Santa Rosa's Wells Fargo Center Presents a Night of Bernstein and Sondheim

Santa Rosa Symphony performs at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts

The hugely popular Kendall-Jackson Symphony Pops Series, which stages three different programs throughout its season at the beautiful Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa , is bringing a sampling of musical-theater favorites to Sonoma County later this month.

On the evenings of Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 26 and 27, the Pops Series presents “Broadway Salutes Bernstein & Sondheim.” A pair of Broadway veterans will sing selections from “Sweeney Todd,” “Company,” “West Side Story,” and several other works by legends Stephen Sondheim and late great Leonard Bernstein, to the accompaniment of music by the Santa Rosa Symphony (http://www.santarosasymphony.com) (SRS).

Acclaimed drummer Michael Berkowitz, the conductor of the Symphony Pops Series, will share stories of his work with both Sondheim and Bernstein – Berkowitz has also performed with Elton John, Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Feinstein, and countless other luminaries over the years, as well as led a number of prominent orchestras.

The Wells Fargo Center, which participates in Sonoma Gay Pride each year by staging an LGBT Comedy Show (the date is June 4 this year, and the comedians are Ali Mafi and Julie Goldman), has long presented works of great resonance and popularity with the gay community.

And if you thought a night of Sondheim and Bernstein fits this description, consider the next and final installment of this year’s Kendall-Jackson Symphony Pops Series: On April 2 and 3, the SRS teams with the world’s leading Bee Gees tribute band for “Stayin’ Alive – The Bees Gees Tribute.”