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Luke Frazier and The American Pops Orchestra were proud to present UNFORGETTABLE: THE MUSIC OF NAT KING COLE at Longwood Gardens, Howard Theatre in DC, and at Lincoln Center in NYC!
This concert honored Nat King Cole’s velvety voice and his illustrious interpretations of beloved American standards featuring Justin Guarini (American Idol), Sydney James Harcourt (Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton), and Nia Drummond (2025 Winner of American Traditions Vocal Competition).
The Howard Theatre show in DC was a live TV filming for PBS! Stay tuned to watch the national airing.
American Idol
For the better part of two decades, entertainer Justin Guarini has cultivated an outstanding and eclectic portfolio in the arts. From performing for 30 million viewers each week on the groundbreaking first season of American Idol, to hosting nationally televised live red carpets for the Grammys and Emmys, to starring in seven Broadway productions including Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, American Idiot, Wicked, and In Transit, Guarini’s talent and charisma have left an indelible mark on the entertainment world.
American Traditions Vocal Competition
Celebrated as a “moving and electrifying performer” (The Wall Street Journal), singer-songwriter Nia Drummond is one of the premier vocal practitioners of Black vernacular music, from spirituals to the music of the present—a powerful voice that resonates throughout any space. Drummond has captivated audiences at such prominent venues as Apollo Theater to The Kennedy Center.
Broadway's Hamilton
A sought-after vocalist and Grammy Award-winner, Sydney James Harcourt has performed on the world’s finest concert stages including Radio City Music Hall, David Geffen Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Arthur Ashe Stadium (US Open Finals). He has appeared on and off-Broadway starring in productions, including in the original Broadway cast of cultural phenomenon Hamilton; and most recently starred as The Rum Tum Tugger in the smash hit revival Cats: The Jellicle Ball, receiving critical raves and winning an Obie Award for his performance.
The American Pops Orchestra has made it a priority to not only maintain Pre-COVID content in a virtual form, but also create new content to keep our audience engaged and our musicians employed. As an organization that strives to break the mold of concerts, we are using COVID-19 to reimagine our normal operations. Since March we have streamed two full original concerts, created solo performances by instrumentalist and vocalists, rethought our Music and Mindfulness series as a more often and virtual event, and partnered with organizations across the country in our virtual trivia series.
In addition, APO has held multiple in-person socially distanced outdoor Porch Concerts that provide our audience with the opportunity to safely see live art despite the current situation around us. Throughout the pandemic, APO has employed hundreds of musicians and artists and in a time when many other organizations couldn’t. In the words of Maestro Luke Frazier, “we never stopped.”
Moving forward, APO is proud to present our NextGen National vocal competition which will include students from across the country competing virtually for the chance to win a monetary prize and the opportunity to perform in a future APO MainStage Show. This will include a virtual audition and semi-finals with a live (COVID permitting) finals in Spring of 2021. APO has also filmed multiple productions that will be broadcast nationally on PBS. APO has been grateful to keep creating and making music despite the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and will keep working to bring you, our valued audience, original and unique content.
To support APO as we keep moving forward you can click here, so that we can continue to employ more artists and musicians. If you have any questions about what APO has been doing during the pandemic, please email [email protected]. Thank you and stay safe.
