By Camille Kelly | Reporter
Waco Symphony Orchestra welcomes all to join them for “An Emerald City Evening,” a Broadway-style symphony concert including iconic songs from “Wicked,” “Les Misérables,” “The Lion King,” “West Side Story” and more.
This concert will feature Broadway vocalists Mamie Parris, Shayna Steele and Nathaniel Hackmann for a one night only, specially curated show starting at 7:30 p.m. on April 16 at Waco Hall.
Student tickets are $14, and general admission prices vary by seating.
Parris, known for her roles as Elphaba in the first national tour of “Wicked” and Grizabella in “Cats” on Broadway, said it’s always exciting being a part of these types of shows because, even on Broadway, they don’t have an orchestra as large as the ones in these symphony performances.
“It’s really fulfilling,” Parris said. “For instance, I get to sing ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from Les Mis, and to do that onstage with sometimes a 70 or 90-piece orchestra, it is just unlike anything else. You feel so supported and lifted by the music.”
According to Doug LaBrecque, Broadway producer and director for symphony concerts across America, he and Waco Symphony’s own director, Lawrence Loh, have collaborated on a number of concerts similar to this one.
This show, however, he and Loh put together specifically for Waco, LaBrecque said.
“It’s a nice opportunity for people to get exposed to the world of Broadway without having to get out on a plane and go to New York City,” LaBrecque said. “You get to enjoy Broadway music at its finest and elevated way. You’ll hear all the same songs from Broadway with a 50-piece orchestra instead of 20 or 25 pieces, so the music really gets elevated.”
Throughout the show, Loh and the singers will also share personal anecdotes about performing on Broadway and pursuing their love for musical theater.
Parris discovered her love when her parents first brought home the record album of “A Chorus Line,” followed by a double-cassette version of “Cats.”
“It really was such a full circle moment for me, because it was music I grew up listening to and singing along with in my bedroom,” Parris said. “It felt so natural and so right, like something I’d always done, and I’d always sung and I’d always been a part of, so I just felt ready.”
Parris said she looks forward to students coming to see the show, as she also works with college students while teaching master classes.
“There’s nothing quite like the enthusiasm of somebody who is really discovering this world and how they fit into this world for the first time,” Parris said.
LaBrecque said he hopes students can take away inspiration from the material presented, that it reinforces their love for the genre and even encourages them to pursue their dreams.
“Watching people like Mamie Parris, Nathaniel Hackmann and Shayna Steele up close and personal, and seeing, hearing some of their stories about a career in the theater, I hope that they would be inspired by it,” LaBrecque said. “I think the takeaway is that Broadway is an exciting art form that’s uniquely American, and there are people who are standing in front of you right here, who are living proof that it’s possible.”
According to Parris, with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, celebrating Broadway becomes all the more special. Broadway is one of the unique musical forms invented in the U.S.
“I don’t think it could have been created anywhere else, because its whole purpose is to tell stories through music,” Parris said. “We’re a melting pot of people with a lot of stories to tell. So, you add music to that, and it just amplifies the stakes, it amplifies the stories we’re telling. I think that’s really important, especially now, that we recognize that we have unique stories to tell in this country, and there’s nothing quite like telling those stories through music.”
