Ring in the New Year with Westfield Symphony!

On Thursday, December 31st, at 7pm, under the baton of Maestro David Wroe, Westfield Symphony Orchestra again presents one of New Jersey’s most popular New Year’s Eve musical celebrations. This year’s performance, THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK, promises a superb revue of American musical theater classics presented in glorious symphonic splendor.

The concert has become a music event eagerly anticipated by much of central New Jersey. This year’s line up reads like a Who's Who of the best of American musical theater - Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim and John Kander and Fred Ebb are just some of the superb composers celebrated in the show, which also features four outstanding international guest vocalists.

THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK gives insight into the wacky, the tender, the comic, and the tragic elements of musical theater. An event for the whole family, this is a friendly cabaret–style concert for adults to reminisce to songs they all know, for kids to enjoy some of the most exciting characters to grace Broadway’s stage, and for us all to revel in the musical genius of some of America’s finest musical theater composers and professional performers.

TICKET INFORMATION
The WSO recommends that audience members make reservations as soon as possible as tickets are selling fast and last year’s concert was a sell-out. Tickets in advance are $35 for general admission and $65 for preferred seating ($40 and $70 at the door, if available.) Tickets may be purchased directly from the WSO by calling (908) 232-9400 or visiting the office at 224 E. Broad Street, Westfield.

ABOUT OUR NYE GUEST SOLOISTS

Leon Williams
Westfield Symphony is thrilled this year to welcome renowned American baritone Leon Williams who enjoys a fine reputation on several continents for his distinctive voice, charismatic personality and superb musicianship. He has performed as a soloist with Honolulu Symphony; Florida Orchestra, Baltimore, Reading, Alabama, Westchester, Grand Rapids, Hartford and Colorado Symphonies as well as with the National Philharmonic. Mr. Williams is also a regular performer at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall and he recently opened the brand-new concert hall in Amarillo, Texas, performing Lee Hoiby’s I Have a Dream with James Setapen and the Amarillo Symphony. Passionately devoted to the art of the song, Mr. Williams recently starred in an “Art of the Spiritual” program at San Francisco’s Herbst Theater; an all-American program at Japan’s Tochigi Music Festival and Maine’s Arcady Music Festiva. Recent musical theater and opera credits include Anthony in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd with Toledo Opera and Papageno in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Hawaii Opera Theatre, both meeting with unanimous critical and public acclaim.   A much-in-demand Porgy and Bess principal, he sang Porgy with Yuri Temirkanov conducting in St. Petersburg, and Jake in the Dallas Opera production.  Last summer he reprised Jake for his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut at the Hollywood Bowl under Bramwell Tovey. 

Glenn Steven Allen
Tenor Glenn Steven Allen has appeared On Broadway, Off-Broadway and at major regional theatres throughout the United States. Recently he starred in For Lovers Only, a new Off-Broadway musical at New World Stages.  He was nominated for the prestigious Helen Hayes award for Best Actor as Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret at Arena Stage in Washington D.C. under the direction of Molly Smith. On Broadway he appeared in The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center. Previously, he originated the role of Giuseppe in pre-Broadway productions of ...Piazza at the Goodman and Initman Theatres. Regional credits include playing Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar at North Carolina Theatre and Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.He also starred in The Student Prince at Papermill Playhouse. His film/television credits include appearances on As the World Turns as Dr. Joshua and as himself on MTV performing ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’.

Johanna Brickey
Soprano Johanna Brickey most recently performed the lead role of Cathy in The Last Five Years at the Tony Award-winning Denver Center for the Performing Arts under the direction of Ray Roderick. She also sang the role of Hope in Urinetown (directed by original choreographer John Carrafa) and Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein's Candide. She has also performed with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera in productions of The Who's Tommy, Sound of Music, Pirates of Penzance, and Carousel. In New York City, she was a part Joyce Jackson's Guide to Dating at New World Stages, 'Ella at the BMI Workshop, and A.K.A. Al Parker at the Epiphany Theater Company. Johanna was also featured in the original production of Homemade Fusion, a song cycle by the composer and lyricist team Michael Kooman and Chris Dimond. While in Pittsburgh receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, she had the honor of being a regular soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Lucas Richmond.

Diana DiMarzio
Italian-American soprano Diana DiMarzio has appeared on theatrical and concert hall stages around the world. An admirer of all musical genres, her active career encompasses stage roles, solo recitals, opera performances and television appearances. Miss DiMarzio starred as the Beggar Woman in Tony Award winning Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, a role she recently reprised across the country in the the show’s first national tour. She was cast as Signora Naccarelli in the first national tour of the The Light in the Piazza and also recently appeared with Barbara Cook, Patti LuPone and Kristin Chenoweth in The Ladies Who Sing Sondheim. Other recent stage engagements include the role of Aldonza in the national touring production of Man of La Mancha. Recent opera performances include Frasquita in a European touring production of Carmen and Sally in A Hand of Bridge. Ms DiMarzio has appeared as a soloist at Lincoln Center, a vocalist at Madison Square Garden, has appeared on the television show The Sopranos and was cast by Sidney Lumet in his film Find Me Guilty starring Vin Diesel.