THE DOO WOP PROJECT

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

Friday, March 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 2:30 pm

ALLEN-BRADLEY HALL

Jack Everly, conductor

Charl Brown, vocalist

John Michael Dias, vocalist

Russell Fischer, vocalist

Dominic Nolfi, vocalist

Sonny Paladino, vocalist

Nicholas Ward, vocalist

PROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED FROM THE STAGE

This weekend’s media sponsor is WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO

The length of this concert is approximately 2 hours. All programs are subject to change.

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra can be heard on Telarc, Koss Classics, Pro Arte, AVIE, and Vox/Turnabout recordings. MSO Classics recordings (digital only) available on iTunes and at mso.org. MSO Binaural recordings (digital only) available at mso.org.

Guest Artist Biographies

JACK EVERLY

JACK EVERLY

Jack Everly is the principal pops conductor of the Indianapolis and Baltimore symphony orchestras, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa). He has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the San Francisco Symphony, and numerous appearances with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center. Maestro Everly will conduct over 90 performances in more than 22 North American cities this season.

Celebrating his 12th year as music director of the National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth on PBS, Everly proudly leads the National Symphony Orchestra in these patriotic celebrations on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, attracting hundreds of thousands of attendees and reaching millions of viewers annually.

Originally appointed by Mikhail Baryshnikov, Everly was conductor of the American Ballet Theatre for 14 years, where he served as music director. In addition to his ABT tenure, he teamed with Marvin Hamlisch on Broadway shows that Mr. Hamlisch scored. He conducted Carol Channing hundreds of times in Hello, Dolly! in two separate Broadway productions.

Everly, a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music in 2021 from his alma mater. He is a recipient of the 2015 Indiana Historical Society Living Legends Award and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Franklin College in his home state of Indiana. He is a proud resident of the Indianapolis community, and when not on the podium you can find Maestro Everly at home with his family.

CHARL BROWN

Charl Brown was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Smokey Robinson in Motown The Musical; he reprised this role opening London’s West End production in 2016. He is also featured on the Grammy nominated original Broadway cast recording. In 2014, Brown was honored to work with Stephen Schwartz playing the role of Adam/Noah in Children of Eden in concert at the Kennedy Center. He returned to Kennedy Center in 2018 as The Specialist in The Who’s Tommy. Other Credits include: Jersey Boys on Broadway and Las Vegas (Hal Miller); Sister Act on Broadway (Officer Eddie Souther, TJ, Pablo U/S, Ensemble); Hair (Hud) in the European Tour; Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr) with Moonlight Stage; Smokey Joe’s Cafe (Adrian) with The Muny; The Who’s Tommy (Captain Walker) at the Denver Center; Ever After (Captain Laurent) with Papermill Playhouse; Johnny Baseball (Tim Wyatt) at ART; Dreamgirls (Curtis Taylor Jr.) at SDMT; Ragtime (Coalhouse) with Performance Riverside; Six Degrees of Separation (Paul) at Long Beach Playhouse; JC Superstar (Judas) with Music at Westwood Theater; A Chorus Line (Richie) at Starlight Theater; and Star Wars Trilogy in 30 Minutes (Lando Calrissian) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For television, Brown has been seen in Evil; Madam Secretary; America’s Got Talent (US & UK); Macy’s 85th & 87th Thanksgiving Day Parade; The 63rd Annual Tony Awards; and A Capitol 4th 2013. Brown is a proud graduate of the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts, where he currently sits on the advisory board for the inaugural BFA in musical theater class.

JOHN MICHAEL DIAS

John Michael Dias recently appeared on Broadway as Neil Sedaka in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning hit Beautiful: The Carol King Musical. He originated the same role for the Beautiful first national tour. Dias gained a nationwide following starring as Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons in the smash hit Jersey Boys, playing the role on Broadway, as well as in the first national tour – Vegas and Chicago companies. In concert, Dias has performed in Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Neil Sedaka’s Greatest Hits!. He can also be seen singing special appearances with the vocal group The Doo-Wop Project. Dias’ solo album, Write This Way, which features intimate takes on Broadway and pop favorites like “Can’t Take My Eyes off You” and “New York State of Mind” is available on iTunes. Dias earned a BFA in musical theatre from Boston Conservatory.

