Odom, McDonald lead symphony’s Pops lineup
Delfs returning for holiday show
Broadway stars Leslie Odom Jr. and Audra McDonald lead the lineup of Milwaukee Symphony Pops concerts for the 2017’18 season. All concerts will take place in the Marcus Center’s Uihlein Hall, 929 N. Water St.
Pops subscription concerts
Oct. 13-15: Under the Streetlamp, a vocal quartet formed by Chicago cast members of “Jersey Boys,” will sing a concert of doo-wop, Motown and classic rock. Yaniv Dinur conducts the orchestra.
Dec. 1-3: Former music director Andreas Delfs returns to conduct the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and Milwaukee Handbell Choir in the annual Holiday Pops program.
Feb. 9-11: Dinur conducts the orchestra for a semi-staged performance of Lerner and Loewe’s musical “My Fair Lady.”
March 23-25, 2018: Guest pianist and vocalist Tony DeSare salutes great rock and soul piano men, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Billy Joel and Elton John. Dinur conducts.
May 25-27, 2018: Guest conductor Stuart Chafetz conducts the orchestra and vocalist Capathia Jenkins in a program of patriotic music.
June 22-24, 2018: Guest conductor Jeff Tyzik and vocalist Ashley Brown lead a program drawing from the great American songbook of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Richard Rodgers.
Pops specials
Nov. 29: Holiday concert featuring the Canadian Brass and the MSO Brass (hornist Matthew Annin, trumpeters Matthew Ernst and David Cohen, trombonist Megumi Kanda, bass trombonist John Thevenet).
Dec. 30-31: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” film screening with the orchestra and Dinur performing the John Williams score.
Jan. 19: Leslie Odom Jr., who won a Tony for his role as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton: An American Musical,” joins the Milwaukee Symphony for a concert.
June 6, 2018: Broadway star Audra McDonald joins the orchestra for a concert of American music, including standards and songs drawn from Hollywood and Broadway.
Family series
Dec. 2: “The Snowman” animated video, accompanied by the orchestra with conductor Dinur.
Jan. 28: Stravinsky’s “The Firebird,” with conductor Dinur and guest performers Enchantment Theatre Company.
March 11: “The Music of John Williams,” with conductor Dinur. For ticket info, visit
mso.org or call (414) 2917605.