Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber to take center stage in King

Some of the most beloved songs by famed Broadway composer Andrew Lloyd Webber will soon be brought to life in concert in King Concert Hall F.

Scheduled for Friday, Nov. 2, “The Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber” will open the DFT Communications Pops Series at 8 p.m. in King Concert Hall. The show features four professional singers who tour under the name, “The Best of Broadway.” Now based in Los Angeles, members of the company have performed leading roles in many of Mr. Webber’s musicals in New York and elsewhere.

Reserved seating tickets are available from the SUNY Fredonia Ticket office at 716-673-3501 (or 1-866-441-4928.) The event sponsors are radio stations WDOE 1410 AM and 96 Kix FM. Lake Shore Savings is serving as season-wide sponsor.

Born in London in 1948, Mr. Webber first achieved American recognition when his popular recording of the rock musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” remembered for its title song and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” was dramatized in 1971. Knighted Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997, he is regarded as one of the most prolific and popular composers of the modern era. The concert will combine Mr. Webber’s most famous and beloved songs with lesser-known gems that some audience members will discover for the first time.

Jefferson Westwood, director of Rockefeller Arts Center, said, “The show promises to be an unforgettable musical journey through Mr. Webber’s greatest musical hits from the powerful rock musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ to the thrilling strains of ‘Evita’ to the fun of ‘Cats’ to the heart-pounding rhythms of ‘Starlight Express.”

The show also features a Webber spoof a la Victor Borge, with selections from “Song and Dance,” “Aspects of Love” and “Phantom of the Opera.”

Bringing the works of Mr. Webber to life will be:  

• Raymond Saar, who has performed on concert stages and in theaters throughout the world. He starred as Raoul in “Phantom Of The Opera” in San Francisco, and toured with Sammy Cahn in his original musical, “Words And Music.” Mr. Saar played Marius and Enjolras in “Les Miserables” on Broadway, in the Los Angeles production and was one of the featured soloists on the international cast album. He played Lun Thau in the National Tour of “The King And I,” starring Yul Brynner. Mr. Saar also worked with Peter Marshall and his singing group, Chapter Five. This included appearances with such notables as Bob Hope, Bob Newhart, Joan Rivers and a command performance at the White House. His television credits include “General Hospital,” “Good Morning America,” the” Jerry Lewis Telethon” and “The Tonight Show,” starring Johnny Carson. 

• Diane Ketchie, who made her Broadway debut in “Phantom Of The Opera” and also starred in the San Francisco production of “Phantom” as Carlotta, the opera diva. She made her New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall as a result of winning the Artists International annual competition. She has appeared as a guest artist with the Houston Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony and the Long Beach Symphony. Operatic credits include leading roles with Lyric Opera Cleveland, Opera Delaware, Opera Carolina, Skylight Comic Opera and Treasure Coast Opera.

• Valerie Perri, who is best known to theater audiences for her award-winning performance in the lead role of Eva Peron in the Tony Award-winning musical “Evita.” Under famed Broadway director Harold Prince's direction, Ms. Perri headed the first national touring production of “Evita,” performing the lead role across the United States and Canada. Ms. Perri has performed with symphony orchestras on concert stages at Wolftrap, Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, Frankfurt, Germany’s esteemed opera house and The London Palladium.

• Scott Harlan, who has been seen in Los Angeles with Carol Burnett in the world premiere of the new musical “From the Top” and in the musical “Radio Gals.” Prior to that, Mr. Harlan appeared in the national companies of “Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?” and “The Rocky Horror Show.”

Under Mr. Saar’s direction, the staging and musical arrangements combine with four dynamic Broadway stars and a script of great wit and variety to create an unforgettable evening of entertainment.

The SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office is located in the Williams Center on the university campus. The ticket office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. More information is available by calling the ticket office at 716-673-3501.