LOOKING TO GETINVOLVEDWITH THE APO?

Become Part of The American PopsOrchestra 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

The APO’s Don’t Rain On My Parade (Photo by Daniel Schwartz)

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Media Sponsor:

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater Fichandler Stage - September 16, 2017, 8:00 pm

The American Pops Orchestra Presents

RESPECT: The Music of Aretha Franklin

StarringMichelle Williams

FeaturingMoya Angela

Ariana DeBoseNova Payton

Bria Skonberg

Luke S. Frazier, Music Director

Directed byKelly Crandall d'Amboise

LOOKING TO GETINVOLVEDWITH THE APO?

Become Part of The American PopsOrchestra 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

The APO’s Don’t Rain On My Parade (Photo by Daniel Schwartz)

Community Partners:

Victory Heights

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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

SONG LIST

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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

WELCOME

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THE AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRALuke S. Frazier, Music DirectorJim Kelly, Personnel Manager

Violin 1Jose Cueto *Patti Hurd Simon Rundlett Colin Scogi

Violin 2Chaerim Smith +Laura Frazelle

ViolaJim Kelly +Elizabeth Stahr

CelloSean Neidlinger + Danielle Cho

BassGreg Watkins +

FluteBrittany Foster +

ClarinetDaniel Frazelle +

TrumpetAmy McCabe +

HornAmy Horn +

TromboneJames Martin +

PercussionJeremy Yaddaw +

GuitarMichael Kramer +

Acting Concertmaster *Principal +

- THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS -

$5,000+Luke Frazier and Robert Pullen

Virginia Friend Anonymous

$2,500-4,999Dottie Mergner

$1,000-2,499Jim And Kathy French | Jim Kelly Peter Jarjisian and Judy Piercy

Carol Melton | Charles Richardson

$500-999Marcia 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

$250-499Melissa and Nicholas Apostolides | Victor Shargai

Paige and Bain Ennis | Joff Masukawa | Maya Weil

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

MICHELLE WILLIAMS is a Grammy Award- winning singer/song- writer, Broadway actress, entrepreneur, designer, television host, and inspirational speaker. Since her days of making hit after hit as a member

of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling female groups of all time, and then as a solo artist with four critically acclaimed albums (Heart to Yours, Do You Know, Unexpected and Journey to Freedom), Williams has grown professionally and personally. “Believe at Home by Michelle Williams” is a collection of home products, consisting of exquisite and vibrant comforters, duvets, coverlets, sheets, and shams. Another role that Williams has recently taken on is that of a motivational speaker. Last spring, she was a special guest speaker at a reception for Hillary Clinton, as well as the keynote speaker at the University of Notre Dame’s “Lunch and Learn.” Williams also moderated Grammy Pro’s “Up Close & Personal” panel and was a featured speaker at the Kennedy Forum in Chicago.

In addition, Williams has signed on to be an ambassador for the Office on Women’s Health, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2003, Williams fell in love with the Broadway stage after making her debut in the title role of the hit musical Aida. Next, she appeared in a production of The Color Purple, playing blues singer Shug Avery, followed by Chicago on Broadway and London’s West End as Roxie Hart, and then the stage play What My Husband Doesn’t Know in 2011, and national tour of the musical Fela! as Sandra Isadore. After starring in Oxygen TV’s “Fix My Choir” in 2014, as a mentor guiding choirs on their musical careers, she served as a guest host on “The View” and “Meredith.”

MOYA ANGELA is an international singer and actress who got her Broadway start in The Lion King. Other Broad- way credits include Ghost the Musical and In Transit the Musical, in addition to Effie White in the

Dreamgirls National Broadway Tour and the Apollo. TV credits include “America’s Got Talent” and Portia on “30 Rock.” She is the recipient of the NAACP Theater Award and, for her role of Effie in Dreamgirls, the LA Ovation Award. Moya is a proud ambassador for Broadway in the H.O.O.D. NPO

ARIANA DEBOSE is currently starring on Broadway as Jane in Chazz Palminteri’s A Bronx Tale, directed by Robert DeNiro and Jerry Zaks. An original company member of Hamilton, she’s known throughout

the Broadway community as #theBullet. Other Broadway credits include: Bring It On the Musical, Motown, and Pippin. Off Broadway, she appeared in Hamilton at The Public Theatre. TV credits include “Blue Bloods,” “The Breaks” for VH1, “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Company On-Screen” and “Hamilton's America” (documentary).

