BOSTON POPS ANNOUNCES 2012 SEASON, MAY 9-JUNE 16;
TICKETS GO ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC DECEMBER 7
“VISIONS OF AMERICA” 2012 BOSTON POPS SEASON—CELEBRATING MANY OF AMERICA’S GREATEST MUSICAL TRADITIONS—TO FEATURE PHOTO-JOURNALIST
JOSEPH SOHM’S STRIKING IMAGES FROM ALL 50 STATES TO THE MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT OF THE BOSTON POPS ALL SEASON LONG
BOSTON POPS CONDUCTOR KEITH LOCKHART OPENS HIS 18TH SEASON WITH FESTIVE
MAY 9 GALA CONCERT FEATURING TONY AWARD-WINNER BERNADETTE PETERS
SEASON THEME CULMINATES IN “VISIONS OF AMERICA PHOTO-SYMPHONY,” MULTIMEDIA COMPOSITION CREATED BY ROGER KELLAWAY, ALAN AND
MARILYN BERGMAN, AND CLINT EASTWOOD, AND FEATURING R&B SENSATION
PATTI AUSTIN, BRINGING THE 2012 SEASON TO AN END JUNE 14, 15, AND 16
JOHN WILLIAMS, WHO CELEBRATES HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY IN 2012, LEADS THE
EVER-POPULAR FILM NIGHT JUNE 1 AND 2
STEVE MARTIN AND THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS MAKE ORCHESTRAL DEBUT IN AN EVENING OF COMEDY AND BLUEGRASS MAY 29, 30, AND 31
ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY TO BE FEATURED IN A PROGRAM ENTITLED
THE BARBRA STREISAND SONGBOOK, SINGING SELECTIONS FROM FUNNY GIRL,
A STAR IS BORN, AND THE WAY WE WERE, MAY 15 AND 16,
WITH A SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE BY ALAN BERGMAN
GOSPEL NIGHT CELEBRATES 20 YEARS WITH A JUNE 9 PROGRAM LED BY CHARLES FLOYD, FEATURING THE BOSTON POPS GOSPEL CHOIR AND
SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS MELINDA DOOLITTLE AND CRYSTAL AITKIN
ADDITIONAL SEASON HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE TRIBUTES TO COLE PORTER AND GEORGE GERSHWIN, AS WELL AS PROGRAMS CELEBRATING BOSTON’S LEGENDARY SPORTS TEAMS AND THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FENWAY PARK
BOSTON POPS’ 2012 SEASON AND OPENING NIGHT SPONSORED BY FIDELITY INVESTMENTS®
Click here to listen to a clip from Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers’
“Northern Island” off the album, Rare Bird Alert.
The Boston Pops led by conductor Keith Lockhart, in his 18th season with “America’s Orchestra,” will kick off the 2012 “Visions of America” spring Pops season with a gala opening night performance featuring Tony Award-winning icon Bernadette Peters on May 9. Celebrating the American musical traditions that weave together the imagination and spirit of our diverse nation, the “Visions of America” season will feature the striking images of photo historian Joseph Sohm and his extraordinary photographs representing all 50 states. The season theme will culminate in the “Visions of America Photo-Symphony,” a sweeping photographic portrait of American life set to music by the acclaimed Roger Kellaway, with lyrics by the unrivaled Alan and Marilyn Bergman. This multi-media project, enhanced by the recorded narration of Clint Eastwood, will feature acclaimed vocalist Patti Austin in performances on June 14, 15, 16, bringing the 2012 season to a close.
