NEWARK, NJ (April 22, 2015)—The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra celebrates the Great White Way with “Broadway Spectacular” NJSO POPS concerts May 30–31 in Newark and New Brunswick, respectively. Conductor Todd Ellison— music supervisor for the acclaimed Broadway production of An American in Paris—leads a program of favorites from Carousel, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Shrek the Musical, 42nd Street and more. Vocalists Beth Leavel, Christopher Sieberand Kathryn Guthrie perform hit songs like “’Til There Was You” from The Music Man, “All I Care About is Love” from Chicago and a medley from A Chorus Line.
Performances take place on Saturday, May 30, at 8 pm at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark and Sunday, May 31, at 3 pm at the State Theatre in New Brunswick. The May 31 performance is presented in collaboration with the State Theatre.
The program’s featured artists have each garnered critical acclaim. The New York Times hails Ellison as one of “Broadway’s electric conductors.” The Denver Post called Sieber the “main draw and superior pleasure” of La Cage aux Follies, calling the two-time Tony nominee “a theatrical force” and praising his ability to carry “the musical’s heft and poignancy.”
Broadway.com writes of Leavel: “When Beth Leavel is leading a show, the rest of the cast can relax in the knowledge that she will make them look good while nailing her own songs, dances, comic moments, love scenes and anything else she is asked to do. No wonder the audience at the 2006 Tony Awards cheered especially loudly when this 20-year Broadway veteran won for her inspired comic performance as the drunken title character in The Drowsy Chaperone: Leavel deserved it, and she is one of their own.” The Huffington Post wrote that Guthrie “outshone any other single moment on stage” in her New York City Opera debut in Prima Donna.
NJSO Accents include special festivities preceding each concert. Patrons can dance to the swinging sounds of the Michael Arenella Sextet in the NJPAC lobby on May 30 and can join in a sing-along of classic Broadway songs at the State Theatre on May 31.
TICKETS
Tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase online at www.njsymphony.org, by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or in person. The NJSO Patron Services and Sales office is located at 60 Park Place, 9th floor, in Newark; tickets are available by phone or in person Monday–Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Tickets are also available, by phone only, on concert-weekend Saturdays, 11 am to 5 pm.
Tickets for the May 31 performance are also available from the State Theatre ticket office online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org, by phone at 732.246.SHOW (7469) or in person. The State Theatre ticket office is located at 15 Livingston Ave in New Brunswick—hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 am to 6 pm; Wednesday, 11 am to 7 pm; Saturday, 1 to 5 pm, and at least three hours prior to curtain on performance dates unless otherwise specified.
