‘S Wonderful! ‘S Marvelous! Gershwin!
with the NJSO
WHEN: Friday, April 19, 2013, 8 PM
WHERE: The State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
TICKETS: $88, $74, $58, $42, $20
Ticket Office: 732-246-SHOW (7469) visit online at www.StateTheatreNJ.org.
The State Theatre ticket office, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10am to 6pm; Wednesday 11 AM to 7 PM; Saturday 1 PM to 5 PM; and at least three hours prior to curtain on performance dates unless otherwise specified. For information on group outings and discounts, call 732-247-7200, ext. 517. Some additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.
Conductor Gerald Steichen returns to the NJSO stage to conduct the Orchestra in Gershwin favorites including An American in Paris, Cuban Overture, and selections from Porgy and Bess and Girl Crazy, along with songs from the composer’s rich canon.
Soprano Katrina Thurman and baritone Jim Weitzer join Steichen and the Orchestra on stage for songs including “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and “’S Wonderful.”
With a career that ranges from symphony to opera and Broadway to chamber music, conductor Gerald Steichen has established himself as one of America’s most versatile musicians. He serves as Music Director of the Ridgefield (Connecticut) Symphony, Principal Pops Conductor of the Utah Symphony and Associate Conductor of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. He has conducted the Boston Pops, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony and Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Internationally, Steichen has led the NDR, NRK, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras.
For New York City Opera, Steichen has led La bohème, The Elixir of Love, The Mikado, Dead Man Walking and The Little Prince. He has appeared with the New Jersey Opera Theatre and the Utah, Glimmerglass, Anchorage and Yale Operas. He serves as Artistic Director of Opera East Texas.
Steichen played the role of Manny the Accompanist in the Tony® Award-winning Broadway production of Master Class. He toured nationally with The Phantom of the Opera, The Secret Garden and Peter Pan. He spent two years conducting the Broadway production of Cats, leading the final public performance of that show.
Katrina Thurman, soprano
Praised for her “silvery, floating soprano,” soprano Katrina Thurman is one of the most promising talents of her generation, captivating audiences and critics alike with her distinctively beautiful voice, powerful stage presence and sensitive artistry.
This season, Thurman premieres Mrs. President with Anchorage Opera, sings Rosabella in Most Happy Fella with Tulsa Opera, and appears in Rachmaninoff’s The Bells with the Danbury Symphony.
Recent engagements include appearances as Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow with Shreveport Opera, Gilda in Rigoletto with Sacramento Opera, Maria in The Sound of Music with Anchorage Opera, Yum-Yum in The Mikado with Syracuse Opera, and Sophie De Palma in Terrence McNally’s Master Class with Alpine Theater Project; she covered Eurydice in Telemann’s Orpheus with New York City Opera.
She has appeared with the Tulsa, Utah, Sacramento, and Piedmont Operas; Cincinnati, Utah, and Omaha Symphonies; Lyrique en Mer; Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Florida Grand Opera. She performed as a soloist in a concert honoring the 20th anniversary of Glimmerglass Opera’s Young American Artists Program and the New York Festival of Song.
She made her French opera debut as Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos with Opéra de Lyon and her critically acclaimed German debut with Oper Bonn in Janáček’s From the House of the Dead. She was Martha in the world premiere of Louis Karchin’s Romulus (recorded on the Naxos label) with American Opera Projects and the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process series. She was principal soloist in the European premiere of The Opera Show, which toured Spain and Italy.
Thurman is an alumna of the Young American Artists Program at Glimmerglass Opera and the Aspen Opera Theater Center. She was the Silver Medalist at the 2011 American Traditions Competition, was First Place and Audience Choice Award winner in the 2008 Classical Singer Competition and has received awards from the Jensen Foundation, National Opera Association, Connecticut Opera Guild, William C. Byrd Foundation, Anna Sosenko Assist Trust, and Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges.
Jim Weitzer, baritone
Baritone Jim Weitzer makes his New Jersey Symphony Orchestra debut. He has worked with conductor Gerald Steichen for over a decade, most notably in Japan with the Tokyo Symphony. Weitzer is currently appearing as Andre in Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera, a role he also performed at the show’s recent 25th Anniversary Gala. He has previously performed the role of Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera both on Broadway and the national tour.
Weitzer toured nationally with My Fair Lady, playing the role of Freddy Eynsford-Hill opposite Marla Schaffel. Other New York credits include roles on Broadway in Little Women (performing the role of John Brooke and appearing on the original cast recording) and at the New York Musical Theatre Festival as the Baron in Unlock’d, as well as Jerry Springer – The Opera and Showboat at Carnegie Hall, among others.
Regional credits include roles such as Billy Crocker in Anything Goes for Kansas City Starlight, opposite Rachel York; Cliff in Cabaret for Drury Lane Oakbrook and Vinnie in Once ... in New Jersey for Marriott Lincolnshire, among others. He attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra is comprised of some of the country’s finest musicians. The Orchestra is proud to have Jacques Lacombe as its Music Director. Artistic excellence, innovative programming and community engagement are hallmarks of its mission. To best serve the people of New Jersey, the orchestra brings its programs to seven outstanding venues throughout the state. Education and community engagement programs enrich the listening experience for children and adults alike. Select performances of the NJSO are broadcast regionally and throughout North America.
State Theatre, a premier nonprofit venue for the performing arts and entertainment. The theater exists to enrich people’s lives, contribute to a vital urban environment, and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education. The State Theatre’s programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. The Heldrich is the official hotel of the State Theatre. Magic 98.3 is the official radio station of the State Theatre. The Star-Ledger is the official newspaper of the State Theatre.
