadway Newsical the Musical and Forbidden Broadway, as well as Goes To Rehab, for which she earned a Drama Desk Award Nomination; she can be heard on both original cast recordings. She originated the role of Dora in the long-running National Tour of Dora The Explorer Live. Other New York credits include Raffi On Broadway, Forbidden Broadway Dances with the Stars, and the role of Tina in Tony and Tina’s Wedding. As a cabaret artist, she performed weekly in an unprecedented eightmonth run of 11 O’Clock Numbers at Feinstein’s at Loew’s Regency. For more information, visit www.christinabianco.com.
Ben Crawford Ben Crawford hails from Tucson, Arizona, where he earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theater from the University of Arizona. His Broadway credits include Shrek the Musical (Shrek) and Les Misérables (Javert, and understudy for Val Jean). Touring credits include Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson), while regional theater credits include Next to Normal (Dr. Madden), Titanic (Barrett), Oliver! (Bill Sykes), South Pacific (Billis), and Oklahoma! (Jud Frye). In concert, Ben has performed with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Florida’s Naples Philharmonic, and at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, among other ensembles. He can be seen in the documentary The Standbys, a film documenting the careers of three New York actors serving as standbys in Broadway productions. Ben played Don Price last fall in the new Broadway musical Big Fish. He lives in New York City with his wife, Kate. For more information, visit www.ben-crawford.com.
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Guest Artists
The Cleveland Orchestra
Ted Keegan Ted Keegan is a native of Watertown, New York, with an undergraduate degree from Ithaca College and a graduate degree from UNC-Greensboro. He has appeared as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, in the show’s National Tour, and in Las Vegas. He has the distinction of singing the role in front of the largest audience ever, when he made a spectacular flying entrance from the dome of Madison Square Garden during the half-time show of the NBA All-Star Game. He was deeply involved in the George Gershwin Centennial Celebration, performing unpublished songs at the opening of the George and Ira Gershwin Room at the National Archives in Washington D.C. Orchestras he has performed with include the ensembles of Baltimore, Syracuse, Charleston, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Detroit, Omaha, Las Vegas, Fort Worth, Rockford, Edmonton, and Washington D.C. He made his Broadway debut as Anthony in the acclaimed revival of Sweeney Todd. His first solo album, Ted Keegan Sings, is available in stores and at iTunes. For more information, visit www.tedkeegan.com.
Ron Remke Ron Remke was a featured soloist with the “12 Irish Tenors” and is a regular guest artist with symphonies across the United States and Canada. He is a sought-after performer on the high seas and has visited over 70 countries while performing on board the Silver Spirit and the Regent Voyager. Select credits include Lead Tenor in The Producers with Westchester Broadway Theater and Pioneer Theater, Hugo in Aspects of Love and Captain Tarnitz in The Student Prince with Media Theater, and Dance Captain of Kiss Me, Kate with the US National Tour. He has also appeared at the Fulton Opera House, Marriott Lincolnshire, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Struther’s Library Theater, and Cortland Repertory. He has worked with Sesame Street and Nickelodeon as a voice-over character artist and is the voice of Juan in Sonia Monzano’s No Dog Allowed! His full symphonic album Broadway Classics is available on iTunes and through his website, www.ronremke.com.
Blossom Festival 2014
Guest Artists
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Robert Porco
Director of Choruses Frances P. and Chester C. Bolton Endowed Chair The Cleveland Orchestra
Robert Porco became director of choruses for The Cleveland Orchestra in 1998. In addition to overseeing choral activities and preparing the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and the Blossom Festival Chorus for a variety of concert programs each season, Mr. Porco conducts the Orchestra’s annual series of Christmas concerts at Severance Hall and regularly conducts subscription concert programs both at Severance Hall and Blossom. He has also served as director of choruses for the Cincinnati May Festival since 1989. In 2011, Mr. Porco was honored by Chorus America with its annual Michael Korn Founders Award for a lifetime of significant contributions to the professional choral art. The Ohio native served as chairman of the choral department at Indiana University 1980-98, and in recent years has taught doctoral-level conducting at the school. As teacher and mentor, Mr. Porco has guided and influenced the development of hundreds of musicians, many of whom are now active as professional conductors, singers, or teachers. As a sought-after guest instructor and coach, he has taught at Harvard University, Westminster Choir College, and the University of Miami Frost School of Music.
The Cleveland Orchestra and Blossom Music Festival extend a special welcome to Materion Corporation, whose guests are enjoying a special evening at Blossom.
BANDWAGON GIFT SHOP Music is in the air! Take advantage of the moment and browse our large selection of musical gifts and Cleveland Orchestra signature items. Open before each Blossom Music Festival concert, at intermissions, and for post-concert purchases, too! We have a selection of new summertime merchandise — and a special bargain table every night. Plus CDs and DVDs of artists and music being presented this summer. Stop in, and take the music home!
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Chorus
2014 Blossom Festival
Blossom Festival Chorus Robert Porco, Director Lisa Wong, Assistant Director
The Blossom Festival Chorus was created in 1968 for the inaugural set of concerts opening Blossom with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (“Choral”). Members of this volunteer chorus are selected each spring from the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and through open auditions of singers from throughout Northeast Ohio. The Blossom Festival Chorus has been featured in 150 concerts at Blossom in addition to select other summertime performances with The Cleveland Orchestra.
