Michael Feinstein Opens a Vault for Pasadena Pops Season Finale

American actor, singer, and songwriter Gavin Creel

Feinstein and the Pasadena Pops close their popular outdoor summer concert series at the Los Angeles County Arboretum on Sept. 14, 2019 with an evening showcasing the legendary films of MGM Studios for MGM Movie Classics. The Pops season finale will provide a quintessential Feinstein experience with Broadway’s best singers, dancers, vintage costumes from Hollywood Revisited and rare original arrangements from the golden age of the silver screen as only Feinstein can deliver. Hear timeless classics from “Singin’ in the Rain, Meet Me in St. Louis and That’s Entertainment plus a special tribute to the 80^th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz”.

The centerpiece of the concert will be the premiere of the original film chart of “Over the Rainbow, “which Feinstein recently uncovered. Original MGM charts are extremely rare; since all of the MGM orchestrations and arrangements were destroyed in the 1960s to cut costs on storage space and became landfill for a golf course and the 405 freeway. Feinstein’s lifelong mission is to preserve and share the music of the Great American Songbook, and his acuity for finding a diamond in the rough will make the evening sparkle with a few original MGM charts he’s recently discovered, including this rare gem.

Michael Feinstein expressed, “To find any original MGM arrangement is sort of like finding the lost ark, but it seems to be my beautiful Karma to find lost things, musically speaking, and I stumbled across a set of the original parts for it! … It will be a true revelation for people to hear what they have literally never heard before.”

Feinstein will be pulling out all the stops for this spectacular season finale with two Tony Award winners singing the songs of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Gavin Creel, winner of the 2017 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in the Broadway revival of “Hello, Dolly” will take the stage for classics like “Singin’ in the Rain.” Audiences may also know Creel for his recent portrayal of Dr. Pomatter in ‘Waitress’ or as Elder Price in ‘The Book of Mormon.’ Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba will invoke some of Judy Garland’s most iconic numbers with “The Trolley Song” and more. Feinstein has even enlisted the “shimmering tones” (Opera News) of opera star Jamie Chamberlin to take on “Love is Where You Find It” with her coloratura soprano.

It’s the last chance to catch the best outdoor dinner party in town with spacious table seating and fine linens, or lawn seating for those who want to bring a blanket. Each option carries on the tradition of picnic-dining with your family and friends with Pasadena’s premier orchestra! Among many venue amenities, concert goers can enjoy pre-ordered gourmet dining packages for on-site pickup just steps from their table from Julienne, Marston’s and Claud & Co. The venue also offers mouth-watering food trucks and the convenience of two full beverage centers serving fine wines, beer, coffee and soft drinks. Audiences get the ultimate outdoor concert experience with large LED video screens to see the artists and orchestra up close, superior sound and the high-quality production value that is a signature of the Pasadena Pops. All concerts are held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden located at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA. Grounds open for picnicking and dining at 5:30 p.m. and performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Subscribers may purchase pre-paid onsite parking at the Arboretum, and all concertgoers can purchase guaranteed and convenient parking at Santa Anita Park, located just across Baldwin Avenue with complimentary non-stop shuttle service to the Arboretum’s main entrance. Single tickets start at $25 and are available by calling the box office at (626)-793-7172, online at PasadenaSymphony-Pops.org or at the Arboretum on the day of the concerts.

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