During the 2012 spring season, the Boston Pops will usher in a series of exciting talents to pay tribute to a wide range of American musical genres. Comedian, author, musician and all-around king of artistic versatility Steve Martin will pluck the strings of his banjo for his Boston Pops debut with The Steep Canyon Rangers on May 29 and 30, and for “Presidents at Pops” on May 31. John Williams, who celebrates his 80th birthday in 2012, will lead the ever-popular Film Night on Friday, June 1, and Saturday, June 2, featuring music from many of the cinematic masterpieces that launched the Boston Pops Laureate Conductor to worldwide acclaim. Mr. Williams also shares the podium with Keith Lockhart for “Presidents at Pops” on May 31. Gospel Night at Pops celebrates a milestone as well, when conductor Charles Floyd raises the voices of the Boston Pops Gospel Choir on the 20th annual performance of this transcendent program. The Saturday, June 9 Gospel Night concert will feature American Idol’s Melinda Doolittle, gospel singer Crystal Aitkin, and additional guest artists to be announced.
Keith Lockhart’s masterful and timeless programming will capture the ears of Boston Pops fans on May 10-12, when the orchestra and its Maestro perform a lush and jazzy Gershwin Spectacular with tunes such as Rhapsody in Blue, Fascinatin’ Rhythm, Lady Be Good, and Embraceable You. People of all ages are welcome to a similarly programmed matinee Family Concert on Saturday, May 12. Additionally, a set of concerts on May 23, 24, and 26 will bring the best of Boston sports to the stage of Symphony Hall. The City of Champions series will feature sports-themed musical concerts, an entourage of surprise celebrity athletes, and the unveiling of a special tribute to the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park.
The Pops will also perform songs from Funny Girl, A Star is Born, and The Way We Were, as well as other tunes from the Barbra Streisand songbook on May 15 and 16, with special guest vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway and a cameo appearance by Alan Bergman, who is perhaps the world’s greatest living lyricist alongside his wife Marilyn. Cole Porter, one of the most prolific contributor to the Great American Songbook, will receive recognition as well, when Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, Broadway’s golden couple, make a New York-style splash at Symphony Hall, with songs such as I’ve Got You Under My Skin, In the Still of the Night, and Anything Goes on June 5, 6, and 8.
SPONSORSHIP
Opening Night at Pops and the entire 2012 Boston Pops season are sponsored by Fidelity Investments. The June 5th Cole Porter Tribute concert is Sponsored by The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2012. The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel is the official Hotel of the Boston Pops. The City of Champions Series (May 23, 24, and 26) is sponsored by Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation. Commonwealth Worldwide is the Official Chauffeured Transportation Provider of the Boston Pops. American Airlines is the Airline Partner of the Boston Pops.
BOSTON POPS 2012 SEASON PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS, MAY 9 – JUNE 16
OPENING NIGHT, MAY 9
Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops kick off the 2012 Spring Pops Season on Wednesday, May 9, with a gala Opening Night concert featuring Broadway star Bernadette Peters. Ms. Peters’ divine voice was just featured on a new cast recording of Follies released in November 2011. The multifaceted musical theater actress, whose career has spanned five decades, will be heard in full force on Opening Night at Pops, sharing favorites such as Some Enchanted Evening, There Is Nothing like a Dame, and Being Alive. The season kicks off with an all-Gershwin first half to include the beloved Rhapsody in Blue and the photographs of Joseph Sohm set to a classic Pops tune. The grand opening night festivities include a complimentary pre-concert reception and a post-concert CD and book signing with Ms. Peters.
GERSHWIN SPECTACULAR, MAY 10-12
FAMILY CONCERT, MAY 12
Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops will celebrate the music of one of the great innovators of the American Songbook, George Gershwin. The Gershwin Spectacular program will include a performance of Rhapsody in Blue and Promenade: Walking the Dog featuring Pops principal clarinetist Thomas Martin. The second half of the program will feature members of the Boston Conservatory Theater Division in such Gershwin classics as I Got Rhythm, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off from Shall We Dance, and Embraceable You. People of all ages are welcome to a George Gershwin matinee Family Concert at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 12. The Family Concert will feature a performance by the winner of the BSO Youth Concerto Competition, and children 18 and under receive a 50% discount.
