New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Having artists like Pam and
Jessica be able to relate their experiences with their respective shows and work with the composers will make the evening that much more engaging for the audience —KSO
Music Director,
James Cassidy
The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and
Music Director James R.
Cassidy close the Symphony's 20th anniversary Summer Series in Devou Park, Saturday,
September 5 at 7:30 p.m. with a free program dubbed "The
Battle of Broadway: Sondheim vs. Webber." Composers
Stephen Sondheim and
Andrew Lloyd Webber (who coincidently have the same birthday — March 22) ruled the boards on Broadway and the West End for most of the 1970s-80s compiling hit song after hit song in a string of award winning musicals. Home-grown bonafide Broadway stars
Pamela Myers and
Jessica Hendy will be featured, singing the hit tunes of these living legends.
In his early teens
Stephen Sondheim became a protege of renowned lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. Sondheim's big break came when he was asked to write the lyrics for the Leonard Bernstein and
Jerome Robbins' project that became West Side Story. From there Gypsy, and his own musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum followed, before he penned a string of hit musicals including: Company, Follies, A
Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods. Sondheim won an Oscar and multiple Tony and Grammy Awards, plus a Pulitzer Prize.
Sir
Andrew Lloyd Webber was born into a musical family in Britain. His early efforts in musical theatre were influenced by the works of Richard Rodgers and Frederick Lowe. Webber teamed up with lyricist Tim Rice for his first shows -Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ
Superstar and Evita. In the 80s Cats, Starlight Express and Phantom of the Opera more than paid this impresario /composer's bills. Webber also won his share of Academy, Tony, Grammy and other awards.
Pamela Myers fresh out of University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of
Music landed in New York and in the cast of Sondheim's musical Company in 1970. Mesmerized by the pace of the big city, Pam's description of her encounters on the subway was immortalized in the song written for her by Sondheim and placed in the show ("Another Hundred People"). Years later
Jessica Hendy's portrayal of Grizabella on the
National Tour of Webber's Cats brought her to Broadway in 2006 to close the longest running musical of all time (over taken since by Phantom). Current
Indiana University students soprano, Elaine Cotter and tenor, Joey Birchler and
Danny McDowell from the Cincinnati Boy Choir will be on hand to add range and variety to the 15 hit musicals included (complete playlist attached).
The KSO thanks new sponsors St.
Elizabeth Physicians and U.S. Bank who join Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Macy's, Strauss Troy, Attorneys at Law, in supporting the 2015 Summer Series. Admission to Saturday's concert is free though donations are encouraged. Through
September 6, 2015 contributions made online at power2give.org will be matched by the Kentucky Arts Council.
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be held rain or shine. Attendees should bring blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy Devou Park's idyllic outdoor venue. Parking is free throughout the park. The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky will operate shuttles from Covington Catholic High School on Dixie Highway to the band shell from 6:00 -7:30 p.m. for $1 each way. No tickets or advanced reservations required. Food truck will begin service at 6 pm. Plenty of popcorn, ice cold drinks and snow cones will also be available for purchase. Additional information can be found by visiting kyso.org or calling (859) 431-6216.
About the KSO:
The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra takes the "phony" out of symphony through live thematic concerts that culturally enrich, educate and entertain the residents of Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati. The KSO performs throughout Northern Kentucky performing three series of concerts.
