Red, White, and Boom! RPO Brings All-American Themes to CMAC

June 11, 2009

Rochester, NY – In its special appearance this summer at the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) in Canandaigua, Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra pack a patriotic punch at 7:30 pm on Friday, July 3, with the talents of Rochester City Ballet, and frequent RPO guest, tenor Doug LaBrecque.  This early Independence Day concert closes with a thrilling fireworks display across the open skies of the CMAC grounds.

Reprising the RPO’s celebrated partnership at CMAC with the RCB, these two Rochester cultural icons will bring the quintessentially American music of Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, and the RPO’s own Jeff Tyzik to the CMAC stage.  All choreography will be created by RCB Artistic Director Jamey Leverett.  Continuing its American theme, Broadway star Doug LaBrecque will perform some of the most tuneful melodies ever composed for musical theater, providing an additional spark to the RPO’s patriotic favorites.

The RCB will be featured in Copland’s foot-stomping “Hoedown” from the ballet Rodeo, three preludes by George Gershwin, and Tyzik’s Bravo! Colorado.  Originally choreographed by Agnes de Mille for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Rodeo was premiered at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1942.  Gershwin’s Three Preludes, written originally for piano, will be performed in an orchestral arrangement by Jeff Tyzik, in addition to his own Bravo! Colorado, dedicated to the memory of President Gerald Ford, a supporter of the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival where the RPO spent two weeks each summer for nearly 20 years.  

Founded in 1987, Rochester City Ballet (RCB) is a non-profit, educational corporation. Under the artistic direction of Jamey Leverett, the Company presents a full season of quality dance to diverse audiences and helps keep the arts alive by presenting performances to educate and entertain adults and children at community events and special RCB performances.  

Doug LaBrecque has thrilled theater audiences as The Phantom and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, starred in the original cast of the Harold Prince Broadway revival of Showboat, and toured nationally with Les Misérables. He was a featured performer in Oscar Hammerstein’s 100th birthday celebration at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre. Regionally, Mr. LaBrecque has played leading roles in shows including Candide, A Chorus Line, and Man of La Mancha.  Mr. LaBrecque also has been a soloist with the National Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, and the symphonies of Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco.  In 2007, he debuted at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops in a tribute to Richard Rodgers.

Rochester native, dancer Jim Nowakowski from the Houston Ballet will make a special appearance for this concert. Nowakowski joined the Houston Ballet in 2007, having trained in Rochester with the Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance Education.  He was a popular principal dancer in the RCB and RPO’s annual Nutcracker.  In January 2007, Mr. Nowakowski was honored by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts for his ballet achievements.

 

This concert is sponsored by Constellation Brands and Hylan Enterprises.  Tickets are $13-$50 with children 12 and under free on the lawn.  Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.rpo.org; by phone (454-2100); in-person from the RPO Box Office, 108 East Avenue, 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.  A convenience fee may apply. The CMAC Box Office (Lincoln Hill Road, Canandaigua) is open on concert days from noon to concert start.  

 

For CMAC ground rules and parking, patrons should visit www.cmacevents.com.  This year, CMAC is charging for parking. CMAC’s general parking is $10 and its VIP parking is $20. In response to this change from previous years, the RPO will send patrons a $20 voucher for a future RPO concert with their CMAC tickets.

 

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