Media Contacts:
Liz Latif Mulready (Parent Volunteer) cell (860) 996-1723; lizlatif@hotmail.com
James Antonucci (Co-Producer) cell (917) 929-0896; james_antonucci@whps.org Jennifer Shagensky (Parent Volunteer) cell (978) 660-1298; jenallaire@hotmail.com Spencer Bazzano (Co-Producer) office (860) 232-4561; spencer_bazzano@whps.org
Hall High School’s 66th Pops ‘n Jazz Extravaganza Returns to the Stage on March 15 WEST HARTFORD, CT, February 7, 2024 –Step into the dazzling world of Hall High School’s acclaimed jazz bands, singers, dancers and actors as they hit the jackpot with the 66th annual production of Pops ‘n Jazz, now transformed into a Vegas-themed extravaganza. The show lights up the stage on March 15, with additional evening performances on March 16, 21, 22 and 23. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. each night, and the curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. Pops ‘n Jazz will also present an abridged, family-friendly matinee on Sunday, March 17, at 2:00 pm. This 50-minute performance will feature a small sampling of the dazzling entertainment featured at the evening performances. Get ready to experience the glitz and glamour of Pops ‘n Jazz – Vegas style!
Pops ‘n Jazz 2024 features more than 100 student performers, including the school’s Concert Jazz Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Dancers, Choraliers (singers), and I Giovani Solisti (strings). The program offers an array of American jazz classics from all eras, performed in big band settings, highly choreographed jazz productions, and featured solo performances. The show is known for its eclectic blend of music, ranging from traditional and progressive jazz, to pop-rock and Broadway. Take a gamble and attend multiple times as the program varies slightly each night. Audiences will be treated to traditional jazz repertoire such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, NY Voices, Horace Silver, Dizzy Gillespie, Thad Jones, Billy Strayhorn, Jim McNeely, and Charles Mingus. Broadway-style selections from Lippa’s Wild Party and Frankie Valli’s Beggin’, along with contemporary, cutting-edge artists such as Lawrence and David Davis are included. And no trip under the neon would be complete without selections from today’s great Las Vegas strip performers: Lady Gaga and Michael Bublé!
Pops ‘n Jazz 2024 promises to once again thrill audiences with a glamorous “PnJ in Vegas” theme. “Audiences will be knocked out with one of our most exciting musical offerings in the past ten years, representing a great variety of jazz, Broadway, and contemporary artists encompassing our incredibly strong 100+ student cast; this will only continue the amazing lineage of Hall’s 66-year tradition of Pops ‘n Jazz,” noted Mr. James Antonucci, Hall High School’s Director of Bands and Jazz Bands.
Pops ‘n Jazz is co-produced by Mr. Antonucci and Spencer Bazzano, Hall High School’s Theater Director and StageCraft teacher. The Designer/Builder is Austen Lindberg, and the Audio Engineer/Designer is Rob Treloar. The Choraliers are under the direction of Hall’s Director of Choirs Dr. Stuart Younse, and the Jazz Dancers are under the direction of Choreographer Kate Morran, Dance Team Director. Sarah Avery is the costume designer. Additional assistance is provided by Hall High parents, teachers, and staff.
Guest Artists Make Special Appearances In addition to the student performers, invited guests from the ranks of professional musicians join them on select evenings. This year, featured guest artists include Emily Bautista (March 15), Nicole Zuraitis (March 16), Dion Tucker (March 21), and Zaccai Curtis (March 22). Participation of guest performers is supported by the Ellen Jeanne Goldfarb Memorial Charitable Trust.
Emily Bautista
Emily Bautista achieved early professional success during her college years, securing her first Broadway role as a freshman. Her debut took place in the 2017 revival of Miss Saigon, where she understudied for the role of Kim. Emily not only performed the role 16 times on Broadway but also contributed to the ensemble as Bar Girl. Her performance garnered her the starring role of Kim in the National Tour across the United States.
