Chorus of Westerly's Summer Pops to Premiere New COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO Musical

The Chorus of Westerly in association with Bridget Dennin is proud to present selections from a new musical adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' epic masterpiece The Count of Monte Cristo. Written by award winning composer, John Tafone (music and lyrics) and rising journalist, Elena Tafone (book and lyrics), the musical is slated to receive its premiere later this year. Summer Pops marks the first time material from the show will be performed publicly. This year's concert will take place on June 24th in Wilcox Park with the Chorus of Westerly and the Rhode Island Festival Pops Orchestra conducted by Andrew Howell. For more information on the concert please visit: chorusofwesterly.org For more information on The Count of Monte Cristo please visit: themontecristomusical.com

More About the Concert:

Booming cannons, extravagant fireworks, church bells, and the sound of 180 singers and 60 orchestral musicians will fill Westerly's beautiful Wilcox Park on Saturday, June 24, at 8 pm, as the Chorus of Westerly presents its 37th annual Summer Pops performance. The concert will be conducted by Chorus of Westerly music director, Andrew Howell and features, The Chorus of Westerly, the Pops Festival Orchestra and special guest Broadway, baritone, Andrew Drost.

A fun-filled program suitable for the entire family, Summer Pops will feature a wide range of traditional and recent "pops" music including patriotic favorites, music from stage and screen, and Tchaikovsky's famous 1812 Overture complete with fireworks by Grucci, cannons of the Newport Artillery, and the bells of Christ Church.

This year's program also features a very special guest artist, baritone Andrew Drost, from the Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera. Mr. Drost will join the Chorus of Westerly onstage to perform the premiere of an exciting medley from the new musical The Count of Monte Cristo, composed by Chorus alum John Tafone. The new musical The Count of Monte Cristo, produced by Bridget Dennin, features music & lyrics by John Tafone with book & lyrics by Elena Tafone. Mr. Tafone who began his music career as a treble with the Chorus of Westerly, is now an award winning composer, with two commercial musicals on the horizon. The Chorus of Westerly is thrilled to be premiering his music on our Summer Pops stage.

Summer Pops is a free event and no tickets are required. Summer Pops takes place in Westerly's Wilcox Park with the main show at 8 pm with a pre-show at 6 pm. This year's pre-show features local area artists, vocalist Laura Dowding and Shiloh Baptist Gospel Choir of New London, CT, and The Westerly Morris Men. In the event of inclement weather, rain dates are scheduled for Sunday, June 25 and Monday, June 26.

Summer Pops is presented free to the town thanks to the major sponsorship of the Moore Company, and several hundred area businesses and individuals. The Westerly Public Library graciously offers use of Wilcox Park for Summer Pops to the Chorus of Westerly. For more information on the performance, including day of event weather updates, please visit www.chorusofwesterly.org or call 401.596.8663.

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