RUSSELL FISCHER

Russell Fischer was cast in the Broadway company of Jersey Boys on his 22nd birthday, marking his Broadway debut. Fischer starred in the second national tour of Big: The Musical. His latest NYC credit was in Baby Fat, Act 1: A Rock Opera at LaMama Experimental Theater Club. Regional credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie and The Music Man at Chautauqua Opera, the American premiere of Children of Eden at Papermill Playhouse, and most recently, the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival premiere of The Collins Boy. Fischer was a featured vocalist on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and in the HBO documentary, The Bronx, USA. He has appeared on the live broadcasts of the 2015 Belmont Stakes, the 2009 Tony Awards, and several spots for TV Land’s 60 Second Sitcoms. He enjoys sharing Doo-Wop music with audiences around the world.

DOMINIC NOLFI

Dominic Nolfi most recently performed on Broadway in Chazz Palminteri’s A Bronx Tale - The Musical, directed by Robert DeNiro and Jerry Zaks. As an original cast member of A Bronx Tale - The Musical, Motown: The Musical (Grammy nominated) and Jersey Boys (Grammy Award for Best Cast Album), he can be heard on all three soundtracks. Nolfi also performed in the world premiere productions of A Bronx Tale and Jersey Boys at the Paper Mill Playhouse and the La Jolla Playhouse. Nolfi was born and raised in San Francisco, where he studied youth acting at the acclaimed American Conservatory Theatre. He studied voice at the San Francisco Conservatory and attended the Boston Conservatory on scholarship, where he graduated with a BFA in theater. Upon graduation, Nolfi joined the European production of Grease. It was there that he met his future wife Sonia Iannetti; they have a daughter Vivienne. Nolfi is a founding member of The Doo Wop Project and is unbelievably proud of his association with the other men who helped create the group.

SONNY PALADINO

Sonny Paladino is the music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator of A Beautiful Noise (The Neil Diamond Musical), Getting the Band Back Together (Broadway), Smokey Joe’s Café (off-Broadway), and Dion’s The Wanderer (upcoming). Other Broadway credits include Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 (music supervisor), POTUS (music director/arranger), Sting’s The Last Ship, and Pippin (associate conductor). Arrangements and orchestrations for the Indianapolis, Baltimore, Seattle, Vancouver, and Detroit symphony orchestras and The Philly Pops. His career also includes performances with Josh Groban, Sting, Patina Miller, and Matthew Morrison. As a record producer, Paladino’s projects include GTBBT, The Great Comet, Soul Vol. 2, Mistletoe and Carly, as well as all four albums for the hit The Doo Wop Project!

NICHOLAS WARD

Nicholas Ward is honored to be joining the Doo Wop family! Recently you might have seen him featured (his 5th Broadway production) in the Hit Broadway Revival Of The Music Man,staring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, where he played Oliver Hix (The Baritone in the Quartet). Past credits include: The Lion King (Mufasa), Frozen (OBC-King Agnarr), In Transit (OBC-Chris), and On The Town (Workman, Miss Turnstile’s Announcer). Ward has also had the great pleasure of performing in eight New York City Center Encores! productions including: Brigadoon with Kelli O’Hara, Cabin In The Sky with Chuck Cooper, Pipe Dream with Leslie Uggams, The Golden Apple, 1776, and Zorba with Marin Mazzie, Paint Your Wagon, and Annie Get Your Gun. Lincoln Center Productions include Camelot, Andrew Lippa’s I am Harvey Milk, and Symphony Space’s A Little Night Music. Touring productions include: Showboat and Porgy & Bess. Film & TV credits include: Shmigadoon, Frozen 2, Ricky and the Flash, The Tony Awards, The Tonight Show w/ Jimmy Fallon, GMA, One Night Only: The Best of Broadway, The Disney Holiday Sing Along, and Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting. Regionally he had been featured in many productions including: Ragtime, Man of La Mancha, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Original Broadway Cast Recordings include: Music Man, Frozen, and In Transit. Ward is grateful to have had such a wonderful career in the performing arts.