Sunday, November 22, 2015

The American Pops Present A Broadway Christmas

Maestro Luke Frazier visits Lisner Auditorium, December 16th

From our friends at the American Pops Orchestra...

Luke Frazier Conducts The American Pops in A Broadway Christmas with “First Lady of Musical Theatre” Elaine Paige, Broadway’s Matt Doyle, Great American Songbook Ambassador Julia Goodwin, and a Holiday Chorus

Wednesday, December 16, 2015, 8 PM at the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium

Maestro Luke Frazier and the American Pops Orchestra are pleased to announce their inaugural holiday concert, a celebration of the season with a Broadway flair, at the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium on Wednesday, December 16 at 8:00 PM. A Broadway Christmas features the American Pops Orchestra with special guests “The First Lady of Musical Theatre,” Elaine Paige, Broadway’s Matt Doyle (The Book of Mormon, Spring Awakening), Great American Songbook Ambassador Julia Goodwin (America’s Got Talent), and a mass choir comprised of singers from around the Washington DC metropolitan area.

A Broadway Christmas will feature sacred and secular Christmas favorites that will put you in the holiday spirit. Selections include O Holy Night, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Silent Night, and other musical gifts from the Broadway stage. Some new musical arrangements and orchestrations of timeless classics have been commissioned for this performance that will delight audiences of all ages.


Founded by Luke Frazier and in its inaugural season, The American Pops Orchestra’s mission is to present innovative orchestral programming featuring groundbreaking concepts and artistic partnerships to develop and inspire a new audience for the 21st century. This professional orchestra boasts outstanding musicians from New York and Washington DC. The American Pops will present six original orchestral programs in its opening 2015-16 season, featuring leading Broadway singers, dancers, and actors. The orchestra’s October performance of “Stairway to Paradise: A Gershwin Spectacular” was reviewed in DC Metro Theater Arts as presenting “inspired arrangements of beloved Gershwin songs that reinvigorate the material and highlight the skill of his musicians.” More information about the orchestra is available at www.theamericanpops.org.

Marvin Hamlisch put it best when referring to Luke Frazier “So talented, and sensitive to every nuance.” Mr. Frazier’s commitment to re-envisioning pops programming has quickly established him as a dynamic force across the music community where has proven himself among musical heavyweights as both an innately musical conductor and a sensitive pianist. He has worked with artists RenĂ©e Fleming, Kevin Spacey, Denyce Graves, Darren Criss, Lea Solanga, Laura Osnes, Eric Owens, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Norm Lewis, Christine Ebersole, and Michael Feinstein, among others. As a testament to his mission to reimagine pops programming, Mr. Frazier has founded the American Pops Orchestra and the National Broadway Chorus in Washington, DC. The chorus continues to tour and will appear this season in Washington DC, Indianapolis, and Chicago, and will be featured at the Great American Songbook Foundation Gala, where Mr. Frazier serves on the Board. Mr. Frazier will return for a second full season as the Principal Pops Conductor of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, where he has conducted 10 programs of his own creation, held at various venues including George Mason’s Center for the Arts, The Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, and the Angelika Film Center. This season he will also make guest appearances with orchestras in New York City, Miami, Indianapolis, Chicago, and West Virginia. He will also continue to serve as Artist-in-Residence with Washington DC Youth Orchestra. For more information, visit lukefraziermusic.com.

TICKETS:
The George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium
730 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC; 3 blocks from Foggy Bottom/GWU Metro
Price: $35-$65, discount for GW Students