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Golden State Pops
Orchestra Brings Broadway to Southern California
by Katherine Wittig, Managing Editor
Have you ever left a
musical humming the catchy songs you just heard, or felt the urge to
buy the soundtrack of your favorite play? On March 10, 2007 the
Golden State Pops Orchestra brought the flash and excitement of
Broadway to Southern California in a seven o’clock concert at San
Pedro’s Warner Grand Theater. The highly acclaimed orchestra,
directed by El Segundo High School’s band director Steven Allen Fox,
joined with several of Los Angeles’ best solo singers to produce a
lively and exciting performance. Soloists Jason Livesay, Laine
Nelson, and Lisa Shaw gave spectacular renditions of some of
Broadway’s best-loved numbers. The production captivated and
entertained the audience with fun and familiar pieces from America’s
best musicals and operettas, both the timeless classics of twentieth
century and contemporary works. “I liked the GSPO concert because,
as always, the music was varied, and the performance was performed
to perfection,” said junior Blake Kibby.
Beginning with a showy and energetic medley of music from the recent
hit musical Wicked, the concert was instantly rewarding as
the musicians combined technical skill with great enthusiasm.
Classics including “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music,
the title song of Beauty and the Beast, and Andrew Lloyd
Webber’s “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera
found a highly receptive audience that recognized and loved the
songs. Several members of the audience began to hum or sing quietly
along with the familiar tunes of “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” and
“I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” during a medley from
South Pacific by Rodgers & Hammerstein. The arrangement
included several challenging and well-performed passages and
melodies passed between the various sections of the orchestra. The
last number before Intermission was “Music of the Night,” a delicate
and gentle song from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera.
Junior Danika Lindsay said, “My favorite piece was ‘Music of
the Night’ from Phantom of the Opera because the vocalist
sang with a very similar style to that of Michael Crawford, the
original Phantom.” The second half began with music from another
familiar work, Mary Poppins, which has just recently been
made into a musical adapted from the film. Lisa Shaw, a vocalist who
has been involved with the GSPO in non-performing positions, got a
chance to shine with “As If I Never Said Goodbye” from Andrew Lloyd
Webber’s Sunset Boulevard. Next a performance of
“Everything’s Coming up Roses” by Laine Nelson served to entertain
and perhaps even uplift the audience with the optimistic and upbeat
lyrics. The concert continued with yet another incredible
performance by Jason Livesay singing “Bring Him Home” from Les
Miserables. The last piece on the program featured Leonard
Bernstein’s West Side Story, and the concert concluded with a
double encore, the second of which was a humorous rendition of
“Together” from Gypsy. Freshman Celeste Davies said,
“I loved the singing and the genre of music. [My favorite pieces
were] Wicked and Music of the Night because Wicked
is my favorite musical and Music of the Night was sung by a
wonderful singer.”
There is no doubt that this performance was an exceptional one.
Despite a very few number of mistakes or cracked notes, the
orchestra and soloists gave a truly great concert with familiar and
lovable tunes from popular Broadway musicals. Highlights included
“Music of the Night” and Wicked. Without a doubt the GSPO is
becoming one of Los Angeles’ most praised and successful orchestras,
performing music that interests and entertains the audience with a
characteristic vivacity and energy that makes the music come to
life. “I would recommend a GSPO concert to not only my friend, but
anyone. GSPO plays music that could interest all ages,” commented
junior Danika Lindsay.
Mark your calendar for their next concerts: Alistair Tober: Come
Fly With Me, 8:00 PM Saturday, May 5, 2007 AND Superheroes & Beyond:
Encore Performance, 8:00 PM Saturday, June 9, 2007, both at the
Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro.
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