On the eve of the Honolulu Symphony Toyota Pops season opening concerts, principal conductor Matt Catingub took a break between rehearsals to update us on his latest news:

Question: What type of music will we hear at this weekend's concerts with singer Ben Vereen?

Answer: You can expect lots of great Broadway material from Ben. He won a Tony Award for “;Pippin.”; Ben has starred in shows like “;Wicked,”; “;Fosse,”; “;Hair,”; “;Jesus Christ Superstar”; and “;Grind,”; to name a few. Plus, the first half of the concert is a fantastic jazz-tinged set featuring our great Honolulu musicians.

Q: Have you worked with Vereen before?

A: Yes, I had the pleasure of orchestrating a Sammy Davis Jr. tribute show for him a few years back. Knowing Ben's style and music, and the tastes of our Honolulu audiences, I can say that the two are a perfect match.

Q: What's new and different this season?

A: We'll introduce a new “;party”; concept for the first half of Toyota Pops concerts, starting with the “;Abbey Road”; concerts Nov. 13 and 14, and at a few selected concerts as well.

Q: Glen Campbell is coming back to the Pops, this time for a Christmas show. What do you have planned?

A: Glen is such a favorite of mine and our audience that I am just looking forward to hearing all those great hits live. Plus, he'll be doing Christmas tunes Dec. 11 and 12 and, hopefully, new songs from his latest CD.

Q: What other projects do you have on the go?

A: I will be helming the Pops in Albuquerque for the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra starting September 2010. But not to worry, I will have time to devote the same amount of energy to the Toyota Pops as I always have! I also have a new CD project that I am crafting for release sometime soon.