LOOKING TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE APO? The APO’s Don’t Rain On My Parade (Photo by Daniel Schwartz) Become Part of The American Pops Orchestra Family! Your donation will support: • more than 80 musicians every year • producing our mainstage concerts • our monthly community concert series • providing free or reduced tickets to veterans, seniors, students and others • fulfi lling the APO’s mission “to inspire new audiences to discover the wealth of material in the Great American Songbook in dynamic ways” For more information about donating to the APO, please visit theamericanpops.org/donate Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater LOOKING TO GET Fichandler Stage - September 16, 2017, 8:00 pm INVOLVED WITH THE APO? The American Pops Orchestra Presents RESPECT: The Music of Aretha Franklin Starring Michelle Williams Featuring The APO’s Don’t Rain On My Parade (Photo by Daniel Schwartz) Moya Angela Ariana DeBose Become Part of The American Pops Nova Payton Orchestra Family! Bria Skonberg Your donation will support: Luke S. Frazier, Music Director • more than 80 musicians every year Directed by • producing our mainstage concerts Kelly Crandall d'Amboise • our monthly community concert series • providing free or reduced tickets to veterans, seniors, students and others • fulfi lling the APO’s mission “to inspire new audiences Media Sponsor: to discover the wealth of material in the Great American Songbook in dynamic ways” Community Partners: For more information about donating to the APO, please visit theamericanpops.org/donate Victory Heights - 1 - SONG LIST Selections to include: A Change is Gonna Come A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like) Ain't No Way Angel Baby I Love You Bridge Over Troubled Water Chain of Fools Day Dreaming I Say A Little Prayer I’m in Love Night Time is the Right Time Respect Rock Steady See Saw Spanish Harlem (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone The House That Jack Built Think Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) You’re All I Need to Get By Young, Gifted and Black - 2 - WELCOME I’m so delighted that you’re able to join us for Respect: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin. In thinking about programming for the American Pops Orchestra’s third season, I wanted to craft programs that would help our community come together around music and artists that have been a part of all of our lives, making a difference in our hearts and minds. There is no more fitting start to a season with that mission than a tribute to Aretha Franklin. Aretha Franklin embodies so many of the characteristics that make artists great: nuance, finesse, honesty, humor, empathy and perhaps above all creating incredible art that serves as a call to action to make our world a better place. Great art inspires great cultures. I hope you can leave everything at the door as you lose yourself in this incredible lineup of artists celebrating the incomparable Aretha Franklin. So tap your feet, sing along, laugh, dance in your seat – join our APO family and join our fun! Luke S. Frazier Founder and Conductor @theamericanpops @TheAmericanPops theamericanpops - 3 - THE AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA Luke S. Frazier, Music Director Jim Kelly, Personnel Manager Violin 1 Cello Horn Jose Cueto * Sean Neidlinger + Amy Horn + Danielle Cho Patti Hurd Trombone Simon Rundlett Bass Colin Scogi Greg Watkins + James Martin + Violin 2 Flute Percussion Chaerim Smith + Brittany Foster + Jeremy Yaddaw + Laura Frazelle Clarinet Guitar Viola Daniel Frazelle + Michael Kramer + Jim Kelly + Trumpet Elizabeth Stahr Amy McCabe + Acting Concertmaster * Principal + - THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS - $5,000+ Luke Frazier and Robert Pullen Virginia Friend Anonymous $2,500-4,999 Dottie Mergner $1,000-2,499 Jim And Kathy French | Jim Kelly Peter Jarjisian and Judy Piercy Carol Melton | Charles Richardson $500-999 Marcia and Adrian Lund | Kelley and Christopher Lund The Buffy & William Cafritz Family Foundation Inc. Arvind Manocha | Natalie Wexler & Jim Feldman The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation $250-499 Melissa and Nicholas Apostolides | Victor Shargai Paige and Bain Ennis | Joff Masukawa | Maya Weil - 4 - ABOUT THE ARTISTS MICHELLE WILLIAMS MOYA ANGELA is an is a Grammy Award- international singer and winning singer/song- actress who got her writer, Broadway actress, Broadway start in The entrepreneur, designer, Lion King. Other Broad- television host, and way credits include Ghost the Musical and In Transit inspirational speaker. the Musical, in addition Since her days of making to Effie White in the hit after hit as a member Dreamgirls National Broadway Tour and of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling the Apollo. TV credits include “America’s female groups of all time, and then as a Got Talent” and Portia on “30 Rock.” She solo artist with four critically acclaimed is the recipient of the NAACP Theater Award albums (Heart to Yours, Do You Know, and, for