Elgin Symphony Orchestra to perform Broadway favorites in Schaumburg, Elgin

Broadway stars Hugh Panaro and Scarlett Strallen will perform Broadway's top hits with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg and at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin, with Stephen Squires as conductor.

"Bravo Broadway!" is an evening of Tony-winning favorites performed by stars from the Broadway stage along the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. This will be a unique evening of familiar Broadway songs from "Mamma Mia," "West Side Story," "The Phantom of the Opera," and more.

Hugh Panaro is perhaps best known for having played the coveted role of the Phantom in Broadway's "The Phantom of the Opera" more than 2,000 times, including the 25th anniversary production.

In fact, Panaro is one of the few actors to be cast by Harold Prince as both The Phantom and Raoul in the show's Broadway production and recently starred as the title role in the New York production of "Sweeney Todd." He also has performed separately as both Marius and Jean Valjean in various productions of "Les Misérables."

In 2012, Panaro was honored with the Edwin Forrest Award for his long-term contribution to the theater. An active concert artist, Panaro has performed with numerous symphony orchestras including the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Philly Pops, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Seattle, Utah Symphonies and the London Sinfonietta, among many others.

Scarlett Strallen has starred in productions on Broadway, London's West End, and is a frequent soloist on the concert stage. She is currently starring on Broadway as Gwendolyn in "Travesties" and has appeared in the title role of "Mary Poppins," a role she also played in the West End, and as Sibella Hallward in "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder." In 2014, Strallen received the 'Whatsonstage' awards for best actress in a musical for "A Chorus Line" at the London Palladium and "Candide" at the Menier.

Tickets cost $35-$85. Discount pricing is available for groups of 10 or more. The Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts is at 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg; the Hemmens Cultural Center is at 45 Symphony Way, Elgin.

To purchase tickets, visit elginsymphony.org or call the ESO box office at (847) 888-4000.