Men of the Blossom Festival Chorus prepared by Robert Porco Graham Ball* Luke Benko* Frank Bianchi Orion Brock* Daniel Catalano Nick Connavino David T. Contreras Andrew Fowler* Benjamin G. Heacox*
Kurtis Hoffman* Martin Horning Donald E. Howdyshell Bernard Hrusovsky Gary Kaplan Daniel M. Katz Kevin Kutz CJ Langmack* Rohan Mandelia
Tyler Mason James May Tom Moormann George Morgan* Keith Norman Nick Penfound John Riehl Matthew Rizer Daniel J. Singer
Devon Steve* Matthew Turell* Steven Weems Allen White * denotes current or former member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus
Alicja Basinska, Accompanist Jill Harbaugh, Manager of Choruses
AUDITIONS for 2014-15 Season
Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus Saturday, September 6
The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus was founded in 1991 to raise awareness of choral music-making in the schools of northeastern Ohio and to encourage more students to continue their choral activities through college and into adulthood. Each year, the 100 members of the Youth Chorus (in grades 9 to 12) represent some 40 schools and communities. The Youth Chorus performs in concert at Severance Hall with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, as well as presenting other concerts and having opportunities to sing with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. This coming season, they will sing with The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra Chorus in Bach’s B-minor Mass in October, conducted by Franz Welser-MÖst. The Youth Chorus is holding auditions for the coming season on Saturday, September 6. For more information or to submit an application for an audition, please send an email to: chorus@clevelandorchestra.com.
Blossom Festival 2014
Chorus
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Gay Games take on cultural air, too! Cleveland+Akron: August 9-16
N E X T M O N T H , the world comes to
Cleveland+Akron for the world’s most inclusive sporting and cultural event — the ninth quadrennial Gay Games. In the spirit of Participation, Inclusion, and Personal Best™, the Games are open to everybody regardless of sexual orientation, age, or athletic ability. Also, in the spirit of inclusion, the Games are not just about sport — a cultural component runs throughout the week. Band and Chorus are both among the more than 35 sports and cultural events in which individuals can participate during the 2014 Gay Games, presented by the Cleveland Foundation. Northeast Ohio residents who prefer spectating to participating can find something to entertain them almost every day during Games Week. The Opening Ceremony on August 9 at Quicken Loans Arena is a full-scale spectacular, “Rock ’n’ Rubber,” celebrating the rich history of Northeast Ohio and the Games. Featuring Lance Bass, the Pointer Sisters,
Broadway singers, a community chorus, a marching band, and much more, the evening promises to be extraordinary. PlayhouseSquare then becomes the home for band and choral participants. On August 12, band members join together for a performance at the State Theatre, while choral members take the same stage on August 13. Tickets are being sold at www.2014GayGames.com for the concerts as well as the Opening Ceremony. More than 100 community partners, including The Cleveland Orchestra, are supporting event and planning activities leading up to and during Games Week. The Cleveland Orchestra is hosting tonight’s concert at Blossom to kick off the welcome. On August 8, the Cleveland Museum of Art is hosting “Night before 9: Out in Art,” an event with food, drink, entertainment, and private access to its world-renowned collection. And, during Games Week, The Cleveland Orchestra takes up the entertainment baton at Severance Hall for a special Summers@Severance concert on Friday evening, August 15. In reflecting on the summer, Games Executive Director Tom Nobbe says, “We’re so thrilled to be hosting this global event and having so many organizations and individuals come together to make it happen. We invite all of Northeast Ohio to partake in some or all of the great things happening, and be part of making history in America’s heartland.” �� For more information, visit �� www.2014GayGames.com
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Community Patron Partner
The Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra salutes Northeast Ohio for hosting the 2014 Gay Games August 9-16 Thank you for joining us for tonight’s special Pre-Games kick-off concert at Blossom “Broadway Standing Ovations!” During the week of the Games, come to “The Beethoven Experience” on August 15 at Severance Hall, an official cultural event of the 2014 Gay Games.
See complete details about the 2014 Gay Games and related cultural performances and activities online. OPEN TO ALL BAND, CHORUS & 35+ sports Register, volunteer, donate by visiting www.GG9CLE.com The Cleveland Orchestra is proud to be a Community Patron Partner of the 2014 Gay Games. Blossom Festival 2014
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EXPERIENCE BLOSSOM!
See a full listing of 2014 Blossom Music Festival concerts on pages 36-37of the Festival Book.
August 3 Sunday
Hollywood Under the Stars of our time. Hollywood maestro Richard Kaufman leads a blockbuster tribute to some of Hollywood’s most memorable film music, with selections from Lawrence of Arabia, Lincoln, Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, The Magnificent Seven, The Right Stuff, and more. THE GRE AT FILM SCORE S
August 16 Saturday
Yo-Yo Ma most celebrated musicians comes to Blossom for one night only. Experience Yo-Yo Ma’s gifted artistry in Edward Elgar’s great Cello Concerto, filled with majestic melody and longing, mixed with soul-stirring passion and gripping drama. Blossom favorite Jahja Ling leads this special evening. ONE OF THE WORLD’S
August 30 Saturday
Family FunFest fun for the whole family! Bring the kids and share the magical experience of Blossom and live symphonic music. A fun-filled concert featuring tunes from The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, Frozen, and more. Featuring great familyfriendly activities and a post-concert fireworks show!
L ABOR DAY WE E KE ND