Brian Stokes Mitchell, the Delaware Symphony Orchestra & More to Take Part in New Year's Eve Concert at The Grand

The Grand, Delaware Symphony Orchestra, and OperaDelaware announced jointly today a New Year's Eve Concert featuring the talents of their respective musicians and performers alongside Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell.

New Year's Eve at The Grand

featuring

Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Music Director David Amado

Singers from OperaDelaware

Broadway's Tony Award Winner Brian Stokes Mitchell

"We are thrilled to be a part of this collaboration, which we see as a hopeful message to the entire community that the arts are back and ready to entertain our community again," says Grand Executive Director Mark Fields.

"The past year and a half has been such a challenging time for all who love, support, create, and perform live music," says Brendan Cooke, OperaDelaware's General Director. "We're so excited to pool the collective talents of these three organizations and celebrate a return to live musical events."

"We are elated to partner with our colleagues at The Grand Opera House and OperaDelaware to once again bring a glittering New Year's Eve gala to Wilmington," says J.C. Barker, Executive Director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. "After a long break, we can't think of a better way to celebrate-not only our musicians' return to the stage, but also The Grand's 150th Anniversary."

The evening will consist of a two-act program beginning with a program of traditional New Year's concert music, including your favorite Viennese waltzes and polkas. The second act will feature the talents of Mr. Stokes Mitchell and will be a celebration of Broadway standards throughout the years. A full repertoire will be set and announced later in September.

Dubbed "the last leading man" by The New York Times, two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell has enjoyed a career that spans Broadway, television, film, and concert appearances with the country's finest conductors and orchestras. He received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his star turn in Kiss Me, Kate. He also gave Tony-nominated performances in Man of La Mancha, August Wilson's King Hedley II, and Ragtime. Other notable Broadway shows include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jelly's Last Jam, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Shuffle Along. In 2016 he was awarded his second Tony Award, the prestigious Isabelle Stevenson Tony for his charitable work with The Actors Fund. That same year Stokes was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

His extensive screen credits began with a guest starring role on Roots: The Next Generations, followed by a 7-year stint on Trapper John, MD and have continued with memorable appearances on everything from PBS' Great Performances to The Fresh Prince, Frasier, Glee, Jumping the Broom and his most recent recurring roles on Madam Secretary, Mr. Robot, The Path, Billions and The Good Fight. Other recent TV appearances include The Blacklist, Elementary, and Bull. As a voice-over artist he has played dozens of characters on animated TV episodes including performing "Through Heaven's Eyes" in Dreamwork's The Prince of Egypt.

In addition to the talents of Mr. Stokes Mitchell, four stellar soloists (all OperaDelaware audience favorites) will enchant audiences with opera and operetta highlights, as guests of the Delaware Symphony, led by Maestro Amado. Soprano Vanessa Becerra, mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams, tenor William Davenport, and baritone Eric McKeever all return to OperaDelaware for this distinctive celebration at The Grand.

Tickets to the concert are $150 per person and go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 24. Each organization will host its own presale. All proceeds benefit the three organizations equally. The concert begins promptly at 7:30pm. "By scheduling this event at 7:30pm, we hope that our audiences will share in the communal joy of this moment, and be able to get home safely to their families to ring in the New Year from the comfort of their own homes," says Fields. Tickets can be purchased at www.TheGrandWilmington.org/NYE.

IF YOU GO:

What: New Year's Eve at The Grand featuring Delaware Symphony Orchestra, OperaDelaware, and Broadway's Brian Stokes Mitchell

Where: The Grand Opera House - Copeland Hall

When: Friday, December 31 at 7:30pm

How much: $150 per person, includes champagne toast

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