A BARBRA STREISAND SONGBOOK, MAY 15 & 16
Ann Hampton Callaway, one of this country’s great interpreters of the American Songbook, brings her captivating sound to Symphony Hall to pay tribute to the adored Barbra Streisand on May 15 and 16. The program fires off with classic Boston Pops renditions of tunes from the likes of George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, and Leonard Bernstein, before Ms. Callaway brings her jazzy style to Massachusetts Avenue for a full second half of Streisand hits. The lyrics of the acclaimed Alan and Marylin Bergman take center stage, especially when Alan Bergman makes a special cameo performance on these dates to share stories about the years of collaboration he and his wife have shared with Ms. Streisand, as well as to sing some cherished tunes.
CITY OF CHAMPIONS, MAY 23, 24, & 26
Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops celebrate Boston’s favorite hometown heroes during the third week of Pops concerts. Fans will hear the music of baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and more in these Olympic and Boston sports-themed concerts. From the energetic Opening Fanfare of Also Sprach Zarathustra to the more modern Heavy Action (better known as the theme song to Monday Night Football), the Boston Pops will share the popular hits of competitive sports with the audiences who know best. Keep your head up for surprise cameos by local sports celebrities from the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, and New England Revolution during each City of Champions performance. The Boston Pops will also unveil a special tribute to the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park.
STEVE MARTIN AND AN EVENING OF BLUEGRASS & COMEDY, MAY 29 & 30
Multi-talented cultural icon Steve Martin will make his long-overdue Boston Pops debut on May 29 and 30 with the roving bluegrass troupe The Steep Canyon Rangers. The comic who once said “Talking about music is like dancing about architecture,” will present a sidesplitting Evening of Comedy and Bluegrass with Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, and help from his trusty banjo. These concerts mark the first time Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers have performed with an orchestra.
2012 YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION AT THE BOSTON POPS PRESENTED BY FIDELITY INVESTMENTS, MAY 29
Following its phenomenal success in 2009, 2010, and 2011, the Young Artists Competition presented by Fidelity Investments returns to Symphony Hall in 2012. Created by Fidelity Investments to expand its long-standing support of the arts in local communities, the Young Artists Competition at the Boston Pops is open to full-time students grades 9 -12 attending any public, private, parochial school or home school registered in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Up to four instrumental and/or vocal grand prize winners will be selected to perform at a special Boston Pops Concert on May 29th at Symphony Hall. Complete competition rules and application will be available in January on www.bostonpops.org.
PRESIDENTS AT POPS, MAY 31
The Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston’s corporate community celebrate the 31st annual Presidents at Pops on Thursday, May 31, at Symphony Hall. Joining conductors Keith Lockhart and John Williams will be special guest artist Steve Martin, performing with The Steep Canyon Rangers in an Evening of Comedy & Bluegrass. This concert will feature a performance of music from Mr. Williams’s score of The Reivers, with narration by former Senator Alan K. Simpson. Peter Palandjian, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation, is event chairman for the third consecutive year. The BSO’s largest fundraising event, Presidents at Pops is designed for Boston business leaders and their guests, and celebrates the unique partnership between the BSO and the corporate community. Combined with its sister event, A Company Christmas at Pops, Presidents at Pops has helped to raise more than $44 million since its inception in 1982. Presidents at Pops raised $1 million last year, which was $100,000 over target. Funds raised through this event help support the BSO’s Youth and Community Outreach program throughout the year. Ticket packages are available starting at $5,500. For more information, please contact Mary Thomson, Director of Corporate Initiatives, at 617-638-9278. Additional details about this gala fundraiser will be announced at a later date.
FILM NIGHT WITH JOHN WILLIAMS, JUNE 1 & 2
The orchestra welcomes Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams to the podium, June 1 and 2, for Film Night, a favorite program for Symphony Hall audiences each year. Mr. Williams, the highly acclaimed composer and conductor behind blockbuster films such as Jaws, Star Wars, and Harry Potter, celebrates his 80th birthday in 2012. This concert will also feature performances of music from Mr. Williams’s classic score of The Reivers, narrated by former Senator Alan K. Simpson. These programs will showcase some of the most memorable music of all time, along with film footage featured alongside many of the Hollywood scores.
