In the first CTV Pops concert of the NAC Orchestra’s 2011-12 season, Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly leads the National Arts Centre Orchestra in the spectacular Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies. Featuring film clips and excerpts from the scores of half a dozen classic musical films, this vibrant treat for the eyes and ears takes place in Southam Hall on Thursday October 20, Friday October 21, and Saturday October 22, 2011 at 8 p.m.

During these concerts, audiences will thrill to digitally remastered full-colour film clips from Oklahoma! (1955) and Carousel (1956) both starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones, South Pacific (1958) starring Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor, The King and I (1956) starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner, The Sound of Music (1965) starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, and two film treatments of State Fair – the first from 1945 starring Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews, and the second from 1962 starring Ann-Margret, Bobby Darin, and Pat Boone.

The NAC Orchestra will perform the music accompanying each film clip. Intriguingly, the clips include the original vocal tracks recorded by the films’ stars more than fifty years ago.

Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered Broadway’s golden age. Their work was extraordinarily innovative for the period, thoroughly integrating all aspects of musical theatre, with songs and dances arising out of and further developing the plot and characters. With Rodgers composing the music and Hammerstein writing the lyrics, five of their shows, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music, were outstanding successes – and all five were made into films. State Fair was the only Rodgers and Hammerstein musical written directly for film; it was based on a non-musical 1933 film of the same name. The 1945 version won an Academy Award for Best Song for “It Might As Well Be Spring.” Among the many accolades for the shows -- and the film versions – of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals were fifteen Academy Awards, thirty-four Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for South Pacific (1950), and two Grammy Awards.

Attention Teachers!

Subject to availability, full-time students (aged 13-29) with valid Live Rush™ membership (free registration at www.liverush.ca) may buy up to 2 tickets per performance at the discount price of $12 per ticket. Tickets are available online (www.nac-cna.ca) or at the NAC box office from 10 a.m. on the day before the performance until 6 p.m. on the day of the show or 2 hours before a matinee. Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices to all NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances; to reserve your seats, call 613-947-7000, ext. 634 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca.

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Information:   
Gerald Morris
Communications Officer, NAC Music
613-947-7000, ext. 335
[e-mail]  gerald.morris@nac-cna.ca