'Christmas at the Movies' from Signature Symphony concerts set for Friday-Sunday
BY JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
Friday, December 14, 2012
12/14/12 at 4:54 AM
As director of the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center, Mark Frie has been trying since the facility opened in 2009 to bring a bit of orchestral music to the hall. So he created a show to do just that.
"I had been talking with Barry Epperley (artistic director of the Signature Symphony) for about a year or so, trying to come up with a way of featuring the orchestra in Broken Arrow," Frie said. "We finally came up with the idea of a Christmas concert that could be part of both our seasons and be presented at both theaters over a single weekend."
The show that Frie and Epperley put together will be presented Friday and Saturday at the VanTrease PACE, followed by a Sunday matinee show at the Broken Arrow PAC.
Titled "Christmas at the Movies," it will feature holiday songs that made their debut on the silver screen in films such as "Holiday Inn," "Miracle on 34th Street," "It's a Wonderful Life" and "The Polar Express."
The evening will include a tribute to Broken Arrow native Ralph Blane, lyricist for "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" among other hit songs, as well as Christmas songs from other sources, including TV specials, Broadway musicals and even a few with no connections to stage or screen.
Frie will also be one of the featured performers. Before assuming directorship of the Broken Arrow PAC, his singing career included performing at Discoveryland and with Tulsa Opera. His wife, Kim, will also sing during the performances, along with a large contingent of Broken Arrow talent.
"We are wanting this concert to be as much as a celebration of Broken Arrow," Frie said. "The high school's Jazz Chorus will perform, and we'll have the drum line from the Broken Arrow Pride .... We'll also feature one student from each elementary school in the district that will be a special vocal ensemble."
‘CHRISTMAS AT THE MOVIES’
When: 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday,
Where: VanTrease PACE, 10300
E. 81st St.
Tickets: $27.50-$43.50. 918-
595-7777, tulsaworld.com/mytix.
When: 2:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: Broken Arrow PAC, 701
S. Main St., Broken Arrow
Tickets: $20-$30. 918-259-
5778, tulsaworld.com/mytix.
Original Print Headline: Hear holiday tunes from movies, TV
James D. Watts Jr. 918-581-8478
james.watts@tulsaworld.com
