Misty Copeland, Paquito D’Rivera, Tony Yazbeck, George Takei, The Manhattan Transfer,
Take 6, National Symphony Orchestra, and More Come Together to Recognize the Brilliance of Leonard Bernstein
Vienna, VA (July 20, 2018) Wolf Trap honors the memory of one of America’s musical geniuses, Leonard Bernstein, with an unparalleled celebration marking his 100th birthday year on Fri., July 27 at the Filene Center. The evening’s program features music from some of his most beloved compositions and Broadway musicals including Chichester Psalms; Songfest; Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs; Candide; On The Town; West Side Story, and more, bringing together stars of screen and stage such as Misty Copeland, Tony Yazbeck, Paquito D’Rivera, George Takei, The Manhattan Transfer, Take 6, and the National Symphony Orchestra. See below for complete casting and ticketing information. High resolution production images are available upon request.
The program, featuring the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Barrett, reflects the wealth and breadth of Leonard Bernstein's music with Misty Copeland and Tony Yazbeck featured in the “Dream Ballet” from On the Town, while Paquito D'Rivera shines the spotlight on Bernstein jazz in Prelude, Fugue and Riffs. Musical theater highlights include "Maria" and "Cool" (with Paquito D’Rivera and The Manhattan Transfer & Take 6) from West Side Story as well as "Glitter and Be Gay" (with Erin Morley as Cunegonde), "Auto-da-fe" (featuring George Takei as Pangloss), and "Make Our Garden Grow" from Candide. The Choral Arts Society of Washington and National Cathedral treble soloist Enzo Baldanza perform Chichester Psalms, and artists from Wolf Trap Opera offer selections from Songfest. See complete casting below.
“Amidst the wealth of Bernstein celebration concerts this year, we wanted to offer a wide-ranging performance that captures the essence of this American icon,” said Kim Pensinger Witman, Vice President, Opera and Classical Programming at Wolf Trap Foundation. “Conductor Michael Barrett – a Bernstein protégé and collaborator – has crafted an evening that represents the amazing breadth of the composer’s output and shines a light on his passion for social justice.”
Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He took piano lessons as a boy and attended the Garrison and Boston Latin Schools. At Harvard University, he studied with Walter Piston, Edward Burlingame-Hill, and A. Tillman Merritt, among others. In 1940, he studied at the Boston Symphony Orchestra's newly created summer institute, Tanglewood, with the orchestra's conductor, Serge Koussevitzky. Bernstein later became Koussevitzky's conducting assistant. Bernstein was appointed to his first permanent conducting post in 1943, as Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic. On November 14, 1943, Bernstein substituted for the ailing Bruno Walter at a Carnegie Hall concert and received critical acclaim. Bernstein became Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in 1958. From then until 1969 he led more concerts with the orchestra than any previous conductor. He subsequently held the lifetime title of Laureate Conductor.
As a composer, conductor, and educator, Bernstein’s contributions left an indelible impact on American music. Bernstein’s most famous works include Candide and West Side Story. His orchestral works, including his symphonies, brought popular music styles, jazz, and a previously unintroduced theatricality to the concert hall. Mass, commissioned in 1971 for the opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, is a musical-theater work that was composed for choir, pit orchestra, and onstage bands. From West Side Story and Candide to On the Town and Chichester Psalms, Bernstein’s diverse works reflected his skill at combining multiple traditions to craft a sound that was distinctively his own invention and distinctively American.
Bernstein at 100: A Celebration is a part of the international celebration of the birth of Leonard Bernstein.
Michael Barrett conducts the National Symphony Orchestra for Bernstein at 100: A Celebration. The associate producer is Jonathan Estabrooks, arranger is Mark Dibble, Chip Abbott is assistant choreographer, music preparation by Joseph Li, and lighting by Martha Mountain. Kristin Kelley is the stage manager.
Special thanks to Dan and Gayle D’Aniello, Wolf Trap 2018 Season Underwriters
Bernstein at 100: A Celebration is a Kay Shouse Great Performance
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Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year-round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap Foundation’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program.
Media Information
(Please do not publish contact information)
Erick Hoffman, Director, Public Relations
703.255.1917 or erickh@wolftrap.org
Caroline Heaney, Bucklesweet
202.636.3503 or caroline@bucklesweet.com
Press passes and high-resolution production photos may be available upon request.
PRODUCTION AND TICKETING INFORMATION
Bernstein at 100: A Celebration
Featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein
Friday, July 27, 2018 at 8:15pm
The Filene Center is located at 1551 Trap Road, Vienna VA 22182
Tickets are $25-$60 and can be purchased online at wolftrap.org, in person at the Filene Center and Barns Box Offices, or by phone at 877.WOLFTRAP.
A Pre-Performance Discussion is offered on the Old Farmhouse Lawn. These discussions offer insight and interpretation of the evening's performance. They begin 1 hour before the scheduled show time and end with plenty of time to reach your seat before the show starts.
PROGRAM
Overture from Candide (1956)
Chichester Psalms (1965)
I. Psalm 108 vs. 2, Psalm 100
II. Psalm 23, Psalm 2 vs. 1 - 4
III. Psalm 131, Psalm 133 vs. 1
“I Too, Sing America / Okay ‘Negroes’” from Songfest (1977)
“A Julia de Burgos” from Songfest (1977)
Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs (1955)
The Dream Ballet from On The Town (1944)
1. Subway Ride and Imaginary Coney Island
2. The Great Lover Displays Himself
3. Pas de Deux
“Cool” from West Side Story (1957)
“Maria” from West Side Story (1957)
“Auto-da-fè” from Candide (1956)
“Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide (1956)
“Some Other Time” from On The Town (1944)
“Make Our Garden Grow” from Candide (1956)
CAST
Enzo Baldanza
Josh Bergasse
Nina Bernstein-Simmons
The Choral Arts Society of Washington, Scott Tucker, Artistic Director
Joshua Conyers
Misty Copeland
The Manhattan Transfer and Take 6
Kerriann Otano
Pace University Dancers
Paquito D'Rivera
Erin Morley
National Symphony Orchestra, Michael Barrett, conductor
Zoie Reams|
George Takei
Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artists
Tony Yazbeck
PRODUCTION
Michael Barrett, producer
Jonathan Estabrooks, associate producer
Mark Kibble, arranger/Take 6
Chip Abbott, assistant choreographer
Martha Mountain, lighting designer
Kristin Kelley, stage manager