“A centennial celebration of legendary American composer Leonard Bernstein … a star-studded bricolage of Broadway hits, and the third Pops appearance of ‘Hamilton’ star Leslie Odom Jr.—all of these and more are in store for the spring 2018 Boston Pops season,” writes Isaac Feldberg in Thursday’s (2/22) Boston Globe. “In seeking that across-the-board appeal, [conductor Keith] Lockhart selected pop star Andy Grammer, the country-tinged hitmaker behind ‘Honey I’m Good’ and ‘Keep Your Head Up,’ to open the season…. The Pops [will celebrate] the 100-year anniversary of Bernstein’s birth [with] five concerts throughout May [consisting] exclusively of Bernstein compositions…. For the Pops, the chance to honor Bernstein held a special appeal; in 1941, the Lawrence native made his professional orchestra conducting debut leading the Pops … Pops laureate conductor John Williams will also return to lead his traditional film night…. Gospel Night, a Pops staple … will again be led by conductor Charles Floyd and feature vocalist Melinda Doolittle…. Lockhart … is excited to appeal to a few crucial audience members: namely, his kids [with] ‘Disney’s Broadway Hits.’ … Bridging the gap between the Pops’ typically older-skewing audience and the next generation, he says, will be critical to the orchestra’s continued success.”
Posted February 23, 2018
