Heroes, Legends, and All Stars
To open KPO's 2011-12 season, Maestro Kris Chapman chose a stirring selection of music honoring the heroes of every generation. The program included John William's Olympic Fanfare and Theme as well as his music for the Superman movie. Casey at the Bat by Steve Reinecke, Music Director of the New York Pops, featured Emcee Bob Schorr's recitation of the famous poem. The Pops showed their more sensitive side on Nimrod, Edward Elgar's personal tribute to his mentor, from his Enigma Variations and the powerful American Symphony from Mr. Holland's Opus. Guest vocalist Julie Johnson wowed the audience with George Gershwin's Someone to Watch Over Me and The Lady is a Tramp. Treble Zander Shepeard joined the Pops for selections from The Lord of the Rings.
KPO is very pleased to welcome special guest
Julie Johnson to the Nathaniel stage. Ms.
Johnson is regularly featured at Houston area venues, such as
Ovations, Red Cat Jazz Café, Sambukkas Jazz Club, Sullivan’s Steak
House, Tommy’s Seafood & Steak House, and Tony’s as well a corporate
events for Air Liquide, ExxonMobil, Audi-Volkswagen, and Neiman Marcus.
Originally from Chicago, Illinois, she studied voice at the Chicago
Conservatory of Music and was a vocalist in the Chicago All City
Chorus. Ms. Johnson is an elegant and captivating entertainer whose
career has taken her all over the world from Humphrey’s By The Bay in
San Diego, to Air Force and Army Bases in Okinawa, and to Mexico City,
Chicago, and Paris. You can check out Julie's music is on Houston’s
Jazz Station 90.9 FM-KTSU or, better yet, listen to some great
audio clips at Julie's web site
www.juliejohnsonlive.com.
Zander Shepeard is in the 5th grade
at Huffman Intermediate. He
has been busy over the past two years performing in the Houston
Grand Opera's Tosca, Queen of Spades, and most recently in Dead
Man Walking (Jimmy). Zander is also entering his 5th year in Centre
Stage Theatre Company, where he has performed in Once Upon a Mattress
(Prince Dauntless), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,
Willy Wonka (Charlie), The Aristocats (Toulouse). He also has
appeared at Houston's Hobby Center in Annie Get your Gun (Little
Jake). Zander auditioned this summer for the American Boychoir
Summer Camp in Princeton, NJ, where he was accepted along with 40
other boys from across the country and as far as Australia. This
summer he also reprised his role as Willy Wonka's Charlie in
Kingwood High School's Theatre Camp. Zander enjoys sports and is
currently an acolyte at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church. Zander
would like to thank Sandra Van Cleve & Kingwood Music School for
their support and encouragement.
There are a limited number of table seats at the next Kingwood Pops concert available for $25 by calling the POPS line at 281-319-POPS (281-319-7677). Preferred row tickets will be available about 3-4 weeks prior to each concert at Market Cleaners locations in Kingwood (5734 W. Lake Houston Parkway), Atascocita (17211 W. Lake Houston Parkway #218), and Walden (18455 W. Lake Houston Parkway #220).
As always, a limited number of free general admission seats with restricted views of the stage are available for every concert. These tickets may be requested on a first-come-first-served basis at the performance, but be warned: they fill up fast!