New Philharmonic, the professional orchestra in residence at the McAninch Arts Center, closes out its 2022-2023 season with Broadway in Concert: “South Pacific” 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 15 and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 16. Set on a South Pacific Island during WWII, this important and influential musical weaves the themes of romance, duty and prejudice to create a story that is funny, heartbreaking and thought-provoking.
The 41-member orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Kirk Muspratt, will be joined by Broadway stars Nathan Gunn (Emile) and Ann Harada (Bloody Mary), additional guest vocalists and a chorus gleaned from the greater Chicago area for a concert presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical. A free 20-minute talkback with Maestro Muspratt and select members of the cast, chorus and orchestra will take place in the hall immediately following each performance.
“South Pacific” features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. It is adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific” by James A. Michener. This concert adaptation is by David Ives.
Broadway in Concert: “South Pacific” will use key dialogue from the musical as a bridge between popular songs such as “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” “Bali Hai,” “Younger Than Springtime” and “There is Nothing Like a Dame” performed by guest artists Gunn (Baritone) as Emile de Becque, Katelyn Lee (Soprano) as Ensign Nellie Forbush, Harada (Alto) as Bloody Mary, James Judd (Tenor) as Lt. Joseph Cable and Jonathan Wilson (Baritone) as Luther Billis. Joining them on stage will be COD student Quinn DeLeon as Liat, and the eight-member chorus who will also perform some of the additional speaking roles.
“South Pacific” premiered in 1949 on Broadway and was an immediate hit, running for 1,925 performances. The production won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Libretto. It is the only musical production to win Tony Awards in all four acting categories. It also garnered the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Its original cast album was the bestselling record of the 1940s and other recordings of the show have also been popular. The show has enjoyed many successful revivals and tours, spawning a 1958 film and television adaptations. The 2008 Broadway revival, a critical success, ran for 996 performances and won seven Tonys, including Best Musical Revival.
Tickets
New Philharmonic presents Broadway in Concert: “South Pacific” at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 15 and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 16. Tickets are $67. $10 tickets are available for students (based on availability). A free 20-minute talkback with Maestro Muspratt and select members of the cast, chorus and orchestra will take place in the hall immediately following each performance. For more information visitwww. AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC box office at 630.942.4000. The box office is open Tuesday – Saturday, 12 noon – 6 p.m. and three hours prior to performance.
Season support for New Philharmonic is provided in part by the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation; Bjarne R. Ullsvik; Brookdale Glen Ellyn; STG Divorce Law; a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency; WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation.
About New Philharmonic
New Philharmonic, the only professional orchestra based in DuPage County, Ill., has inspired classical music enthusiasts in Chicago and the suburbs for more than four decades. It continues to thrive with the goal to give innovative treatment to both classic compositions and modern works while striving to make the music accessible to new audiences and youth through a variety of educational efforts. Today, under the direction of Kirk Muspratt, named 2018 Conductor of the Year (Professional Orchestra) by Illinois Council of Orchestras, New Philharmonic consists of more than 60 professional musicians and typically performs more than a dozen concerts a year, reaching more than 7,500 from the greater Chicago area annually. New Philharmonic was recently honored with the Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2020 ICO Award in the category Programming of the Year.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355 at 425 Fawell Blvd. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), an outdoor venue, the Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 2 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit www.AtTheMAC.org and @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.
Support for the McAninch Arts Center is provided in part by the DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville; Follett, WDCB 90.9 FM, a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.
BIOGRAPHIES
• Nathan Gunn (Baritone) - Emile de Becque
“Nathan Gunn commands an operatic baritone whose mighty heft and richness confer an outsize authority on everything it touches ..." (New York Times). He has performed many of opera and musical theater’s greatest roles on the world’s most prestigious stages. Gunn has also been seen and heard on television, radio, video and live simulcast performances, including the first ever Met in HD broadcast (“The Magic Flute”), in which he sang Papageno, one of his signature roles. Gunn has reinterpreted additional classic roles such as Billy Budd, Figaro and Don Giovanni, garnering many awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording (Billy Budd) and the Metropolitan Opera’s first ever Beverly Sills Award. Gunn is also widely acclaimed for his ability to crossover into musical theater with performances including New York Philharmonic’s “Carousel” and “Camelot” as well as the televised celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday. Gunn has frequently collaborated with many stars of musical theater including Mandy Patinkin, Audra McDonald, and Kristin Chenoweth. He is a professor and Swandlund Chair at the University of Illinois where he is co-director of Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, a comprehensive program embracing a broad continuum of opera and musical theatre, as well as the development of new works.
• Katelyn Lee (Soprano) - Ensign Nellie Forbush
Lee has been recognized by Chicago Classical Review for her “beautifully bright and clean tone.” She has performed a variety of opera and musical theatre roles including Rosina in “The Barber of Seville,” Doris Parker in Charlie Parker's “Yardbird,” Antonia in “Man of La Mancha,” Mizzi in the American premiere of “The Ball at the Savoy,” Cunegonde in “Candide,” Madame Goldentrill in “The Impresario” and Zerlina in “Don Giovanni.” She has performed in notable venues including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Chicago Opera Theater, Cedar Rapids Opera, Springfield Regional Opera and Folks Operetta. Lee is also a widely sought-after singer of concert repertoire, performing with Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Music of the Baroque and Grant Park Symphony.
• Ann Harada (Alto) - Bloody Mary
Harada is an American actor, stage artist, and singer. She is best known for her work in the musical “Avenue Q,” in which she originated the role of Christmas Eve, the heavily accented Japanese therapist. Her performance garnered her the Broadway.com Audience Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and a What’s On Stage Award. Additional Broadway credits include “M. Butterfly” (Comrade Chin), “Cinderella” (Charlotte), “9 to 5” (Kathy), “Les Misérables” (Madame Thénardier), “Seussical” (Marshall of the Court) and, most recently, “Into the Woods” (Jack’s Mother). Harada’s TV credits include “Schmigadoon!,” “Blue Bloods,” “Gossip Girl,” “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” “30 Rock,” “The Good Wife,” The Electric Company” and House of Cards.”
• James Judd (Tenor) - Lt. Joseph Cable
Judd has sung with the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and The AIMS Festival Orchestra. Some of his operatic roles include Monostatos in “Die Zauberflöte,” Ferrando in “Così fan tutte,” the title role in “La Clemenza di Tito,” Alfredo in “Die Fledermaus,” Asgar in the U.S. premiere of “Arshin mal alan” and Claude in the world premiere of “The Fall of Stag Lee.” Judd has participated as a Young Artist at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, Opera Saratoga, the Crittenden Opera Workshop in Bethesda, Md. and the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colo., where he won their prestigious concerto competition.
• Jonathan Wilson (Baritone) - Luther Billis
Wilson has been praised by the Chicago Classical Review as a "superb actor" with a "resounding and luxurious" voice. An enthusiast of contemporary opera, his performance credits include Robert Dziekański in “I will fly like a bird” (Plant, Wainwright), The Poet in "When Adonis Calls” (Borzoni, de los Santos, Dillard) and “Hannah-Before in As One” (Kaminsky, Campbell, Reed). He has also performed as the title character in Tom Waits' and Kathleen Brennan's adaptation of “Woyzeck” with Chicago Fringe Opera and has premiered many roles for new chamber operas and musical theater productions around the Chicago area. Wilson is also a frequent singer with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Grant Park Chorus, and Lyric Opera Chorus.