About the Orchestra
The pit orchestra for this year’s Urbana Park District Youth Summer Theatre production is comprised of members of the Urbana Pops Orchestra (UPO). The idea for UPO was hatched eight years ago on a night much like this one. The production that year was The Sound of Music. It required a fuller orchestra than usual so 22 local musicians were enlisted to play in the pit. The resulting sound was remarkable, and something that the musicians wanted to repeat and expand upon.
The following year, in the summer of 2010, Urbana Pops Orchestra was created – continuing to provide the pit orchestra for the Urbana Park District productions of Once Upon a Mattress, Anything Goes, Lucky Stiff, The Music Man, Annie, The Pajama Game, and this year's production of Willy Wonka, but also performing as a larger ensemble.
UPO offers free or affordable concerts; plays accessible, pops repertoire; and gives talented youth musicians the real-world experience of playing in a professional ensemble with minimal rehearsal time.
For more information, visit UrbanaPops.org. UPO is supported in part by a grant from the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois and a City of Urbana Arts Grant. We're grateful to be affiliated with the Urbana Park District and Urbana School District #116.
Urbana Pops Board of Directors
John Gorecki
Eve Harwood
Richard King, Treasurer
Sheri Langendorf
Kellie Larson
Tim Larson
Debra Levey Larson, President Pops Business Partners
Diane Marlin International Galleries
Mark Netter Dr. G’s Brainworks
Liesel Wildhagen Piano People
Premier Print Group
Urbana Pops Affiliates Urbana Free Library
Urbana Park District Volition
Urbana School District #116
