The Cape Symphony Orchestra presents “Defying Gravity: The Best of Broadway!” at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center on Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM, and Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM.

Download a printable version of these Program Notes.

THE CAPE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Guest Conductor
Jason Seber

Guest Artists
John Boswell, Piano
Scott Coulter, Vocals
Jessica Hendy, Vocals
Kelli Rabke, Vocals

"DEFYING GRAVITY: THE BEST OF BROADWAY!"

Highlights from Wicked
Stephen Schwartz, Arr. Ted Ricketts

Tomorrow (Annie)
Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin

Cabaret
John Kander, Fred Ebb

Natural Woman (Beautiful)
Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Jerry Wexler

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling (Beautiful)
Phil Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil

Dancing Queen (Mamma Mia!)
Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus

Burn (Hamilton)
Lin-Manuel Miranda

I Dreamed A Dream (Les Misérables)
Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil

Can You Feel the Love Tonight? (The Lion King)
Elton John, Tim Rice

Circle of Life (The Lion King)
Elton John, Tim Rice

INTERMISSION

 The Phantom of the Opera
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina (Evita)
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Jersey Boys)
Bob Gaudio, Bob Crewe

Maria (West Side Story)
Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim

Memory (Cats)
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Popular (Wicked)
Stephen Schwartz

For Good (Wicked)
Stephen Schwartz

Defying Gravity (Wicked)
Stephen Schwartz

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (Hair)
Galt MacDermot, James Rado, Gerome Ragni

Time Warp (The Rocky Horror Picture Show)
Richard O’Brien, Arr. Jon Woodend

ABOUT TODAY’S PROGRAM

Nothing captures the spirit of American storytelling quite like Broadway! Its musicals stand as one of America’s most distinctive, enduring art forms. They remind us that the stage is not just a place to watch stories unfold; it’s where we find ourselves reflected and transformed. Their songs have shaped generations, with melodies that stir the heart and lyrics that speak to resilience, defiance, love, and the joy of performance itself. Today, you’ll experience some of Broadway’s greatest hits through the lush sound and expressive range of the Cape Symphony Orchestra.

Our performance opens with highlights from Wicked, Stephen Schwartz’s dazzling adaptation of Gregory Maguire’s wonderful novel retelling The Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch’s perspective. Since its 2003 premiere, Wicked has become a cultural touchstone, with powerful themes of friendship, self-actualization, and empowerment. This orchestral arrangement captures the magic of Schwartz’s score. Even without sets, staging, or costumes, this music paints Elphaba and Glinda’s emotional world in full vivid color.

Hope takes center stage with “Tomorrow” from Annie, the 1977 musical by Charles Strouse and lyricist Martin Charnin. Sung by the irrepressible orphan who believes in brighter days, “Tomorrow” has become one of Broadway’s most enduring anthems of optimism. Its simplicity and sincerity make it as powerful at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center as it is under the Broadway lights.

By contrast, John Kander and Fred Ebb’s “Cabaret” (1966) offers a darker, more ironic look at the human spirit. Set in pre-World War II Berlin, Cabaret juxtaposes the dazzle and glitz of escapist entertainment with the growing darkness of fascism on the rise. The title number is a brilliant study in bravado, and a reminder that joy and tragedy often share the same stage.

Broadway has always borrowed freely from popular music, and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (2013) celebrates that connection outright. Carole King’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) Natural Woman” and “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” capture an era when pop craftsmanship met emotional depth. With the Orchestra behind them, these songs fairly glow with nostalgia.

That pop influence reaches new heights with “Dancing Queen” from Mamma Mia!, the 1999 ABBA-fueled sensation that turned disco into musical theater gold. Beneath its glittering surface lies genuine joy. This is a song that invites everyone, from teenagers to grandparents, to dance in their seats.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Burn” from Hamilton (2015) shifts the mood inward, offering a glimpse of heartbreak in a show otherwise consumed with political ambition and revolution. Eliza Hamilton’s searing song of betrayal is stripped to its emotional core.

Few Broadway moments are as universally recognized as “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables. Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s 1980 adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel gave the world one of its most heartrending ballads. This song of lost hope and quiet strength continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.

Elton John and Tim Rice’s The Lion King (1997) brought Broadway an unprecedented fusion of pop music, African rhythms, and visual spectacle. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” and “Circle of Life” are its emotional pillars — one intimate and romantic, the other majestic and life-affirming. Performed by your Cape Symphony Orchestra, they evoke the full cinematic sweep of the Serengeti and the universality of renewal.

Intermission

Andrew Lloyd Webber dominates much of our concert’s second half, beginning with The Phantom of the Opera. Since its 1986 debut, Phantom has enchanted audiences with its Gothic beauty and haunting score. The title music, with its dramatic theme and swelling strings, is a masterclass in theatrical atmosphere. From there, we turn to another Lloyd Webber triumph: “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” from Evita (1978). Its blend of grandeur and vulnerability transformed Eva Perón’s story into musical legend.

From political drama to pure pop delight, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” from Jersey Boys (2005) channels the irresistible swing of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Its brass hits and rhythmic groove make it a natural fit for orchestral flair.

Leonard Bernstein’s “Maria” from West Side Story (1957) follows with a very different kind of passion, expressed through soaring melody and rich harmonic color. Bernstein’s fusion of jazz, Latin dance, and classical craft remains unmatched in musical theater.

We return to Lloyd Webber with “Memory” from Cats (1981), a song that transcended its show to become an international standard. With its introspective mood and yearning melody, “Memory” shows how even the most fantastical story can convey what it means to be human.

Our program now circles back to Wicked, with three of its signature songs. “Popular” sparkles with comic charm; “For Good” captures friendship’s bittersweet farewell; and “Defying Gravity” soars as one of Broadway’s ultimate empowerment anthems. Together, they form a portrait of Stephen Schwartz’s wit, warmth, and brilliance.

Our concert closes with two numbers that defined the counterculture era. “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” from Hair (1967) bursts at the seams with optimism and social idealism, its harmonies radiating hope for peace and change. Finally, “Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1973) brings down the house with gleeful absurdity. It’s a celebration of freedom, camp, and sheer joy.

Thank you for attending “Defying Gravity: The Best of Broadway!”
We hope you’ve had a wonderful time and that we’ll see you again soon.

BEHIND THE SCENES

PRODUCTION TEAM

Director of Concert Operations
Patrick Gallagher

Stage Manager
Kimberly Monteiro

Assistant Stage Manager
Brendan Gallagher

Stage Crew
Jay Ivanof
John Bishop

Lighting Designer
Kendra Murphy

ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Joe Marchio

HOSPITALITY & ACCOMMODATIONS COORDINATOR
Charlotte Baxter

LIBRARIAN
Victoria Krukowski

PERSONNEL MANAGER
Wes Hopper

Cape Symphony Staff and Board of Trustees

SUPPORT YOUR CAPE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Concert ticket sales cover only part of the cost to maintain a professional orchestra on Cape Cod. Generous donations and community support make the difference.

Donating is easy, online at www.capesymphony.org/donations or by mail to Cape Symphony, 2235 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable, MA 02668. For more information about ways to support Cape Symphony, please contact Director of Advancement Paul Mastrodonato atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 774-470-2282 ext. 101. Thank you!

Program Notes by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Cape Symphony's Marketing Content Manager.