Santa Cruz County Symphony and Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble Present “Across the Universe & Beyond” on Saturday, June 4 An Evening of Beatles Music to Benefit the Symphony’s Music & Education Programs
It’s a magical musical collaboration: The Santa Cruz County Symphony and Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble present “Across the Universe & Beyond” on Saturday, June 4, at 8 pm at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. This will be the sixth consecutive year that the two organizations have combined their considerable classical and rock and roll talents to create a unique live benefit concert of Beatles music. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with special pre-concert entertainment in front of the Civic.
Proceeds benefit the Symphony's music and outreach programs, including the Youth Program which introduces thousands of local children to classical music each year, sponsoring visits by Symphony musicians to elementary schools across the county as well as hosting special symphony performances.
The White Album Ensemble is acclaimed for their skilled re-creation of a variety of Beatles music, beginning in 2003 with performances of the iconic “White Album.” Featuring nine primary musicians and singers, the ensemble will be joined on June 4 by vocalists Tammi Brown, Alysha Antonino and Drew Harrison. Another talented local who has sung with the White Album Ensemble is very much in the national spotlight: James Durbin, who made it to the final four on television’s “American Idol” show, has performed many times with the group, including the 2009 Symphony/Ensemble concert.
Last year’s joint performance, “Sgt. Pepper’s Magical Mystery Tour,” was attended by more than 1,000 audience members. This year’s concert features selections of Beatles songs from the film “Across the Universe,” as well as other Beatles’ group and solo favorites.
Dale Ockerman, founding member and production coordinator of the Santa Cruz White Album Ensemble, comments, “This collaboration has become a ‘coming together’ of the Symphony, the White Album Ensemble, Beatles music and our lovely community.”
TICKETS: Civic Box Office, 831-420-5260, or online at http://www.santacruztickets.com. Ticket prices are $25 – 65 plus service fee. Discounts are available to groups of ten or more. Please call the Symphony office at 462-0553 x 11 for more information on group sales.