Richard Rodgers Day With Jason Carr & Friends

24th July 2014, Ryedale Festival

An event for all lovers of Musical Theatre, Music Hall and the Popular Song.

A double-concert celebration of arguably the greatest and most versatile popular melodist of them all, introduced by Edward Seckerson, former chief classical music critic with the Independent, and music critic for The Times, The Guardian, and BBC Music Magazine. Accompaniment and piano solos by pianist and musical director, Jason Carr, orchestrator for the 5 Olivier Award-winning London revival of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Sunday in the Park with George’, and winner of the Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award nomination. Seckerson and Carr present a selection of Rodgers best songs, from The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, Carousel, The King and I and South Pacific, and also some rarely heard gems from the archive.

In addition to top quality music from the Rodgers songbook, between concerts there will be an opportunity to picnic in the idyllic grounds of Queen Margaret’s School, and also a chance to view a one-off exhibition of Richard Rodgers memorabilia, arranged specially for the Ryedale Festival.

Afternoon concert features Olivier nominee Anna Francolini. Carr and Francolini come to the Ryedale Festival hot from their extremely well received performance of Rodgers Revealed at St. James Theatre as part of the London Festival of Cabaret.

Evening concert led by vocalist Charlotte Wakefield – recipient of rave reviews and an Olivier nomination for her recent performances as Maria in The Sound of Music at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – and Tim Rogers, recently praised for his uncompromising and searing portrayal of “The Man”, in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind.

Between events 32 and 33 there will be a picnic opportunity in the grounds of Queen Margaret’s School and an exhibition of Richard Rodgers memorabilia.

Anna Francolini (vocalist), Charlotte Wakefield (vocalist), Tim Rogers (vocalist), Jason Carr (piano) & Edward Seckerson (host)

Read a review of this concert when it was performed as part of the London Festival of Cabaret at the St James Theatre Studio, London – ‘From the moment the piano started up with those well-known tunes deftly strung together by the pianist and composer Jason Carr, we knew we were in for a special evening, but not quite how special . . . .