Tuesday, February 22, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jill Graziano Laiacona

703-993-8794

MANASSAS, Va., Feb. 22, 2010 – Northern Virginia’s own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra appears at the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s Merchant Hall on Saturday, April 2 at 8 p.m. under the direction of Jim Carroll to pay homage to the great Frank Sinatra with guest vocalist Steve Lippia, one of the country’s most prominent interpreters of classic pop music. The Courier-Post praised Lippia for his “astounding approximation of Sinatra’s voice.” The program, which is titled “Simply Sinatra,” is reminiscent of Sinatra’s concerts and will include memorable tunes from such artists as Count Basie and Buddy Rich that showcase the ensemble’s great jazz instrumentalists, as well as the magnificent talent of Lippia. This performance is family friendly, and tickets are half price for youth through grade 12. A pre-performance discussion will be held one hour prior to the performance in the Hylton Center’s Buchanan Partners Art Gallery. Novant Health is the Grand Opening Season Sponsor of Hylton Presents at the Hylton Performing Arts Center.

One of the most in-demand vocalists across the nation, Steve Lippia’s youthful energetic talent combines with his masterful vocal prowess to create a perfect blend of classic and contemporary popular music, and his shows introduce a new generation to this timeless and celebrated musical genre. Lippia has performed with numerous symphonies across North America, including the Philadelphia Pops, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Pops, Boulder Philharmonic and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Pops, among others. He has headlined in numerous highly successful, extended engagements at the Rio Suites Hotel and Casino is Las Vegas and the Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, where audiences lined up for more than two hours before show time to vie for seating. He has also performed in multiple engagements for Hilton Atlantic City and Casino Windsor. In addition, Lippia has also headlined at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club in New York City, backed by the Nelson Riddle and Woody Herman orchestras. He has appeared on “Extra,” FOX’s “Good Day New York,” CNN’s “Showbiz Today,” ABC and the BBC. His critically acclaimed self-titled CD was recorded at L.A.’s Warner Bros. Studio with a 41-piece symphony. He has also released “Steve Lippia Live” and “Steve Lippia In Concert.”

Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra director and alto sax virtuoso Jim Carroll’s illustrious career includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the White House, the Kennedy Center, Royal Albert Hall and the Apollo Theatre. A versatile performer, Carroll has performed with Michael Jackson, Nancy Wilson, Maynard Ferguson, Billy Taylor, Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra (as a charter member), and many others. He has authored several volumes through Hal Leonard’s “Artists Transcriptions” series, including a collaboration with jazz legend Sonny Rollins. His arrangement and performance of “The Ballgame” can be heard at main entrance of Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Active as an educator, he is the director of Jazz Studies at George Mason University.

PLEASE NOTE: Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra will also be performing “Simply Sinatra” on Saturday, April 2 at 4 p.m. as part of the First Anniversary Gala honoring the public service of Sen. Charles J. Colgan that will take place at the Hylton Performing Arts Center from 4-8:30 p.m. Tickets to the “Simply Sinatra” performance and reception are $150. Tickets to the “Simply Sinatra” performance, reception and dinner are $300. Table sponsorships are also available. For more information about the First Anniversary Gala, or to purchase tickets to the gala, please contact Una Murphy at (703) 993-8621 or umurphy@gmu.edu.

The Hylton Performing Arts Center is pleased to recognize

Novant Health as the Grand Opening Season Sponsor

of the 2010-11 Hylton Presents season.

Tickets for “SIMPLY SINATRA” are $24, $32, $40. Visit the box office or charge by phone at 888-945-2468 or visit hyltoncenter.org. The Hylton Performing Arts Center is located on George Mason University’s Prince William Campus at 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, Va., 20110. Free parking is available in the lot next to the Hylton Center. For more information, please visit hyltoncenter.org.

About the Hylton Performing Arts Center
Dedicated to bringing a world-class performing arts venue to the Prince William region, the Hylton Performing Arts Center was born out of a partnership among Prince William County, George Mason University, the City of Manassas, the Commonwealth of Virginia and individuals and businesses in the private sector. Soaring more than nine stories and boasting a stunning mix of copper, glass and masonry, the 85,000-square foot center is home to two unparalleled performance venues for local arts groups and performers from around the world, as well as university-related activities. Modeled after the intimate European opera houses of the 19th century, Merchant Hall is a 1,140-seat multipurpose proscenium theater, which is encircled by 27 private boxes that rise three levels. The Gregory Family Theater is a flexible, 4,400-square foot space that can be configured for many different types of performances and events. In addition, the Didlake Grand Foyer, with its sweeping staircase, provides an ideal setting for community, corporate and social events. The Hylton Performing Arts Center, the only building of its kind in the area, is sure to quickly become the cultural hub of Prince William County and the surrounding communities and is a shining example of collaboration and commitment to the arts.

About George Mason University

Named the #1 national university to watch in the 2009 rankings of U.S. News & World Report, George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university.

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