Cincinnati Pops Presents Holiday Pops

Conductor John Morris Russell conducts the Cincinnati Pops for a weekend of holiday traditions and musical classics at Music Hall. This exciting, festive weekend will feature vocalist, Broadway star, and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music alumna Ashley Brown, alongside multiple performers from studios across the city including Studio for Dance, Winton Woods Choir, and the May Festival Youth Chorus.

Music Hall Friday, December 7, 2018 - 8 p.m. Saturday, December 8, 2018 - 2 p.m. Saturday, December 8, 2018 - 8 p.m. Sunday, December 9, 2018 - 2 p.m. Sunday, December 9, 2018 - 7 p.m.

Kids Tickets are available for $15, adult tickets start at $25 and are available by calling: (513) 381-3300 or visiting www.cincinnatipops.org

Cincinnati's holiday tradition returns! Make new family memories with a sparkling blend of holiday favorites at Music Hall. Send your holiday spirit soaring with singers and dancers, humor and jou, magic and music. CCM graduate and Broadway star Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) joins the fun.

While attending the performance, guests can also encounter popular costumed characters Frosty, Rudolph, and Santa and Mrs. Claus, alongside other exciting lobby activations around Music Hall. After the concerts on Saturday and Sunday there will be a free ice cream sampling of Peppermint Stick Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, the exclusive Graeter's flavor of Holiday Pops, a meet and greet with Pops Conductor John Morris Russell, and performances by members of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Concertgoers are also encouraged to bring a donation of gently used hats, coats, gloves, and socks to the performance. These donations will be benefiting the City Gospel Mission, and will be dispersed to those in need this winter.

Kids tickets for this concert are available for $15. Standard tickets for this concert start at just $25 and are available by calling the Box Office at (513) 381-3300 or visiting www.cincinnatipops.org.

The Cincinnati Pops is grateful to the Pops Series Sponsor, PNC. Major underwriting for the Pops is provided by Mrs. Edyth B. Lindner. Kids' Ticket Sponsor for this concert is Graeter's Ice Cream.

John Morris Russell, conductor A remarkable artist with boundless enthusiasm for music- making of all kinds, John Morris Russell is a modern conductor who engages and enthralls audiences with the full breadth of the orchestral experience. Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops since 2011, Mr. Russell's diverse programming and electric stage presence have infused new creativity and energy into one of the world's most iconic pops orchestras.

Consistently winning international praise for his extraordinary music-making and visionary leadership, this Ohio native is also Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina where Mr. Russell's commitment has yielded a new level of artistic excellence, as well as Principal Pops Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

A popular guest conductor throughout the United States and Canada, he also holds the title of Conductor Laureate with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in Ontario, Canada, where he served as Music Director for eleven years.

With the Cincinnati Pops, Mr. Russell regularly leads sold-out performances at Cincinnati's Music Hall. Additionally, he conducts the Pops at the Riverbend Music Center and in concerts throughout the Greater Cincinnati region and on tour. Mr. Russell has collaborated with generations of great performers including the late Ray Charles and Rosemary Clooney, as well as Idina Menzel, Vince Gill, Branford Marsalis, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Megan Hilty, Michael McDonald, George Takei, Amy Grant, Brian Wilson, Katharine McPhee and Marvin Winans.

A sought-after guest conductor across the continent, Mr. Russell's recent engagements include the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the New York Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, among many other ensembles.

Ashley Brown originated the title role in "Mary Poppins" on Broadway, for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress. Ms. Brown also starred as Mary Poppins in the national tour of Mary Poppins where she garnered a 2010 Garland award for "Best Performance in a Musical". Ms. Brown's other Broadway credits include Belle in "The Beauty and The Beast", and she has starred in the national tour of Disney's "On The Record".

Ms. Brown recently returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago to star in the role of Laurey in "Oklahoma". She previously played Magnolia opposite Nathan Gunn in Francesca Zembello's "Showboat" at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Ashley has performed with virtually all of the top orchestras in North America. She has also performed with the BBC orchestra opposite Josh Groban.

Ashley made her solo concert debut at The Kennedy Center as part of Barbara Cook's Spotlight Series, and has appeared in New York City at prestigious venues including Feinstein's at the Regency and Birdland. Other projects include a star turn at the La Jolla Playhouse in a production of "Limelight", "Sound of Music" at the St. Louis MUNY which garnered her a Kevin Kline award, and her own PBS special called "Ashley Brown: Call Me Irresponsible" which received a PBS Telly Award. Ms. Brown's long awaited album of Broadway and American Songbook standards is available on Ghostlight/Sony.

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