Rock Tenors to Join Philly POPS in May

In a thrilling rock retrospective, the highly acclaimed Rock Tenors Micah Wilshire, Rob Evan, and Shem von Schroeck join forces with The Philly POPS for Legends of Rock on Friday, May 15 through Sunday, May 17. This talented trio - with combined influences from the worlds of rock, country, Broadway, and opera - will amaze audiences with a dynamic line-up of chart-topping classic hits and epic power ballads from The Beatles, The Doobie Brothers, Crosby Stills & Nash, Sting, Queen, Coldplay, and more. Classic rock lovers of all ages will enjoy a selection of songs that include Don't Stop Believin', We Are the Champions, Every Breath You Take, and Maybe I'm Amazed. Legends of Rock will take place in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center on Friday, May 15, at 8 p.m.; and on Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, at 3 p.m.

The Philly POPS Music Director, Maestro Michael Krajewski describes this concert series as a journey through the different styles and approaches to legendary rock over the years. "When audiences hear the first two or three notes of a song, they're going to say, 'Oh, I love this song!' And that's our goal as we're doing our best to recreate these legendary songs in a very authentic way. Of course, one thing that will be very different - they will be backed up by The Philly POPS! We're not exactly a rock band, but we have 65 musicians who will be the power behind the music. "

Micah Wilshire came to his career naturally, playing in his family's band at the age of three, relocating to Nashville after finishing high school where he began appearing on countless jingles and recordings, including multiple Gold and Platinum albums. As a member of the band Wilshire, Micah moved to Los Angeles and signed with Columbia Records and Warner-Chappell Publishing. The band's hit single "Special" shot up the U.S. Top 20 Billboard chart leading to tours with Seal (nationally and internationally) and Train and performances on Late Night, The Sharon Osbourne Show, The Wayne Brady Show, and Pepsi Smash. Presently, Micah is focusing his career on songwriting, production and mixing, and is a writer for Young Guns Publishing and Kobalt Music.

Not only is Rob Evan a member of the platinum-selling rock band, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but he has also starred in the original Broadway cast of Jekyll & Hyde playing the title roles for three years and over 600 performances. He also played the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, leading the critically acclaimed National Touring Company to its history-making stop on Broadway. Mr. Evan also starred as Orin Scrivello, D.D.S., in Little Shop of Horrors with Joey Fatone, and appeared in TV on ABC's All My Children. He created the 2009 theatrical fusion concert The Rock Tenor, which debuted to rave reviews at Philadelphia's Wilma Theater. Evan has also been a featured soloist for many leading symphonies across the nation, and regularly stars in the production of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. He is a 1989 recipient of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Talent Award and was awarded the 1999 "Shining Star" award by the Leukemia Society of America.

Born into a musical family, Shem von Schroeck's singing career began at a very early age. As a child, he sang on many television and radio commercials nationwide, continuing to do so throughout his early 20s. Having earned degrees from the Manhattan School of Music in both composition and double bass studies, his early musical theater experience included productions of Oklahoma! (Curly), The Pirates of Penzance (Frederic), Bye Bye Birdie! (Conrad), Li'l Abner (Abner), and Once Upon a Mattress (Sir Harry). As a singing bass player, he has performed in 26 countries and toured with several GRAMMY Award-winning artists, including Tom Jones, Marie Osmond, Christopher Cross, and as a music director and conductor for Kenny Loggins. A winner of the El Camino Symphony competition, von Schroeck is now a principal tenor for the Millennium Wagner Opera Company and has also guest conducted several pops concerts with the Columbus Symphony, Oklahoma Symphony, Little Rock Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Tickets for Legends of Rock, the final concert series of The Philly POPS 2014/15 Season, range in price from $28 to $129 and may be purchased through phillypops.org or by phone at 215-893-1999. Performances take place in Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts at 300 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102.