In the interim between the Broadway and touring productions of Miss Saigon, Emily took on the role of Éponine in Cameron Mackintosh’s North American touring production of Les Misérables. Following her time on tour, Emily made her London debut in the World Premiere of Vanara the Legend as the lead role of Ayla.
Showcasing her talent across various productions, Emily demonstrates versatility in both theater and on-screen performances, cultivating an impressive resume. On television, she is recognized for her role as Elodie on Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. Additionally, Emily has made notable appearances inThe Compound (2021) and Which Brings Me to You (2023).
Nicole Zuraitis is a GRAMMY ® winning and two-time GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, New York-based bandleader and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. As a recording artist, Nicole has released five albums as leader, and her sixth album How Love Begins, was awarded the GRAMMY ® for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 2024 GRAMMY ® awards.
Besides leading her quartet, Nicole is the premier vocalist for the Birdland Big Band and frequently headlines iconic NYC jazz clubs. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony and Macon Pops and has supported iconic singers like Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss and Livingston Taylor on piano and vocals.
Nicole’s arrangement of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, co-written with renowned drummer and bandleader Dan Pugach, was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY ® , springboarding her career and making her a household name in the modern-day jazz landscape.
Nicole has collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim, Rachel Z, Helen Sung, and Bernard Purdie. She is a proud educator and currently vocal faculty at NYU, SUNY Purchase and the Litchfield Jazz Camp.
Dion Tucker is an accomplished trombonist, composer, and music educator with an oeuvre that defies genre. Boston-born and Miami-bred, Dion moved to New York in 1998 to study at The New School under the tutelage of pioneering trombonists Benny Powell and Steve Turre, among others. Throughout his career, Dion has shared the stage with many jazz, soul and gospel greats including The Duke Ellington Orchestra, where he played lead trombone for 12 years; Ray Charles, The Count Basie Band, Aretha Franklin, The Maria Schneider Orchestra, John Hendricks, The Lionel Hampton Band, Frank Foster’s Loud Minority, Clark Terry & the Young Titans of Jazz, Christian McBride, Mike Longo, The Rufus Reid Big Band, and The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, where he is currently the lead trombonist.
Dion has been a member of the Harry Connick Jr. Band since 2007. He was the trombonist on the daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show HARRY, performing with artists like Michael McDonald, Gladys Knight, Keith Urban, Gloria Estefan, Sheila E. and many others.
As an educator, Dion has taught in over 20 New York City public schools through the Jazz for Young People program. He is currently the director of the New Jersey Youth Symphony Jazz program and an adjunct faculty member at New York University.
Zaccai Curtis moved to New York City in 2005 where he’s connected with and regularly performed with artists such as: Lakecia Benjamin, Christian Scott, Donald Harrison, Cindy Blackman, Santana, Eddie Palmieri, Brian Lynch, the Mambo Legends, Abraham Burton, Ralph Peterson, Ray Vega, and Avery Sharpe among others.
Currently Zaccai is a professor of music at the University of Hartford: Jackie McLean Jazz Studies Division and University of Rhode Island. Besides being an educator Zaccai authored two books, “Art of the Guajeo” and “Theory of the Common Voicing.” Zaccai composes and arranges for his own quartets and trio as well as for artists such as Little Johnny Rivero, Steve Kroon, Sonido Solar and more. In 2003 he was chosen as a winner of the ASCAP Young Jazz Composer’s competition and each year consecutively through 2006. Zaccai and his quartet were selected by the U.S. State Department to be in the American Music Abroad (Jazz Ambassadors) program two times in 2006. In 2007 Zaccai was awarded the ‘Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism’s Artist Fellowship’ for ‘original composition.’ In 2017 Zaccai became a Chamber Music America: “New Jazz Works” grant recipient. In 2020 Zaccai was voted as the Rising Star in the Critics Poll for Downbeat Magazine. Most recently, Zaccai has been invited to be the special guest director for 2023 CMEA Southern Regional High School Jazz Band.
