Letter from the President

Dear Friends,

When we planned our 40 th Anniversary Season, we wanted a season that would resonate with Philadelphians from every neighborhood. Looking back at the show-stopping talent of Leslie Odom, Jr, the heartfelt splendor of A Philly POPS Christmas, the virtuosity seen in JAZZED! and Uptown Nights, the fizzy fun of POPS Rocks the ‘80s, and the sophisticated whimsy of Cole Porter’s Broadway, I believe this season has done just that.

Today, we complete this marvelous season with At The Hop! A Philadelphia Story at the Birth of Rock and Roll. We’ve planned a weekend of exciting events! Friday night’s pre-show entertainment will feature 10 of the original Bandstand dancers, alongside Philly music icon Jerry Blavat, “The Geator.” On Saturday, we will break the Guinness World Record for the number of people doing “the Twist” — which will take place at 11am in front of the Kimmel Center on Broad Street.

Looking forward to the end of the month, our celebration of Memorial Day returns to the Mann Center in the annual Comcast NBCUniversal Memorial Salute. This event is free to the public, so bring your picnic basket and enjoy a performance dedicated to thanking those who have chosen a life of service. As always, we’ll be celebrating July 3 and 4 with our partners at Wawa Welcome America and The City of Philadelphia, so stay tuned for more details on those Salute Series shows.

I’m pleased to say our 2019–2020 TOPS of the POPS season is setting records at the Box Office already! You won’t want to miss this season celebrating music’s best, including The Beatles, Marvin Hamlisch, Aretha Franklin, Phil Collins, Stephen Sondheim, and Frank Sinatra. Our annual Mother’s Day CYO special is back for a limited time, too — create your own subscription of three or more shows and save! Visit phillypops.org to put your plan in place for next season.

With great appreciation for your continued support,

Frank Giordano, President and CEO Encore Series, Inc., The Philly POPS