BROADWAY’S QUADRUPLE CROWN WINNER LILLIAS WHITE RETURNS TO SOUTH FLORIDA ALONG WITH WORLD-CLASS CLARINETIST KEN PEPLOWSKI AND LEGENDARY JAZZ GUITARIST BUCKY PIZZARELLI
(February 7, 2012 – West Palm Beach, FL) Bob Lappin & The Palm Beach Pops will “Strike Up the Band” and pay tribute to the “Fascinating Rhythm” of the amazing duo whose compositions bridged the worlds of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, Hollywood and symphony halls around the globe. Special guest artists Lillias White, Broadway “Quadruple Crown Winner” whose achievements include Tony, Drama Desk, People’s Choice and Outer Critics Awards, Ken Peplowski, world-class clarinetist and legendary jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli will join The Palm Beach Pops for a six night county-wide engagement. The fifth concert series in The Palm Beach Pops 20th Anniversary Season, “The Genius of George and Ira Gershwin” will be performed February 29 & March 1 at the Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, March 2, 5 & 6 at The Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium at FAU, Boca Raton and March 3 at the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens.
Lillias White
Lillias White has been recognized on Broadway with the Tony Award®, Drama Desk Award®, People’s Choice® Award and The Outer Critics Award® for Best Actress in a Musical -- Broadway's Prestigious Quadruple Crown She is also known for her performance as Bloody Mary in the 2005 Carnegie Hall concert “South Pacific,” as well as for her many other theatre, TV, film and roles and recordings.-- for her 1997 role as Sonja in the "The Life." In 1990 she won The Obie Award® for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Hennie in "Romance in Hard Times". In addition, she won The Drama Logue Award® for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the national tour of "Dreamgirls." In 1992, Ms. White won an Emmy Award® for her role as “Sesame Street's” Lillian Edwards.
John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli
Born January 9, 1926, Bucky Pizzarelli is a self-taught jazz guitarist and banjoist whose career spans six decades. His personal style is truly unique, and his mastery of the seven-string guitar is unrivalled.
In 1944, he began his professional career with the Vaughn Monroe dance band, touring with the band before and after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. In the 1950’s he became a familiar face in the studios and the jazz world at large. In 1952, he worked at ABC with Bobby Rosengarden and then in 1971 at NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett. As one of the century’s most solid rhythm players, Bucky collaborated and toured with many jazz bands and vocalists throughout the years including Les Paul, Benny Goodman, Zoot Sims, Bud Freeman, and Stephane Grappelli and has recorded with George Van Eps, Carl Kress and George Barnes, as well as his son, John Pizzarelli. In 2007, Bucky recorded 5 for Freddie: Bucky's Tribute to Freddie Green on the Arbors label and he continues to keep a busy schedule.
Ken Peplowski
The late Mel Torme´said, "Since the advent of Benny Goodman, there have been too few clarinetists to fill the void that Goodman left. Ken Peplowski is most certainly one of those few. The man is magic. "The New York Times pronounced a concert of Ken's "Goodman Straight Up, With A Twist Of Lightning."These quotes only hint at Ken Peplowski's virtuosity - not only is he an outstanding clarinetist and saxophone player, but he's also a charismatic entertainer who has been delighting audiences for over 30 years with his warmth, wit, and musicianship.
About The Gershwin Brothers
George and Ira Gershwin are best known as a brilliant Jazz Age songwriting team whose compositions were synonymous with the popular culture of the era. From 1924 until 1937, when George succumbed to a brain tumor, the brothers wrote almost exclusively with each other, composing over two dozen scores for Broadway and Hollywood. In addition to numerous hit songs, the pair is perhaps most notably remembered for their trilogy of political satires: “Strike Up the Band,” “Of Thee I Sing” and “Let ‘Em Eat Cake,” which served together to elevate musical comedy to an American art form. Furthermore, their opera Porgy and Bess, is constantly revived in opera houses and theatres worldwide. Along with the brothers’ significant musical theatre and film success, George also enjoyed great acclaim in the concert arena as a virtuoso pianist, conductor and composer whose works included “Rhapsody in Blue,” “An American in Paris” and the “Concerto in F.”
TICKETS
February 29 & March 1 at 8:00p.m. – Kravis Center, West Palm Beach
March 2, 5 & 6 at 8:00 p.m. – Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium at FAU, Boca Raton
March 3 at 8:00 p.m. – Eissey Campus Theatre, Palm Beach Gardens
Tickets $29-$89; Call 561-832-7677 or visit www.palmbeachpops.org/gershwin
PRESS TICKETS
Contact Denise Grunder, Director of Marketing and Public Relations at 561-832-7677 ext. 2070 / Creative@palmbeachpops.org
For more information about Bob Lappin and The Palm Beach Pops, call 561-832-7677 or visit www.PalmBeachPops.org.
VISUALS: High Resolution photos of Lillias White, Bob Lappin, and The Palm Beach Pops orchestra are available. Send your request to Creative@PalmBeachPops.org
INTERVIEWS: Available with Lillias White, Bob Lappin and David Quilleon, Executive Director. Send your request to Creative@PalmBeachPops.org or call 561-890-2070.
About Bob Lappin and The Palm Beach Pops
Founded in 1991 by Music Director and Conductor, Bob Lappin, The Palm Beach Pops quickly distinguished itself as a world-class pops orchestra with a debut concert in 1992. In collaboration with the best musicians and guest artists on the international music scene, The Palm Beach Pops performs over 36 subscription concerts a year in South Florida at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, the Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach Community College in Palm Beach Gardens as well as other national venues. The Palm Beach Pops’ comprehensive education and community outreach program has engaged over 85,000 students since its inception in 1998. Their dedication to the preservation of the American Songbook continues to allow the orchestra to garner national and international acclaim as a premier pops orchestra.
Bob Lappin and the Palm Beach Pops is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For information about the Palm Beach Pops In-School Youth Music Education Program, Tickets for Children & Families Program, volunteer opportunities and tax-deductible donations, call 561-832-POPS or go to www.palmbeachpops.org.
Dates, prices, artists and programs are subject to change. The Palm Beach Pops is a not-for-profit corporation supported solely through the generosity of individual donations, institutional grants, and concert income.