When Zaccai is not busy being a sideman, he performs his own music with his group ‘Zaccai Curtis Quartet’ and ‘Sonido Solar’ and after five successful releases; He plans on releasing his next recording “Cubop Lives” in 2024.
Zaccai, along with his brother Luques, has developed the record label TRRcollective. He is also proud to have produced and released the GRAMMY nominated album, ‘Entre Colegas’ by Andy González (2016). Zaccai has created the first ever music news app developed for record labels, artists and venues, ‘The Riff: Music News’ available for free on iTunes and android.
West Hartford Elementary and Middle School Students Share the Stage
Younger performers are also invited to share the stage with the high schoolers during select shows. Hall Junior Artists from the district’s elementary schools will perform on March 16 (Norfeldt, Charter Oak, Aiken, and Bugbee) and March 22 (Smith, Whiting Lane, and Morley). Middle school singers and musicians will also join for special performances on March 15 (Bristow Middle School’s Big Band), March 16 (King Philip Middle School’s KP Singers), March 21 (King Philip Middle School’s KP Jazz Band), and March 23 (King Philip Middle School’s Sixth Dimension). The involvement of these younger students with exemplary older students is part of the West Hartford Public School District’s effort to inspire excellence and commitment to the arts.
Exceptional History, A Standout Community Strength
Hall High School proudly continues the Pops ‘n Jazz musical extravaganza, which originated in 1958 with former band director Bill Stanley. Hall was one of the first high schools in the United States to integrate jazz into its daily curriculum, and Hall students have since performed around the world.
The West Hartford Public Schools have received the Kennedy Center Award for Excellence in Arts Education in recognition of their program and have been asked to perform at the White House. The Hall Concert Jazz Band has been selected over 15 times as one of the national finalists in the Essentially Ellington Competition at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, the most recent selection coming in 2023. They have won the prestigious festival two times and been awarded 50+ individual outstanding student soloist and section awards over the years. Hall High School Concert Jazz Band has been recognized as a national Downbeat Student Music Award winner from 2020 to 2023, and a Charles Mingus Festival National Finalist in 2023. The Concert Jazz Band won first place at the Berklee High School Jazz festival 30+ times in its 50 year festival history and won first place multiple times at the National Jazz Festival in both big band and combo categories. In 2015, Choraliers won the “Together in Song” regional choral award through WGBY in Massachusetts.
Further, Hall’s talented students have gone on to do great things. Hall Concert Jazz Band alumni include renowned jazz musicians Kris Allen (alto sax, performed at Pops ‘n Jazz 2023), Jimmy Macbride (drums), Garrett Sayers (bass), Drew Sayers (sax), Richie Barshay (drums), Joel Frahm (tenor sax), Erika von Kleist (alto sax, flute, and piccolo), Brad Mehldau (piano), Pete McGuinness (trombone), Noah Preminger (tenor sax), Alexa Tarantino (alto sax), and Gregg Kallor (piano).
Through the years, Pops ‘n Jazz has welcomed some of the finest artists in the world to its stage in West Hartford, including Luis Bonilla, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Jimmy Heath, Bob Mintzer, John Daversa, the NY Voices, Ted Nash, Wycliffe Gordon, Javier Colon, Kurt Elling, Curtis Fuller, and the Count Basie and Woody Herman Orchestras.
Online ticketing system with ASSIGNED SEATING. Ticket sales will open online on February 12, 2023 at https://hallhighjazz.com/tickets or https://pnj.ludus.com/. Tickets are $18 for adults and $15 for students; tickets to the Sunday matinee are $10. Beginning March 4, tickets can also be purchased in person at the Hall High School box office. The box office is open Monday-Friday 3/4-3/22. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 12 – 2:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Box office opens at 6 p.m. on show nights. Like us on Facebook @popsnjazz, and follow us on Instagram @popsnjazz. For more information, please call the box office at (860) 929-5151, or visit hallhighjazz.com.
