After a whirlwind of a year, OPAS is pleased to announce the four concerts heading to the Brazos Valley this fall as part of the 2021-22 “Let’s Get Together” season. These will be the first live performances presented by OPAS in Rudder since the COVID-19 pandemic halted the performing arts industry in the spring of 2019. The 2022 spring performances, which will include multiple national tours of Broadway musicals, will be announced at a later time.
“While there are no Broadway shows on our fall lineup, we are very excited to present top-notch award-winning Broadway and West End performers – including two Tony Award nominated actors in concert, Michael Cavanaugh and J. Robert Spencer,” explains OPAS Executive Director Anne Black. “OPAS audiences will recognize Bobby because he’s also in the popular group The Midtown Men. And just wait until you hear The Barricade Boys sing at our opening night performance! As for The Kingdom Choir? Their joyful message is exactly what we need at this time.”
The season begins on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. with The Barricade Boys at Texas A&M University’s Rudder Auditorium. Direct from London, these stars from the West End production of the world's longest running musical, “Les Misérables,” are Britain’s newest and most electrifying vocal group. Their powerhouse vocals and slick dance routines transport audiences as they perform an array of iconic songs. Expect powerhouse ballads, beautiful operatic arias, pop, rock, and swing numbers, along with showstoppers from Broadway shows including “Jersey Boys,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Wicked,” and, of course, “Les Misérables.”
Michael Cavanaugh will rock Rudder Auditorium Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Named “Entertainer of the Year,” by Reuters and the “New Voice of the American Rock ‘n Roll Songbook” by Billboard Magazine, Cavanaugh scored his big break when Billy Joel handpicked him for the lead in Broadway’s smash hit “Movin’ Out.” The role garnered him rave reviews and accolades, culminating with Grammy and Tony Award nominations. In this one-night-only concert, he will lead his band through the biggest hits by Billy Joel and Elton John.
On Tuesday, Nov. 16, Broadway star J. Robert Spencer takes to the Rudder Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. with “7,000 Miles to Broadway.” Expect a concert full of radio and Broadway hits across a variety of genres and multiple decades. Go back in time on a road trip in the family wood-paneled yellow station wagon where Spencer grew up singing classic country, rock, and Broadway hits. This is the music that helped pave his way to starring in some of the biggest hits on Broadway, including “Jersey Boys” and “Next to Normal,” for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor. This concert has something for everyone, from Willie Nelson’s country twang to the smooth crooning sounds of Frank Sinatra to the pop favorites of Frankie Valli.
The fall season wraps up with a holiday concert from The Kingdom Choir on Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Rudder Auditorium. Led by award-winning gospel choir conductor Karen Gibson, London’s The Kingdom Choir shot to stardom in 2018 when their performance of “Stand by Me” was celebrated by a global audience of over two billion. The ensemble built on their worldwide fame later that same year when Coca-Cola tapped them to sing “Holidays Are Coming” for their Christmas ad. Gibson founded the group in 1994 with a mission to form a choir that draws from various gospel traditions and creates a sound that reflects the community they share. Their warm energy and enthusiastic performance will have audiences making joyful noise and dancing in their seats.
“We started the pandemic with a simple message about the healing power of the arts,” Black says. “We kept that message at top of mind when considering what programs to put on the stage this fall. It is our hope that patrons will join us back in Rudder for all four of these events because each carries a special message of coming together.”
Season ticket holders from the 2019-20 season must order their tickets to these fall concerts by June 30. Single tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, July 15 at the MSC Box Office at (979) 845-1234 and online at MSCOPAS.org. Follow @MSCOPAS on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information about OPAS.