Morgan Stanley Moments at Dr. Phillips Center to Feature Smokey Robinson, Bernadette Peters and Billy Crystal

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and Morgan Stanley announce their continued partnership for the 2016 - 2017 season with the development of a new series: Morgan Stanley Moments at Dr. Phillips Center, which will launch with the recently announced Spend the Night with Billy Crystal in February. New offerings include Smokey Robinson in March and Bernadette Peters in April. A fourth additional artist to round out the offering will be announced at a later date.

Morgan Stanley was the proud sponsor of the Jazz Series at the arts center for the 2015 - 2016 season. That series boasted memorable performances by iconic artists: Arturo Sandoval, Michael Feinstein, Patti LaBelle and Tony Bennett. In reflecting back on the season, each concert had the following in common: Legendary performances. Unparalleled artistry. Exceptional experiences.

"The best thing about what happens at the arts center is the celebration of the live experience. These days, we get so lost in our technology and our phones and forget to be present and take in the wonderful experiences around us," said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Center. "These shows weren't just concerts. They were unique opportunities for our guests to feel something. They were moments. Great, once-in-a-lifetime moments."

"When we take a look at what we helped give audiences last year and strive to broaden our appeal, we realize we've landed on the common theme of these unparalled moments that don't fit only in one genre," said Steve Freeman, executive director of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. "Moments are what matter, and what matters to people is the Morgan Stanley mission."

Spend the Night with Billy Crystal, which was recently announced to play Dr. Phillips Center on Wednesday, February 1, 2017, will be the first moment in the series. Tickets for the hilarious and intimate evening of stories from the Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor, producer, writer and director go on sale to the public this Friday, November 18, 2016 at 10 a.m. A stand-up comic turned television star, Crystal found fame as a movie funnyman and was much loved as the acclaimed nine-time host of the Academy Awards. He is also an award-winning author, and his latest memoir, "Still Foolin' Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell are My Keys?" was an instant New York Times best seller.

The next moment in the series will feature Motown legend Smokey Robinson singing favorites from his 50-year career. Once pronounced by Bob Dylan as America's "greatest living poet," the singer-songwriter has received awards spanning from the GRAMMY Living Legend Award, NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate (Howard University), Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts Award from the President of the United States, and has also been inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters' Hall of Fame. The dictionary defines the popular term "comfort food" as "food prepared in a traditional style, having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal." It has been known to soothe the soul and spur memories of more "comforting" times. With his eternally smooth and instantly recognizable falsetto alone, the legendary Robinson is the audio equivalent of comfort food...comfort food for the soul...with soul. He has accumulated more than 4,000 songs to his credit and continues to thrill sold-out audiences around the world with his voice, impeccable timing and profound sense of lyric. Remaining a beloved icon in our musical heritage, Robinson will take the Walt Disney Theater Stage on Friday, March 3, 2017 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $55 and go on sale to the general public Friday, December 2, 2016 at 10 a.m.

Bernadette Peters shines as the third moment in the series. Throughout her illustrious career, the three-time Tony, Golden Globe, and two-time GRAMMY Award-winner has dazzled audiences and critics with her performances on stage and television, in concert and on recordings. Now, one of Broadway's most critically acclaimed performers will appear at Dr. Phillips Center in the Walt Disney Theater Friday, April 21, 2017 at 8 p.m. Most recently appearing on stage in City Center's Encores! production of A Bed and a Chair: A New York Love Affair, featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim with orchestrations by Wynton Marsalis, the performer's other stage credits include: A Little Night Music, Song and Dance (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), Annie Get Your Gun (Tony Award), Gypsy, The Goodbye Girl, Sunday in the Park with George, Mack and Mabel, On the Town, and Into the Woods. While best known for her work in the theatre, her career also boasts an impressive list of television credits including "Mozart in the Jungle," "Smash," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Ugly Betty" among others. On the silver screen: "Pennies from Heaven" (Golden Globe Award), "The Jerk," "The Longest Yard," "Silent Movie," "Annie," "Pink Cadillac," "Slaves of New York," "Alice," "Impromptu," "It Runs in the Family" and "Coming Up Roses." Her six solo albums include the GRAMMY-nominated "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," "Sondheim, Etc.," "Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall" and "Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein." Peters devotes her time and talents to numerous events that benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, as well as her "pet project," Broadway Barks, which she co-founded with Mary Tyler Moore. She is a New York Times best-selling author, penning three children's books: "Broadway Barks," "Stella is a Star," and "Stella and Charlie: Friends Forever." Tickets start at $55 and go on sale to the general public Friday, December 2, 2016 at 10 a.m.

A fourth artist in the Morgan Stanley Moments at Dr. Phillips Center series will be announced at a later date.

Tickets for all performances may be purchased online at drphillipscenter.org, by calling 844.513.2014 or by visiting the Dr. Phillips Center Box Office at 445 S. Magnolia Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. Online and phone ticket purchases include handling fees.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 43 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

About the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization operating the state-of-the-art performing arts center in downtown Orlando, Florida. With its opening in November 2014, the performing arts center launched its vision of Arts for Every Life by being a gathering place for creativity and discovery; a vibrant urban destination where artists, audiences and students come to experience, explore and learn. The two-block community destination features the 2,700-seat Walt Disney Theater, 300-seat Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater, Seneff Arts Plaza, Dr. Phillips Center Florida Hospital School of the Arts, the DeVos Family Room, and other event rental spaces. Future expansion includes Steinmetz Hall, a 1,700-seat acoustical theater, along with rehearsal, classroom, office space and commercial development spaces. The Dr. Phillips Center is a private non-profit collaborating with the City of Orlando, Orange County, the State of Florida and generous donors.

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