YOUNGSTOWN Symphony orchestra will play Stambaugh

The show is called 'Big Sounds of Broadway,' but there will be a variety.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- Sounds of The Youngstown Symphony Orchestra will once again be heard in Stambaugh Auditorium, as the orchestra returns in a special "rededication" concert to celebrate the restoration of the hall. Called "The Big Sounds of Broadway," the concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16.
William Conti, president of the board of trustees for the Henry H. Stambaugh Auditorium Association, explained the work that went into the restoration.
"The walls and stonework have been brought back to their original colors from 1926," he said. "Originally, the chairs and carpeting were dark colors, black, that today would be considered depressing, although for that time period, they were fashionable. So we have instead replaced the red chairs with royal blue."
The old red stage curtain will also very soon be replaced by royal blue.
Stambaugh Auditorium was formerly a venue for the symphony until it established a permanent home at Powers.
"Powers Auditorium was the old Warner Movie Theater, which was saved from the wrecking ball by Alice and Ted Powers," Conti said. "In 1968, it became the home of the symphony. This will be the first time the symphony has returned to Stambaugh since then."
Music variety planned
Although the Nov. 16 concert will focus on Broadway, there will be a variety of music performed that evening. The first half of the program will consist of light classical pieces, such as Copland's "Hoedown," Bizet's Overture from "Carmen," and music from Rimsky-Korsakov's "Capriccio Espagnol."
After intermission, the orchestra will perform well-known Broadway tunes, such as Kander and Ebb's "Cabaret," Bernstein's Overture from "West Side Story," and Schwartz's "Defying Gravity" from the current Broadway hit "Wicked."
The concert will spotlight three vocalists of international renown.
Debbie Gravitte won a Tony Award for her performance in "Jerome Robbin's Broadway." She also appeared in "Zorba" with Anthony Quinn, and has performed her nightclub act around the world.
She has sung with numerous major orchestras, including the Cincinnati Pops with Erich Kunzel and the National Symphony with Marvin Hamlisch. Her TV appearances include "Live From Lincoln Center" on PBS.
Jodi Benson has been the voice in several Disney animated films, including Ariel in "The Little Mermaid." She was also lady in "Lady and the Tramp II."
She received a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and has appeared in numerous musicals on and off Broadway.
Stephen R. Buntrock is the current Phantom in Broadway's "Phantom of the Opera." He also has performed in "Titanic" and "Les Miserables," and is currently in the revival Broadway production of "Oklahoma!"
Conductor
The orchestra will be conducted by Randall Craig Fleischer, who is music director with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra.
He is also the artistic director and principal conductor for the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. He is highly sought as a guest conductor and has appeared all over the world.
Patricia Syak, executive director of the Youngstown Symphony, said the orchestra is extremely pleased to be invited to be a part of the event at Stambaugh.
She said Fleischer chose the music for the classical segment of the program, and the vocalists chose the Broadway segment, music that was in a suitable key for their voices.
"We always start with the vocalists and ask, 'What can you sing; what would you like to sing with the orchestra?'" she said.
XStambaugh Auditorium is at 1000 Fifth Ave. For tickets, call (330) 259-0555, or go to www.stambaughonline.com.