Holiday Pops Are a Hit!
Me and Doc Severinsen after the final Holiday Pops concert on Sunday (click thumbnail for full image) It's not every day that you can call up your mom from the car and say, "Well, I'm on my way to rehearse with Doc Severinsen," but I have to admit that I got a kick out of doing just that.
We performed five nearly sold-out (if not entirely sold-out) shows featuring former "Tonight Show" bandleader Doc Severinsen. It was a conglomeration of orchestral classics (Seattle Symphony), choral music (Seattle Choral Company) and big band sounds (Seattle Symphony with a few of Doc's musicians) that rocked Benaroya Hall to its foundations.
The first half of the show began when Doc walked in with a green, yellow and red paisley-patterned suit coat with gold brocade, which he explained at one point: "I got this in Italy at a yard sale held by the Vatican ... this used to be the Pope's old shower-curtain." His accompanying pants were made from aqua-green leather. The whole ensemble was nearly as loud as the band!
Bassist Jennifer Leitham posing for a photo backstage at the Holiday Pops concert (click thumbnail for full image)
In the second half of the show, he donned a red coat sporting Swarovski crystal-encrusted lapels and cuffs (seen in photo). Under the stage lighting, it looked like dozens of super-novae were exploding on his chest. His pants were black and speckled with more crystals, like stars in the night sky. (Backstage, he debated whether or not to say to the audience that he thought he saw the Big Dipper in his pants, but ultimately decided against the idea.)
Anyway, it was a rockin' evening that I was very appreciative of being a part of. Everyone sounded great and looked like they were all having a blast, especially the brass section and Doc's wonderful left-handed bassist, Jennifer Leitham.
My next project is to get prepared for a small opening-night performance of The Producers at the Meridian 16 Cinemas, as well as the Seattle Symphony's New Years concert were I'm going to be doing some solo work from West Side Story.
Some featured pieces (unknown arrangers / composers left blank):
Most Wonderful Time of the Year / Christmas Waltz
Star Carol by John Rutter
What Sweeter Music by John Rutter
Sing Gloria (or as Doc calls it, "Sing, Gloria!")
The Many Moods of Christmas, arr. by Robert Bennett and Robert Shaw
The Twelve Days of Christmas (featuring excerpts of the French national anthem, Swan Lake and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies)
Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah