LPO Presents ‘Broadway Spectacular’ Saturday at LCC
On Saturday, March 3, 2012, the Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) will present a “Broadway Spectacular” at Laredo Community College’s Martínez Fine Arts Center, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors (62+) and available at the door. Local students with current IDs are admitted free of charge. For ticket information, call 326-3039 or email lpobren@gmail.com. Tickets are available for online purchase at http://bit.ly/yg9ApC
“This will be a fun concert for people of all ages, but most especially anyone who has experience with Broadway musicals,” said Brendan Townsend, LPO Music Director.
Townsend has been conducting the LPO since 2003, but in addition he has conducted nine shows with Laredo Theater Guild International including “Beauty & the Beast,” “West Side Story,” “Man of La Mancha,” and most recently, “Annie!”
“Broadway musicals have a special “magic” about them,” said Townsend, “and this concert represents just a small cross-section of the enormous range of shows that have delighted audiences for years.”
The program will include music from “Annie,” “Oklahoma,” and “West Side Story,” as well as more recent hits like Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita” and “Phantom of the Opera.”
The wide variety of music selected represents the best shows Broadway has produced in the last century. Opening with a “Tribute to Broadway” compilation and then proceeding through music by Rogers and Hammerstein and Lerner & Lowe, the traditional aspects of Broadway musicals are well represented.
The second half of the concert will open with the “Overture to Candide” and a selection of hits from “West Side Story” and feature some of the more modern musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber and others.
The LPO has been presenting orchestral concerts in the community for the past 32 years. In recent years the LPO has made huge efforts to reach out to a wider audience. The current season features music from cartoons and films that is familiar to audiences.
In 2011 the LPO conducted an on-line survey asking audience members for ideas regarding programming and other concert details.
“We had hoped to get a response on whether people preferred a Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon concert, but the response was split 50/50,” said LPO Board member Angela Lutz, “so this concert is for the half of the audience that wanted a Saturday evening concert.”
Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu