Cleveland Pops Orchestra to Perform HAPPY HOLIDAYS Concert, 11/29

What: Happy Holidays

When: Sunday, November 29, 2015 ~ 2:00 P.M.

Where: Connor Palace (formerly The Palace Theatre in PlayhouseSquare)

Featured Artists: Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Carl Topilow conductor

Cleveland Pops Chorus, William Zurkey, director

NEOS DanceTheatre

Todd Meany, narrator ('Twas the Night Before Christmas)

Dick Goddard, vocalist

Tickets: Call 216-241-6000 or purchase online at HYPERLINK "http://www.clevelandpops.com" www.clevelandpops.com

Range: $12-16-20-30-37

Are you ready to get into the spirit of the Holidays?

Let the merry bells, and horns, and strings, and flutes, and drums of the Cleveland POPS Orchestra bring a sparkle of magic to the most wonderful season of all. The POPS Chorus and guest artists will add to the festivities, as will the fun activities in the Connor Palace Lobby. Adorable, adoptable pets from local rescue shelters, along with a visit from jolly old Santa Claus, add to this beloved annual Sunday Matinee Yuletide Celebration.

Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Chorus, and soloists will fill you with Holiday Joy!

With orchestra and chorus, ensembles of student musicians from local schools, guest artists, and Santa Claus, HAPPY HOLIDAYS embodies the spirit, joy and wonderment that the glorious music of the Yuletide season means to us all. Kids, parents and grandparents alike enjoy hearing the timeless Christmas songs and carols, and joining in on the Christmas sing-along.

The holiday magic extends from the stage to the Connor Theatre lobby!

The Pops Holiday Spectacular fills the halls of the Connor Palace up to the rafters with holiday sounds magical music, and thrilling voices -- while in the magnificent lobby, wonderful family activities abound. The lobby is filled with families playing with adorable, adoptable puppies from local animal shelters, listening to talented student musicians, and taking photos with Santa Claus.

NEOS Dance Theatre

perform dances from the Nutcracker Ballet

Members of the NEOS ensemble will perform the Spanish, Arabian and Trepak

dances from the Nutcracker Ballet

Praised for its many performances nationally and internationally, NEOS Dance Theatre's mission is to advance dance related education by student training, intensive summer study, and master classes; raise awareness of the dance arts; culturally enrich Northern Ohio through performance of high quality dance by obtaining and presenting the widest range of repertoire possible.

Todd Meany

An early riser, Todd is a member of Cleveland's FOBX 8 Morning News team =

Mr. Meany is no stranger to Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve. He anchors Fox 8 News on weekend mornings, and can be seen on the No. 1-rated Fox 8 News in the Morning program weekdays from 4:30-10:00 a.m.

Todd is the perfect choice to narrate "T'was the Night Before Christmas" for our "Happy Holidays" audience.

Todd has made numerous performances on stage with the Cleveland POPS

Orchestra, notably as narrator of "T'was the Night Before Christmas," and singing "God Bless the U.S.A. at the orchestra's "Salute to Our Armed Forces."
Todd grew up in Brook Park and now lives in Fairview Park with his wife, Joy, and their three sons.Todd has been with Fox 8 News since November of 2000. Prior to joining Fox 8, he served as both reporter and anchor for WTOL-TV in Toledo, Ohio. Before that, he spent a few years working at WOAY-TV in Beckley, W.Va. Todd is a graduate of Midpark High School and Bowling Green State University. Todd also plays harmonica and sings with the Ace Molar band.?

Cleveland POPS Chorus
William Zurkey, director

The popular and acclaimed Cleveland POPS Chorus marks its third season of being a major component of Cleveland POPS concert. Praised by the press, the chorus is directed by William Zurkey, a well-known and respected choral master who works hand-in-hand with POPS orchestra conductor Carl Topilow to blend this vocal component into more and more POPS concerts each season

Dick Goddard

The Most Popular Weathercaster in America will sing his Christmas weather prediction at the Pops concert

Mr. Goddard will favor the "Happy Holidays" audience with a musical prediction of his Christmas Eve weather prediction.

Dick is a true Buckeye, born in Akron and a graduate of Green High School in Summit County. Dick Goddard received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Kent State University in 1960 after having served four years with the U.S. Air Force during the Korean conflict. During his military career, he was initially assigned to the Severe Storm Forecast Center at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. He then moved to the 6th Weather Squadron's mobile unit. This led to an assignment with the Atomic Energy Commission for the first full-yield hydrogen bomb test (Operation Castle) in the Pacific Islands.

Dick has sung with the Cleveland Pops on many occasions and he has also performed the national anthem at numerous ceremonies.

Dick is also known throughout northeast Ohio for his annual "Woollybear Festival" - Ohio's largest single-day festival (drawing more than 100,000 people each year) - and his concern for animals. Dick has presented dog- and cat-adoption programs for over 25 years.

Toys bring the warmth and joy of the holidays to children in need!

Families in the spirit of giving donate new toys and games to the City Mission, who in turn distribute the welcomed presents to underprivileged children throughout the city who will now experience some of the joys of Christmas.

Cleveland Pops invites patrons of Happy Holidays! to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the concert for donation to The City Mission, for its Laura's Home Women's Crisis Center. On any given day, nearly 100 children are staying with their mothers at Laura's Home, and Cleveland Pops encourages its patrons to bring some holiday joy to these children as their families transition from crisis to stability and self-sufficiency.

Just bring new toys and games to the Connor Palace on the day of The POPS Magic of Christmas concert. Take them to the conveniently located City Mission table in the lobby. The Cleveland POPS Orchestra and Cleveland City Mission have brought much Christmas joy over the years to hundreds of underserved children in our community. Help us keep up this great tradition. THANK YOU!

Conductor of the Cleveland POPS Orchestra

I cordially invite you to enjoy one of Cleveland's beloved holiday traditions: The Cleveland POPS Orchestra's annual holiday matinee concert on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Come to the wonderful Connor Palace and experience the colorful decorations, the pageantry and celebrations, It's Yuletide Season as you've always loved it, a chance for your family and friends to get into the holiday spirit.

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