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Crescendo
Matt Catingub
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Symphony Pops brings best of Broadway to Blaisdell
This weekend, the Honolulu Symphony Pops salutes the music of Broadway in a variety concert from "State Fair" to "Hello Dolly" to "South Pacific."
Symphony Pops
In concert: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Place: Blaisdell Concert Hall
Tickets: $12 to $75
Call: 792-2000 or visit honolulusymphony.com
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It's everything Broadway, with a lot of local flavor added in. Rocky Brown and Jordan Segundo will be on hand to do the honors with songs such as "Corner of the Sky" from "Miss Saigon" and "This Is the Moment" from "Jekyll and Hyde." And we're honored to welcome a very special guest star: Jimmy Borges will join us in songs from some of the greatest musicals of all time, including "Guys & Dolls" and "The New Yorkers."
Have you heard that Guy Merola and Cathy Foy are on the playbill, too? Those rumors are spot on. Expect to hear Guy and Cathy at their best, singing a few surprise hits along with the Symphony Pops.
From its roots in vaudeville and minstrel shows, the Broadway musical has evolved over the past century as American music and culture have changed. From Cole Porter's "New Yorkers," which opened in December 1930, to the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber that revitalized Broadway, this is an art form that has shaped popular culture.
It's not every day that you get the chance to hear Broadway songs performed as the composers and songwriters intended: by a full orchestra in a live theater setting with a full cast of vocalists. That's why we've invited the Honolulu Symphony Chorus to join for a Rodgers & Hammerstein medley.
The hits of the great songwriting duo are a superb vehicle for the voices of the chorus. Not only do these Broadway hits demand exceptional singers, the music is best suited to people used to singing together. And our chorus, which rehearses several times a week year-round, certainly fits the bill.
Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote most of their biggest hits in the golden age of Broadway: the '40s and '50s (Richard Rodgers composed the music and Oscar Hammerstein wrote the lyrics). We'll travel down New York's Great White Way with songs of the era, including the biggest hits from "The Sound of Music," "Carousel" and "Oklahoma."
In effect, Broadway and its many theaters, producers, actors and "theater people" have brought New York City much of its fame (or infamy, depending on how you look at it). It's a great city that keeps getting better -- except in one category: the weather.
Anyone who has ventured to the Northeast at this time of year can tell you a tale of woe longer than the Great White Way itself. From freezing rain to snow to windstorms, it starts to get ugly from now until springtime. Add to that the honking horns, high prices and long flights, and that trip to the actual Broadway starts to sound like a chilly venture. Besides, who has winter boots?
Take it from me: Honolulu is the place to experience the best of Broadway in October. Join the Pops this weekend -- you can have your Broadway hits and a plate lunch, too.
Matt Catingub conducts the Honolulu Symphony Pops. "Crescendo" appears on Monday before each concert in the symphony season. E-mail comments to
suggestions@honolulusymphony.com