The Philly POPS to Open 38th Season with ELVIS: THE KING'S SONGBOOK

The Philly POPS will open its 38th season with ELVIS: The King's Songbook October 21-23 in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center.

Guest artist Dave Bennett, and his quartet, along with POPS fan favorite (and Philly native) Allison Blackwell and the 65-piece POPS orchestra conducted by Music Director Michael Krajewski will perform music from Elvis Presley's revolutionary career, including:

Burning Love
Always on My Mind
Love Me Tender
Suspicious Minds
How Great Thou Art
If I Can Dream
Blue Suede Shoes
Jailhouse Rock
Hound Dog
Can't Help Falling in Love

Due to demand, the POPS added a fourth show (Sunday night at 7pm) to the run (typically three shows).

Guest artist Dave Bennett is a multi-instrument phenomenon, who plays clarinet, guitar, piano, and drums, and sings the rocking music of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry and their rockabilly friends. Dave is joined by Tad Weed, piano, Shelly Berger, bass, and Pete Siers, drums.

Philadelphia native Allison Blackwell has performed with the POPS in The Carole King Songbook (where she brought down the house with her "Natural Woman" performance), Memorial Salute, and July 3's POPS on Independence. She has performed on Broadway in The Lion King, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, and A Night with Janis Joplin.

Schedule of events:

Friday, October 21
6:30pm: Pre-concert conversation, Plaza Stage
8pm: ELVIS: The King's Songbook

Saturday, October 22
1:30pm: Pre-concert conversation, Plaza Stage
3pm: ELVIS: The King's Songbook

Sunday, October 23
1:30pm: Pre-concert conversation, Plaza Stage
3pm: ELVIS: The King's Songbook

Sunday, October 23
5:30pm: Pre-concert entertainment and conversation with WMMR's Jackie Bam Bam, Plaza Stage
7pm: ELVIS: The King's Songbook

Tickets: $35-$145 at www.phillypops.com/concerts-events/2016-17-season/elvis-kings-songbook.

The Philly POPS, the largest standalone pops orchestra in the United States, delights audiences with the inspired performance of American popular music. The POPS celebrates this distinctive musical heritage through an expanding repertoire of innovative concert presentations and a robust set of educational and engagement initiatives.

Now in its 38th season, the official POPS orchestra of Pennsylvania serves a consistently growing audience of over 100,000 annually. Music Director Michael Krajewski and the 65-piece Philly POPS orchestra keeps listeners tapping their toes to an impressive repertoire of songs from American traditions of music up through today's chart toppers.

Outside the concert hall, Salute Series performances - including POPS on Independence on July 3 and the I'll Be Home for Christmas: A Salute to the Military and First Responders - celebrate the American tradition of service around important national holidays; POPS in Schools enhances music education for Philadelphia School District students; and POPS Outside brings POPS music to local communities.

The Philly POPS performs as a founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and at venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region.