The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra will bring its unmistakable sound and artistry to downtown Jamestown’s Reg Lenna Center for the Arts with a performance featuring the music of Aretha Franklin.
The concert is at 8 p.m. tonight at the Reg Lenna Center for The Arts in nearby Jamestown, New York, and titled “Aretha: A Tribute.” Under the baton of the CSO’s Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz, the evening features all-star singer and Broadway favorite Capathia Jenkins, who first performed at Chautauqua in 2018, along with Darryl Williams. The program includes iconic hits such as “Respect,” “Think,” “A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” “Amazing Grace,” and many more.
Best known for her work on Broadway, Jenkins has appeared in such shows like Caroline, or Change, Newsies, and Martin Short’s Fame Becomes Me. Williams has toured extensively in the Broadway hit Smokey Joe’s Cafe with the legendary Gladys Knight, and has performed in the Off-Broadway shows Mama I Want to Sing and Big Mama Stringbean: the life of Ethel Waters
This performance represents a first-time undertaking for the 91-year-old symphony, the resident orchestra of Chautauqua Institution. It follows the Institution’s vision to expand its impact in the region and beyond by taking Chautauqua’s celebrated mission and programs beyond the grounds of the Institution.
Admission to this performance is not included in the Traditional Gate Pass; tickets can be purchased through the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts box office at 716-484-7070 or in person at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts Box Office at 116 East 3rd Street in Jamestown, up until the time of the show.
In addition to support from The Chautauqua/Jamestown Fund for Education, Religion and the Performing Arts, this concert is made possible by the Fund for Downtown Programming awarded through the Jamestown Local Development Corporation and made possible by the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.
Editor’s note: This event did not take place as scheduled, as many Institution events were canceled following an incident in the Amphitheater on Friday, August 12.
