SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2017, 8 PM WILCOX PARK, WESTERLY, RI
WESTERLY, RI ??? Booming cannons, extravagant fireworks, church bells, and the sound of 180 singers and 60 orchestral musicians will fill Westerly???s beautiful Wilcox Park on Saturday, June 24, at 8 pm, as the Chorus of Westerly presents its 37th annual Summer Pops performance. The concert will be conducted by Chorus of Westerly music director, Andrew Howell and features, The Chorus of Westerly, the Pops Festival Orchestra and special guest Broadway star, baritone, Andrew Drost.??????
A fun-filled program suitable for the entire family, Summer Pops will feature a wide range of traditional and recent ???pops??? music including patriotic favorites, music from stage and screen, and Tchaikovsky???s famous 1812 Overture complete with fireworks by Grucci, cannons of the Newport Artillery, and the bells of Christ Church.
This year???s program also features a very special guest artist, baritone Andrew Drost, one of the most sought after voice teachers in the Broadway, Pop, Rock & Opera communities. He is an accomplished performer, showcasing talent as a professional ballet dancer and international opera singer, and he can currently be seen in the Broadway cast of The Phantom of the Opera. Mr. Drost will join the Chorus of Westerly onstage to perform the premiere of an exciting medley from the new Broadway-bound musical The Count of Monte Cristo, composed by Chorus alum John Tafone. The new musical The Count of Monte Cristo, presented by Bridget Dennin, features music & lyrics by John Tafone with book & lyrics by Elena Tafone. Mr. Tafone who began his music career as a treble with the Chorus of Westerly, is now an award winning composer, with two Broadway-bound musicals on the horizon. The Chorus of Westerly is thrilled to be premiering his music on our Summer Pops stage.??
Summer Pops is a free event and no tickets are required. Summer Pops takes place in Westerly???s Wilcox Park with the main show at 8 pm with a pre-show at 6 pm. This year???s pre-show features local area artists, vocalist Laura Dowding and Shiloh Baptist Gospel Choir of New London, CT, and The Westerly Morris Men. In the event of inclement weather, rain dates are scheduled for Sunday, June 25 and Monday, June 26. Summer Pops is presented free to the town thanks to the major sponsorship of the Moore Company, and several hundred area businesses and individuals. The Westerly Public Library graciously offers use of Wilcox Park for Summer Pops to the Chorus of Westerly. For more information on the performance, including day of event weather updates, please visit www.chorusofwesterly.org or call 401.596.8663.
Those wishing to put down blankets in Wilcox Park early to reserve a spot may do so only after 5 pm on Friday, June 23, 2017.?? Blankets and items put down on Friday before 5pm, are allowed only if they are attended at all times. Unattended blankets placed before 5pm will be removed. In addition, any unattended coolers and/or any other items besides blankets will also be removed if left in the park prior to the event with no prior warning.?? Please note that parking in downtown Westerly will be limited to designated areas and traffic patterns will be modified before, during, and after the event.
About the concert A staple in the southern New England arts landscape, Summer Pops 2017 will be the event???s 37th edition. However, in the beginning, three decades of Pops was not anticipated.?? In planning for the first concert in 1981, Summer Pops organizers intended the performance to be a one-time only event offered as thanks to the community for their support of the Chorus???s 1981 Concert Tour of Great Britain.?? But when the 1981 concert, held on the post office steps in downtown Westerly???s Dixon Square, proved to be incredibly popular and successful, the Chorus decided to repeat the event the following year.?? By 1983, audiences for the event had outgrown Dixon Square and the performance was moved permanently to Westerly???s Wilcox Park.?? Today, the tradition continues as more than 25,000 area residents attend the event each year, cultivating a strong pride in this geographic region.
About the fireworks
This year???s finale display from Fireworks by Grucci will feature close-proximity fireworks launched from inside Wilcox Park, adjacent to the park???s pond. A security and safety fence will be constructed around the pond and no seating will be allowed in that area during the show. Additional signage and security will be available to direct audience members in the park with the new set up. The new fireworks display this year, designed by Grucci will be a spectacular treat to the Pops audience and are perfectly safe.
