LAKEPORT, Calif. – Broadway came to Lake County in grand fashion on Sunday, May 11, when the Lake County Symphony teamed up with vocalist Shelly Trumbo-Mascari and the talented young musicians of the CLPA Youth Orchestra, to present selections from a series of blockbuster musicals.

The afternoon concert at Lakeport’s Soper-Reese Theatre was sponsored by Clear Lake Performing Arts.

Entitled “Salute to Broadway” the concert was a compilation of some of the biggest hits from the hottest musicals produced during the golden years of the Great White Way – the 1920s to the 1960s, selected and usually arranged by the orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor John Parkinson.

The high spirits of the Mothers Day presentation were dampened somewhat by the news that Carl Stewart, the gifted musician and singer who had enlivened past concerts, had recently died.

Announcer Doug Rhoades called for a moment of silence in the darkened theater as a memorial to Stewart, whose contributions to the local music scene had been numerous and outstanding.

Susan Condit, conductor of the CLPA Youth Orchestra, opened the show with two pieces designed to spotlight the talents of her young musicians.

The first, Matt Turner’s “Tango Expressivo,” featured the intricate and tantalizing rhythms of Argentina’s classic dance, which were performed flawlessly.

This was followed by a change in mood and tempo for the theme from “Les Miserables” with senior symphony members Andi Skelton, Sienna S’Zell, Jeff Ives, Clovice Lewis, Patricia Jekel and Austin Ivees lending background support.

At its conclusion the orchestra won extended applause for the virtuosity of its performance.

Prior to the opening of the main event Parkinson noted that open seating at the 11 a.m. rehearsal – originally intended to attract young people, who are admitted free – had resulted in a full house.

Adults – in order to enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere of the rehearsal – are charged just $5 and are seated on a “first come, first served” basis.

“Everyone knows these songs and they like to hum along,” Parkinson said, “including me, as everybody heard since I inadvertently left my mike on.”

He then proceeded to lead the orchestra through an opening medley of music from George M. Cohan, Fats Waller, Rogers and Hart, Lerner and Lowe and others, all segueing into the following number with no breaks between.

At this point the program shifted from a shotgun selection of hits to music from individual musicals, starting with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I,” which included “Whistle a Happy Tune” and “March of the Siamese Children.”

“The Sound of Music” featured nearly a dozen numbers, with favorites such as “Sixteen going on Seventeen,” “Getting to Know You” and “Edelweiss” as well as a few familiar to theatergoers but which were eliminated from the movie version.

“The Quest” from “Man of La Mancha” – known more popularly as “The Impossible Dream” – was original slated to be sung by Carl Stewart, but in his unfortunate absence was played by the entire 60-plus member orchestra.

“Fiddler on the Roof” saw the symphonic dances “Wedding Dance No.1,” the “Perchik & Hodel” dance, “Chava Sequence” and “To Life Dance.”

After intermission the ladies of the CLPA Auxiliary auctioned off a basket of special Mothers Day gifts as a fundraising device.

Parkinson also presented a special commendation to violist Aaron Bielenberg, a CLPA scholarship recipient who has played for most of his young life with, first, the youth orchestras of CLPA and finally as a member of the symphony.

He also gave special recognition to Youth Orchestra Conductor Condit and Symphony concertmaster Andi Skelton. Both are not only orchestra members, but also play key roles in CLPA youth music activities.

“I don’t know what we would do without them” Parkinson said.

After a second-half introduction of George and Ira Gershwin’s “Strike up the Band” vocalist Shelly Trumbo-Mascari took the stage to deliver her swinging version of Cole Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and then the Gershwin’s classic “Summertime.”

She ended her set with a melodic interpretation of “As Time Goes By” as arranged for her by Parkinson, who earlier had confessed that he was a lifelong devotee of Big Band music.

The shows finale was reserved for “76 Trombones” the signature piece of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” and by its end virtually the entire audience was on its feet, sending waves of applause over the performers.

The concert ended the Symphony’s current season, although the CLPA Youth Orchestra will hold its final concert at the Soper-Reese on June 9 at the usual 3 p.m. start time.

Also, groups from both orchestras will appear at the CLPA-sponsored “Art and Wine in the Park” event taking place on June 22 at Library Park in Lakeport.