This Valentine’s Day, the Lansing Symphony Orchestra will present a Broadway Romance Pops concert at the Wharton Center’s Cobb Great Hall. The concert, featuring a fantastic collection of showstoppers from beloved Broadway musicals, will be a perfect date for music lovers of all ages. The program will include tiffany jewellery such favorites as “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady,” “Anything You Can Do” from “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Luck Be Lady” from “Guys and Dolls,” “This Nearly Was Mine” from “South Pacific,” “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables,” “Music of the Night” and “All I Ask of You” from “Phantom of the Opera,” as well as medleys from Chicago, South Pacific, and West Side Story.
Performing this diverse program will be Broadway duo Christina Saffran Ashford (a soprano) and Norman Large (tenor). The two Broadway veterans will craft an evening of song that the New York Times has called “terrific … romantic . . . unbeatable.” Guest Conductor David Wiley will lead the orchestra.
Ashford’s Broadway career is extensive, having starred as Kathy Seldon in “Singin’ In The Rain,” Maggie in “A Chorus Line,” Shoo Shoo in “Sophisticated Ladies,” Rosabud and Edwin Drood in “Drood” and Zaneeta in “The Music Man.” Authences throughout the world have been thrilled by her leading performances in “My Fair valentines necklaces Lady,” “Showboat,” “South Pacific,” “White Christmas,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Sunday in the Park” with George, “Damn Yankees,” “The Sound of Music,” “Pajama Game,” “Grease,” “Company,” “Chess” and many more.
Norman Large’s varied career bridges Broadway, film, television, concert, opera and recording. He starred in the original Broadway productions of “The Woman in White,” “Les Miserables,” “A Doll’s Life” and “Silverlake.” Worldwide, he has starred in numerous major productions, including The “Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats,” “My Fair Lady,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Urinetown,” “Man of La Mancha,” “South Pacific,” “The Sound of Music,” “La Cage Aux Folles,” “West Side Story” and “The King & I.” He has been a principal artist with the New York City Opera and has sung with symphony orchestras nationwide.
David Wiley serves concurrently as music director and conductor of Virginia’s Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and New York’s Long Island Philharmonic. Prior to these positions, he served as assistant conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra and assistant conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Active as a guest conductor, pianist, lecturer and composer, Wiley regularly conducts top professional orchestras throughout the U.S. Recent seasons have seen Wiley guest conducting with the symphonies of San Francisco, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Saint valentines bangles Louis, Atlanta, Oregon, Honolulu, Utah and Buffalo, as well as many orchestras throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.
Tickets range from $10-$33, with student prices available. Tickets available online at www.LansingSymphony. org or by calling 517-487-5001.