The Dayton Philharmonic’s 2010-2011 Kettering Health Network SuperPops Series will continue with a fast-paced revue of the best of contemporary musical theatre titled “Broadway Rocks!” on Friday and Saturday, November 12 & 13, at 8 p.m. both nights at the Schuster Center.
Four top-notch Broadway vocalists – Rob Evan, Capathia Jenkins, Doug LaBrecque, and Anne Runolfsson – will join the DPO for inspired performances of the best in up-tempo hits from smash shows such as Wicked, Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy, Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, The Wiz, Mamma Mia and more. Each guest artist brings an impressive list of leading-role performances in popular Broadway musicals. Together, they will light up the stage in a dynamic revue that will leave audiences breathless!
Robert Evan starred in the original Broadway cast of Jekyll & Hyde, playing the title roles for three years and over 600 performances. His rendition of This Is the Moment has been heard at numerous prestigious events including the 2001 Inaugural Gala for President George W. Bush, the Millennium Independence Day US Naval Revue aboard the USS JFK for President Clinton, the Millennium World Forum Conference with guest speaker Mikhail Gorbachev, the 1998 Goodwill Games, the New York City Mayor’s Inaugural Gala, the 1998 and 1999 NY Yankees World Series Celebration at City Hall, The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards Telecast, the Today Show, and Monday Night Football. Robert has starred around the world in the all-new Jekyll & Hyde: The Concert, having enjoyed a 16-show run in Seoul, South Korea’s Olympic Hall.
Capathia Jenkins was born and raised in Brooklyn who made her Broadway debut in The Civil War, where she created the role of Harriet Jackson. She then starred in the Off-Broadway revival of Godspell, where she wowed audiences with her stirring rendition of ‘Turn Back, O Man’ which can still be heard on the original cast recording. She returned to Broadway in The Look of Love and was critically acclaimed for her performances of the Bacharach/David hits. Ms. Jenkins then created the roles of ‘The Washing Machine’ in Caroline, Or Change and ‘Frieda May’ in Martin Short-Fame becomes me where she sang ‘Stop the Show’ and brought the house down every night.
In 2007 she went back to Off-Broadway and starred in (mis) Understanding Mammy-The Hattie McDaniel Story for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Most recently she was seen in Nora Ephron’s Love, Loss, and What I Wore. She has appeared with the Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, Utah Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, San Diego Symphony and the Hong Kong Philharmonic.
Doug LaBrecque thrilled theater audiences as The Phantom and Raoul in the Harold Prince production of The Phantom of the Opera. In addition, Mr. LaBrecque has starred on Broadway as Ravenal in the Hal Prince revival of Showboat, a role he also performed in Canada and Chicago. He was featured in Oscar Hammerstein’s 100th Birthday Celebration on Broadway at The Gershwin Theatre, and toured nationally with Les Miserables. Regionally, Mr. LaBrecque has performed leading roles in Candide, A Chorus Line, and Man of LaMancha among others. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he was featured in the world premiere of A Wonderful Life, written by Sheldon Harnick and Joe Raposo, and starred in the premiere revival of Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner’s Love Life.
An active concert performer, Mr. LaBrecque has been a soloist with some of the world’s finest symphony orchestras, including The San Francisco Symphony, The Israel Philharmonic (Tel Aviv), The Chicago Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Atlanta Symphony, The National Symphony, among many others. In the last few years, Mr. LaBrecque’s U.S appearances have included Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, , Houston Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Utah Symphony, and with Marvin Hamlisch both at the Ravinia Festival with The Chicago Symphony, and at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops.
Anne Runolfsson is one of those rare artists whose unique versatility has allowed her a distinguished career not only in the theater but also in recording studios, intimate cabaret spaces, and concert halls throughout the world. The New York Times proclaimed, “Ms. Runolfsson has a flexible virtuosity, between ethereal melodiousness and piercing big-moment resonance,” while the LA Times has called her “A savvy and thoughtful performer.”
She recently completed a two-year run on Broadway as the tempestuous diva, Carlotta Giudacelli in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, the longest running show in Broadway history. Hal Prince referred to her performance as a “revelation.” Prior to that she made a splash in Victor/Victoria where she had the honor of standing by for Dame Julie Andrews and Liza Minelli. She performed the title role over 120 times to great acclaim and went on to recreate the role in the National Tour which began in Seattle and Houston. Other Broadway and National Tour credits include: the role of Gretta Conroy in James Joyce’s The Dead, Fantine in Les Miserable, Roxane in Cyrano-The Musical, Lili in The Secret Garden, and Aspects of Love. Off-Broadway and Regional credits include: Listen to My Heart (Studio 54), Rags, Jack’s Holiday, Cather County, A Little Night Music, Showboat, and Funny Girl.
She has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall (with Tenor Jose Carreras), The Kennedy Center, Town Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, The National Theater in Iceland, Rainbow and Stars, The Russian Tea Room, Bay Street Theater, The Pump Room, The Cinegrill, The 92nd st. Y, and with The National Symphony, The Boston Pops, The Jerusalem Symphony, The Orchestra of St. Lukes, The National Symphony of Canada, The Hong Kong Philharmonic, The Cincinnati Pops, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, The Buffalo Philharmonic, and the Symphony orchestras of San Francisco, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Indianapolis, Toronto, Milwaukee, Utah, Detroit, Dallas, Houston, Columbus, San Diego, Colorado, Minnesota, and St. Louis, among many others.
Patrick Reynolds, Assistant Conductor of the DPO, will conduct. The concerts will also feature the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus, under the direction of Hank Dahlman.
Tickets for the concerts range from $22 – $76 and are available by calling (888) 228-3630 or by ordering on the web at www.daytonphilharmonic.com.
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