Support the Arts at The Pavilion by Becoming a Season Subscriber Performing arts subscribers also receive preferred seating and VIP onsite parking for the Houston Symphony’s Star-Spangled Salute, Texas Music Festival Orchestra and Holly Jolly Jingle.
Get a spectacular deal for every performance of the season with a 2015 performing arts subscription.
2015 marks the 26th season of operation for The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Our very first event was the Houston Symphony on April 27, 1990. The next day, Frank Sinatra and his orchestra performed on our stage. We have come a long way since then. The Pavilion is now known as the Summer Home of the Houston Symphony, home away from home for the Houston Ballet and a presenting sponsor for the Houston Grand Opera. Last year marked a huge milestone for The Pavilion, as we welcomed our 10 millionth guest since our opening. This season we welcome the Houston Symphony’s new Music Director, Andrés Orozco-Estrada. His first performance at The Pavilion is May 8 at Beethoven & Bartok. Come out and enjoy our exciting new Maestro and give him a big Woodlands welcome. Our 2015 season will be an exciting one with something for everyone. I encourage everyone to attend our performing arts events and become a season subscriber for only $175 per ticket. Being a season seat holder for the performing arts events is a great way to show your support for the arts and enjoy some great performances. Come out, bring the family and enjoy this world-class venue. Thanks to our guests and sponsors for making 2014 a great year for us, and also thanks to our employees and Board of Directors for their continued support. See you on the hill,
Jerry MacDonald President and CEO
Board of Directors and Staff Officers
Joseph P. Ash – Chairman of the Board Jerry MacDonald – President and CEO Carol P. Garner – Vice Chairman
Mark E. Ellis – Secretary Jeff Young – Vice President Lori Figaro – Treasurer
Board of Directors
Bob Abendschein Jeff Beard Gary Becker Carolyne Hannan Jeffrey R. Harder Jason K. Harris Peter R. Huntsman Patrick Hynes
Paul R. Kenworthy, M.D Daniel E. Kolkhorst Estelle P. McLaughlin C. Grant Mitchell Steve A. Morrow Steven W. Nance Sara Ortwein Steve Pate
John Robichau Julie Rock Maryann T. Seaman Larry Shaffer Jeffrey H. Shipley Steve Van Howe Marsha K. Williams Janet S. Wong
Director in memoriam Cynthia Woods Mitchell (1922 - 2009)
STAFF Jerry MacDonald – President & CEO Mallory Vanderhieden - Executive Assistant Jeff Young – Vice President of Operations JD Villaseñor – Director of Premium Seat Sales David Schlauch – Operations Manager Kelly Rich – Event Manager Josie Moore – Box Office Manager Jessica Young – Assistant Box Office Manager Matt Meyer – Assistant Operations Manager Carla Denman – VIP & Event Coordinator Joey Rincon – Overnight Security Supervisor Mike Bevel – Operations Justin McShan – Operations Jacob Meidel – Operations Matt Poche - Operations Paula Jauregui – Maintenance Victor Maldonado – Maintenance Larry Stewart – Overnight Security Susana Salazar – Overnight Security Javier Ramirez – Maintenance Lori Figaro – Chief Financial Officer Natalia Livingston – Senior Accountant Heather Reding – Human Resources Manager Jenny Lewis – Accountant Stephanie Stone – Accounting Assistant Christine Scully – Director of Development Leslie Williams – Volunteer & Special Events Coordinator Shannon Wilson – Director of Marketing & Education Whitney Hough – Marketing & PR Manager Sarah Stephan – Social Media Marketing Coordinator Taylor Tompkins – Marketing Assistant
Centerstage
Shannon Wilson – Editor-in-Chief Whitney Hough – Managing Editor Don Crouch, imagineer
Performing arts season subscriptions are only $175 per seat and include orchestra-level seating to all Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet and Houston Grand Opera performances at The Pavilion, VIP on-site parking, admission to the Woodforest National Bank VIP Club for each performance and a subscription to The Pavilion’s CenterStage newsletter.
“The Magic Flute” Houston Grand Opera May 15 • 8 p.m.
The total value of the performing arts season package is $435, so the performing arts season subscription truly is a great value. Children’s Festival and the Grease Sing-A-Long are not included in season subscriptions, but individual tickets are available for purchase.
The Music of Led Zeppelin Comes Alive at The Pavilion May 29 • 8 p.m.
By Taylor Tompkins Beautifully written music, exceptional vocals and dancing bears come to life as the Houston Grand Opera returns to The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for “The Magic Flute” May 15 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of The Wortham Foundation. Tickets are not required for free seating. Gates open at 7 p.m.