NOVA PAYTON has shared the stage with well-known artists including Stevie Wonder, Ashford and Simpson, Stephanie Mills, Melba Moore, Yolanda Adams, Anthony Hamilton, Freddie Jackson, The

Chi- Lites, The Dramatics, and Will Downing. Nova has been on national tours in 3 Mo’ Divas, Smokey Joe’s Café, and If This Hat Could Talk. DC theatre credits

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BRIA SKONBERG is a Canadian singer, trumpeter, and song- writer described by The Wall Street Journal as one of the “most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation.” Recognized as one of

“25 for the Future” by DownBeat, Skonberg is signed to Sony Masterworks’ OKeh Records, and released her debut LP, BRIA, in 2016. It won the 2017 Canadian Juno Award from “Vocal Jazz Album” of the year. She released her latest album With A Twist in May. In 2012 Bria released So Is The Day (Random Act Records), her first album on a US-based label, which showcased a developing flair for original songs, and also featured a duet with John Pizzarelli. So Is The Day received rave reviews from critics, drawing comparisons to Norah Jones in the New York Daily News. In 2015, a year after her second album, Into Your Own, was released, Skonberg received the Jazz At Lincoln Center Swing! Award. To date, Bria has performed at some 100 festivals worldwide. She is the co-founder of the New York Hot Jazz Camp and New York Hot Jazz Festival. Further accolades include Best Vocal and Best Trumpet awards from Hot House Jazz Magazine (2014-15), Outstanding Jazz Artist at the New York Bistro Awards (2014), a DownBeat Rising Star (2013-15), and a nominee for Jazz Journalists’ Association Up and Coming Artist (2013).

LUKE FRAZIER, a rapidly rising star in the Pops world, has proven himself as both an innately musical conductor and a sensitive pianist. His commitment to re-envisioning pops programming has quickly established him as a dynamic force across the music community. Frazier has demonstrated his versatility and range by conducting in venues both grand and intimate, from Lincoln Center to Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center to the Rainbow Room. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch put it best, calling Frazier “so talented, and sensitive to every nuance.”

As a testament to his mission to reimagine pops programming, Frazier founded the American Pops Orchestra in 2015, presenting all original programming. His commitment to the American Songbook is also evident through his involvement on the Board of the Great American Songbook Foundation. In demand as a clinician, adjudicator, and speaker, Luke recently addressed the National Symphony Orchestra’s “Summer Music Institute” students. He appeared as the Keynote Speaker for the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) Award for Excellence in the Arts at the Kennedy Center and also addressed the VSA, an international organization for the arts and disability. In addition to founding the National Broadway Chorus in Washington DC, he presented an original program honoring the 100th anniversary of Ella Fitzgerald’s birth with the DC Youth Orchestra in Spring 2017.

Mr. Frazier has worked with artists such as Kevin Spacey, Darren Criss, Vanessa Williams, Liz Callaway, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Mo Rocca, Lea Salonga, Laura Osnes, Eric Owens, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Lindsay Mendez, Renée Fleming, Michael Feinstein, Christine Ebersole, Elaine Paige, Arturo Sandoval, and Norm Lewis, among many others.

Twitter: @LSFConductor

www.LukeFrazierMusic.com

include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Hairspray, Xanadu, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Black Nativity, Malik Yoba’s Acoustic Chocolate, 8-Track-The Sounds of the ‘70s, and J’s Jook Joint. Nova’s soul-stirring portrayal of Effie White in Dreamgirls earned her the 2006 Barrymore nomination for “Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical.” The DVD/ CD for 3 Mo’ Divas received a 2010 NAACP nomination. In 2012, Nova was honored as the Helen Hayes Award recipient for her portrayal of MotorMouth Mabelle in Hairspray at the Signature Theatre. Nova has also appeared on the Jimmy Fallon late-night talk show accompanying artist Glen Hansard. She leads and directs her own choir, Favour, at St. Martin’s Catholic Church.

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THE AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA founded by LUKE FRAZIER presents innovative orchestral programming, featuring groundbreaking concepts to develop and inspire a new audience for the 21st century. This professional orchestra boasts outstanding musicians from New York and Washington DC. The American Pops presented six original orchestral programs in its opening 2015- 2016 season, featuring leading Broadway singers, dancers, and actors. Highlights of the first season included “Stairway to Paradise: A Gershwin Spectacular” starring two-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole — which was hailed by DC Metro Theater Arts for “inspired arrangements of beloved Gershwin songs that re-invigorate the material and highlight the skill of his musicians” – and “A Broadway Christmas” featuring Elaine Paige, the first Lady of the British Musical Stage. APO’s second season included a 75th birthday concert for Barbra Streisand, hosted by Fran Drescher; a celebration of the 80s, hosted by Olympic champion Greg Louganis; and a special World War II-era evening, commemorating Veterans Day.

