Brian Stokes Mitchell Celebrates The Holidays With The NY Pops 12/10-11

On Friday, December 10, and Saturday, December 11, Music Director Steven Reineke leads The New York Pops in a celebration of the season with a concert program of timeless carols and holiday favorites, featuring Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell. Renowned for his rich and commanding baritone, Mitchell - of Kiss Me, Kate!, Man of La Mancha and Ragtime fame - was dubbed Broadway's "Last Leading Man" by The New York Times. In addition to his spectacular success on the theater stage, he has enjoyed a rich and varied career in television and film, and his concert performances across the nation have met enormous critical acclaim. Essential Voices USA, led by Judith Clurman, and children from the Camp Broadway Chorus will join Steven Reineke and the orchestra in this annual holiday concert, one of Carnegie Hall's most popular December traditions.

The New York Pops celebrates the season with three concerts over two days. In addition to these two evening programs, the orchestra will present a vibrant retelling of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas! as a Saturday-afternoon family concert on December 11.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Brian Stokes Mitchell enjoys a spectacular career that spans Tony Award winning performances on Broadway, a multitude of television and film appearances, and performances at D.C.'s Capital Lawn. His Broadway career includes the starring role of Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, for which he received a Tony Award nomination and the Helen Hayes Award, as well as FrEd Graham/Petruchio in Kiss Me, Kate!, for which he won the 2000 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Other Broadway performances include Ragtime (Tony nomination), August Wilson's King Hedley II (Tony nomination), and Kiss of the Spider Woman. He currently appears in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Brian Stokes Mitchell has also added to his successful theater career a growing list of impressive concert performances. A frequent performer in Washington, D.C., Stokes most recently performed on the West Lawn of our Nation's Capital with Tom Hanks and Ossie Davis for the National Memorial Day Concert, which was filmed by PBS. He has been a frequent guest at the Kennedy Center and appeared in the title role of Sweeney Todd at last year's tremendously successful Sondheim Celebration. In 1988, Stokes made his Carnegie Hall debut in the televised Gershwin Gala with the San Francisco Symphony and has since performed there many times. As a writer he has contributed to numerous books and most recently co-authored Lights on Broadway with Brian Stokes Mitchell. He is President of the Actors' Fund and lives in New York City with his wife, son and rescued mutt Diggidy.

Steven Reineke's boundless enthusiasm and exceptional artistry have made him one of the nation's most sought-after pops conductors, composers and arrangers. Reineke begins his second season as Music Director of The New York Pops. In addition to conducting the orchestra's annual Carnegie Hall concert series, Reineke leads concert tours, recordings, and nationwide telecasts, including the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks on NBC Television. Mr. Reineke also serves as Principal Pops Conductor of the Long Beach and Modesto Symphony Orchestras and he retains the title of Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, where for fifteen years he served as a composer, arranger, and conducting protégé of the late celebrated pops conductor Erich Kunzel. Steven Reineke's notable guest conducting appearances include the National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra and his debut at the Hollywood Bowl in 2007. Mr. Reineke is also an established symphonic composer, with the most recent performances of his works by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. Led by Music Director Steven Reineke, the orchestra performs an annual subscription series and birthday gala at Carnegie Hall, enjoying one of the venue's highest subscription renewal rates of any series. The New York Pops was founded by former NBC Music Director Skitch Henderson in 1983 with a mission to create greater public awareness and appreciation of America's rich musical heritage. Along with performing at Carnegie Hall, The New York Pops tours throughout the world and gives free concerts in New York City parks. The orchestra's media projects include performing for the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular on NBC, nationwide radio broadcasts, and numerous recordings. The New York Pops' extensive education programs allow thousands of public schoolchildren to participate in concert and music-making experiences at Carnegie Hall and in schools throughout New York City's five boroughs.

Essential Voices USA (EVUSA), formerly The Clurman Singers, is a vibrant organization with a mission to promote the love of music and further the art of ensemble singing. Led by conductor and music director Judith Clurman, the group is a flexible roster of 8-80 professional (vocal fellows), volunteer, and school-age singers performing a wide range of musical genres. EVUSA's hallmark is musical excellence, innovative programming, and emphasis on education and inclusion. In October, 2010, they were featured in the Leonard Bernstein Celebration at Symphony Space. The group eagerly anticipates the release of its CD recording of a performance of Peace, by Howard Shore, based on the words of Eleanor Roosevelt. Recorded at the Washington National Cathedral, the CD features EVUSA's signature vocal blend of high school students, volunteer and professional singers. Future plans include recordings and concert performances. The high school students singing in tonight's concert are from The Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music (Lisa Gwasda, chorus director) and Middletown High School, Middletown, New York (Lucas Rau, chorus director).

The Camp Broadway Chorus is comprised of 60 talented performers, ages 10-17, from 12 states and over 36 cities around the U.S. The program is designed to provide young musicians with an opportunity to grow as musicians, meet new friends, and learn a wide range of beloved songs from the American Songbook. Performing with The New York Pops in their holiday celebration at Carnegie Hall is the highlight of the Camp Broadway Chorus's first season. To learn more about the Camp Broadways Chorus and other year-round educational and experiential programs, visit www.campbroadway.com

TICKETS
Single tickets are priced from $33 to $106. Purchases can be made at the Carnegie Hall Box Office (57th Street and 7th Avenue) or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800. Visit www.carnegiehall.org for more information.