Preservation Hall Jazz Band, PSYCHO and More Set for Cleveland Orchestra's 2013-14 Celebrity Series, Beg. Tonight

The Cleveland Orchestra announces its acclaimed Celebrity Series for the 2013-14 season at Severance Hall, featuring iconic jazz and popular artists, and film scores of cinematic classics which will be shown on a large screen above the stage.

The New Orleans-based Preservation Hall Jazz Band opens the Series (without orchestra) in a performance at Severance Hall tonight, October 27. Multiple Grammy award-winner Natalie Cole will appear with The Cleveland Orchestra on December 11. Two films with live orchestral accompaniment complete the season's Celebrity Series: on Valentine's Day, February 14, the classic romantic movie Casablanca, and on April 22, the thriller Psycho will be presented on a giant screen with the Orchestra performing the score.

Launched as a three-concert series during the 2009-10 season, the Celebrity Series drew sold-out houses for each performance. For the 2013-14 season, the Series offers four concerts, to present a broad range of musical styles, exploring avenues of orchestral music including classic movie scores as well as classic and popular jazz.

2013-14 CELEBRITY SERIES ARTISTS:

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, based in the French Quarter of New Orleans, appears at Severance Hall (without orchestra) on October 27 in a program that features vintage sounds of New Orleans jazz. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band was founded in 1961 at the venerable music venue from which it derives its name, and has been touring the world since 1963. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been called by the New York Times "a multigenerational mix with appeal to a range of musical constituencies, not just aficionados of traditional jazz." The group was last presented at the Blossom Music Festival in 2012.

Superstar Natalie Cole, the daughter of the legendary Nat King Cole, is famed for her interpretation of classic American songs and R&B hits such as "Unforgettable" and "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)." On December 11, she joins The Cleveland Orchestra in a program that features a selection of favorites from her award-winning albums. Ms. Cole's career spans over 30 years in which she has sold millions of records, won nine Grammy awards, and has appeared in numerous films and television shows such as "Touched by an Angel" and "Grey's Anatomy."

For Valentine's Day on February 14, The Cleveland Orchestra performs the famed soundtrack to the romantic masterpiece Casablanca, which will be shown on a giant screen above the stage in Severance Hall. This 1942 American classic tells the dramatic story of a man torn between love and virtue, and features historic performances by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. Max Steiner's Oscar-nominated score includes well-known ballads like "As Time Goes By," "Perfidia" and "It Had to Be You."

Alfred Hitchcock's horror and suspense film Psycho will be shown on April 22. The Cleveland Orchestra will play the powerful score, famous for its piercing violin theme and spine-tingling music. Hitchcock himself acknowledged, "33% of the effect of Psycho was due to the music." Directed in 1960, the film led to four Oscar nominations, and features one of the most iconic scenes in film history - the famous "shower scene."

Concerts take place at Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Subscriptions for the 2013-14 Celebrity Series are on sale now and start at $112 for a four-concert package. Subscribers save approximately 20 percent off single-ticket prices and receive seating priority over single-ticket buyers. Tickets to individual performances go on sale in mid-August and start at $30. For more information, call Cleveland Orchestra Ticket Services at 216-231-1111 or 800-686-1141 or visit online at clevelandorchestra.com.

The Severance Hall Ticket Office is located on street level in the Smith Lobby. The entrance and 15-minute Ticket Service parking are along the west side of the building, on East Boulevard. Severance Hall Ticket Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. From September through May, the Ticket Office is also open on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (closed Sundays and holidays except for those days with performances, when the Ticket Office will be open three hours prior to each performance).

Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 7 p.m.

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band derives its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in the heart of New Orleans's French Quarter. With abundant energy and a fresh approach, the band brings new life to the hot rhythms, cool chords, and sultry sounds of their native city.

Please note that The Cleveland Orchestra does not appear on this program.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 8 p.m.

Natalie Cole IN CONCERT WITH THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA

The Cleveland Orchestra

Natalie Cole, vocalist

Beloved nine-time Grammy award-winner Natalie Cole joins The Cleveland Orchestra for a magical and memorable one-night-only performance. Cole, an internationally acclaimed pop, R&B, and jazz legend, performs audience favorites and hits for an evening of sultry and sophisticated classics.

Friday, February 14, 2014 at 8 p.m.

CASABLANCA

The Cleveland Orchestra

The ultimate Valentine's Day experience - the romantic screen coupling of Bogart and Bergman with Max Steiner's lush score performed live by TheCleveland Orchestra. In the legendary 1942 film, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), is reunited with his true love, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), when he is approached by her husband, the famed rebel Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), who needs Rick's help to escape to America. Having renewed her love for Rick, Ilsa wants to stay behind in Casablanca. "You must do the thinking for both of us," she says to Rick. He does, and his plan brings the story to its satisfyingly logical, if not entirely happy, conclusion.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014 at 8 p.m.

PSYCHO

The Cleveland Orchestra

The collaboration between director Alfred Hitchcock and composer Bernard Herrmann resulted in a number of great, unforgettable films - and the pinnacle of this collaboration is perhaps one of the scariest and most powerful movie soundtracks of all time. Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) impulsively steals $40,000 from her employer, hoping to leave Phoenix for good and start a new life. She decides to stop for the night at the Bates Motel, where Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) regales her with curious stories about his mother. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a cinematic classic as you've never seen (or heard) it before!

Photo of Severance Hall by Roger Mastroianni.