The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra will be performing at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA on Saturday, August 6, 2016. The Pops will be joined by guest conductor, Bob Bernhardt, Principal Pops Conductor for the Louisville Pops as well as special guest and Tony Award Nominee, Megan Hilty, an accomplished American musical theatre performer, television actress, singer and solo artist best known for her roles as Ivy Lynn in NBC’s musical-drama Smash and Glinda in Wicked, her Broadway debut. Hilty has had her debut performing with the Boston Pops in March of 2013 and performed again to great fanfare in their 2014 July 4th Fireworks Spectacular.
This spring Hilty received critical acclaim for her role as Brooke Ashton in Broadway’s Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Noises Off, for which she earned several nominations, including a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award and won a Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Featured Actress in a Play. Earlier this year, she recurred on Bravo’s dramedy Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce and the final season of CBS’ The Good Wife. She is also known for her roles as Doralee Rhodes in Broadway’s 9 to 5: The Musical, Lorelei Lee in the Encores! Production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and NBC’s comedy Sean Saves the World. Her vocals and songs have been featured in numerous films and TV shows as well as alongside Placido Domingo on the opera star’s duet album. Hilty released a new live album comprised of songs from her recent concert tour in May, Megan Hilty Live at the Café Carlyle. This summer, she will appear in Hulu’s Difficult People and CBS’ BrainDead and continue to tour abroad, making her Australian debut as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival.
The Boston Pops is one of the most acclaimed and beloved orchestras in the nation, known for its lively performances of popular music from the past and present. This is the Boston Pops’ first time performing at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, an iconic National Historic Landmark preserved and cared for by The Trustees, Massachusetts’ largest conservation and preservation nonprofit. Castle Hill has a long history of performances by acclaimed musicians, bands, and symphonies, such as Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Shawn Colvin, Judy Collins and many others. In addition the New England Conservatory of Music ran a summer school at the estate in the 1960s. The Trustees has been featuring a popular summer Picnic Concert Series on the property since 1996, which averages crowds of 1,000-2,000 per concert each year.
“This concert is an unprecedented opportunity to experience the amazing Boston Pops and Megan Hilty together in one of Massachusetts’ most iconic settings,” says Barbara Erickson, Trustees President & CEO. “We look forward to welcoming new faces, as well as our many Trustees members and supporters, to enjoy this historic evening on our beautiful Grand Allée at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate.”
“The Boston Pops is thrilled to partner with the Trustees during their 125th Anniversary this spring,” said Dennis Alves, Boston Pops Director of Artistic Planning. “The Castle Hill property is one of the most picturesque public parks in Massachusetts, and we’re all looking forward to a beautiful evening of music, picnics, and mid-summer fun along with our very special guest Megan Hilty.”
General public tickets are now on sale with a total of 10,000 tickets available. Prices: $60/Trustees member general admission; $75/nonmember general admission. Each adult ticket admits one child under 12 free; each additional child $25. A limited number of VIP tickets, which include a pre-concert and post-concert reception and artist meet/greet, are still available $500. Visit www.thetrustees.or/125 for more tickets and more information.
The Trustees is the world’s first and Massachusetts’ largest conservation and preservation nonprofit celebrating its 125th Anniversary in May. The Boston Pops Concert is a signature public event in a year-long line up of celebrations and programs being hosted at some of The Trustees most popular scenic, cultural, and natural sites throughout the anniversary year. Founded in Boston by open space visionary Charles Eliot in 1891, The Trustees became the first land preservation nonprofit of its kind in the world, sparking an international movement. Today, it owns and operates 116 beautiful beaches, historic house museums, landscaped gardens, community farms, inns, campgrounds, woodland trails and diverse natural and recreational sites around the state. With over 1.6 million visitors and over 4,100 annual events and programs in 2016, Trustees properties are an integral part of the culture and fabric of Massachusetts, offering residents and visitors endless possibilities for inspiration and recreation, all of which are becoming even more important in our increasingly digitized world.
Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, one of The Trustees’ most iconic properties, is comprised of 2,100 protected acres consisting of Castle Hill – which includes the Crane mansion or “Great House” and the Inn at Castle Hill – as well as Crane Beach and The Crane Wildlife Refuge. The property was formerly owned by Chicago industrialist Richard T. Crane, Jr. who purchased the property in 1910 because he was captivated by the beauty of the landscape. Over time he worked with eight leading architects, landscape architects, and artists to shape his summer family retreat. In 1928, Crane crowned the estate with a grand mansion designed by renowned Chicago architect David Adler. Today, the Crane Estate welcomes over 300,000 visitors from near and far and offers year-round educational and cultural programs and activities, including concerts, private functions, and SummerQuest, recognized as one of Massachusetts’ best summer programs for children.