Experience the excitement only The Great White way can provide in Do You Hear the People Sing, the fifth CTV Pops concert of the NAC Orchestra’s 2011-12 season. Conductor Jack Everly, Principal Pops Conductor of the NAC Orchestra, leads the National Arts Centre Orchestra, a cast of Broadway stars – Eric Kunze, Terrence Mann, Lea Salonga, Kathy Voytko, and Marie Zamora – as well as The Ewashko Singers and the Ottawa Festival Chorus in a tribute to Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, the creators of Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, and other musical theatre classics. Do You Hear the People Sing takes place in Southam Hall on Thursday May 10, Friday May 11, and Saturday May 12, 2012 at 8 p.m.

More than 30 years ago, composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyricist Alain Boublil exploded onto the stage with Les Misérables, a musical extravaganza that forever altered the theatrical landscape. Now one of the world's most celebrated creative teams, they have collaborated on Miss Saigon (1989), Martin Guerre (1996), The Pirate Queen (2006), and other internationally successful classics of musical theatre. As of 2010, the multiple award-winning Les Misérables (Broadway 1987-2003, revived in 2006-2008) was the longest-running musical in the world and the third longest-running show in Broadway history, winning eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, three Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy Award for original cast album. Miss Saigon (Broadway 1991-2001) is the eleventh longest-running show in Broadway history, garnering three Tony Awards (including Lea Salonga as Best Actress in a Musical) and four Drama Desk Awards.

Eric Kunze has had the rare pleasure of starring on Broadway in leading roles for the better part of his professional career. Mr. Kunze recently received an IRNE Award (Independent Reviewers of New England Awards, Boston) for his performance as “The Man”  in the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind. He also starred in the title role in the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. Broadway credits: “Marius” in Les Misérables (opposite Lea Salonga), “Chris” in Miss Saigon and “Joe Hardy” in Damn Yankees (with Jerry Lewis). He has received rave reviews for the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (IRNE Award for best actor).  Other regional credits: the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar (Los Angeles Ovation nomination), Evita (Los Angeles Ovation nomination), West Side Story, Into the Woods, the title role in Pippin (Los Angeles Robbie award), South Pacific and the title role in The Who’s Tommy (Los Angeles). Eric has recently performed with The Vancouver Symphony, The Cincinnati Pops, The Detroit Symphony, and at Washington’s Kennedy Center with The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Terrence Mann’s credits include work on the Broadway stage, in film and television, as a director, composer and artistic director. On Broadway, he originated the roles of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle nominations), Inspector Javert in Les Misérables (Tony nomination), Rum Tum Tugger in Cats, and Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Other Broadway credits include Lennon, The Rocky Horror Show (Frank 'N' Furter), Getting Away With Murder, A Christmas Carol (Scrooge), Rags, Barnum (Ringmaster), Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and Jekyll and Hyde. Film and TV: A Chorus Line, Big Top Pee Wee, “Law and Order,” “One Life to Live” and “As the World Turns” (Emmy nomination). He is founding Artistic Director of the Carolina Arts Festival. He also served as Artistic Director of the North Carolina Theatre for 10 years and is now the Endowed Chair for the Musical Theatre Program at Western Carolina University.

Lea Salonga is a Filipina singer/actress best known for originating the role of Kim in the West End production of Miss Saigon and bringing it to Broadway, winning the Tony, the Olivier and many other awards. She was the first Asian to play Eponine in Les Misérables on Broadway, returned to the show in 2007 as Fantine, and reprised the role for the sold-out 25th anniversary concert at London’s O2 Arena. Lea wowed audiences and critics alike in 2010 in her first ever cabaret show at New York’s famed Café Carlyle and returned in the summer of 2011 for another engagement. In August 2011, she released a live version of her 2010 concert, ‘Lea Salonga: The Journey So Far’. Honored with an appointment as a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Goodwill Ambassador in October of 2010, Lea has vowed to act as advocate for the Youth and United Nations Global Alliance initiative led by the FAO. Salonga’s feature film credits include the singing voice of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan and Mulan II. In honour of her portrayal of the beloved princesses, Disneyland bestowed the honor of “Disney Legend” on Lea in the summer of 2011.

Kathy Voytko appeared on Broadway in Oklahoma! and in Nine starring Antonio Banderas and Chita Rivera, originated the role of Ariadne opposite Nathan Lane in The Frogs, was standby Diana in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal, and standby Grania in The Pirate Queen. Kathy had the great pleasure of performing at Carnegie Hall and The Royal Albert Hall in London with the concert and live recording of Kristina.  She has toured the U.S. as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera, as a soloist in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and was chosen by Hal Prince to play Eva Peron in the 25th anniversary tour of Evita. In Chicago she was honoured with the Joseph Jefferson Award for the role of Polly in Crazy for You and with nominations for Fantine in Les Misérables, the maid in Putting It Together, and Clara in Passion. Kathy is happily married to Broadway actor John Cudia; they are the proud parents of Alena and Evelyn. 

Marie Zamora began her career as a classically trained soprano and dancer in France. As a singer and actress, Marie has performed principal roles across the globe, including Cosette in Les Misérables (Mogador Theatre, Paris), Kate in Kiss Me, Kate (Geneva Opera House and Mogador Theatre, Paris), Sina Marnis in Pirandello’s Les Nouvelles de Sicile (Sylvia Montfort Theatre, Paris), Mrs. Barnum in Barnum (Celestins Theatre, Lyon), Cornelia in La Comtesse Dracula (Mouffetard Theatre, Paris), and Eugénie in Le Voyage de Mozart à Prague (Potinière Theatre, Paris). Marie has travelled internationally as a soloist with composer Michel Legrand. She has done extensive concert work including Hey Mr. Producer at the Lyceum Theatre in London, celebrating 25 years of Cameron Mackintosh’s career. In collaboration with Michel Legrand and Alain Boublil, Marie is the co-book writer of Marguerite (2010 version) and directed the show at the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava. 

The NAC Orchestra, under Jack Everly, performs Do You Hear the People Sing in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on Thursday May 10, Friday May 11, and Saturday May 12, 2012 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.45, $31.21, $42.51, $53.81, $64.57, $75.33, and $94.17 for adults and $11.73, $17.11, $22.76, $28.41, $33.79, $39.17, and $48.59 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card). Tickets are available at the NAC Box Office (in person) and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 1-888-991-2787; Ticketmaster may also be accessed through www.nac-cna.ca.

Subject to availability, full-time students (aged 13-29) with valid Trinity 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.

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