Hamlisch will conduct the famed National Symphony Orchestra, and the series kicks off Oct. 30-Nov. 1 with "An Evening of Latin Jazz" with trumpet virtuoso Arturo Sandoval. On Nov. 28 and 29, Hamlisch will lead a tribute to Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Entitled "The Music of Lerner and Loewe," the evenings will feature Les Miserables' J. Mark McVey, The Phantom of the Opera's Brad Little and soprano Teri Hansen. Members of the Washington Men's Camerata and the Washington Women's Chorus will also lend their voices to songs from Brigadoon, Gigi, Camelot and My Fair Lady.
From Dec. 10-13, Hamlisch will conduct a series of "Happy Holidays!" concerts, featuring a mix of vocalists to be announced at a later date. The evenings will include an assortment of festive songs and holiday classics, including "O Holy Night," "Sleigh Ride," "White Christmas" and the "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's Messiah.
Guest conductor Jack Everly will conduct the March 4-6 concerts, which are titled "Pops Goes British!" The evenings will feature the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lionel Bart, Anthony Newley, Gilbert and Sullivan and Noel Coward. Concertgoers can expect to hear tunes from The Phantom of the Opera, Oliver!, Sunset Boulevard, The Mikado, The Boyfriend and other British musicals.
Hamlisch returns April 15-17 with an evening of his own compositions. "They're Playing My Song: Hamlisch Plays Hamlisch" will feature tenor J. Mark McVey singing tunes from A Chorus Line, They're Playing Our Song, The Goodbye Girl and more. The series concludes June 17-19 with "There's No Business Like Show Business: A Tribute to Irving Berlin," which spotlights the works of the late composer of Annie Get Your Gun, Face the Music and Call Me Madam. Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte and tenor Doug Labreque will be on hand to offer such tunes as "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and "There's No Business Like Show Business."
As a bonus to Thursday night concertgoers, the Kennedy Center will offer "More with Marvin" following the concerts. On Dec. 11, April 15, June 17 and Friday, Nov. 28, Hamlisch will entertain the audience with intimate stories or question-and-answer sessions with the guest artists. Tickets for the concerts are available by calling (202) 416-8500 or by logging on to www.nationalsymphony.org/subscriptions. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is located in Washington, D.C., at 2700 F. Street. For more information, go to www.kennedy-center.org.
