Interview: Kelly Ruggirello on Long Beach Symphony's A BEATLES CELEBRATION with Classical Mystery Tour

For several years, audiences have enjoyed the unique Long Beach Symphony POPS experience which includes indoor picnicking while singing and dancing the night away inside the Long Beach Arena’s Pacific Ballroom. Their 2023/2024 season opens on October 28, 2023 with A Beatles Celebration featuring the Classical Mystery Tour band who will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the first Beatles U.S. tour in 1964 as well as the Beatlemania they inspired.

And on Sunday, October 22, children and families are invited to enjoy an afternoon of music, dance, crafts, and interactive activities as Long Beach Symphony presents the season’s first (of two) RuMBa Foundation Family Concerts, a Halloween Spooktacular taking place at the Terrace Theater and Plaza from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission for kids.

With so many Long Beach Symphony events taking place this month, I decided to speak with the group’s President Kelly Ruggirello (pictured) to find out more about its history and upcoming POPS and family events this season.

Hi Kelly. Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with me. First of all, tell me about your history with the Long Beach Symphony.

Hi Shari. Thank you for sharing with your readers about all the upcoming events at Long Beach Symphony. My history with the Symphony dates back to 1988 when I was an elementary school teacher in Downey and approached Long Beach Symphony about a field trip for my 3rd graders. They allowed us to join them and, as a long-time Long Beach resident, I was eternally grateful.

How long have you been working with them?

Having worked for the L.A. Philharmonic and the Pacific Symphony in Orange County, when this position became available in 2013, I jumped at the chance to serve as President of my hometown orchestra, and just completed my 10th season.

How many different types of concert series are there?

We produce a 5-concert Classical series at the 3,000-seat Long Beach Terrace Theater conducted by our brilliant music director, Eckart Preu. We also present a 5-concert Pops series at the Long Beach Arena where 5,000 folks enjoy indoor picnicking, dancing and celebrating great music. Thanks to the RuMBa Foundation of Long Beach, we also produce two Family concerts at the Terrace Theater for 6,000 families annually and where all children attend for free. As well, we present four free field trip concerts over 2 days for 12,000 4th and 5th graders from local elementary schools who get to hear a professional symphony orchestra seated side-by-side with the All-district High School Honor Orchestra and Choir for a musical extravaganza.

Families enjoy Long Beach Symphony concerts inside the Terrace Theater in Long Beach.

This sounds like a perfect combination of both your careers! How do you decide on selections for your family and POPS concerts?

Programming is a collaborative effort that includes our music director and staff. Our Family concerts combine kid-friendly excerpts of classical music with popular music such as music from movies or cartoons familiar to all children. Our Pops concerts celebrate popular tunes including music of the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, and the Beatles.

How does the Long Beach Symphony find new musicians or is there a solid foundation that has been performing for years?

Our orchestra consists of 82 professional, union musicians who have auditioned and won their seats in our ensemble, with many having performed with us for over 30 years! We are fortunate to be located near the Hollywood and Burbank studios allowing us to draw from some of the finest musicians in the world who enjoy recording for movies, television, and commercials by day and performing with us in the evenings. John Williams hires our musicians to record all his films, too!

With so many to choose from, how were the songs selected for The Beatles celebration on October 28?

Classical Mystery Tour presents a fun concert honoring The Beatles, and the program includes their greatest hits.

Who are the musicians in the group Classical Mystery Tour? Do they play at the pre-show or with the Long Beach Symphony?

The Classical Mystery Tour singers are joined by musicians from the Long Beach Symphony to perform The Beatles’ greatest hits from all their albums together on stage for this 2-hour show

Classical Mystery Tour features: Jim Owen “John Lennon” - Paul Curatolo “Paul McCartney” - Robbie Berg “George Harrison” - Chris McBurney “Ringo Starr”

Tell me about the pre-show gathering. What are audiences invited to do? Will there be concessions or just picnicking? Will music be played for dancing?

Unlike any other Pops experience throughout the nation, 5,000 folks join us around 6:30 p.m. for indoor picnicking and socializing. They can bring in their own food and beverages, have their meals catered, or purchase food on site. Dance floors flank both sides of the stage, and the dancing begins around 8 p.m. when the show starts.

Must audience members bring their own seats or are seats assigned to them?

There are 300 tables of 10 on the floor of the Arena plus stadium-style seating in the Loge and Balcony, so seats are assigned and chairs provided.

