Posted September 23, 2019
CONTACT: ANGELA WHITEHEAD
Communications & Media Manager
Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
Phone 937-224-3521 x1138
awhitehead@daytonperformingarts.org
DAYTON, OH (September 20, 2019) – On Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 3 pm in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO), under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman, will present the first concert in the 2019–2020 DP&L Foundation Family Series, PhilharMonster. In addition to being the Family Series Sponsor for 2019–2020, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance’s (DPAA) Innovation Partner for this 2019–2020 Titans Season is also the DP&L Foundation: Powering Innovation in the Performing Arts.
The Dayton Philharmonic kicks off the 2019–2020 DP&L Foundation Family Series by presenting its annual legendary PhilharMonster Halloween Concert, setting the spooky stage for Halloween and getting the mood just right for celebrating the autumn season.
Maestro Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic open this year’s party with Adam Glaser’s fun and not-too-spooky “March of the Little Goblins,” which will feature a procession of the DPO musicians dressed in their Halloween best! Then, it’s a visit to “a galaxy far, far away” with the brilliant John Williams’ “Parade of the Ewoks.” The DPO then spotlights a brand-new work by contemporary American composer Michael Schelle called “VIRUS/This Is Not Going to End Well.”
Hector Berlioz has composed so many works that seem fitting to the season, and his quiet yet creepy “Ballet of the Sylphs” from The Damnation of Faust is no exception. Then, the DPO presents a unique Neal Gittleman-scripted version of the mystical story of Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite. Annie Pesch will take the stage with the DPO as narrator for this captivating work.
The concert will end this year with a very special surprise, kept so much on the down-low that even we don’t know what Neal has up his sleeve! Who knows?
As is the costume custom, everyone is encouraged to show up dressed in their Halloween finest. Even the orchestra members have gotten into the costume groove! There will be a costume parade before the performance, and during the show, the audience will have the chance to vote on the best musician costume! And what Halloween get-up our beloved conductor will choose this year is just as big of a secret as it is every year! Any guesses?
Activities for kids of all ages begin at 2 p.m. in the Wintergarden of the Schuster with crafts, treats, a scavenger hunt, a costume parade, and the popular instrument petting zoo. Join us for the Halloween bash of the season!
Tickets for PhilharMonster are $22 for adults and $14 for children and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and military discounts are available at the box office. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
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About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the community, offering a tremendous variety of performance and education programs and setting a new standard for artistic excellence. Dayton Performing Arts Alliance performances are made possible in part by Montgomery County and Culture Works, the single largest source of community funds for the arts and culture in the Miami Valley. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance also receives partial funding from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency created to foster and encourage the development of the arts and to preserve Ohio’s cultural heritage. Funding from the Ohio Arts Council is an investment of state tax dollars that promotes economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohio residents. In 2013, The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was thrilled to be one of five performing arts organizations in the country selected to receive a three-year “Music Alive” grant from New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is the proud recipient of a 2017-2018 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.