In the event of rain In the event of rain, the Chorus of Westerly will post notices around the park of the new date, announce it on WBLQ (1230 AM) and WCRI (95.9 FM) radio stations, and post notice on its website at www.chorusofwesterly.org. Rain dates are Sunday, June 25 and Monday, June 26.
About Composer John Tafone & Baritone Andrew Drost
JOHN TAFONE is an award winning composer from southern Rhode Island. Having studied Music Composition at both Catholic University and Oxford University in the UK, John’s music has been performed by many esteemed ensembles including: the Washington National Symphonic Brass, The Chorus of Westerly, The Rhode Island Festival Orchestra, the CUA Symphony Orchestra, Synetic Theater, and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral (UK). Praised for his unique blend of intellectual and accessible styles, John’s music has a timeless yet fresh sound. Most recently, John was awarded the top prize in the College Music Society???s annual composer competition (Mid Atlantic).
John serves as the Director of Creative Development and the Head Composer for Starting Gate Theatrical in New York City. He currently has two Broadway-bound musicals in development in addition to an Off-Broadway musical entitled??Magic in Music, which is set to premiere this summer. For more information visit:??johntafone.com
ANDREW DROST is known for being a versatile artist, Mr. Drost’s repertoire includes opera, oratiorio, symphonic as well as musical theatre.?? Mr. Drost is currently in the Broadway cast of The Phantom of the Opera as well as the founder of The Institute for American Musical Theatre.
He began his artistic career as a professional ballet dancer working with many of the top ballet companies in the United States such as the Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Chautauqua Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet??and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet.?? Drost has performed many full length ballets such as Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping??Beauty, and his fair share of The Nutracker which he danced over 500 performances of The Nutcracker during his career.
He made his operatic debut with the Sarasota Opera in the role of “Flaminio” in L’amore di Tre Re (Montimezzi) and “Macduff” in Macbeth (Verdi) followed by his debut with the??New York City Opera in the role of ???Signor Pirelli??? in Sweeney Todd (Sondheim).?? After his successful debut with the NYCO he was invited to sing many significant roles as well as many concert and gala appearances including “City Opera at the Pier” at the South Street Seaport in NYC, “Stars of The New York City Opera” at the West Hampton Performing Arts Center, “French Fete” opening night gala and VOX, a special program dedicated to showcasing modern operas.
He made his European debut at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Italy singing ???Belfiore??? and ???Liebenskof??? in Il Viaggio a Reims. He was ??invited by the Caramoor International Music Festival to participate in??the ???Bernstein on Broadway??? celebration concert with the Orchestra of St. Lukes and Broadway leading ladies Judy Kaye and Lisa Vroman with Michael Barrett conducting.?? With the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, he performed in the World Premiere of ???The Golden Ticket??? (Ash) where he sang the role of ???Augustus Gloop??? to great critical acclaim. Mr. Drost has worked under the baton of important conductors??such as Lorin Maazel, Alberto Zedda, James Levine, and George Manahan, among others.??
The 190-voice Chorus of Westerly is the nation???s only intergenerational symphonic choral ensembles. For each concert in its professional concert season, children ages 8 to 18 sing alongside adult singers as ensemble members of equal rank and expectations. Founded in 1959 by George Kent and today directed by Andrew Howell, the Chorus has had more than 2,500 area residents sing in its program, with more than 1,500 singing as child members. It is 58 seasons, the Chorus has presented nearly 700 performances to over 1.7 million people. The Chorus has performed in concert over 100 major choral works with fully professional orchestra and soloists, and has presented 13 major American premieres. While its home is in Rhode Island, the Chorus has toured internationally four times, singing in such venues as Smetana Hall in Prague, Stephansdom in Vienna, Westminster Abbey, and St. Peter???s??Basilica in the Vatican while also receiving countless awards for its work. The Chorus has also established regional traditions such as their annual Summer Pops??performance which is attended annually by 25,000 people. In addition to its extensive performance season, the Chorus also offers a broad reaching musical??education program to its singing members and area children. This includes an?????in rehearsal??? music fundamentals class for all child and adult singers focusing on sight-singing, theory, and other musical techniques, as well as an introductory music and movement class for children ages 3 to 7. The Chorus is also one of only three American choral organizations to own and operate its own performance venue – the??historic George Kent Performance Hall.