Experience the Great American Songbook through the eyes of Principal Pops Conductor Michael Feinstein in the video below if you are excited to see him perform this summer at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden!…
Don’t risk missing out on Michael Feinstein’s smash inaugural season as Principal Pops Conductor!
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June 1, 2013: Michael Feinstein’s Songbook gates open @ 5:30pm | concert @ 7:30pm Michael Feinstein, Conductor Cheyenne Jackson, Guest Artist Lari White, Guest Artist
June 29, 2013: Bernadette Peters in Concert gates open @ 5:30pm | concert @ 7:30pm Larry Blank, Conductor Bernadette Peters, Guest Artist
July 13, 2013: Michael Feinstein’s MGM Movie Classics gates open @ 5:30pm | concert @ 7:30pm Michael Feinstein, Conductor Ron Raines, Guest Artist Christine Ebersole, Guest Artist
August 10, 2013: Classical Mystery Tour gates open @ 5:30pm | concert @ 7:30pm Music of the Beatles Martin Herman, Conductor Classical Mystery Tour, Guest Artists
September 7, 2013: Michael Feinstein: The Gershwins & Me gates open @ 5:30pm | concert @ 7:30pm Michael Feinstein, Conductor Catherine Russell, Guest Artist Chuck Cooper, Guest Artist
The Pasadena POPS Sierra Acura Summer Concert Series begins on Saturday, June 1 with Michael Feinstein’s Songbook; as Feinstein explains, this concert will introduce the audience into his musical world with “a grab bag of more than a few of my favorite things.” Feinstein and the POPS will bring the music of Bernstein, a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, Leroy Anderson, plus selections from the Great American Songbook: Rodgers and Hart, and Cole Porter and material from the Mad Men-era of the ’60s. Audiences will also hear Ferde Grofé’s rarely heard “March for Americans” and the original restored score of the “Judy Garland Carnegie Hall Overture” plus special salutes to Benny Goodman, Nelson Riddle and Henry Mancini. Feinstein, who performed as a guest artist with the Pasadena POPS last season in front of a record-setting crowd, loves performing at the Arboretum. “Being inside the Arboretum is one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had to hear music,” continues Feinstein. “The setting is fantastic, it’s gorgeous, and there is a grandeur and a beauty because you are in a space that is set up for this concert experience, but you’re also surrounded by the mountains and rolling hills, and all of that is right there for you. It’s set up in a way that makes the musical experience so gratifying, and acoustically the orchestra sounds fantastic. So I have to say, truly, from all the outdoor places I’ve played around the world, this is one of the finest.”
Broadway icon Bernadette Peters’ career is the stuff of legend. Her radiant voice defined the sound for countless shows, including Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods and The Goodbye Girl. She received rave reviews for recent appearances on the hit television series SMASH and her starring role in Broadway’s Follies; now hear her in person with the Pasadena POPS. This three-time Tony award-winning star of stage, film and television will sing from her extensive songbook on Saturday June 29, including “Let Me Entertain You” (Gypsy), “No One Is Alone” (Into the Woods), “Some Enchanted Evening” (South Pacific), “Send in the Clowns” (Carousel), “Being Alive” (Company) and so much more!
Michael Feinstein’s MGM Movie Classics on Saturday July 13 revisits the greatest contribution of that legendary studio with original lush orchestral arrangements from classics like Singin’ In The Rain, The Band Wagon, High Society, Summer Stock and many more. Many arrangements are recreated for the first time on this program, coupled with new versions of other beloved songs assembled just for the Pasadena POPS. Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and others will all be remembered in this concert, represented by guest performers Christine Ebersole and Ron. Add to that some real swinging charts, including one reconstructed by the Debbie Allen Dance Academy Tap Ensemble, and this concert has the makings of a once in a lifetime event. Be prepared as well for a special stage presentation of vintage costumes from Hollywood Revisited that will supply a visual feast to accompany the music.
On Saturday August 10, the music of The Beatles comes alive in concert! Relive the sights and sounds of The Beatles with Classical Mystery Tour, featuring four musicians who look and sound just like the original, performing 20+ classic Beatles tunes exactly as they were written. Hear “Penny Lane” with a live trumpet section, experience the beauty of “Yesterday” with an acoustic guitar and string quartet, and enjoy the psychedelic blend on “I Am the Walrus” in this summer spectacular. All songs written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, or George Harrison.
Michael Feinstein: The Gershwins and Me will be the perfect way to end the summer and celebrate the genius of our greatest American composer. For years, Michael has been assembling rare arrangements of Gershwin classics that best represent the style and sound of George and Ira’s work, and finally they will be assembled and played with the Pasadena POPS on Saturday September 7. From his personal archives will come some little known Gershwin treasures, alongside other iconic songs universally adored, like “Embraceable You,” “Love Is Here to Stay,” selections from Porgy and Bess and so many others. Arrangements by Nelson Riddle from Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George and Ira Gershwin Songbook will also be featured, sung by the great Catherine Russell (hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the most savvy and sophisticated interpreters of classic jazz and blues”), and other vocal classics performed by Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper. It will be Gershwin music presented freshly and with power, conveying all of the majesty and passion that we love about it.
The family-friendly concerts will be held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Grounds open for picnicking and dining at 5:30 p.m. and performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Among many venue amenities, audiences can enjoy pre-ordered gourmet dining packages for on-site pickup just steps from the tables by Julienne, Marston’s, and Claud Beltran & Co.; the food court will host mouth-watering food trucks such as Pie ’n Burger and Fry Girl, Border Grill plus specialty ice creams by Choctal. The experience is now even more convenient with two full beverage centers serving wines by Hearst Ranch Winery, beer, coffee and soft drinks plus convenient VIP flushable restroom facilities throughout the venue. Patrons may also visit the Pasadena Humane Society’s Mobile Adoption Unit, which will be on-site prior to each concert with deserving animals in need of a forever home as part of the Pups for POPS program.
Subscribers may pre-purchase parking on-site at the Arboretum, and all concertgoers enjoy free parking at the adjacent Westfield Santa Anita shopping center with complimentary non-stop shuttle service to the Arboretum’s main entrance. Audiences get the ultimate outdoor concert experience: large LED video screens to see the artists and orchestra up close, superior sound quality and the high-quality production value that is a signature of the Pasadena POPS. Don’t miss the best outdoor dinner party in town with spacious circular table seating with fine linens, or lawn seating for those who want to bring a blanket – each option carries on the tradition of picnic-dining with family and friends with Michael Feinstein and Pasadena’s premier POPS orchestra! Single tickets and season subscriptions are now on sale and are available by calling the box office at (626)-793-7172, online at PasadenaSymphony-Pops.org or at the Arboretum on the day of the concerts.