Philadelphia (February 12, 2018) — Three of Broadway’s most celebrated stars join the Philly POPS and conductor Todd Ellison — hailed by The New York Times as one of “Broadway’s electric conductors” — for Best of Broadway March 9-11, 2018 at the Kimmel Center.
The performance will showcase the finest in show tunes, with each piece having been chosen for its personal connection to Ellison and the three guest vocalists: Debbie Gravitte, Susan Egan, and Christopher Seiber. Along with these guest artists, the 65-piece POPS orchestra will perform favorite songs from My Fair Lady, Cats, Wicked, A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast, additional Disney classics, and more! With two dozen Broadway shows under their collective belts, Todd and the three vocalists are a perfect team to bring the best of Broadway to life on the POPS stage.
In a special connection to the POPS as it approaches its 40th anniversary season, the show includes music from An American in Paris, which was performed at the inaugural POPS concert in 1979 and recently earned 12 Tony nominations with conductor Todd Ellison as Music Director.
Todd Ellison most recently was the Music Director for the Tony-nominated An American In Paris on Broadway,, now playing in the West End, has a Roman Holiday premiere headed for Broadway, and has The Black and White Ball in prep for Broadway. His Broadway credits include Michel Legrand’s Amour, Monty Python’s Spamalot (Best Musical Tony Award), La Cage aux Folles (Best Musical Revival Tony Award), 42nd Street (Best Revival Tony Award), Elton John’s Lestat, Annie, The Wild Party, On the Town, Once Upon a Mattress (starring Sarah Jessica Parker), How To Succeed (starring Matthew Broderick), She Loves Me, Taller than a Dwarf, and A Class Act. He was the music director of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at the famed Radio City Music Hall for several seasons.
Todd led the Philly POPS for its first Memorial Salute concert at Longwood Gardens in 2015. He’ll return to conduct Memorial Salute at the Mann Center in May 2018 and A Philly POPS Christmas in December 2018.
Susan Egan starred in the title role of Thoroughly Modern Millie, won critical acclaim as Broadway’s longest-running Sally Bowles in Cabaret, originated the leading roles in Triumph of Love and State Fair, and most notably, received both Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations for “Best Actress” as the original Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. She gave voice to the sultry ‘Meg’ in Disney’s Hercules and has appeared frequently in movies and television shows, including 13 Going on 30 and the WB’s Nikki.
Debbie Gravitte won a Tony Award for her critically acclaimed performance in Jerome Robbins Broadway, along with the New York Showstopper Award and a Drama Desk Award nomination. She’s appeared in the original cast of They’re Playing Our Song, Blues In The Night, Perfectly Frank (Drama Desk Award Nomination), Zorba, Ain’t Broadway Grand?, Chicago, and Les Misérables.
Christopher Sieber has starred on Broadway in Triumph of Love, Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago, Monty Python’s Spamalot (Tony nomination), Shrek the Musical (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Drama League nominations), La Cage aux Folles, and Matilda. On television, Christopher has appeared widely on television, including in Two of a Kind with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen as their father.
Program
Jerry Herman Overture
from State Fair: It Might as Well be Spring
from Kiss Me Kate: From This Moment On
My Fair Lady
From A Date With Judy: It’s a Most Unusual Day
from Beauty and the Beast: If I Can’t Love Her
Broadway Showstoppers Medley
from Thoroughly Modern Millie: Gimme Gimme
A Chorus Line Medley
Love Trio (Andrew Lloyd Weber)
from Roman Holiday: Begin the Beguine
from Annie Get Your Gun: Anything You Can Do
from Man of La Mancha: The Impossible Dream
Peter Pan Medley
42nd Street
from Wicked: For Good
American in Paris Medley
Disney Heroine Medley
from La Cage Aux Folles: I am What I am
from Cats: Memory
from Spamalot: Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Special events
All guests are welcome to arrive 90 minutes prior to each concert for free pre-concert entertainment, including a conversation led by CBS Radio Philadelphia’s RJ McKay.
Tickets: $35-$145
http://phillypops.org/Broadway
The Philly POPS Subscription Series is made possible thanks to Presenting Sponsor Parx Casino®.
About The Philly POPS
The Philly POPS, the largest standalone pops orchestra in the United States, delights audiences with the inspired performance of American popular music. The POPS celebrates this distinctive musical heritage through an expanding repertoire of innovative concert presentations and a robust set of educational and engagement initiatives.
Now in its 39th season, the official POPS orchestra of Pennsylvania serves a consistently growing audience of over 150,000 annually. Music Director Michael Krajewski and the 65-piece Philly POPS orchestra keeps listeners tapping their toes to an impressive repertoire of songs from American traditions of music up through today’s chart toppers. The Philly POPS BIG Band, an 18-20 piece ensemble performing a rock and rhythm and blues repertoire , premiered in 2017 to enthusiastic response at the July 4 Welcome America Concert on the Parkway.
Outside the concert hall, Salute Series performances – including POPS on Independence on July 3 and the I’ll Be Home for Christmas: A Salute to the Military and First Responders concert – celebrate the American tradition of service around important national holidays; POPS in Schools enhances music education for Philadelphia School District students; and POPS Outside brings POPS music to local communities.
The Philly POPS performs as a founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and at venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region.