The first half of the program will feature classic expressions from the world of symphonic and operatic music. The overture comes to us from the the timeless story of the two "starcrossed lovers," Romeo and Juliet, as it was cast in operatic form by Vincenzo Bellini. An elegant Mozartean conversation between two soloists will follow, along with a "Sad Waltz" by Sibelius and a lush interlude from Mascagni's masterpiece, Cavalleria Rusticana.

For sheer beauty and romantic passion, it is hard to beat the music of Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924). His operas were part of the verismo movement, which deals with realistic characters and subjects from everyday life, rather than grandiose mythic heroes.

In "0 mio babbino caro" ("0 My Beloved Daddy") from Puccini's Gianni Schicchi (1918), the young Lauretta pleads with her father to help her find a way to marry her beloved Rinuccio. The opera is a playful farce, but this little gem of an aria has become one of opera's greatest hits! It's easy to see that Lauretta knows very well how to touch her father's heart.

The first act of Puccini's La Boheme ends with a captivating story of love at first sight. Rodolfo and Mimi meet as she comes to his door asking for a light for her candle. He is smitten by her beauty, and realizes quickly that she is very fragile and delicate. He is an aspiring poet, and sings to her of his dreams and hopes as in "Che gelida manina" ("Your Tiny Hand is Frozen"). In "Mi chiamano Mimi" ("They Call Me Mimi") she tells him of the beautiful roses she embroiders to make her scant living, and about her longing for the warmth of spring. Her song is even more poignant because we know she may be too ill to survive the winter. By the end of "0 soave fanciulla" ("0 Lovely Maiden, Your Face Bathed In the Moonlight") they are hopelessly in love!

The second half of the program is drawn mostly from the world of musical theater.

Should we make a great distinction between operas and musicals? Musical drama has always been about reaching out to the listeners heart. Around the world, many great songs like "Tonight" from West Side Story are recognized as the equal of almost any operatic aria, while in America, we tend to think "It's only a musical!" Great, passionate songs, whether written as an operatic aria or as a scene in a musical, are meant to make the heart swell, and perhaps even bring a tear to the eye.

The stunning success in recent years of lavish productions of Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, among others, have kept theatrical music in the forefront of the public's consciousness. As was true with the operas of earlier centuries, the songs from these landmark shows have become "standards" that are known and loved far and wide. The electronic media of our time has spread this popularity abroad on a scale only dreamed of in years gone by,

Musicals by Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern and many others have produced unforgettable hours of entertainment and many songs that are instantly recognizable, even though the shows in which they appeared are long forgotten! "All the Things You Are" is from Kern's musical Very Warm For May. Richard Rodgers "With a Song In My Heart" is from a show called Spring is Here.

In a sense, an operetta is the European equivalent of a musical. Franz Lehar's "Dein ist mein Ganzes Herz" (" My Heart Is Yours Alone") is from his operetta The Land of A thousand Smiles, which was written in 1929. The American musical was in its early stages about that time. Kern's landmark musical Showboat appeared in 1927.

It might pay to watch the stage after the final number! The Maestro hints the evening may end with a bonus - a wonderful song from another great version of the Romeo and Juliet story