ISO Announces Cast for ON BROADWAY WITH KANDER & EBB - Beth Leavel, Nick Adams, Ted Keegan & More!

The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra today announced the cast for On Broadway with Kander & Ebb: Celebrating Chicago, Cabaret and All That Jazz, a world premiere pops production of music from legendary and award-winning composers, John Kander (b. 1927) and Fred Ebb (1928-2004). Created by ISO Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, On Broadway with Kander & Ebb opens the Indianapolis Symphony's Printing Partners Pops Series for the 2013-2014 season on Friday andSaturday, Oct. 4 and 5, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis.

Broadway stars headlining On Broadway with Kander & Ebb are Beth Leavel, who received a Tony Award for the Drowsy Chaperoneand a nomination for her role in Baby, It's You; Nick Adams, whose Broadway credits include Priscilla Queen of the Desert, A Chorus Line, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, La Cage aux Folles and The Pirate Queen; Ted Keegan, most notably the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway; Nikki Renée Daniels, who has appeared on Broadway in LES MISERABLES, Aida, Little Shop of Horrors and the 2012 revival of the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, among others; and Jessica Rush, currently playing Lorraine in the Broadway company of the Tony Award-winning production of Jersey Boys.

In this fully orchestrated production, the four-decade songwriting partnership of Kander and Ebb comes to life with many the duo's significant stage musical hits and contemporary classics, including the music from the highly-acclaimed Cabaret, Chicago and the filmNew York, New York, and lesser-known pieces from Funny Lady, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, The Rink and more. The Indianapolis Symphony will also pay tribute to Kander and Ebb's long association with actress Liza Minnelli with "Ring Them Bells" from Liza with a Z, the Emmy-winning television special produced by Ebb.

On Broadway with Kander & Ebb: Celebrating Chicago, Cabaret and All That Jazz is produced by Ty Johnson, Senior Pops Producer at the ISO. Staging and choreography is provided by Jennifer Ladner and costuming is by Clare Henkel. David Levy is the Writing and Creative Consultant and Greg Sanders serves as the Vocal Supervisor and Production Pianist. Lighting is designed by Laura Glover.

The ISO's performances of On Broadway with Kander & Ebb: Celebrating Chicago, Cabaret and All that Jazz will take place Friday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. The ISO's home at the historic Hilbert Circle Theatre is located in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Circle. For information and tickets, contact the ISO at (317) 639-4300 orwww.IndianapolisSymphony.org.

Jack Everly is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Indianapolis and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa). He has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and appears regularly with The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center. In the 2013-14 season he will debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra at The Mann Center. This year Maestro Everly will conduct more than 90 performances in more than 20 North American cities.

As Music Director of the National Memorial Day Concert and A Capitol Fourth on PBS, Maestro Everly proudly leads the National Symphony Orchestra in these patriotic celebrations on the National Mall. These concerts attract hundreds of thousands attendees on the lawn and the broadcasts reach millions of viewers and are some of the very highest rated programming on PBS television.

Mr. Everly is the also Music Director of Duke Energy Yuletide Celebration, now a 27-year tradition. He led the ISO in its first Pops recording, Yuletide Celebration, Volume One, that included three of his own orchestrations. Some of his other recordings include In The Presence featuring the Czech Philharmonic and Daniel Rodriguez, Sandi Patty's Broadway Stories, the soundtrack to Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Everything's Coming Up Roses: The Complete Overtures Of Jule Styne.

Originally appointed by Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mr. Everly was conductor of the American Ballet Theatre for 14 years, where he served as Music Director. In addition to his ABT tenure, he teamed with Marvin Hamlisch on Broadway shows that Mr. Hamlisch scored. He conducted Carol Channing hundreds of times in Hello, Dolly! in two separate Broadway productions.

In 1998, Jack Everly created the Symphonic Pops Consortium, serving as Music Director. The Consortium, based in Indianapolis, produces new theatrical pops programs, including this season's On Broadway with Kander & Ebb. In the past 12 years, more than 250 performances of SPC programs have taken place across the U.S. and Canada.

Maestro Everly, a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, holds an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Franklin College in his home state of Indiana. He is a proud resident of the Indianapolis community for more than 12 years.

