Harmonious Huzzahs
Pasadena POPS kicks off Summer Concert Series with a celebration of cityhood
By Carl Kozlowski 06/16/2011
Saturday promises a celebration of both old and new when the Pasadena POPS Summer Concert Series kicks off with a tribute to Pasadena’s 125th birthday under the guidance of guest conductor Michael Krajewski.
“This concert marks Pasadena’s 125th anniversary, so we’re paying tribute with fireworks and a multimedia celebration of music and footage and photos that celebrate what’s great about the city,” says Lora Unger, general manager of the POPS. “So you’ll see photos and footage of places like Caltech, the Tournament of Roses and City Hall on 10- by 17- foot LED screens.”
Playing on the lawn adjacent to the Rose Bowl, the POPS will be performing amid an innovative stage design with a special outdoor acoustical shell, complete with video screens featuring three-camera live shoots of the action on stage and free onsite parking.
Patrons can also choose between circular tables with fine linens or lawn seating on blankets, giving everyone a chance to see the show at the comfort level of their choice. Of course, everyone should stick around and enjoy the climactic fireworks that mark any great pops concert.
But in the age of star conductors, the show is really built around who’s waving the baton. Krajewski comes to Pasadena despite maintaining a busy schedule as the principal conductor of the Houston, Jacksonville and Atlanta symphony orchestras. On Saturday, he’ll be leading performances of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” “Viva Puccini!” the Tournament of Roses March, and standard tunes including “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “California Dreaming” and “America the Beautiful.”
The rest of the season, when the orchestra is taken over by award-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, promises to mix many of Hamlisch’s own classic songs and film scores with classics by other composers.
The Pasadena POPS performs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the lawn adjacent to the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $25 per show for lawn seating, with an array of pricing available for tables. Call (626) 793-7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.
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