Let’s talk about the upcoming Halloween Spooktacular family concert. What will take place during the event on October 22?

3,000 families will join us outdoors on the Long Beach Terrace Theater Plaza for fun, interactive activities free to all who attend. Activities begin at 1 p.m. and include crafts, games, performances by local youth groups, dancing and singing. The concert goes from 3 – 4 p.m. and is indoors at the Terrace Theater, with outdoor activities resuming afterwards from 4 – 5 p.m. Kid-friendly food trucks will be onsite providing yummy snacks for purchase during this family festival.

What is the cost for a family to attend?

For the indoor concert, all children under 18 can attend for free. Adult tickets are $20 each. We also facilitate free shuttles from area libraries as we strive to remove all barriers to attending our concerts, ensuring access and equity for all residents of our city.

How long has the RuMBa Foundation Family Concert Series been going on?

The RuMBa Foundation funded one Family Concert which was such a huge success so they chose to provide funding for two concerts annually through 2027.

Families enjoy arts and crafts activities at the RuMBa Foundation Family Concerts

Who decides on what type of family concerts to present?

Programming for all concerts is a team activity including our music director and our senior leadership. Since this one is so close to Halloween, we decided on Halloween Spooktacular with music from Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Addams Family and more.

What’s next in 2024?

Our spring Family concert and festival is Carnival of the Animals which includes new animals representing diverse cultures. Our Classical series features some of the greatest hits, including Pictures at an Exhibition, Brahms Requiem, and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto. Pops audiences will enjoy music of the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, and a Disco Fever Dance Party where costumes will be encouraged!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Located in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, the Long Beach Symphony is dedicated to celebrating the musical artistry of the many diverse communities through free, collaborative multicultural performances. As Long Beach is home to 8 of the 2028 Olympic sports, we are planning a multicultural arts festival to celebrate the diverse cultures in this great city.

Thanks so much for all this great information!

Whether you're a die-hard Beatles fan or simply looking to enjoy a captivating night of music, dinner, and dancing, on Saturday, October 28, 2023, make your way to the Long Beach Arena (300 E. Ocean Ave.) for A Beatles Celebration by Classical Mystery Tour, Doors will open at 6:30pm for indoor picnicking. Audiences can bring their dinners and libations or pre-order catering online. The concert will begin at 8pm.

Tickets start at $30; five-concert subscriptions start at $99. For more information, visit https://aabn.short.gy/qpSlOS, LongBeachSymphony.org or 562-436-3203, ext. 1. Don't miss this unique opportunity to witness the magic of the Beatles' music come alive in a whole new way, uplifted by the Long Beach Symphony.

And get ready for trick-or-treating by attending the RuMBa Foundation Family Halloween Spooktacular Concert on October 22.

For more information about Long Beach Symphony, tickets to shows, and to subscribe for their email alerts, please visit www.LongBeachSymphony.org.

The 2023-2024 Long Beach Symphony Pops Series Season: 

A BEATLES Celebration by Classical Mystery Tour - Oct 28, 2023 Eckart Preu, conductor | Classical Mystery Tour, Band 

Holiday Swing with Byron Stripling - December 9, 2023 A powerhouse trumpeter with a soulful voice, conductor Byron Stripling will entertain with his infectious yuletide joy and blazing virtuosity in seasonal tunes.

Windborne: The Music of the Rolling Stones on February 3, 2024 Conductor Brent Havens and Windborne - The Music of The Rolling Stones / Mick Adams. Features a full rock band and Long Beach Symphony delivering timeless hit songs like “Satisfaction”, “Ruby Tuesday”, “Honky Tonk Woman”, “Angie” and many more! 

Landslide: The Music of Fleetwood Mac on March 23, 2024 Mark Alpizar, conductor. A night devoted to the best of Fleetwood Mac will have audiences singing along to “Go Your Own Way”, “Rhiannon”, “Dreams”, “The Chain”, and – of course – “Landslide.”

Disco Fever Dance Party - Classical Night Fever on May 4, 2024 Roger Kalia, conductor. The audience will dance the night away in their boogie shoes to this 70’s extravaganza featuring Classical Night Fever as “The Ultimate Disco Party Band.” 

2023-2024 RuMBa Foundation Family Concert Series:

Halloween Spooktacular on October 22, 2023

Carnival of the Animals on June 2, 2024 

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