Press Release California Pops Orchestra 3790 El Camino Real MS341 Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 856-8432 www.calpops.org Media Contact: Vic "Pops" Befera (650) 328-3936 Bay Area's California Pops Orchestra New 2011-2012 Season For Immediate Release Sept 16th, 2011 California Pops Opens 2011-2012 performing original film scores! (Palo Alto - Sept 16, 2011) The California Pops Orchestra launches its 23rd season with a show celebrating 80 years of great movie music. The Orchestra's maestro and emcee, Kim Venaas, says, "this season is our best yet with really wonderful, original movie scores and of course the Bay Area's remarkable 65-piece 'entertainment' orchestra." The Pops' six-show season of Broadway, Big Band, Great American Songbook and popular standards kicks off with Hollywood's finest music from Hollywood's finest film composers including Henry Mancini, John Williams, and George Gershwin. Venaas notes, "We also have the biggies, like Maurice Jarre's amazing score to Lawrence of Arabia and Erich Korngold's terrific music for Errol Flynn's The Seahawk." "Some say Seahawk is even better than Korngold's epic score for Robin Hood. You'll have to decide for yourself," Venaas says with his trademark smile. Celebrating the movie classics but relishing the more current crop of films, Venaas and his pops-loving orchestra research more recent Hollywood offerings looking for music that will delight their pops-loving audience like Randy Newman's score to the inspirational Robert Redford baseball movie, The Natural. "Why did we choose The Natural? You asked for it! The California Pops is the country's only all-request symphony orchestra, so the only reason we do what we do is for our loyal and happy audiences" admits Venaas. "We're here to make people happy, lighten their load, warm their hearts. We have the best job in the world!" The six-show season runs from October through June, 2012. "Hooray for Hollywood!" - October 16th Top tunes from 80 years of movies! It's all about movie music from classics like Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia and Peter Pan to The Addams Family, Robert Redford's The Natural, and the latest Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean films. By turns adventuresome, daring, romantic and hilarious. Movie music has set more young imaginations soaring than just about anything else and we've got the best of them. Adding excitement to this program - the Pops will be playing actual "as filmed" original movie scores as well as historic gems saved from destruction by the Pops' "Save the Music" mission to preserve popular orchestral pieces written for radio, musical theater and the movies. "It's as if you were sitting right there in the recording studio". "Pops Christmas Fantasy Show!" - December 11th Festive holiday music from Rudolph to White Christmas! In mid-December is our warm and cozy Family Christmas show featuring White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, a sing-along medley of carols and much, much more good tidings for the whole family. This has become a very popular show that sells out each year. You can even sing-along! "Let Yourself Go!" - January 29th Hits from George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and More! The end of January finds the Pops celebrating the Great American Songbook with the biggest hits of Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and everyone else whose songs became standards then and today. From Tin Pan Alley to Radio, from dance halls to our service men and women around the world. The Great American Songbook lets us remember our friends, our families, school days and historic events. It's a musical record of this great country and these songs stay with us generation after generation. "Broadway Nights!" - March 18th Tunes from the Greatest Musicals! March brings the Pops' Broadway show with 80 years of American Musical Theater's best music. It's not a surprise to you and I that the winners of the Tony Awards this year were revivals of terrific musicals like "Anything Goes" and "How to Succeed in Business". So of course we have music from each of these winners in addition to many, many more. And, yes, we will have some you can sing-along with. "Swingtime!" - April 29th Tribute to the Big Bands. Goodman, Dorsey, Miller - Oh Yeah! The pops traditional Big Band show with more Miller, Dorsey and Ellington hits than you can shake a stick at. As always we'll have representation from all the big bands of the 30's and 40's and as usual this time of year we augment the 65-piece California Pops with my own 17-piece Black Tie Big Band. Yes, it gets crowded on stage but hey that's half the fun. This show always sells out. "Best of the Pops!" - June 10th Season Finale. Your Favorites from 23 years of the California Pops! We close the season in June with a show we've never done before. In 23 seasons we've played many tunes and arrangements that both you and the orchestra have loved but because there is SO much popular music and we like to keep each show fresh, sometimes those favorites don't get played again for 5 or 8 or 15 years! Well, this show fixes that. This show is entirely yours and our favorite Pops tunes from the last 23 seasons. It's going to be amazing! Dates & Times "Hooray for Hollywood!" - October 16th, 2011 - Sunday, 3pm "Pops' Family Christmas Fantasy" - December 11th, 2011 - Sunday, 3pm "Let Yourself Go!" - January 29th, 2012 - Sunday, 3pm "Broadway Nights" - March 18th, 2012- Sunday, 3pm "Swingtime!" Tribute to the Big Bands - April 29th, 2012- Sunday, 3pm "Season Finale - Best of the Pops" - June 10th, 2012- Sunday, 3pm Location All shows are on stage at Calvary Church's beautiful facility at 16330 Los Gatos Blvd in Los Gatos. Free parking. Easy access. Reserved Ticket prices (Season = 6 Shows) Premium (Center) = $221 Season or $40 per show Regular Seats = $194 Season or $35 per show Side & Wheelchair seats=$165 per Season or $30 per show. Special Discounts: Youth (Ages 18 & Under) & groups (10 tickets+ on Regular & Side seating. Purchase online at www.californiapops.org or by phone at (650) 856-8432. ¥ Service & Handling $3 plus $1.50 per set of season tickets or $1.50 per individual show ticket. ¥ Discount Youth (ages 18 & under) and Group tickets available. Website: www.californiapops.com. Or call (650) 856-8432. Media Online Press Room with Download Link: http://www.californiapops.com/pressroom Downloads of Hi-Res photos, press release, fact sheet, calendar listings and more. Hi Res (300dpi) photos are available on the enclosed press CD. For additional info please contact Vic "Pops" Befera, Pops Public Relations (650) 328-3936, email: manager@californiapops.com or Executive Director Alicia Wilmunder at (650) 856-8432. Maestro Venaas Acknowledges Applause with Orchestra