KRISTIN CHENOWETH, KERMIT THE FROG AND MISS PIGGY, AND THE JOFFREY BALLET JOIN THE CELEBRATION WITH FIREWORKS

Friday, September 15, and Saturday, September 16 at 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday's concert is sponsored by 21st Century Insurance Company;

Saturday's concert is sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

A once-in-a-lifetime party will celebrate the culmination of a 16-year partnership for John Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra - a collaboration like no other - on September 15 and 16 at 8:30 p.m., and September 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Hollywood Bowl in the annual Fireworks Finale concerts. On hand, as John assumes the title of Founding Director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, are Tony Award-winner Kristin Chenoweth with her inimitable vocal style; everyone's favorite Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy - singing from the American songbook; and members of the Joffrey Ballet recreate Nijinsky's ravishing choreography to Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, all in an evening of song, dance and toasting - while making musical history together. Plus world premieres of works by Richard Rodney Bennett, Danny Elfman, and Adam Guettel created especially for this weekend.

After more than 300 concerts John Mauceri steps downs as the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Director - a position created for him by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association in 1991. He assumes the title of Founding Director of the Orchestra and plans to appear as guest conductor for concerts with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in years to come. Mauceri was recently appointed Chancellor of the North Carolina School of the Arts, a role he assumed on July 1. The school, which is both a residential high school and college, has individual schools of music, drama, dance, design and production, and filmmaking, and is located in Winston-Salem.

Born in New York City in 1945, conductor/composer JOHN MAUCERI graduated from Yale University. He made his professional conducting debut in 1973 at Wolf Trap. Since his 1974 orchestral conducting debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mr. Mauceri has appeared with numerous major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Gewandhaus, the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Orchestre National de France, the DSO Berlin, the Leipzig Radio Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Portugal in Lisbon. Much in demand as an operatic conductor, he has led productions at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera and the Deutsche Oper, Berlin. Mr. Mauceri is one of the world's most accomplished recording artists and is the recipient of Grammy, Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, Edison, Emmy, Diapason d'Or, Cannes Classique, Billboard, and four Deutsche Schallplatten awards. In 1999, Mr. Mauceri was chosen as a "Standard-bearer of the Twentieth Century" for WQXR, the nation's most-listened-to classical radio station. In addition, CNN and CNN International chose Mauceri as a "Voice of the Millennium." Mauceri has just concluded his sixth and final season as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Opera, where he led productions of Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, with soprano Jane Eaglen in the title role, as well as Puccini's Tosca and Mozart's Così fan tutte. This past winter Mauceri conducted Leipzig's legendary Gewandhaus Orchestra for the 7th consecutive season, which is unprecedented in the orchestra's 200-year history. He will be appearing with them in four different programs in 2007 and 2008. This winter he also completed the world premiere recording of Danny Elfman's first work for symphonic orchestra, Serenada Schizophrana, which was recorded in Los Angeles and will be released on Sony Classical this autumn.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH is at ease on any stage. Broadway audiences know this well. Many remember her show-stealing, Tony-winning performance in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and her triumphant star turn when she originated the role of Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, which earned her a Tony Award nomination. Television fans know her as Annabeth Schott on The West Wing, and moviegoers caught her in the film version of Bewitched with Nicole Kidman, The Pink Panther with Steve Martin, and RV with Robin Williams. This year, her slate of films includes Running with Scissors with Gwyneth Paltrow and Annette Bening, Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson and Deck the Halls with Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick. Chenoweth hopes to begin production soon in the biographical role of Dusty Springfield. A veteran of the concert scene, Kristin took the stage in a solo sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall in 2004 and continues to tour the country. Chenoweth was in London for a theater production of Divas at Donmar for director Sam Mendes which opened to rave reviews. Following her triumph in London, Chenoweth has performed with The New York Philharmonic, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. One of her proudest accomplishments recently was having the privilege to perform Candide with The New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. Recent performances include her sold-out Los Angeles solo debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, an evening at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and the Washington National Opera's 50th Anniversary Gala with Placido Domingo. Next, Kristin will have the honor of playing her solo concert at the famed Metropolitan Opera House in January 2007. Chenoweth is also an accomplished recording artist, and has released the albums Let Yourself Go, As I Am and is gearing up for her third album later this year.

THE JOFFREY BALLET was founded by Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino and had its inaugural performance on October 2, 1956 at Frostberg State Teachers College in Maryland. The Joffrey's first performance in a major city took place in Chicago in 1957 at the Eighth Street Theater. The Joffrey has performed in over 400 U.S. cities and in all 50 states. International tours include Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Syria, Taiwan and Turkey. The Joffrey Ballet was the first American company to tour the former Soviet Union, and the first dance company to perform at the White House. The Joffrey also pioneered dance on television, inaugurating public television's Dance in America series. In 2003, director Robert Altman made a feature film called The Company, based on The Joffrey Ballet. Originally established in New York in 1956, The Joffrey was the resident ballet company at City Center for many years. The Joffrey was also the resident ballet company of the Los Angeles Music Center from 1982 to 1992. Finally, in 1995, The Joffrey Ballet made Chicago its permanent home and is currently the resident ballet company of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Friday, September 15, 8:30 PM

Saturday, September 16, 8:30 PM

Sunday, September, 17, 7:30 PM

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

Hollywood Bowl Orchestra

John Mauceri, conductor

Kristin Chenoweth, special guest

Members of the Joffrey Ballet, special guests

Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, special guests

Friday's Concert is Sponsored by 21st Century Insurance Company;

Saturday's Concert is Sponsored by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

Tickets ($5 - 111) are on sale now online at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office, or by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records and Ritmo Latino locations). Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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