Boston Pops Announce Spring 2018 Season

The 2018 Boston Pops spring season, May 9-June 16, under the direction of Keith Lockhart, will celebrate the centennial of Leonard Bernstein, one of the greatest international musical figures of the last century-an iconic American musician whose multidimensional talents spanning the worlds of composition, performance, education and conducting greatly influenced the culture at large throughout the mid- and late-20th century, resulting in a legacy that is sure to inspire music lovers far and wide for countless generations to come. The Boston Pops has an especially proud association with Leonard Bernstein, as he made his professional orchestra conducting debut leading the ensemble during a performance in the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade in 1941, on the cusp of establishing himself as one of the foremost musicians the country had ever seen.

The Boston Pops 2018 season celebration will spotlight Leonard Bernstein's singular contributions as a multifaceted composer for orchestra, Broadway, and film, with a concert performance of West Side Story and a semi-staged performance of On The Town, both with star Broadway casts, along with a series of five Leonard Bernstein Centennial Tribute concerts featuring classic selections from Bernstein's' scores to Candide, Fancy Free, Wonderful Town, and On the Waterfront. The 2018 season opens on Wednesday, May 9, with a welcome return appearance by multi-platinum selling pop artist Andy Grammer, who made his highly acclaimed Boston Pops debut during the 2017 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. Tickets to the 2018 Boston Pops season will go on sale on Monday, February 26, at 10 a.m., at 888-266-1200 or www.bostonpops.org.

In addition to the tribute to Leonard Bernstein, the 134th Boston Pops season-marking Keith Lockhart's 24th season as conductor-features a wide spectrum of programs that showcase an impressive breadth and versatility of musical genres for which "America's Orchestra" is so well known. Additional highlights of the 2018 Boston Pops season include special performances by the highly acclaimed star of Hamilton, Leslie Odom, Jr. (6/12, 6/13 & 14); Rock the Pops with British vocal sensation Alfie Boe singing favorite songs of Pink Floyd, Queen, The Who, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin (5/15 & 16); and Sutton Foster's return to the Boston Pops stage for A Broadway Celebration with Sutton Foster (6/6 & 7).

Keith Lockhart also leads a dynamic cinema-themed Dance to the Movies program that will feature TV and film star Lesley Ann Warren along with acclaimed performers from Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol, and The Voice (6/9), and Disney's Broadway Hits, featuring Disney's own world-class Broadway singers performing songs from nine Tony- and Academy Award-winning scores including Alan Menken's Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin; Elton John's Aida and The Lion King, and Richard and Robert Sherman / George Styles & Anthony Drewe's Mary Poppins, among others (5/12 & 13). In addition, the hugely popular John Williams' Film Night returns with Boston Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams joined on the podium by BSO Youth and Family Concerts Conductor Thomas Wilkins for the first time (5/23 & 24); Mr. Wilkins will also lead two concerts celebrating the Best of the Boston Pops (5/22 & 25). Conductor Charles Floyd leads the 26th annual Gospel Night performance, featuring vocalist Melinda Doolittle and the Boston Pops Gospel Choir (6/2).

The 2018 Boston Pops season will also present four 3 p.m. matinee family concerts (5/12, & 13 and 6/9 & 16), with a 50% discount for young patrons 17 and under. Additional initiatives include a choose-your-own subscription option and a 15% discount for groups of 25 or more. Details about the 2018 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will be announced later this spring. Tickets to the 2018 Boston Pops season will go on sale on Monday, February 26, at 10 a.m., at 888-266-1200 or www.bostonpops.org.

Leonard Bernstein'S ASSOCIATION WITH THE BOSTON POPS
Born on August 25, 1918, Leonard Bernstein, a towering artistic figure of the 20th century, first set foot in Symphony Hall at age 14 in the spring of 1932 to attend a Boston Pops concert with his father. The program featured Arthur Fiedler conducting several works, including Ravel's Bolero and Rossini's The Barber of Seville. Bernstein later made his professional conducting debut on July 11, 1941, leading the Boston Pops in a concert in the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade as a result of a contest held by the Boston Herald. Sharing the podium with Arthur Fiedler, famed Boston Pops Conductor from 1930 to 1979, he led the orchestra in Wagner's Prelude to "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg." It was an auspicious event in the life of the young Leonard Bernstein, who would go on to step in at the last minute to lead the New York Philharmonic for an ailing Bruno Walter in 1943, and take on the title of music director of the e

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