The (Re)Born Philly Pops to Present LUCK BE A LADY: THE MUSIC OF FRANK SINATRA & TONY BENNET
The performance will take place at the Kimmel Center on Saturday, October 25 at 3 pm.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Sep. 29, 2025
The (Re)Born Philly Pops will present its first concert in Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center on Saturday, October 25 at 3 pm with Luck Be A Lady: The Music of Frank Sinatra & Tony Bennett, a one-of-a-kind tribute to two of America’s greatest voices. Guest conductor Herb Smith returns to lead the Pops alongside two outstanding vocalists: Philadelphia's acclaimed Eddie Bruce, and Kelly Levesque, international, multi-genre star. This program relives the hits of Sinatra and Bennett, touching on Bennett’s final performances of his incredible life, inspired by the duets between Bennett and Lady Gaga. Featured Pops soloists for these timeless classics will include trumpet player Matt Gallagher, saxophonist Ron Kerber, and trombonist Paul Arbogast.
Executive Director Matt Koveal welcomes this collaboration: "Luck Be A Lady is more than just a concert, it’s a celebration of the incredible talent we have right here in Philadelphia. Showcasing Eddie Bruce alongside our own world class Philly Pops musicians as featured soloists is a reminder of the depth and brilliance of our local music community. We’re proud to put these extraordinary artists front and center, giving our audience the chance to experience the magic that happens when local talent meets the full Pops sound, while playing the music everyone knows and loves.”
Eddie Bruce, celebrated vocalist and bandleader, is known for his electrifying tributes to legends such as Tony Bennett, Anthony Newley, Frank Sinatra, and the great Broadway and film composers, as well as his homage to Philadelphia’s famed Latin Casino. He has headlined sold-out shows at New York’s 54 Below, Birdland and Feinstein’s at Loew’s Regency, Atlantic City casinos and Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and World Café Live. Known nationally as the host of the TV show Dancin’ on Air and his WWDB Radio talk show, Bruce has expanded his reach with a new big-band album, the reissue of his Tony Bennett tribute, and many high-profile appearances at Phillies games, the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and concerts with the reborn Philly Pops.
Kelly Levesque (pronounced ‘Levek’) New York–born Levesque is singer-songwriter whose career launched with a debut on Reprise/Warner Brothers Records at the age of 18. She has graced the world’s greatest stages, including Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House, Madison Square Garden, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. She has performed with the likes of Sting, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Patti LaBelle, and John Legend, and earned two Top 5 Billboard Classical Crossover albums with the trio Three Graces and Diane Warren’s Due Voci project. Known for her belief in “Music With Meaning,” Kelly has written songs supporting domestic violence awareness and autism advocacy, and contributed her voice to film soundtracks, TV series, and national commercials. She has sung for international royalty, four U.S. Presidents, and Pope Benedict XVI, and is currently co-creating a new dramatic musical with her singer-songwriter husband, Fraser Walters.
Herb Smith is a dynamic conductor, trumpeter, composer, and educator whose career spans classical and jazz. Luck Be A Lady marks his much anticipated return to the Kimmel Center after conducting The No Name Pops in a concert titled “Let’s Groove Tonight” in October 2023. Smith is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, who plays third trumpet in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and principal trumpet with the Gateways Festival Orchestra and Brass Collective. He has performed with legendary artists, including Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, the O’Jays, and Jeff Beck. His jazzy Freedom Trio tours nationally, while his compositions, commissioned by ensembles and choreographers like Tony Award-winner Garth Fagan, span genres from reggae to classical. Smith is a frequent guest conductor with orchestras across New York, leading performances from Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man at Black Lives Matter rallies to concerts honoring Harriet Tubman. A dedicated teacher, he instructs at the Eastman Community Music School, leads masterclasses nationwide, and co-founded Herb’s City Trumpets, a mentorship program for Black students in Rochester.
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