Sinatra, Carole King, Billy Joel, Cirque and More Highlight Philly POPS' 2015-16 Season

From swingin' Sinatra to Carole King chart-toppers, from Billy Joel hits to Broadway showstoppers and aerial flyers, The Philly POPS' 37th season features all of this and more! The nationally recognized Philly POPS Music Director Michael Krajewski continues to work his magic and thrill audiences as he plans a dazzling new lineup of performances for the 2015-2016 Season.

To coincide with the announcement of the new season of concerts, The Philly POPS continues its revitalization by unveiling new visual branding, including a freshly modernized logo and a new user-friendly responsive website. The POPS' bold new visual identity complements the exciting programming awaiting audiences in the year ahead.

Krajewski, who has built an enthusiastic following of Philly POPS fans since he first led the orchestra as guest conductor in Spring 2013, shared his enthusiasm about POPS concerts. "I like to think that every Philly POPS concert is a celebration, a time when friends and family come together to enjoy good music, good memories, and share some laughs," he said. In describing the 2015-2016 programs, he explained: "Next season will begin with a celebration of the music and life of Frank Sinatra, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth. Then, we will celebrate the music of two phenomenal singer-songwriters - Carole King in February and Billy Joel in March. Among their many accomplishments, each was honored with the Library of Congress George Gershwin Prize for Popular Music. In April, the Philly POPS Festival Chorus, along with three stars from Broadway, will join The POPS for a celebration of 100 years of Broadway. Last, but not least, this season of celebration will conclude with a world premiere of Cirque Goes to the Movies, featuring the breathtaking acrobats and aerialists from Cirque de la Symphonie."

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The Philly POPS 2015-16 Season Programs:

October 9-11, 2015 - SINATRA: A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Fri., Oct. 9 - 8pm; Sat., Oct. 10 - 3pm; Sun., Oct. 11 - 3pm

The Philly POPS commemorates the "Chairman of the Board" on his 100th birthday year-long celebration! Take a musical journey with classic Sinatra tunes performed by guest vocalist Michael Andrew, a prolific singer, composer, lyricist, bandleader, and author. The concert will feature selections made famous by the one and only "Ol' Blue Eyes," as well as other hits from his life and times including Big Band Era music from Harry James, Tommy Dorsey, and Count Basie. Such favorites as My Way; New York, New York; Come Fly With Me; and Strangers in the Night will be performed live with the impressive sound of The Philly POPS Orchestra.

December 5-22, 2015 - CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR!

Sat., Dec. 5 - 3pm; Sun., Dec. 6 - 3pm; Wed., Dec. 9 - 8pm; Sat., Dec. 12 - 3pm; Wed., Dec. 16 - 8pm; Fri., Dec. 18 - 3pm; Sat., Dec. 19 - 3pm; Sun., Dec. 20 - 7pm; Tues., Dec. 22 - 8pm

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Audiences will experience the true magic of the season with Philadelphia's most treasured holiday musical tradition. Internationally celebrated conductor David Charles Abell, back by popular demand for the third year, will lead the program of Christmas classics. This spectacular lineup of exciting musical arrangements features POPS guest vocalist Lisa Vroman, renowned for her role as Christine in Broadway's Phantom, over 300 musicians, remarkable choirs, and the ever-popular audience sing-along - as well as some surprises!

February 5-7, 2016 - THE CAROLE KING SONGBOOK

Fri., Feb. 5 - 8pm; Sat., Feb. 6 - 3pm; Sun., Feb. 7 - 3pm

Grammy Award winner Carole King was one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the '60s and '70s. Sit back and enjoy Broadway's Tony-nominated Liz Callaway covering King's chart-topping hits from Tapestry, one of the all-time best-selling albums - You've Got a Friend, So Far Away, It's Too Late, I Feel the Earth Move - as well as songs she penned for other artists like Aretha Franklin's Natural Woman, The Drifters' Up on the Roof, and The Carpenters' It's Going to Take Some Time. The POPS orchestra will continue to delight audiences with favorites from King's fellow Gershwin Prize winners, including Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and Billy Joel.