Beth Leavel received Tony, Drama Desk, New York Outer Critics Circle and L.A. Drama Critics Awards for her performance as the title character in The Drowsy Chaperone. Beth also received Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for her role as Florence Greenberg in Baby It's You. She recently performed the roles of Sally Adams in Call Me Madame at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias at the North Carolina Theatre and the much put-upon maid Berthe in Boeing-Boeing at Paper Mill Playhouse. Other Broadway roles include Emily in Elf, Donna in Mamma Mia!, Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein, Dorothy Brock in the revival of 42nd Street, Tess in the original company of Crazy For You, Mrs. Bixby in The Civil War, Ellie in Hal Prince's Showboatand Anytime Annie (her Broadway debut) in 42nd Street. Ms. Leavel was also seen in New York City Center Encores! production of No, No, Nanette as Lucille. She has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway shows, regional theater, commercials and TV, including the final episode of ER.

Nick Adams originated and starred as Adam/Felicia in the Bette Midler-produced Broadway musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Adams was honored with a fellowship by the American Theater Hall of Fame for his Breakthrough Performance, received a nomination for the 2011 Astaire Award for Best Male Dancer on Broadway and won two Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards for Favorite Breakthrough Performance and Favorite Diva Performance. Broadway credits also include A Chorus Line, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, La Cage aux Folles (2010 Tony-winning revival) and The Pirate Queen. TV and film credits include Sex and the City 2, An Englishman in New York, Smash, As the World Turns, Guiding Light, Dancing with the Stars, Rosie Live, The Kennedy Center Honors and multiple telecasts of The Tony Awards. Concerts include New York Pops 30th anniversary (Carnegie Hall), Songs For A New World (Director Jeff Calhoun), Naples Philharmonic, Link Larkin in Hairspray In Concert (Indianapolis and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras), Birdland, Erie Philharmonic, Boston Pops and Cincinnati Pops. Regionally, he has appeared at Paper Mill Playhouse (Prince Eric, Disney's The Little Mermaid), Pittsburgh CLO, Kansas City Starlight, The Muny, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. Recordings include Priscilla Queen of the Desert, La Cage aux Folles, The Pirate Queen and Dee Does Broadway. Nick received his BFA from the Boston Conservatory.

Ted Keegan has been seen as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, National tour and Phantom, The Las Vegas Spectacular. He has performed the role in over 24 states and has had the great pleasure of appearing as The Phantom on the TodayShow on NBC. He has also sung the role in front of the largest audience ever during the halftime show of the NBA All-Star Game. He performed unpublished Gershwin at the opening of the George and Ira Gershwin Room at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and has sung Gershwin with Audra McDonald and with Marin Mazzie. He appeared as a soloist at Avery Fisher Hall, singing Unheard Bernstein. Ted hosted Duke Energy Yuletide Celebration with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and has performed with many symphonies across North America, including the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center. Ted made his Broadway debut inSweeney Todd, where he was seen as Anthony. Other Broadway and National tour credits include Cyrano: The Musical, Camelot with Robert Goulet, Herman in The Most Happy Fella and Kander and Ebb's The World Goes Round.

Nikki Renée Daniels was most recently seen on Broadway singing "Summertime" as Clara in the 2012 Tony Award winning revival of the Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. Other Broadway credits include Les Miserablés (Fantine); Nine (Renata); Aida (Nehebka); Little Shop of Horrors; The Look of Love; Promises, Promises; Anything Goes and Lestat. She made her New York City Opera debut as Clara inPorgy and Bess. Recently, Nikki played the featured role of Tracy in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. Regional Theater credits include Ray Charles Live! (Della B.) at Pasadena Playhouse; Anything Goes (Hope) at Williamstown Theatre Festival; Beauty and the Beast (Belle) at Sacramento Music Circus, American Musical Theater of San Jose and North Shore Music Theater; Ragtime (Sarah) at North Shore Music Theatre; Aida (Aida) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator) at ArtPark and Dorian (Celia) at the Denver Center. Film/Television credits include "The Other Woman" and "Chappelle's Show." Nikki has performed as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Pops, the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the New York Pops, the Naples Symphony Orchestra and at Carnegie Hall. Her debut CD, Home, is available on iTunes and CDBaby.com.

Jessica Rush can currently be seen as Lorraine in the Broadway company of the Tony Award-winning production of Jersey Boys. Other Broadway credits include Des McAnuff's revival of Guys and Dolls and Gypsy, where she performed opposite Patti LuPone as the standby for Louise. She also has appeared in Mamma Mia! Or as the title role in Cinderella, opposite Eartha Kitt. Ms. Rush has performed regionally at the Walnut Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Sacramento Music Circus and originated the role of Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities at the Osolo Repertory Theatre. In New York this past year, she sang alongside Nick Adams and Ashley Brown for a one-night-only, sold-out concert of Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World. On television, Ms. Rush was most recently seen in a co-starring role on White Collar.

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