“In its 2019-20 season, the Philly Pops will expand its presence northward—to the Met Philadelphia, the renovated opera house that recently reopened on North Broad Street,” writes Peter Dobrin in Friday’s (2/15) Philadelphia Inquirer. “The first pops show currently announced for the Met is A Night at the Opera House: The Music of Queen … Nov. 30 featuring conductor Brent Havens and, in his tribute to Freddie Mercury, vocalist Brody Dolyniuk. Noting ‘Live Nation’s restoration of this amazing historic opera house,’ pops chief operating officer Karen Corbin said other shows were in the works at the Met…. The pops will continue its series at the Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall. The season there, announced Thursday, begins with a program of film scores by John Williams, Danny Elfman, Howard Shore, and others … with pops music director Todd Ellison conducting. Ellison returns … for a Beatles Abbey Road show with Beatles tribute band Classical Mystery Tour…. Ellison and singer Ashley Brown pay tribute to Marvin Hamlisch … and to Aretha Franklin with … vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Ryan Shaw…. Sondheim gets a 90th-birthday nod … with conductor [David Charles] Abell and singers Liz Callaway, Francis Martin ‘Fra’ Fee, and Damian Humbley.”
Posted February 19, 2019
