Opening Night at Pops 125th Anniversary Celebration

The Boston Pops Orchestra, Keith Lockhart conducting                                                      Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at Symphony Hall                                                                                        

The Boston Pops Orchestra kicked off its 125^th Anniversary Celebration in grand style on Tuesday night at Symphony Hall, featuring horse-drawn carriages, balloons, and a vintage fire engine carrying Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart and Peter Fiedler, son of the late Arthur Fiedler who led the Pops for fifty years. The festivities included a champagne and hors d’oeuvres reception prior to the start of the three-part concert honoring the legacies of the orchestra’s most famous conductors, Fiedler, John Williams, and Lockhart.

The Arthur Fiedler (1930-1979) segment began with the rousing patriotic “National Emblem March” by E. E. Bagley and “Light Cavalry Overture” by Franz von Suppé before Maestro Lockhart took the microphone to welcome everyone and explain the evening’s format. He then introduced Concertmaster Tamara Smirnova as solo violin for Jacob Gade’s “Jalousie,” an oft-performed piece during the Fiedler years. Up next, Leroy Anderson’s “The Typewriter,” accompanied by an amusing film montage of Fiedler in action, edited in time to the music by Dick Bartlett and Susan Dangel. It brought back great memories of what a showman he was and received a warm response from the audience. The orchestra closed the set with a perfect rendition of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” featuring Michael Chertock as piano soloist.

John Williams took up the baton as Conductor for the years 1980-1993 and remains Conductor Laureate. He will be on the podium for a series of “Hooray For Hollywood” concerts May 11 through May 15, celebrating his 30^th season with the organization. Three of his signature compositions were included in the second segment of the program – “Olympic Fanfare and Theme,” “Flying Theme from E.T.,” and “Main Title from Star Wars.” The one celebrity artist who has performed with all three of the honored conductors, trumpeter and former “Tonight Show” band leader Doc Severinsen took the stage in his usual sartorial splendor. As much of a visual splash as his sequined jacket, colorful shirt, and black leather pants made, his horn playing rose to an even higher aural level on “Ode to Doc” by Bach and Steven Reineke.

For his own era (1995-present), Lockhart chose Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide” to open, and then presented Tony Award-winning Idina Menzel in her Boston Pops debut. Joined onstage by her Music Director Rob Mounsey, Menzel started with “The Life of the Party” from Andrew Lippa’s Off-Broadway show The Wild Party, “No Day but Today” from Jonathan Larson’s Rent, and wrapped up her cameo appearance with what could be her signature song from Wicked, “Defying Gravity” by Stephen Schwartz. She demurely stated that she felt both honored and excited to be invited to perform in this eventful concert. She was also scheduled to appear on the next two nights.

In typical Pops fashion, the program shifted from Broadway to the Beatles. Lockhart introduced the world premiere of The Beatles Rock Band Sing-Along and invited nine members of the creative team from Cambridge-based Harmonix Music Systems to lead the crowd in singing “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Twist and Shout,” and “Yellow Submarine” as the game graphics were projected above the orchestra.

The final celebrity guest of the evening was Duff Goldman, the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes.” As everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to the Pops, Goldman wheeled out a specially designed sheet cake that was decorated with a Hatch Shell, Red Sox and Celtics mascots, and POPS spelled out in big red letters. Wearing a Red Sox cap, white tie, and tails, Goldman was given the ultimate honor of conducting “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and made it through to the dramatic ending with flag unfurling, balloons and confetti falling from the ceiling, and balloons popping like fireworks throughout the hall.

For a look at the complete Boston Pops 125^th season (May 4 – June 20), visit www.Bostonpops.org

 

 

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