Tickets on Sale Friday for ROCKTOPIA at Wharton Center

Wharton Center has announced the inaugural live concert event ROCKTOPIA LIVE: A Classical (R)evolution. This groundbreaking live concert performance celebrates the fusion of classical music with classic rock. It features five world-class vocalists and five top rock musicians.

Tickets to see ROCKTOPIA LIVE go on sale Friday, February 3 at 10:00 a.m. at the official source to purchase Wharton Center tickets online, whartoncenter.com, at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office, or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.

ROCKTOPIA is an inspiring and uplifting entertainment spectacle that brings a whole new way of enjoying the best of classical music and classic rock to audiences. ROCKTOPIA delivers one-of-a-kind musical arrangements blending Beethoven with Journey, Strauss with The Who, and more in musical mash-ups that surprise and delight. Musically arranged by Maestro Randall Craig Fleischer, the concert showcases the works of classical composers as well as rock bands, including the music of Mozart, Journey, Handel, U2, Tchaikovsky, Heart, Beethoven, Styx, Foreigner, Rachmaninoff, Pink Floyd, Copland, The Who and more.

This groundbreaking live concert performance celebrating the combination of classical music and opera with classic rock features world-class vocalists and top rock musicians including renowned vocalists Rob Evan, Chloe Lowery, Kimberly Nichole, Tony Vincent, Ximena Borges and esteemed musicians Tony Bruno, Alex Alexander, Mat Fieldes and Henry Aronson.

Accomplished actor, singer and producer Rob Evan's 20 years in the entertainment profession includes seven leading roles on Broadway and performances at Presidential Inaugural Galas, World Series Celebrations, the Millennium World Forum and Monday Night Football. A member of the multi-platinum-selling rock band, Trans- Siberian Orchestra, Rob has opened and performed with Sir Elton John, REM, Joe Walsh, Usher and Michael Crawford among others. As co- creator of ROCKTOPIA he will be on stage with vocalist Chloe Lowery another member of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and featured on Yanni's 2013, 2014 and 2016 releases: Truth of Touch, Inspirato, and Sensuous Chill. Tony Vincent Broadway star of Rent who also originated the role of St. Jimmy in Green Day's American Idiot and competed on NBC's The VOICE on Team Ce-Lo joins Kimberly Nichole, another VOICE veteran as a winning finalist in Season 8. She has been described as an "Avant-Rock n Roll" song stylist and songwriter by VOGUE, Seventeen Magazine and MTV UK. Classically trained Opera star Ximena Borges has traveled the world from the Lyon Conservatory in France to the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Germany to study under the tutelage of Opera's most legendary teachers including Bill Schuman, Mariena Malas and more. ROCKTOPIA musicians include lead guitarist Tony Bruno, guitarist for such musical giants as Enrique Iglesias, Rihanna, E K'naan, Karmin, Delta Goodrem and many others. Multi genre drummer and percussionist Alex Alexander who has recorded with an eclectic mix of performers Eminem, Chaka Kahn and Bruce Springsteen. Grammy Nominated Bassist Mat Fieldes and Musical Director, Pianist Henry Aronson, one of the most in demand music directors in the Broadway theater and conductor of The Who's Tommy and the Broadway run of Rock of Ages make up the ROCKTOPIA musicians roster.

ROCKTOPIA performances creates an incredible dynamic concert experience sure to blow audiences away as proven in Budapest at the State Hungarian Opera House, now a PBS TV special airing in cities across the United States.

ROCKTOPIA LIVE is produced and presented by RTT. The company is headed by William Franzblau, Rob Evan and Maggie Seidel who collectively have been creating, producing and presenting national tours, Broadway shows and concerts worldwide for over 30 years. William Franzblau has produced such award- winning shows as the Tony Nominated Best Play Say Goodnight Gracie, and the tour of LITTLE HOUSE on the PRAIRIE the Musical starring Melissa Gilbert. Maggie Seidel has spearheaded multiple tours and live entertainment events associated with PBS including the global phenomenon Celtic Woman. Accomplished actor, singer and producer Rob Evan is best known as a member of the multi-platinum selling rock band, Trans- Siberian Orchestra, performing across the globe with Sir Elton John, Phil Collins, and Michael Crawford among many others. ROCKTOPIA LIVE will be the first project of RTT which will tour North America in over 20 cities in the spring of 2017. They have offices in New York City, NY and Nashville, Tenn.

Rob Evan is an accomplished actor, singer and producer with 20 years of professional experience in the entertainment industry. During the span of his diverse career, he has performed in seven leading roles on the New York Stage including the original Broadway cast of Jekyll & Hyde, playing the title roles for three years and over 1,000 performances worldwide. As a vocalist and recording artist, Rob is a member of the multi- platinum-selling rock band, Trans- Siberian Orchestra. He can be heard on TSO's The Lost Christmas Eve (Certified Double Platinum - Lava/Atlantic) and their latest release, Nightcastle, which debuted at #5 on Billboard's Top 100 (currently certified Platinum - Atlantic Records). He has played in arenas across the country and the world for up to 20,000 people per show. Rob has toured Europe and the US with TSO as Beethoven in TSO's Rock Opera, Beethoven's Last Night. Rob has opened for and performed with Sir Elton John, Trisha Yearwood, Linda Eder, Phil Collins, REM, Bonnie Tyler, John Cougar Mellencamp, Joe Walsh, Usher and Michael Crawford, among others. He was also lead vocalist for Jim Steinman's The Dream Engine and recently released the debut album for his progressive rock band, Menrva Realm.

Mr. Fleischer has appeared as a guest conductor with many major orchestras in the United States and internationally including engagements with the Boston Pops, China Philharmonic Hong Kong Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, Phillie Pops, Moscow State Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Utah Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Festival Cesky Krumov (Czech Republic) and many others. "...There was purpose and meaning in the performance, and Fleischer let the lyricism of the music flow in seamless lines." Deseret News - Salt Lake City, Utah. As Music Director/Conductor of three symphony orchestras, Youngstown Symphony, Hudson Valley Philharmonic and the Anchorage Symphony, Mr. Fleischer has led each orchestra through a dramatic period of artistic growth, demonstrating his abilities as a proven orchestra builder.

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