her role of Effie in Dreamgirls, Unexpected and Journey to Freedom), the LA Ovation Award. Moya is a proud Williams has grown professionally and ambassador for Broadway in the H.O.O.D. personally. “Believe at Home by Michelle NPO Williams” is a collection of home products, consisting of exquisite and vibrant comforters, ARIANA DEBOSE is duvets, coverlets, sheets, and shams. currently starring on Another role that Williams has recently Broadway as Jane in taken on is that of a motivational speaker. Chazz Palminteri’s A Last spring, she was a special guest Bronx Tale, directed by speaker at a reception for Hillary Clinton, Robert DeNiro and Jerry as well as the keynote speaker at the Zaks. An original company University of Notre Dame’s “Lunch and member of Hamilton, Learn.” Williams also moderated Grammy she’s known throughout Pro’s “Up Close & Personal” panel and the Broadway community as #theBullet. was a featured speaker at the Kennedy Other Broadway credits include: Bring It On the Musical, Motown, and Pippin. Off Forum in Chicago. Broadway, she appeared in Hamilton at In addition, Williams has signed on to be The Public Theatre. TV credits include an ambassador for the Office on Women’s “Blue Bloods,” “The Breaks” for VH1, Health, a division of the U.S. Department “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Company of Health and Human Services. In 2003, On-Screen” and “Hamilton's America” Williams fell in love with the Broadway (documentary). stage after making her debut in the title role of the hit musical Aida. Next, she NOVA PAYTON has appeared in a production of The Color shared the stage with Purple, playing blues singer Shug Avery, well-known artists followed by Chicago on Broadway and including Stevie Wonder, London’s West End as Roxie Hart, and then Ashford and Simpson, Stephanie Mills, Melba the stage play What My Husband Doesn’t Moore, Yolanda Adams, Know in 2011, and national tour of the Anthony Hamilton, musical Fela! as Sandra Isadore. After Freddie Jackson, The starring in Oxygen TV’s “Fix My Choir” in Chi- Lites, The Dramatics, and Will 2014, as a mentor guiding choirs on their Downing. Nova has been on national tours musical careers, she served as a guest in 3 Mo’ Divas, Smokey Joe’s Café, and If host on “The View” and “Meredith.” This Hat Could Talk. DC theatre credits - 5 - include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, LUKE FRAZIER, a rapidly rising star in Hairspray, Xanadu, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Black the Pops world, has proven himself as Nativity, Malik Yoba’s Acoustic Chocolate, both an innately musical conductor and 8-Track-The Sounds of the ‘70s, and J’s Jook a sensitive pianist. His commitment to Joint. Nova’s soul-stirring portrayal of Effie re-envisioning pops programming has White in Dreamgirls earned her the 2006 Barrymore nomination for “Outstanding quickly established him as a dynamic Leading Actress in a Musical.” The DVD/ force across the music community. Frazier CD for 3 Mo’ Divas received a 2010 NAACP has demonstrated his versatility and nomination. In 2012, Nova was honored range by conducting in venues both grand as the Helen Hayes Award recipient for and intimate, from Lincoln Center to her portrayal of MotorMouth Mabelle in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center to the Hairspray at the Signature Theatre. Nova Rainbow Room. Pulitzer Prize-winning has also appeared on the Jimmy Fallon composer Marvin Hamlisch put it best, late-night talk show accompanying artist calling Frazier “so talented, and sensitive Glen Hansard. She leads and directs her to every nuance.” own choir, Favour, at St. Martin’s Catholic Church. As a testament to his mission to reimagine pops programming, Frazier founded BRIA SKONBERG is the American Pops Orchestra in 2015, a Canadian singer, presenting all original programming. His trumpeter, and song- commitment to the American Songbook writer described by The is also evident through his involvement on Wall Street Journal as the Board of the Great American Songbook one of the “most Foundation. In demand as a clinician, versatile and imposing adjudicator, and speaker, Luke recently musicians of her generation.” addressed the National Symphony Recognized as one of Orchestra’s “Summer Music Institute” “25 for the Future” by DownBeat, Skonberg is signed to Sony Masterworks’ OKeh students. He appeared as the Keynote Records, and released her debut LP, BRIA, Speaker for the National Society of Arts in 2016. It won the 2017 Canadian Juno and Letters (NSAL) Award for Excellence Award from “Vocal Jazz Album” of the year. in the Arts at the Kennedy Center and She released her latest album With A Twist also addressed the VSA, an international in May. In 2012 Bria released So Is The Day organization for the arts and disability. (Random Act Records), her first album In addition to founding the National on a US-based label, which showcased Broadway Chorus in Washington DC, he a developing flair for original songs, and presented an original program honoring also featured a duet with John Pizzarelli.