The 12th annual Boston Pops brings dynamic music to Jetties Beach on August 9
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Clear your calendar for Saturday night, Aug. 9 when the 12th annual Boston Pops concert to benefit Nantucket Cottage Hospital will spread uplifting music across the expanse of Jetties Beach with a program called "Make Mine Bernstein," in honor of the famous composer Leonard Bernstein.

It is not "Nantucketstock," but the Boston Pops at Jetties Beach PHOTO BY TERRY POMMETT

The evening will feature Katie Couric as Master of Ceremonies, taking over for the late Tim Russert who held the position for the last five years, special guest performer Joel Grey, who will present a spectacular song and dance routine after the intermission, a roster of Bernstein's most famous numbers and a show of fireworks to end the event accompanied by the rousing "1812 Overture."

The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, will perform "For Lenny," written by John Williams; "Overture to Candide;" three dance variations from the show "Fancy Free;" a mambo from "West Side Story;" the love theme from "On the Waterfront" and a medley from "Bernstein on Broadway," including "New York, New York" and "Lonely Town" from "On the Town" and "America" from "West Side Story."

Keith Lockhart will conduct the 12th Annual Pops concert to benefit the Nantucket Cottage Hospital PHOTO BY BRENT COLVIN

Katie Couric is anchor and managing editor of the "CBS Evening News," a "60 Minutes" correspondent and leads many CBS special news presentations. She has been honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast and has covered the 2008 presidential race and the State of the Union address in January held in Washington. Couric, who started her journalism career in 1979 as a desk assistant at Washington's ABC news bureau, has also covered news from Iraq, Syria and Jordan, the September 11 World Trade Center attacks and many more important historical events.

Performer Joel Grey, whose program is to be announced on stage, brings his pianist and music director Frank Fiore and drummer Ray Marchica to this year's Pops. Grey has just celebrated 50 years on the New York stage, and most recently played the Wizard of Oz in Broadway's hit musical, "Wicked." He is well-known for his performanes in "Cabaret," "George M!," "Goodtime Charlie," "Silverlake" and "Chicago." He was discovered at age 16 by the late Eddie Cantor who brought him to the nation's attention on "The Colgate Comedy Hour." He is credited with numerous other performances on television and on stage, including spots on TV's "Crossing Jordan" and "Alias." In 1993, the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis named him "A Living New York Landmark."

Conductor Keith Lockhart is marking his 14th season with the Boston Pops Orchestra, and last year passed a milestone of 1,000 concert events. He has done 66 TV shows and received an Emmy nomination for the 2002 July Fourth broadcast. He has led the Pops on 31 national tours, four tours in Europe, received acclaim at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall as well as in many other venues, and self-produced three orchestra recordings since 2004 along with eight albums done with RCA Victor. He will perform Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann" with the Boston Lyric Opera this year, and has been named artistic advisor with the North Carolina Summer Educational Institute and Festival.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra was founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881. The Pops held its first concert in its namesake city in 1885, which were called "Promenade Concerts" until 1900, but did not differ greatly from the presentations of today. Arthur Fiedler, who became the orchestra's 18th conductor in 1930, had seen his dream of holding free outdoor concerts for Boston's residents come true in 1929 with the establishment of the Esplanade Concerts on the Charles River. After his death in 1979, a series of conductors filled his role, including the legendary John Williams who stepped down in 1993 and was replaced by Lockhart in 1995.

Last year, after expenses, the Pops raised more than $1 million for the island's hospital. The Boston Pops is sponsored by Nantucket Island Resorts and Jill and Stephen Karp.

Special transportation to and from the concert for the elderly, disabled or physically impaired may be arranged by calling Linda Williams at 228- 4556 or 508-221-0432. Transport will run from the Washington Street Saltmarsh Senior Center between 4:30 and 6:45 p.m. to a special beach section with wheelchair access.

Please be advised that the Jetties concession stand, tennis courts and beach will be closed to the public all day, Saturday, Aug. 9 to prepare for the event. North Beach Street will be open for drop-off only. Hulbert Avenue and Bathing Beach Road will be closed to traffic Saturday afternoon and evening. Direct-route NRTA shuttles to Jetties will not run. I