- Orchestra will be joined by vocalists to perform music from West Side Story, Chicago, The Sound of Music, Les Misérables, and more
Detroit, (February 12, 2020) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s (DSO) PNC Pops Series continues with From Broadway to Hollywood. Conductor Robert Bernhardt will lead the orchestra and vocalists Blaine Krauss, Carole J. Bufford, Zan Berube, and Hugh Entrekin. The program features beloved songs like “My Favorite Things,” “I Dreamed A Dream,” and “All That Jazz” from musicals including West Side Story, Chicago, The Sound of Music, Les Misérables, and more.
The concerts take place Friday, February 28 at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday, February 29 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 1 at 3 p.m. at Orchestra Hall, within Midtown Detroit’s Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center.
In 2017, the DSO’s pops programming took on a fresh title: the PNC Pops Series, thanks to the generous support of PNC Bank. “This is a terrific series that showcases both the DSO and a wide variety of popular music,” said Ric DeVore, PNC regional president for Detroit and Southeast Michigan and member of the DSO Board of Directors. “That combination is sure to put a smile on the faces of everyone who attends the concerts.”
Thanks to a generous grant from the FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of North American automaker FCA US, the DSO welcomes military veterans, active military, and their families to access discounted tickets for the 8 p.m. performance on Friday, February 28 and the 3 p.m. performance on Sunday, March 1. See below for more information about the ticket discount. The FCA Foundation and the DSO thank our veterans and active military members for their service.
About Robert Bernhardt
Robert Bernhardt is musical director emeritus and principal pops conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, where he served as music director and conductor for 19 seasons. Concurrently, Bernhardt is in his 20th year as principal pops conductor of the Louisville Orchestra and was recently named principal pops conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony. He is also an artist-in-residence at Lee University and conductor of the Lee Symphony. A lover of all genres of music, he is equally at home in symphonic, operatic, pops, and educational performances.
Bernhardt made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1978 and his Boston Pops debut in 1992, at the personal invitation of John Williams. He has been a frequent guest conductor at the Boston Pops in the nearly 30 years since, and this year he returns to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra as conductor of their Symphony Under the Sky Festival. Bernhardt has recorded for Vanguard, First Edition, Carlton Classics, and RPO. A lover of opera, he has conducted staged productions of Don Giovanni, La Traviata, Rigoletto, La Bohème, Il Trovatore, The Flying Dutchman, The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Tosca, and many more, as well as numerous Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and the musical My Fair Lady.
Born in Rochester, NY, Bernhardt holds a master’s degree with Honors from the University of Southern California School of Music, where he studied with Daniel Lewis. He was a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Union College, where he was also an Academic All-American Baseball Player and captain of the school’s soccer team. He and his wife, Nora, live in Signal Mountain, TN.
About Blaine Krauss
Originally from St. Petersburg, FL, Blaine Krauss has toured internationally with symphony orchestras and maintains an energetic career on Broadway. His Broadway credits include The Cher Show, The Great Comet, and Kinky Boots; he has also appeared in The Lion King on tour and New York Spectacular off-Broadway. He has had the honor of performing at the White House twice. In 2019, Krauss portrayed the character of Chris in the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated television series Pose.
Krauss studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
About Carole J. Bufford
Carole J. Bufford is one of the most sought-after performers in the New York cabaret and jazz scene. Specializing in the Great American Songbook, blues, and jazz, Bufford captivates audiences with a sizzling performance quality and bright, rangy vocals. She frequently appears at the Metropolitan Room and has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Cabaret Convention presented by the Mabel Mercer Foundation. Her show Speak Easy with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks received praise from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
These performances mark Carole J. Bufford’s DSO debut.
About Zan Berube
Zan Berube is a rising senior Musical Theatre major at the University of Michigan, originally from Boston, MA. She is so thrilled and grateful to be performing with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Some of her favorite credits include Passing Strange (Renata Holiday), The Pirates of Penzance (Edith), and Me and My Girl (Pearly Queen). This spring she will be back at the University of Michigan’s Power Center playing Edythe Herbert in My One and Only.
These performances mark Zan Berube’s DSO debut.
About Hugh Entrekin
Hugh Entrekin is an actor and singer born in Atlanta, GA. He is currently a senior at the University of Michigan pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre. Some of his credits include Sweeney Todd (Anthony, Judge Turpin) at Connecticut Repertory Theatre and the University of Michigan, and A New Brain (Dr. Berensteiner) at the University of Michigan. He recently performed as a featured vocalist with the Michigan Pops Orchestra.
These performances mark Hugh Entrekin’s DSO debut.
Ticket Information
Tickets for From Broadway to Hollywood begin at $19 and can be purchased at dso.org, by calling (313) 576-5111, or in-person at the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center Box Office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit).
Groups of 10 or more can save up to 30% on the price of a single ticket for most DSO concerts. For more information, contact Group Sales Manager Jim Sabatella at (313) 576-5130 or jsabatella@dso.org.
Veterans, active military, and their families may use the code HEROES1920 to unlock $10 tickets for the 8 p.m. concert on Friday, February 28 and the 3 p.m. concert on Sunday, March 1. The code can be used at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at (313) 576-5111.
About the DSO
The most accessible orchestra on the planet, the acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO’s next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Conductor Leonard Slatkin, who concluded a decade-long tenure at the helm in 2018, now serves as the DSO’s Music Director Laureate, endowed by the Kresge Foundation. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra’s Principal Pops Conductor, while the outstanding trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. One of the world’s most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrates its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in eight metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a radio broadcast and continues today with the free Live from Orchestra Hall webcast series, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences.