The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Presents: Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies

    KALAMAZOO, MI, October 04, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- For the first concert of the 2014-2015 Pops! Series, The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies, an evening of hits from musicals like Oklahoma!, The King and I, South Pacific and more, which resulted from one of the most famous and productive partnerships of the twentieth century. The orchestra will perform alongside digitally re-mastered clips on the big screen.

While they had collaborated previously, composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II solidified their partnership with their 1943 musical, Oklahoma! This wildly successful hit spawned nearly twenty years of successful musical theater collaborations, with many of their productions later turning into movies. For this KSO Pops! performance, audiences will see newly re-mastered HD clips as well as the vocal tracks, while enjoying live musical accompaniment.

The program opens with a twelve minute orchestra medley of the most popular works from The Sound of Music. Next up for the orchestra are pieces from Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1945 production, Carousel. Adapted from the Hungarian play by Ferenic Molnar, Carousel was a greatly successful production, running for nearly 900 performances. Audiences will enjoy three works from this famous hit, which was reinvented for the silver screen in 1956 and also featured the same two leads from the production, Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones.

Four pieces from the 1949 Pulitzer Prize-winning South Pacific follow on the program, which saw a 1900-show run. The musical was an enigma for its time, candidly addressing the racial issues of the era. It was later turned into a film in 1958, which saw a success equal to that of its musical production.

South Pacific will be followed by The King and I. The 1951 production was actually created by Rodgers and Hammerstein as a springboard for English actress Gertrude Lawrence, whose 1956 film role was ultimately portrayed by Deborah Kerr, following Lawrence's death in 1952 during the show's initial run. Kerr's co-star, Yul Brynner, would go on to earn the Oscar for Best Actor that year.

Unlike the other productions on the program, the production State Fair began as a movie (in 1933) and was then transformed into a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1945. It was only their second collaboration and was created prior to the pair formally forging their partnership in 1945.

In a fitting finale, Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies concludes with selections from the production that began the duo's partnership in 1943, Oklahoma! The production ran for a whopping 2,100 performances, prior to being turned into a film in 1955.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

John Varineau, conductor

John Varineau is in his thirtieth season as the associate conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony. He conducts the orchestra in nearly all of its varied programming, from classical to pops, and all of its educational programs. Mr. Varineau is committed to nurturing the next generation of classical music lovers. He is a frequent visitor to area schools and shares an infectious enthusiasm with students throughout West Michigan.

He is the conductor of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and Classical Orchestras, and he conducts for the Grand Rapids Ballet. He was the Music Director of the Holland Chamber Orchestra (now the Holland Symphony Orchestra) for four years. He has conducted the Detroit Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Duluth Superior Symphony, Traverse Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. He has made three recordings with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra featuring the music of Margaret Beuchner and four recordings with the Grand Rapids Symphony. He is the program annotator for the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Lansing Symphony, and the Richmond (VA) Symphony.

Mr. Varineau grew up in the state of Wyoming and studied at Michigan State University, the University of Wyoming, and Yale University. He is an active solo and chamber performer on the clarinet. In addition to his professional duties as conductor, he is Professor of Music at Calvin College where he conducts the Calvin Orchestra and the Calvin Community Symphony. He lives in Grand Rapids with his wife Gwen and his children Jade and Justin.

CALENDAR LISTING

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents
KSO Pops! Series
Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies

John Varineau, guest conductor

One of the most famous partnerships of the twentieth century, Rodgers and Hammerstein was also one of the most productive. Their collaboration resulted in timeless hits like Oklahoma!, The King and I, South Pacific and more. The KSO presents an evening of hits from these musicals, along with digitally re-mastered clips on the big screen.

Suite from The Sound of Music

Carousel (starring Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones)
Waltz
"If I Loved You"
"June is Busting Out All Over"

South Pacific (starring Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor)
Overture
"There is Nothing Like a Dame"
"Some Enchanted Evening"
"Dites-moi" and End

Flower Drum Song

The King and I (starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner)
Main Title
"March of the Siamese Children"
"Getting to Know You"
"Shall We Dance"

State Fair (starring Dana Andrews, Jeanne Crain)
"It's a Grand Night for Singing"

Oklahoma! (starring Gordon McRae and Shirley Jones)
Main Title
"O What a Beautiful Morning"
"Surrey With the Fringe on Top"
"Oklahoma!"

Saturday, October 25, 2014
Miller Auditorium

Tickets: $60 - $24

For tickets, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com or call the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office at (269) 387-2300.

Visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com for up-to-date information, details and schedules. Prices, artists, dates, time and program are subject to change without notice.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra also receives generous support from other local, state and national foundations, as well as private and corporate support. For more information, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

About the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1921, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is Southwest Michigan's premier musical organization, providing musical enrichment to over 80,000 adults and youth per year. The third-largest professional orchestra in the state, the KSO has won numerous awards and grants, including the Met Life Award for Arts Access in Underserved Communities, the National Endowment for the Arts for its extensive education programs, and a major Ford Foundation grant to found its innovative Artist-in-Residence program.

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