MUSIC

Cirque du Symphony and The Planets—An HD Odyssey featuring the world-renowned Houston Symphony are just two of the programs highlighting a season of the extraordinary and unexpected at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. This season encompasses a journey filled with classical music, Broadway hits, patriotic fanfare, acrobatics, images from outer space, dancing and more. The season begins with the Houston Symphony’s Tribute Concert to Cynthia Woods Mitchell, a concert showcasing the music Cynthia Mitchell loved. In addition to eight exhilarating performances by the Houston Symphony, the Texas Music Festival Orchestra returns to the stage along with Houston Ballet for a mixed-repertory program, Three for the Ages. And the 15th Annual Children’s Festival erupts with family fun.

Thursday, September 2
Houston Symphony, Michael Krajewski, conductor / Gay Men’s Chorus of Houston
Broadway Showstoppers
8 p.m. / Gates open at 7 p.m.

The sounds of Broadway come to The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for the Houston Symphony’s Broadway Showstoppers  Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of The Wortham Foundation. Tickets are not required for free seating. Gates open at 7 p.m.

Show-stopping numbers from the latest generation of Broadway musicals such as Wicked and Mamma Mia, along with selections from such high-energy shows as The Lion King and Hairspray, take the audience on a musical journey to modern-day Broadway. This concert will have you toe-tapping and dancing in the aisles.

The evening opens with rockin’ hits including Medley from Jesus Christ Superstar, “A Brand New Day (Everybody Rejoice)” from The Wiz, “Good Morning, Baltimore” from Hairspray, “Circle of Life” from The Lion King and Medley from Mamma Mia. Keeping the beat going are “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray, Overture/Pinball Wizard from The Who’s Tommy, “Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)” from Jesus Christ Superstar and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. Wrapping up the concert are “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls and “The Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera.

Joining the Houston Symphony are acclaimed Broadway stars performing the iconic roles for which they are famous, including Julia Murney (Wicked), Capathia Jenkins (Caroline, or Change and The Look of Love), Hugh Panaro (The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables) and Robert Evan (Jekyll & Hyde and Les Miserables).

Also joining the Houston Symphony is the Gay Men’s Chorus of Houston, one of the most visible faces of diversity in the Houston area since it was founded 30 years ago. Members are from all backgrounds, income levels and vocations. The Chorus strives to promote a positive sense of community through the music they sing.

Venture “Off Broadway” to the North Plaza for pre-concert activities sponsored by Fidelity Investments and Market Street-The Woodlands starting at 7 p.m. Kicking off the evening is Class Act Productions’ Act One performing on the Side Stage from 7-7:45 p.m. Visit The Pavilion Partners Instrument Petting Zoo, Woodlands Online, Woodforest National Bank and Audi of America, official automobile of The Pavilion. Guests also can register-to-win Tommy Bahama’s “Best Seats in the House,” and participant in Fidelity’s Seat Exchange and Text to Win with Market Street-The Woodlands. All pre-concert festivities are free to anyone attending the performances.

Tickets to Broadway Showstoppers are $15 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free and tickets are not required. Orchestra tickets can be purchased at The Pavilion Box Office, located at 2005 Lake Robbins Drive in The Woodlands. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and on event days through the start of the show. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, including Fiesta, select FYE, H-E-B, and Media Magic, by calling 800-745-3000, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.  

Preferred parking is available in the on-site Town Center Garage, located along Six Pines Drive. Parking is $5 per vehicle for this and most performing arts events. Tickets for on-site parking can be purchased in advance at all Ticketmaster locations and The Pavilion Box Office. Guests also may park in any of the five free parking lots on the southwest side of The Pavilion. The free, color-coded lots are connected to The Pavilion by corresponding pathways with signs leading across The Waterway.

About Michael Krajewski
Known for his entertaining programs and wry sense of humor, Michael Krajewski is a much sought after conductor of symphonic pops concerts. He joined the Houston Symphony as Principal Pops Conductor at the beginning of the 2000-01 season, and also holds that position with the Jacksonville Symphony, the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra and was just recently named principal pops conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - the first to hold such a title in Atlanta.

Much in demand as a guest conductor with orchestras across the country, Krajewski has performed with the Boston Pops and the Hollywood Bowl orchestras and has collaborated with an eclectic group of artists including flutist James Galway, mezzo soprano Marilyn Horne, pop artists Roberta Flack, Judy Collins, Art Garfunkel, Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Cab Calloway, Mary Wilson, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Pink Martini and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

About Gay Men’s Chorus of Houston
Joining the Symphony is the Gay Men’s Chorus of Houston, one of the most visible faces of diversity in the Houston area since it was founded 30 years ago. Members are from all backgrounds, income levels and vocations. Some have studied voice and music, while others have never sung in a chorus before. The Chorus strives to promote a positive sense of community through the music they sing.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is part of The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides diverse, high-quality performing arts events for the entertainment and enrichment of a broad regional audience. Through numerous educational and community outreach programs, The Center is a catalyst for attracting new audiences to the performing arts and building strong ties between the arts and educational institutions.

Pictured below:

Robert Evan, special guest performing at Broadway Showstoppers, has appeared on Broadway in Les Miserable, Jekyll & Hyde and Little Shop of Horrors.

Capathia Jenkins, special guest performing at Broadway Showstoppers, made her Broadway debut in The Civil War creating the role of Harriet Jackson.

Julia Murney, special guest performing at Broadway Showstoppers, last appeared on Broadway as Elphaba in Wicked, a role for which she received an Acclaim Award.

Hugh Panaro, special guest performing at Broadway Showstoppers, has played both Raoul and the Phantom in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera.