New Jersey Symphony Presents CASABLANCA, 2/9 & 10

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra presents the classic film Casablanca with live orchestral accompaniment in the Orchestra's second NJSO POPS program of the season, tonight, February 9 in Newark and February 10 in New Brunswick. Conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos returns to the NJSO stage to conduct the Orchestra as the film screens above the stage.

The iconic 1942 romantic film-starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henried-is considered one of the greatest films of all time by critics and audiences. Critic Roger Ebert writes that Casablanca's climax "combines suspense, romance and comedy as they have rarely been brought together on the screen."

Performances take place tonight, February 9, (8 p.m.) at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark and Sunday, February 10, (3 p.m.) at The State Theatre in New Brunswick. The February 10 performance is presented in collaboration with the State Theatre.

Tickets start at $20 and are available for purchase online at www.njsymphony.org, by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or in person. The NJSO ticket office is located at 60 Park Place, 9th floor, in Newark-hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and concert-weekend Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are also available from The State Theatre ticket office online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org, by phone at 732.246.SHOW (7469) or in person. The State Theatre ticket office is located at 15 Livingston Ave in New Brunswick-hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m., and at least three hours prior to curtain on performance dates unless Otherwise specified.

THE PROGRAM CASABLANCA tonight, February 9, at 8 pm | NJPAC in Newark Sunday, February 10, at 3 pm | State Theatre in New Brunswick Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor New Jersey Symphony Orchestra The February 10 performance is presented in collaboration with the State Theatre.

THE ARTISTS

Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor Conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos' career spans the worlds of opera, symphony and musical theater. He is music director of the Queens Symphony Orchestra and general director of Chatham Opera, which he founded in 2005. He serves as music director of the Festival of the Arts BOCA, an extraordinary multi-day cultural arts event for South Florida, and was recently appointed artistic director of the OK Mozart Festival, Oklahoma's premier music festival.

2012-13 season highlights include engagements with the North Carolina Symphony and Boca Raton Symphonia. A frequent guest conductor at Indiana University, he leads its orchestra in a performance of Schumann's Fourth Symphony and the Opera Theater in a production of Verdi's Falstaff this season.

He has led the Calgary and Tokyo Philharmonics; Baltimore, Colorado, Detroit, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras; New York Pops Orchestra and Russian National Orchestra, among others.

Operatic highlights include productions of The Merry Widow, Faust and Madame Butterfly with Dicapo Opera Theatre; Amahl and the Night Visitors with Chatham Opera; Carmen with Hong Kong Municipal Opera and Orfeo ed Euridice at Alice Tully Hall. He served as music director and created the orchestrations for the world-premiere production of Ed Dixon's Fanny Hill at the Goodspeed Opera House.

Kitsopoulos was conductor and musical director of the Tony-nominated musical A Catered Affair. He conducted the Tony- nominated musical Coram Boy and The American Conservatory Theatre's production of Kurt Weill's Happy End. He was music director and principal conductor of Baz Luhrmann's acclaimed production of La bohème, recording the production for Dreamworks.

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is comprised of some of the country's finest musicians. The Orchestra is proud to have Jacques Lacombe as its Music Director. Artistic excellence, innovative programming and community engagement are hallmarks of its mission. To best serve the people of New Jersey, the orchestra brings its programs to seven outstanding venues throughout the state. Education and community engagement programs enrich the listening experience for children and adults alike. Select performances of the NJSO are broadcast regionally and throughout North America.

For more information about the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, visit www.njsymphony.org or email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra's website.

The State Theatre is a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich People's lives, contribute to a vital urban environment and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre's programs are made possible in part by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of The National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations and individuals.

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