Article By: The Press
A symphony of love:You will not only hear a symphony, you will see a symphony, and hear and see dynamic vocal soloists, including soprano Marina Costa-Jackson, above, in the Allentown Symphony’s Valentine’s Day weekend concerts of “Puccini’s Greatest Hits,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 and 3 p.m. Feb. 14, Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown. Costa-Jackson performs arias from Puccini’s “Tosca” and “Madame Butterfly” with tenor Dominick Chenes. Scenes from Puccini’s “La Boheme,” “Gianni Schicchi” and “La Rondine” feature soprano Vanessa Vasquez and tenor Galeano Salas. Salas also performs the aria, “Nessun Dorma,” from Puccini’s “Turandot.” The New York Times has praised the young Italian-American soprano, Costa-Jackson, for being “dramatically and musically alluring.” Last year alone, Costa-Jackson won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Gerda Lissner Foundation and the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competitions. Tickets: Miller Symphony Hall Box Office, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown; allentownsymphony.org; 610-432-6715
The Hit Men rescheduled:When the Mid-Atlantic states got hit by the Blizzard of 2016, the concert by The Hit Men, scheduled for Jan. 23, was postponed until 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton. The Hit Men, above, are composed of former members of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, including drummer Gerry Polci, who sang on The Four Seasons’ hit, “Oh What a Night,” and keyboard player Lee Shapiro, who not only toured with the Four Seasons but with Tommy James and the Shondells. The band has been together for five years. The Hit Men includes lead guitarist-vocalist Jimmy Ryan, bassist-vocalist Larry Gates and vocalist Russ Velazquez, each of whom has recorded with or backed up in concert well-known contemporary pop stars. The Hit Men perform the Four Seasons’ “Rag Doll,” “Dawn,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Of You” and “Sherry,” and hits by other performers, including Jim Croce’s “Leroy Brown,” Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” and Tommy James’ “Mony Mony.” Tickets: State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton St., Easton; statetheatre.org, 1-800-999-STATE, 610-252-3132