Classics of Broadway

Sunday, Jan 17, 2010
7:30 PM

Featuring Tony Award winners Debbie Gravitte and Doug LaBrecque

The greatest hits from classic Broadway shows including CHICAGO, WEST SIDE STORY, A CHORUS LINE, LES MISERABLES, MY FAIR LADY, KISS ME KATE and more!

For single tickets, click here.

DEBBIE GRAVITTE

One of Broadway’s biggest personalities, Debbie Gravitte has enjoyed a varied career, taking her from the Broadway Stage to the concert stage and beyond. She won the prestigious Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY, along with a Drama Desk Award Nomination and New York Showstopper Award. After making her Broadway debut in the original cast of THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG, she went on to appear in: PERFECTLY FRANK (DRAMA DESK AWARD NOMINATION), BLUES IN THE NIGHT, AIN’T BROADWAY GRAND, ZORBA,  CHICAGO, and LES MISERABLES.   Debbie has appeared in the ENCORE’S series productions of THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, TENDERLOIN, and CARNIVAL at New York’s CITY CENTER.

Debbie has performed her nightclub act worldwide, from New York’s RAINBOW AND STARS, to London’s PIZZA ON THE PARK, and back home again to Atlantic City, where she’s had the honor to perform with JAY LENO, HARRY ANDERSON, and the legendary GEORGE BURNS.

She recently toured with KEITH LOCKHART AND THE BOSTON POPS and has sung with numerous symphony orchestras including the NATIONAL SYMPHONY (WITH MARVIN HAMLISCH), PETER NERO AND THE PHILLY POPS, THE NY POPS WITH THE LEGENDARY SKITCH HENDERSON, ATLANTA SYMPHONY, CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA, PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY, UTAH SYMPHONY, ST. LOUIS, HOUSTON, DALLAS and SAN DIEGO SYMPHONIES. Overseas, Debbie has sung with the LONDON, AALBORG and BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS, STOCKHOLM PHILHARMONIC, the GOTESBORG and  JERUSALEM SYMPHONIES, MUNICH PHILHARMONIC, the ROYAL SCOTTISH NATIONAL ORCHESTRA, ORCHESTRA MASSIMO DEL PALERMO and  SYMPHONICA OF BRAZIL.  This summer she will return to the PRAGUE FESTIVAL for performances of BRAVO BROADWAY!

On television, Debbie co-starred on the CBS series TRIAL AND ERROR, was seen on NBC’S PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, and has starred in several specials for PBS, including LIVE FROM THE KENNEDY CENTER, THE BOSTON POPS CELEBRATE BERNSTEIN, RODGERS AND HART for GREAT PERFORMANCES, and IRA GERSHWIN’S 100th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION.

Debbie recently released her latest CD: DEFYING GRAVITY, follow-up to THE MGM ALBUM, and PART OF YOUR WORLD, THE MUSIC OF ALAN MENKEN. Her other recordings include: CALAMITY JANE, UNSUNG SONDHEIM, LUCKY STIFF, MISS SPECTACULAR., LOUISIANA PURCHASE, A BROADWAY CHRISTMAS, as well as MACK AND MABEL IN CONCERT live from the DRURY LANE THEATRE among others.  She is currently working on her latest project: BIG BAND BROADWAY.

Debbie recently sang with the NEW YORK CITY BALLET in PETER MARTIN’S “THOU SWELL” at LINCOLN CENTER. She appeared with BETTE MIDLER in the Universal Feature, ISN’T SHE GREAT?, and can be heard as one of the voices in DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID. She returns to CARNEGIE HALL next spring in a tribute to Charles Strouse. Debbie is the proud mother of three beautiful children.

DOUG LABRECQUE

Doug LaBrecque thrilled theater audiences as The Phantom and Raoul in the Harold Prince production of The Phantom of the Opera. In addition, Mr. LaBrecque has starred on Broadway as Ravenal in the Hal Prince revival of Showboat, a role he also performed in Canada and Chicago. He was featured in Oscar Hammerstein’s 100th Birthday Celebration on Broadway at The Gershwin Theatre, and toured nationally with Les Miserables. Regionally, Mr. LaBrecque has performed leading roles in Candide, A Chorus Line, Man of LaMancha among others. A graduate of the University of Michigan, he was featured in the world premiere of A Wonderful Life, written by Sheldon Harnick and Joe Raposo, and starred in the premiere revival of Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner’s Love Life.

An active concert performer, Mr. LaBrecque has been a soloist with some of the world’s finest symphony orchestras, including The San Francisco Symphony, The Israel Philharmonic (Tel Aviv), The Chicago Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Atlanta Symphony, The National Symphony, among many others. In the last few years, Mr. LaBrecque’s U.S appearances have included Seattle Symphony, Detroit Symphony, , Houston Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Utah Symphony, and with Marvin Hamlisch both at the Ravinia Festival with The Chicago Symphony, and at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops.

International engagements have included The Korean National Symphony in Seoul, Korea, The Shanghai Radio Orchestra in China, The Vancouver and Calgary Symphonies in Canada, The Brazilian Symphony Orchestra in Rio De Janeiro, The Jerusalem Symphony, and numerous return engagements with the Israel Philharmonic. Mr. LaBrecque appeared in Alba, Italy, as the guest soloist in an all Bernstein concert. He also has appeared with The Israeli Opera Orchestra, The Hong Kong Philharmonic, and with the Prague Music Festival.

He has also appeared with the Indianapolis Symphony,  Fort Worth Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, San Diego Symphony,  and was recently a soloist with 3 major American Pops orchestras: Peter Nero and The Philly Pops, The Cincinnatti Pops  and The Boston Pops.

Recently Mr. LaBrecque hosted the Yuletide Celebration with the Portland and Seattle Symphonies. Other special engagements have included singing with Carole Bayer-Sager at Feinstein’s in Manhattan and the Cinegrill in Los Angeles, performing alongside Broadway legend Jerry Herman with the Naples Philharmonic, and appearing onstage with Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch (singing together!) at Hickory Hill, the legendary home of Ethel Kennedy.