A TRIBUTE TO COLE PORTER, JUNE 5, 6, & 8
Husband and wife team and Broadway stars Jason Danieley and Marin Mazzie join the Boston Pops on June 5, 6, and 8 for a tribute to American songwriter Cole Porter. This two-part program will feature the Pops performing music from Porter’s contemporaries, including Richard Rodger’s Overture to Babes in Arms and Carousel Waltz, Jerome Kern’s Pick Yourself Up from Swing Time, and a selection of Gershwin love songs, such as Love Walked In, Someone to Watch Over Me, and The Man I Love. Ms. Mazzie and Mr. Danieley join the orchestra after intermission for a selection of tunes from Porter himself, including Another Opening, Another Show, It’s De-Lovely, Anything Goes, and So In Love.
GOSPEL NIGHT CELEBRATES 20 YEARS, JUNE 9
Charles Floyd and the Boston Pops Gospel Choir, his all-volunteer chorus, celebrate the 20th annual Gospel Night on June 9, an evening of spirit-raising traditional and contemporary American gospel music. To celebrate this milestone of one of the most popular programs every season, the Boston Pops Gospel Choir will also be joined by American
Idol’s Melinda Doolittle, gospel singer Crystal Aitkin, as well as additional guests to be announced.
THE WILD WEST, JUNE 12 & 13
Americans have always looked west, so this year at Symphony Hall, the genre-trailblazing Time For Three will help the Pops pay tribute to the Wild West on June 12. On this program the Boston Pops present a round-up of the rowdy and unforgettable frontier music from such films and televisions series as The Magnificent Seven, Silverado, and Bonanza. Violinists Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall and double bassist Ranaan Meyer of Time for Three will take the stage during the second set to perform tunes in their classical, country western, gypsy, and jazz-infused style.
VISIONS OF AMERICA, MAY 22 & 25, JUNE 14-16
This spring, “America’s Orchestra” celebrates what unites us, the United States—the heart, imagination, and spirit of American musical traditions. Many of this season’s spring Pops concerts will feature “Visions of America Photo-Symphony,” a stirring, multimedia work inspired by the striking images of photo-historian Joseph Sohm. Sohm’s sweeping photographic portrait of American life is set to compelling music by the acclaimed Roger Kellaway and lyrics by world-renowned Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The multi-media project will feature acclaimed vocalist Patti Austin on June 14, 15, and 16, as well as the voice of Clint Eastwood.
BOSTON POPS PERFORM ON THE CHARLES RIVER ESPLANADE, JULY 4
Always a summer highlight, the Pops will once again throw one of the country’s largest Fourth-of-July parties on the Charles River Esplanade with a special guest artist to be announced at later date. The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, in its 39th year, is sponsored by Liberty Mutual Group, one of America’s leading insurers, offering auto, home, and life insurance for individuals and families, and a variety of insurance products and services for businesses.
BOSTON POPS CELEBRATE 75 ANNIVERSARY SEASON OF TANGLEWOOD
The Boston Pops will make three much-anticipated performances at Tanglewood in 2012 to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of one of the world’s most beloved summer music festivals. On Sunday afternoon July 8, Bernadette Peters joins the Pops under the baton of Keith Lockhart for an encore performance of her spring Pops program. The Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart will join forces with the Boston Symphony, the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, conductors John Williams and Andris Nelsons, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, the legendary Yo-Yo Ma, pianists Emanuel Ax and Peter Serkin, and James Taylor for a 75th Anniversary Gala performance available to a worldwide audience through an international series of radio broadcasts, details of which will be announced at a later date.
On Saturday, August 18, Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williams, arguably the most well-known composer of his generation, will take the podium on the occasion of his 80th birthday year with a Boston Pops concert featuring Keith Lockhart and classical music luminaries Yo-Yo Ma, Gabriela Montero, Jessye Norman, and Leonard Slatkin, along with performances by several Boston Symphony soloists who will be featured in Mr. Williams’s concert works.
