"BRIGHT LIGHTS! BROADWAY!" TO SPOTLIGHT ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
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Portland, Ore. … In celebration of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beloved Broadway music, hits from "Phantom of the Opera," "Cats," "Evita" and more will be featured in "Bright Lights! Broadway! Music By Andrew Lloyd Webber and Friends," an Oregon Symphony Bank of America Pops concert Feb. 16 through 18 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Conducted by Resident Conductor Murry Sidlin, the concert also will feature the premiere performance of an orchestral arrangement from Mel Brooks' "The Producers." Oregon Symphony Pops concerts are sponsored by Bank of America. Media support is provided by KPTV-Oregon's 12, News Talk 750 KXL and Media America.

"Bright Lights! Broadway" will feature three stars of the Broadway stage: Oregon native Patricia Ben Peterson (soprano), Nat Chandler (tenor) and Timothy Shew (baritone). The concert will begin with Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" Overture, and the first half of the program will include excerpts from "Chicago," "Ragtime," "Les Misérables," "Miss Saigon," "Titanic," "Fosse," "The Civil War," "Jekyll & Hyde" and "The Scarlet Pimpernel."

The second half of the concert will highlight Webber's music with "Any Dream Will Do" from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "Sunset Boulevard" from "Sunset Boulevard," "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" from "Evita," "All I Ask Of You" and "Music Of The Night" from "Phantom Of The Opera" and "Mr. Mistoffellees" and "Memory" from "Cats." Sidlin will then conduct the first performance of an orchestral arrangement of Mel Brook's "We Can Do It" (written by Phil Reno, Assistant Music Director of "The Producers").

Performances are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 17, at 3 and 8 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets range in price from $22 to $63 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (503-790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.

Patricia Ben Peterson

On Broadway, Patricia Ben Peterson starred as the leading lady in three major productions, "Company" (Susan), "Guys and Dolls" (Sarah Brown) and "Into the Woods" (Cinderella). She starred again nationally and internationally in "Guys and Dolls," "Sweet Charity" (Rosie) directed by Bob Fosse, "Evita" (The Mistress) directed by Harold Prince and with Colm Wilkinson in "Music of the Night" (Christine). Recently she appeared with Nathan Lane in "Do Re Mi" at New York City Center's Encore series.

Her off-Broadway appearances include "Yiddle with a Fiddle," "The Chosen," "The Grand Tour" directed by Jerry Herman, "A Family Tale," "Harrigan and Hart," "Hello from Bertha" and "Tattoo."

In addition to her performances in "Bright Lights! Broadway!" and with orchestras around the country and around the world, Ms. Peterson starred regionally in "Black No More," "Let 'em Rot," "Cinderella," "Brigadoon," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "Happy End," "A Little Night Music," "Camelot" (Philadelphia Inquirer Critics Choice Nomination: Lead Actress in a Musical), "Showboat," "The Immigrant," "The Sound Of Music," "The American Clock," "Shenandoah," "Tales of Tinseltown," "The Only Game in Town," "Blood Wedding," "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Twelfth Night."

Peterson can be heard on the cast recording of "Company" on Angel Records as well as "Unsung Musicals II," "Lost in Boston IV" and "Naked Truth." Besides numerous television commercials, she can be seen on NBC's "Another World" (Peggy Miller).

Nat Chandler

On Broadway, Nat Chandler recently appeared in the starring role of Percy, the swashbuckling, romantic and dashing Pimpernel in the Tony Award-nominated show, "The Scarlet Pimpernel." He was featured as well in the acclaimed Broadway Encores! series production, "The Ziegfield Follies of 1936."

Mr. Chandler starred as Raoul in the first national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera," directed by Harold Prince. Other national tours include "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber" with Sarah Brightman, Rapunzel's Prince in Sondheim's "Into the Woods," and Lun Tha in "The King and I" with Yul Brynner.

Recently, Nat received critical acclaim in the role of Red Shadow in "The Desert Song" at Sacramento Music Circus. He played the Prince in "Cinderella" at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and the lead in Sheldon Epps' musical "Disgustingly Rich" at American Stage. Off-Broadway he created the roles of Tony Toscanini in "Tales of Tinseltown" and Hero in "Anything You Say."

Mr. Chandler's concert appearances include "Kismet"(Hajj) with the Boca Pops, "The Desert Song" (Red Shadow) at the St. Louis MUNY and with the 92nd Street Y's Lyrics and Lyricists series in New York City. In addition to "Bright Lights! Broadway!" his guest artist activities across the country include Pops concerts for the Minneapolis, Indianapolis and St. Louis symphonies and as soloist in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.

Nat's regional credits include Cliff/"Cabaret"; Ravenel/"Showboat"; Carl Magnus/"A Little Night Music" at the Chautauqua Opera; Maximillian/"Candide" at the Huntington Theatre; Toreador/Carmen at Lake George Opera Festival; Billy Bigelow/"Carousel" at Opera Northeast; and several appearances at the St. Louis MUNY including Joe Cable/"South Pacific" with Howard Keel; Danilo/"The Merry Widow"; Curly/"Oklahoma!" 50th Anniversary production; and Lancelot/ "Camelot" with John Rubenstein, a role for which he received a Barrymore nomination by Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre.

Chandler is a graduate of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and received his Masters' degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. From his home base in New York City, Chandler is busy with stage and concert appearances. For more information on CD recordings, visit www.NatChandler.com.

Timothy Shew

On Broadway, Timothy Shew recently starred as Jean Valjean in "Les Misérables," a role he previously played on Broadway for two years. He was also featured in the Tony Award-nominated show, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" as well as in the Tony Award-winning production of Sunset Boulevard and the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls. Tim was featured on Broadway in Disney's "King David" and performed in the pre-Broadway Andrew Lloyd Webber/Hal Prince's "Whistle Down the Wind."

Mr. Shew recently was "down under," reprising his starring role as Jean Valjean to rave reviews in Australia's tenth anniversary production of "Les Misérables." He stars as Santa Claus in Radio City Music Hall's famed "Christmas Spectacular."

A favorite of musical theatergoers, Shew's work in National Touring Companies include "Show Boat," "Evita," "South Pacific" and again as Jean Valjean in "Les Misérables." In addition to performing in "Bright Lights! Broadway!" Shew has performed concerts throughout the country and around the world.

A versatile performer of wide ranging talents, Shew has been seen in many leading roles at regional and repertory theatres around the country. His roles include such diverse characters as Charlie Anderson in "Shenendoah," Harold Hill in "The Music Man," Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar," Arthur in "Camelot," Tony in "West Side Story," Danny in "Grease," Don Quixote in "Man of La Mancha," Curly in "Oklahoma!" Tommy Albright in "Brigadoon," El Gallo in "The Fantasticks" and the title role in "Pippin."

On the legitimate stage, he has displayed his acting abilities with leading roles in "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Arsenic and Old Lace," "The Shadow Box" and "Three One Acts" by Moliere. On television, Shew has appeared in many commercials, and T.V. watchers may recall his performances as young Johnny Ryan on "Ryan's Hope."