Pride Night: Alex Newell and the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus
Lead Season Sponsor
Friday, June 5, 2026, 7:30pm
BOSTON POPS
KEITH LOCKHART conducting
Comedy Tonight, from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Sondheim—arr. Sebesky
Times Square: 1944, from On the Town
Bernstein
Presenting THE BOSTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS
Reuben Reynolds, music director
From Now On, from The Greatest Showman
Pasek/Paul—orch. Darrah
I Sing Out
Hayes—orch. Darrah
Beautiful
Perry—arr. Weirick/orch. Urie
Coming Out Medley
arr. Volpe/orch. Urie
Freedom Medley
arr. Volpe/orch. Urie
INTERMISSION
Carousel Waltz
Rodgers—arr. Walker
All That Jazz, from Chicago
Kander/Ebb—arr. Besterman
Presenting ALEX NEWELL
with the Boston Gay Men's Chorus
Selections to be announced from the stage
When can I take photos and videos? You are welcome (and encouraged!) to take photos and videos before and after the concert, and at intermission. Symphony Hall makes for a beautiful backdrop! Photos, videos, and audio recordings are strictly prohibited during the performance. At that time, be a great neighbor to your fellow concertgoers, put your phone or camera away, and enjoy the moment!
Guests are expected to drink responsibly. Intoxication will not be tolerated. Intervention with an impaired guest will be handled in a prompt and safe manner, which may include ejection from the premises.
The Boston Pops welcomes: Jason Corbin; Harvard Outings & Innings; Diana K. Hunt; MIT Activities Committee; Ms. Linda Tatten; Teach for America
Steve Colby, Sound Designer | Pamela Smith, Lighting Designer
The Boston Pops Orchestra may be heard on Boston Pops Recordings, RCA Victor, Sony Classical, and Philips Records.
Steinway & Sons Pianos, selected exclusively for Symphony Hall.
Special thanks to Fidelity Investments, Lead Season Sponsor, and Fairmont Copley Plaza, Official Hotel of the Boston Pops.
New arrangements and works for the Boston Pops are generously supported by the Cecile Higginson Murphy Pops Programming Fund.
Broadcasts of the Boston Pops are heard on 99.5 WCRB.
Programs and artists subject to change.
The BSO’s 2025-26 season is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Inc.
Board of Trustees | Board of Advisors | Staff and Administration
-
![]()
Boston Pops
Led by conductor Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, known affectionately as “America’s Orchestra,” performs an exciting and eclectic mix of orchestral arrangements from a wide range of traditions including Broadway and the great American songbook, film music, classical, jazz, pop, country, folk, and, of course, holiday classics. The Pops was created in 1885 as the “light classical” summer season venture of the Boston Symphony. The Boston Pops Orchestra reached its current iconic status during the 50-year tenure of the legendary Arthur Fiedler, who was succeeded in 1980 by the equally renowned film composer John Williams. Keith Lockhart took the helm in 1995. It was Fiedler who started the tradition of Pops performances on the Charles River Esplanade, including the annual Fourth of July celebration, brought the Pops to television with Evening at Pops (1970-2004), and initiated Holiday Pops, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2023. Fiedler welcomed to our stages dynamic, world-class guest artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Julia Child, and Bob Hope. That tradition continues today with Keith Lockhart working with such stars as Brian Stokes Mitchell, The B-52s, Chaka Khan, Nick Jonas, and Rhiannon Giddens. With the Pops, Keith has made 81 television shows, led 45 national and 5 overseas tours, led the Pops at several high-profile sporting events including the Super Bowl, and recorded fourteen albums. Through it all the orchestra has remained of the most recorded, familiar, and beloved ensembles in the world today.
-
![]()
Keith Lockhart
Keith Lockhart is the second longest-tenured conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra since its founding in 1885. He took over as conductor in 1995, following John Williams’s thirteen-year tenure from 1980 to 1993; Mr. Williams succeeded the legendary Arthur Fiedler, who was at the helm of the orchestra for nearly fifty years. Keith Lockhart, who occupies the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor chair, has conducted more than 2,100 Boston Pops concerts and annual Boston Pops appearances at Tanglewood, as well as 45 national tours and 5 international tours to Japan and Korea. The annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular conducted by Mr. Lockhart draws a live audience of over half a million to the Charles River Esplanade and millions more who view it on television or live webcast. He has led eight albums on RCA Victor/BMG Classics; recent releases on Boston Pops Recordings include A Boston Pops Christmas–Live from Symphony Hall, The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers, and Lights, Camera… Music! Six Decades of John Williams. The list of nearly 300 guest artists with whom Keith Lockhart has collaborated represents performers from virtually every corner of the entertainment world. Having recently completed an eight- year tenure as principal conductor, he is now chief guest conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in London; he is also artistic director of the Brevard Music Center summer institute and festival in North Carolina. Prior to his BBC appointment, he spent eleven years as music director of the Utah Symphony. He has appeared as a guest conductor with virtually every major symphonic ensemble in North America and many in Asia and Europe. Before coming to Boston, he was the associate conductor of both the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops orchestras, as well as music director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. For more on Keith Lockhart, visit www.bso.org/keith-lockhart or bostonpops.org.
-
![Alex Newell headshot]()
Alex Newell
Alex Newell recently made history with their Tony Award win for the hit musical Shucked. They are a Drama Desk Award Winner and a recipient of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical. Newell starred as the God “Asaka” in the 2018 Broadway revival of Once On This Island. This show earned Newell a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album, and the show won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
-
![Boston Gay Men's Chorus group photo]()
Boston Gay Men's Chorus
Founded in 1982, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) is one of New England’s largest and most successful community-based choruses. The 300+ voice ensemble is widely recognized for its exceptional musicianship, bold and imaginative programming, and deep commitment to community engagement and education.
BGMC performs a broad repertoire spanning classical masterworks, contemporary choral music, and popular genres. Through its artistry, the Chorus creates social change by uplifting LGBTQ+ voices and presenting a powerful, affirming vision of queer identity, resilience, and joy.
Each season, BGMC reaches thousands of audience members in concert and millions more through recordings, television, and digital broadcasts. The Chorus has been named one of Boston’s “Top 5 Choruses” by CBS-WBZ, and the Boston Business Journal has recognized BGMC as one of the city’s top ten performing arts organizations annually since 2018.
Internationally, BGMC serves as a cultural ambassador for the LGBTQ+ community, making history as the first LGBTQ+ chorus to perform in Poland (2005), the Middle East (2015), and South Africa (2018). Through music, BGMC continues to build bridges, foster understanding, and champion equity both at home and around the world.
Boston Pops Major Corporate Sponsors, 2025-26 Season
The Boston Pops and Symphony Hall major corporate sponsorships reflect the increasing importance of alliance between business and the arts. The Boston Pops is honored to be associated with the following companies and gratefully acknowledges their partnership. For information regarding BSO, Boston Pops, and/or Tanglewood sponsorship opportunities, contact Joan Jolley, Director of Corporate Partnerships, at (617) 638-9279 or jjolley@bso.org.