March 4-6, 2016 - THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL

Fri., Mar. 4 - 8pm; Sat., Mar. 5 - 3pm; Sun., Mar. 6 - 3pm

The Philly POPS will put guests in a "New York State of Mind" with the magical musical repertoire of Billy Joel, one of America's most beloved singer-songwriters of all times. Guest conductor Jack Everly and vocalist Michael Cavanaugh, the charismatic performer, musician, and actor who was handpicked by Mr. Joel to play the lead in the Broadway musical Movin' Out, will perform such heartwarming favorites as Scenes From an Italian Restaurant, Only the Good Die Young, Just the Way You Are, and My Life. The fun continues with chart-topping hits by artists who directly influenced Billy Joel, including songs like Johnny B. Goode and Pinball Wizard.

April 15-17, 2016 - 100 YEARS OF BROADWAY

Fri., Apr. 15 - 8pm; Sat., Apr. 16 - 3pm; Sun., Apr. 17 - 3pm

The Kimmel Center will be converted to America's "Great White Way" with The Philly POPS, the 130-member POPS Festival Chorus, and award-winning Broadway guest vocalists Christiane Noll, Doug LaBrecque, and Dee Roscioli for this 100-year salute to Broadway. Music will be presented from Broadway's storied past and present, spanning 10 decades from the 1910s through today. Selections from the great musicals of Jerome Kern, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Webber and range from such favorites as Make Believe, Oklahoma, All That Jazz, Send in the Clowns, Music of the Night to Defying Gravity.

May 20-22, 2016 - CIRQUE GOES TO THE MOVIES - WORLD PREMIERE!

Fri., May 20 - 8pm; Sat., May 21 - 3pm; Sun., May 22 - 3pm

Maestro Michael Krajewski and The Philly POPS Orchestra will present a world premiere POPS program featuring Cirque de la Symphonie's awe-inspiring physical feats of power and beauty paired with the music from blockbuster movie classics, including Gone With the Wind, Chariots of Fire, The Magnificent Seven, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Gladiator. Audiences will thrill to the spectacle of acrobats, jugglers, and aerial flyers soaring high above the heads of The Philly POPS as they move to the music of these blockbuster movie hits. DC Metro Theater Arts describes this traveling Cirque troupe as "nothing short of breathtaking"!

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To coincide with this announcement of new season programs, The Philly POPS is also unveiling new visual branding, including a freshly modernized logo and a new user-friendly responsive website. The POPS' bold new visual identity complements the exciting programming awaiting audiences in the year ahead.

Full-season subscriptions are currently on sale for all 2015-2016 Philly POPS regular season performances, which take place in Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts at 300 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102. Single tickets for Christmas Spectacular and for the rest of the season, as well as Create-Your-Own subscriptions, will go on sale in Fall 2015. Subscription and ticket purchases may be made online at phillypops.org, in person at the Kimmel box office, or by phone at 215.893.1999.

About The Philly POPS - Entering its 37th season, The Philly POPS, presented by Encore Series, Inc., continues to exude revitalized energy under the music direction of Maestro Michael Krajewski. The combined leadership of Krajewski and Philly POPS President and CEO Frank Giordano has brought record-setting sales to The Philly POPS, the largest stand-alone POPS orchestra in America. Highly respected throughout the United States and Canada, Krajewski holds similar posts with the Atlanta, Houston, and Jacksonville Symphonies, and guest conducts internationally. The orchestra boasts a blend of talented musicians from the musically rich Philadelphia region and entertains audiences with an eclectic mix of musical genres - from Broadway to the Beatles, Gershwin to The Bee Gees, and beyond. The Philly POPS is proud to perform as a founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, as well as throughout the tri-state region and beyond. In 2014, they toured in Baltimore, western Pennsylvania and were delighted to perform in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. For more information about The Philly POPS and its 2015-2016 season schedule, visit phillypops.org.