Relive the 1980s with the Winston-Salem Symphony!

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The Winston-Salem Symphony is presenting Hits of the 80s! as part of its Plugged-in Pops Series on Saturday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. Guest artists will include Broadway stars Jenn Gambatese (Hairspray and Elvis Musical) and Matt Cavenaugh (West Side Story). The performance will take place at Reynolds Auditorium, 301 N. Hawthorne Road in Winston-Salem. Tickets range from $15– $60 and are available in advance by calling the Symphony Box Office at 336-464-0145 or online at www.wssymphony.org.

The 1980s were filled with some of the greatest pop music of all time. Madonna, Michael Jackson, Sting and U2 were just a few of the artists who rose to super stardom. Relive the era of scrunchies, fingerless gloves, shoulder pads, parachute pants and Doc Martens with songs like Billie Jean, Holiday, Footloose, (I’ve had The) Time of my life, Time after Time, Let’s Dance, Born in the USA and Every Breath You Take. Under the baton of Maestro Robert Moody, Music Director, the Symphony will perform these and other favorites with vocals by guest artists Jenn Gambatese and Matt Cavenaugh.

Guest artist Jenn Gambatese was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Gambatese attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. After graduation, her first professional job was playing Anne Frank in American Family Theater’s Anne Frank, A Voice Heard. She then toured both Europe and North America as Serena Katz in Fame, earning a National Broadway Theater Award nomination for the Best Actress in a Musical. Gambatese made her Broadway debut in Footloose where she played Urleen and understudied the female lead, Ariel. Gambatese returned to Broadway as Brenda in the ensemble of Hairspray. She later left Hairspray to appear in A Year With Frog and Toad. Jenn went on to originate two leading roles in the hit ‘Elvis musical’ All Shook Up – the love-struck Natalie and her alter-ego Ed. Next up was her high flying adventure as Jane in Disney’s Tarzan®. She followed that show by playing Marie in Mark Twain’s hilarious farce Is He Dead.

Guest artist Matt Cavenaugh has appeared on Broadway in shows like: West Side Story, Grey Gardens, A Catered Affair, Urban Cowboy and Thoroughly Modern Millie. He also acted in the notable Off-Broadway show Death Takes a Holiday. Cavenaugh’s regional accolades include performing at the LA Reprise, The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Williamstown Theatre Festival, George Street Playhouse, The GoodSpeed Opera House and The Denver Center.  Cavenaugh also has appeared on Law & Order, As the World Turns and One Life to Live.  He recently collaborated with his wife, Jenny Powers, on their debut album, Gonna Make You Love Me.

This concert and the Winston-Salem Symphony are sponsored by Season Presenting Sponsor Wells Fargo, Plugged-In Pops Series Co-Presenting Sponsors Womble Carlyle and Forsyth Medical Center as well as the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, and the North Carolina Arts Council.

The Winston-Salem Symphony is in its 65th season as one of the Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras. Under the baton of Music Director Robert Moody, its performance season includes: a classics series, a pops series, concerts for kids, annual  performances of Handel’s Messiah; a concert featuring Winston-Salem Symphony and Youth Symphony musicians; a Holiday Concert; three youth orchestra ensembles; and a multitude of educational and community engagement programs.  For more information visit the WSS website at: www.wssymphony.org.

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News media contact
Ann Urban
336.722.9660 or ann@capturevalue.com

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