Bridging the gulf between rock ‘n’ roll and classical music, conductor and arranger Brent Havens takes the podium to present The Music of Led Zeppelin with the Houston Symphony May 29. Tickets are $20 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of Huntsman and Kiewit. Tickets are not required for free seating. Gates open at 7 p.m.
The opera tells a story of a dapper prince, Tamino, who is rescued from a serpent by three mystical ladies working for the Queen of Night. In return for his rescue, the Queen of Night offers Tamino a deal. If he can save the Queen’s daughter Pamina from the evil Sarastro, she will allow the two to wed. Accompanied by a magic flute, Tamino sets off to save the beautiful princess. Although faced with hardship during Tamino’s journey, courage, virtue, and wisdom prevail.
Performed with the Houston Symphony and amplified with a full band and vocals, Havens and his ensemble capture Led Zeppelin’s “sheer blast and power” riff for riff while churning out new musical colors.
Pre-performance activities begin at 7 p.m. in the North Plaza. Children and parents can visit The Pavilion Partners Arts & Crafts Booth and Instrument Petting Zoo as well as activities by Texas Children’s Hospital, Woodforest National Bank, Renewal by Andersen, Century 21 Realty Partners and Audi of America, official automobile of The Pavilion. Guests also can register-to-win Tommy Bahama’s “Best Seats in the House” and participate in Fidelity’s Seat Exchange. At the opera get insight into the evening’s program with Pavilion Talk, a free pre-concert discussion led by noted music scholar and former college professor Ira J. Black from 7:15- 7:45 p.m. in the North Plaza.
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“My concept for The Music of Led Zeppelin was to take the music as close to the originals as we could and then add some colors to enhance what Zep had done,” said Havens. “The wonderful thing with an orchestra is that you have an entire palette to call upon. The band is reproducing what Led Zeppelin did on the albums, verbatim, and then having an orchestra behind the band gives the music a richness, a whole different feel, a whole different sense of power.” Havens felt Led Zeppelin’s intricate rhythm patterns and unusual progressions contained within straight-forward rock n’ roll makes them an ideal choice for scoring. The performance features 18 Zeppelin tunes, including “Stairway to Heaven,” “Heartbreaker,” “Black Dog” and “Immigrant Song.” Delivering a note-for-note interpretation, vocalist Randy Jackson (lead singer of the rock band Zebra), shrieks brilliantly, acting as a window between the audience and reworked material. “The music itself is one thing, but Jackson more than captures the spirit of legendary Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant,” said Havens. Arrive early for pre-concert activities in the North Plaza beginning at 7 p.m. with The Pavilion Partners, Fidelity Investments, Century 21 Realty Partners, Renewal by Andersen and Woodforest National Bank.
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Fulfilling The Pavilion’s Mission An important element of The Pavilion’s mission is to provide educational outreach programs about the performing arts to students in the greater Houston area. Every year, The Pavilion touches the lives of approximately 40,000 students and their families through a variety of educational outreach programs. One of The Pavilion’s newest education programs is Arts Day Out. Created in 2015, Arts Day Out provides the opportunity for kindergarten through 2nd grade students to venture outside the classroom during STAAR testing. Specially designed for “flex” elementary schools, or schools that serve kindergarten through sixth grade students, this program allows CISD students to experience the arts in an intimate setting. Held in the House of Blues tent, a performance by Houston Grand Opera’s “Opera to Go” program will educate and entertain more than 300 students. Another great educational program is the annual Hats Off to Reading Celebration, sponsored by the Montgomery County Book Festival. The free event takes place April 22 in conjunction with Peking Acrobats with the Houston Symphony at The Pavilion. Kids are invited to join the fun in The Pavilion’s House of Blues Hospitality Tent beginning at 6 p.m.
All children receive a free book and can participate in activities such as a book walk, hat-making, face painting, fishing for prizes and a coloring contest. Sponsors of this year’s Hats Off to Reading event include Dr. George and Diane Kaufman, Scholastic Book Fairs, Junior League of The Woodlands, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Chick-fil-A of The Woodlands, Conroe Independent School District, Montgomery County Memorial Library System, St. Anthony of Padua Library and Lamar Elementary School PTO. Musical Scores, one of The Pavilion’s most successful educational outreach programs, has grown from serving 200 students its first year to 6,000 students and teachers in 2014. The program primarily serves academically at-risk middle school students who earn the privilege to attend a special event at The Pavilion by displaying model behavior and achieving specific scholastic goals. Once the students have achieved their goals, or “musical scores,” they are rewarded to a free performance at The Pavilion and lunch sponsored by Aramark. The students also receive complimentary Musical Scores T-shirts for their achievement. For more information on The Pavilion’s educational outreach programs, visit www.woodlandscenter.org.