OPENING NIGHT CONCERT & GALA: GERSHWIN & THE JAZZ AGE

Don’t miss Gustavo and the LA Phil as they revel in the unforgettable melodies that sprang from the great Jazz Age composers. Broadway superstars Brian Stokes Mitchell and Megan Hilty will join in to bring timeless standards from the Great American Songbook to life.

This special evening presents music by George Gershwin and other American giants of the 20th century: Duke Ellington, Cole Porter and Leonard Bernstein. Two Broadway stars – Brian Stokes Mitchell and Megan Hilty – lend their powerhouse vocal talents to solos and duets by Porter, Ellington and Gershwin, including Porter’s “So in Love” from Kiss Me Kate, the musical for which Mitchell earned Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards. 20-year-old piano sensation George Li opens the program with Gershwin’s virtuosic “I Got Rhythm” Variations. Gala proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its education initiatives.

Of drumming interest: Peter will be performing Leonard Bernstein’s “Prelude, Fugue and Riffs” and Duke Ellington’s “Night Creature: Stalking Monster,” as well as accompanying vocalists Brian Stokes Mitchell and Megan Hilty with LA Phil  on several standards …