BOSTON POPS APPEARANCES IN HYANNIS AND NANTUCKET, MA
The Boston Pops also look forward to a busy summer beyond concerts at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood. Keith Lockhart will lead the Pops under the sun on Jetties Beach in Nantucket, MA, on Saturday, August 11, with a special guest to be announced at a later date. The orchestra travels to the Hyannis Town Green the following day, Sunday, August 12, for the annual Cape Cod Concert in Hyannis, MA.
TICKET AND SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
Tickets for the 2012 Boston Pops season at Symphony Hall, priced from $22-$92, go on sale at 10 AM at www.bostonpops.org or 617-266-1200 on Wednesday, December 7. All performances start at 8 PM, except for the Family Matinee on May 12 at 3PM. Tickets for “Opening Night at Pops” on May 9 are priced from $41 to $125.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.bostonpops.org or by phone through SymphonyCharge at 617-266-1200 or 888-266-1200, Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM (with a $6.25 handling fee for each ticket ordered online or by phone). Tickets may also be purchased in person at the Symphony Hall box office, open 10 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday, and noon to 6 PM on Saturday. On concert days during the Pops Season, the box office remains open until 8:30 PM. Most major credit cards and cash are accepted at the box office. For Group Sales of 25 or more, please call 617-638-9345 or 800-933-4255.
Ticket packages to Presidents at Pops, the BSO’s exclusive spring corporate gala, start at $5,500 and include floor and balcony tickets with a sponsor page in the evening’s commemorative program book. Lead Sponsorships are available from $25,000 to $75,000, and include premium seating, full-color sponsor pages, sponsorship of children at DARTS (Days in the Arts at Tanglewood), the BSO’s summer arts immersion camp in the Berkshires, membership in the BSO Business Partners, as well as recognition at the event and throughout the Pops season.
The Boston Symphony has a dedicated line for disabled patrons who would like to purchase tickets to BSO, Boston Pops, or Tanglewood concerts, or who need information about disability services at Symphony Hall or Tanglewood. This line can be reached by dialing 617-638-9431. For access via TDD/TTY, please call 617-638-9289. Patrons with disabilities can access Symphony Hall through the Cohen Wing on Huntington Avenue or through the Massachusetts Avenue entrance.
BOSTON POPS 2012 SEASON LISTING, MAY 9 – JUNE 16
All performances start at 8 PM, except for the Family Matinee on May 12 at 3PM
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Opening Night at Pops
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Bernadette Peters, guest artist
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Friday, May 11, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Gershwin Spectacular
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Streisand Songbook
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Anne Hampton Callaway, guest artist
Alan Bergman, special guest
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Visions of America
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
City of Champions
Keith Lockhart, conductor (May 23 & 26)
Robert Bernhardt, conductor (May 24)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Visions of America
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Tuesday, May 29, 2012*
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Keith Lockhart, conductor
STEVE MARTIN
Performing with The Steep Canyon Rangers
An Evening of Comedy and Bluegrass
*The May 29th concert will feature winners from the 2012 Young Artists Competition, presented by Fidelity Investments.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Presidents at Pops
Keith Lockhart and John Williams, conductors
STEVE MARTIN
performing with the Steep Canyon Rangers
An evening of Comedy and Bluegrass
Alan K. Simpson, guest narrator
Friday, June 1, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Film Night
John Williams, conductor
Alan K. Simpson, guest narrator
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Cole Porter Tribute
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, guest artists
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Gospel Night Celebrates 20 Years
Charles Floyd, conductor
Boston Pops Gospel Choir, guest artists
Melinda Doolittle, guest artist
Crystal Aikin, guest artist
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Wild West
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Time for Three, guest artists
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Visions of America Symphony
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Patti Austin, guest artist
All programs are subject to change.