NOTES: The New York Pops perform the “Best of Broadway”

Last night at Carnegie Hall, the New York Pops presented “Song and Dance: The Best of Broadway”, a concert celebration of musical theatre’s finest orchestral selections from some of the great composers and lyricists, ranging from Styne to Bernstein, Porter, Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Kander and Ebb, Ahrens and Flaherty, and even Pasek and Paul.   

Under the ever-cheerful direction of conductor Steven Reineke, this love letter to Broadway offered a sterling showcase of what the Pops does best: putting together an evening of musical entertainment featuring the popular music and musical theatre songbook, performed by a world class orchestra.  

The concert opened with Jule Styne’s overture from “Gypsy”, a piece many consider to be the greatest overture in all of musical theatre, and included orchestral compositions from “Oklahoma!”, “Anything Goes”, “A Chorus Line”, “Chicago”, “Brigadoon”, and “Carousel”.  Judith Clurman’s 50 member Essential Voices USA chorus joined for stirring renditions of the “Tonight” quintet from “West Side Story”, “Seasons of Love” from “Rent”, “Sunday” from “Sunday in the Park with George”, “You Will Be Found” from “Dear Evan Hansen”, and “Make Them Hear You” from “Ragtime”. 

Adding more luster, a troupe of dancers from Diana Byer’s New York Theatre Ballet—which is dedicated, in part, to preserving and promoting the iconic dances of legendary choreographer Agnes de Mille—performed pieces from “Oklahoma!”, “Carousel”, and “Brigadoon”.  But, as it should rightfully be, the New York Pops remained the star of the evening.  Check out the calendar of future New York Pops concerts here.