Other high-profile performances include a special event at The Kennedy Center hosted by Tommy Tune; the Hispanic Heritage Awards, with Presidential Medal of Freedom winner Arturo Sandoval, which was nationally broadcast on PBS; theatreWashington’s Helen Hayes Awards; The Giving Pledge at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History; the Beacon Prize, given by Human Rights First to honor commitment to the American ideals of freedom and human dignity; and the DC Standing Ovation Awards, celebrating excellence in the DC Public Schools.

The APO made its New York debut in December 2015 at the all-star Edith Piaf Centennial Celebration at The Town Hall. According to The New York Times, “As much as any individual singer, what warmed the evening was the sumptuous lilt of the American Pops Orchestra, conducted by Luke Frazier.”

www.TheAmericanPops.org

KELLY CRANDALL D’AMBOISE (Director) is thrilled to be the Resident Director of The American Pops Orchestra this season. Recent work includes choreography for the APO, Newsies! at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Urinetown at Next Stop Theatre and Tick,Tick... Boom! at Convergence. Upcoming: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Imagination Stage and Jesus Christ Superstar at CRT. As an Associate Director and/or Choreographer, Kelly has worked on numerous productions including Cabaret, La Cage aux Folles, The Studio, and the upcoming Crazy for You at Signature Theatre, The Lincoln Center Hall of Fame 2017 and Babes in Toyland at Lincoln Center, the Broadway workshop of Cheer, and productions at South Coast Rep., North Shore Music Theatre, Westport County Playhouse, Trinity Rep, and Busch Gardens Entertain- ment. Broadway performance credits include the original company of The Boy from Oz with Hugh Jackman, Chicago, Susan Stroman's A Christmas Carol at MSG, and the national tour of The Producers. Film and TV credits include A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey and directed by Robert Zemeckis, What Women Want, Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular, The Tony Awards, and The Academy Awards with Robin Williams. Kelly is an Artistic Associate and Resident Casting Director at Signature Theatre.

RICKY DRUMMOND (Assistant Director): DIRECTING - Signature Theatre (Assistant Director- Crazy for You, La Cage Aux Folles), Kennedy Center (Assistant Director- Flowers Stink), Hub Theatre (Assistant Director- Redder Blood), Keegan Theatre (Director- Hamlette), Silver Spring Stage (Director- Stupid F***ing Bird); ACTING- Signature Theatre (Crazy for You), Kennedy Center (Flowers Stink, Elephant and Piggie's We Are In A Play), Keegan Theatre (Big Fish, Parade, American Idiot, Dogfight), Imagination Stage (Looking for Roberto Clemente). Proud JMU alumni. Love to Emily, family, and friends.

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Nouveau Productions

The staff of Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater

Volunteers of The American Pops Orchestra

CultureCapital

Pleasant Pops

Stella's PopKern

Xavier Boudreaux | Danielle Brasure | Andy Brattain Connor Coleman | Charlie Crawford | Dave Crook

Ford Fischer | Peter Jarjisian | TC Lind | Hilary Morrow Robert Pullen | Natalie Rine | Daniel Schwartz | Lily Valle

THE AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA extends a special THANK YOU to

LUKE FRAZIERMusic Director

XIYI WANGProgramming Associate

DAVE CROOKProduction Supervisor

DAN FORTUNEMedia Relations

JESSICA PEREZAssociate Producer

JONATHAN BLALOCKMarketing Consultant

KELLY CRANDALL D'AMBOISEResident Director

STEPHEN WHISNANTFundraising Consultant

THE AMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA STAFF

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UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

Tranquility:Yoga with The American Pops Orchestra

November 10, 2017 at 6:30 PMYoga Teacher: Michael Peterson

*In partnership with the IMF and held at the IMF headquarters at 1900 Pennsylvania Ave

Around the Worldin 80 Days

January 6, 2018 at 2 PM & 5 PMfeaturing:

Benjamin Lurye, Nurney Mason, Hilary Morrow, Tiara Whaley

Let’s Misbehave:Cole Porter After Dark

May 19, 2018 at 8 PMfeaturing:

Liz Callaway, Kevin McAllister, Mary Michael Patterson, Mo Rocca, and many more!

The American Pops Orchestra (APO) was founded in 2015 by Maestro Luke Frazier with the aim of breathing new life into orchestral pops programming and in-spiring new audiences to discover the wealth of material in the Great American Songbook in dynamic ways. APO is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. For more information, please visit theamericanpops.org.

Join the conversation about the APO's 3rd Season using the hashtag #A3PO on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for a chance to win free tickets to the APO's upcoming shows!