Johnny Mathis at the Rosemont Theatre- May 31st

 
Bradley A. Stephens, Mayor of the Village of Rosemont and son of the founder of the Chicagoland Pops, the late Donald E. Stephens, along with Brenda Edgar, Chairman of the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra Commission, announced that internationally celebrated singer Johnny Mathis will perform with the acclaimed Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, conducted by Grammy winning artist and Chicago resident Arnie Roth, at The Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River Road on Saturday, May 31 at 8 pm.  The first half of the concert will feature the internationally regarded vocal jazz entertainment ensemble Gold Company, under the direction of Steven Zegree, as the opening performance.
 
The legendary Johnny Mathis, who celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first recording in 2006, releases his new CD, A Night To Remember, on April 29, 2008. Mathis has sold over 350 million records and albums and is one of only five recording artists to have Top 40 Hits spanning each decade since 1955. He is known for his smooth vocal skills and celebrated ballads such as "Chances Are," "Wonderful, Wonderful," "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late," "Misty," and "It's Not for Me to Say." One of America's most popular recording artists, he has played to sold-out crowds around the world.
 
After establishing a name for himself in the world renowned jazz clubs of New York in the mid-1950s, Mathis appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and became a household name. His Greatest Hits collection spent almost 10 years on the Billboard Top Albums Chart, a feat recorded in The Guinness Book of World Records. Mathis has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame two times, received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame and has performed for several U.S. presidents.
 
Western Michigan University's Gold Company is recognized as one of the top collegiate vocal jazz ensembles in the world, having performed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and South Africa. The group performs in every style from vocal jazz and show tunes to the hits of today, and has been selected numerous times as "Outstanding Vocal Jazz Ensemble" by the International Association for Jazz Education. Gold Company director Stephen Zegree is the Bobby McFerrin Distinguished Professor of Jazz at WMU. He has performed throughout the world as pianist, conductor and clinician, and his choral arrangements have been published by Hal Leonard, Shawnee Press, and Warner Bros. He co-produced jazz vocalist Mark Murphy's Grammy-nominated recording, The Nat King Cole Songbook, and most recently served as music director and arranger for Nick Lachey's winning choir "Team Lachey" on NBC's Clash of the Choirs.
 
Arnie Roth, Music Director and Principal Conductor, is known for his work with performers including Diana Ross, Charlotte Church, Peter Cetera, Art Garfunkel, Mannheim Steamroller, and Dennis DeYoung. He has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Philharmonic, the Dallas Symphony, the Houston Symphony, the BBC Symphony and Ravinia Festival Orchestra. Roth has produced dozens of best-selling CDs as well as concerts for WTTW.
 
The Chicagoland Pops is Chicago's only resident pop orchestra, a professional symphonic ensemble presenting an innovative blend of popular music, classical works and a variety of contemporary genres – rock, pop and jazz. The orchestra is made up of the area's finest musicians. This season the Chicagoland Pops plans upcoming concerts featuring nationally known world-class artists. "The synergy between Chicagoland's top musicians and these guest artists provide audiences with an unbeatable entertainment experience", said Rhoda A. Pierce, Executive Director of the Chicagoland Pops.
 
Tickets to the Saturday, May 31 performance at 8 pm are priced at $55 and $75 and are available by calling Ticketmaster at 312.559.1212 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.chicagolandpops.com.