By JUNE SULLIVAN
The Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra is making it easy this holiday season by offering families an affordable spectacular right here.
Billed as a "Classical crossover" event, it starts at 4 P.M. Sunday, Dec. 10 at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. Members of the cast of BRAVO! Broadway will join guest conductor Randall Craig Fleischer in the orchestra's newest event in their lineup: "BRAVO! Holidays."
"Like its namesake, 'BRAVO! Holidays' is produced by John Fuch," says maestro Fleischer. "These shows take performers right off the Broadway stage and bring them into a concert hall. However, participating orchestras contribute their own input into these programs. The Vivaldi piece, for example, is one that we chose because our two guest soloists can perform it well."
Maestro Fleischer refers to Sean-Avram Carpenter and Lauren Sarah Carpenter, the 1997 and 2000 "Young Artist Competition" winners" from Great Neck who will be joining the orchestra and Broadway cast members on the Tilles stage. The two will perform a special brother/sister duet of Vivaldi's "Winter" from "The Four Seasons."
"The complete program is a lovely balance of vocal and orchestral holiday favorites," including sing-a-longs of such children's favorites as "Jingle Bells" and "Frosty the Snowman," the conductor said.
"The arrangement of 'Children Go Where I Send Thee' is an old spiritual that my wife originally arranged for three solos and the orchestra. This year we will be adding the voices of the Long Island Philharmonic Chorus. Many people will be hearing this piece for the first time and it is a real rousing gospel-blues sort of arrangement.
"I'm the kind of guy that likes a variety of music and will do some things that other conductorial colleagues might not go near," continues the maestro, who has worked with such groups as 10,000 Maniacs. "I hasten to add, however, that this program is not full of outrageous surprises. It is full of traditional holiday music."
The conductor emphasizes that concert-goers should expect to experience a "warm, fuzzy, sitting-by-the-fire holiday celebration. "If you want one single event that will actually get you in the holiday spirit, this is that event," he suggests.
"You may ask what is a nice Jewish boy like me doing with this program? But I feel that the holidays are a time of goodwill and I love this time of year. And we are including a stirring arrangement of 'Oh Chanukah,' sung in Yiddish."
In addition to the sing-a-longs, the Vivaldi piece and "Oh Chanukah," children as well as adults will enjoy such classic favorites as "Let It Snow" "Winter Wonderland," "We Need A Little Christmas" from "Mame," "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," and "White Christmas."
These holiday standards are a sweet icing over a rich textured program that also includes "The Carol of the Bells," and "Trepek" from "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky, adds Karen Barnes, the orchestra's executive director,
"It is an ideal opportunity for families that have not yet brought their children to attend a symphony because they fear 'classic symphonic' music," she says. "It is a wonderful opportunity for children to see a full orchestra; even for very little children."
Ms. Barnes describes a program that will have the orchestra center stage, which they will surround with special and sometimes humorous events as well as various lighting effects.
"That all helps to create a festive mood," she adds. "One of the reasons we are bringing the chorus into the program is because we believe that the holidays are synonymous with singing and making music - whether secular or religious."
Broadway stars joining the orchestra and chorus will be Jan Horvath, actress/soprano who has appeared in the Broadway company of "The Phantom of the Opera." Doug LaBrecque, an actor/baritone, is credited with having thrilled audiences as the Phantom in the Hal Prince production. And Michael Maguire, actor/tenor, has won a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Theatre World Award as Enjolras in the original Broadway company of "Les Miserables."
The "BRAVO! Holidays" program begins at 4 P.M. Dec. 10 at Tilles Center, Route 25A, Brookville. Tickets are $30, $25, $20, $15 and are half-priced for children under 12. For tickets, call (631) 393-2222.
