The Philly POPS to Kick Off Spring Break With DISNEY'S BROADWAY HITS

The Philly POPS kicks off Spring Break with a splash of Broadway magic at The Met Philadelphia in Disney's Broadway Hits.

Featuring renowned Great White Way stars Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White from The Lion King on Broadway and iconic original cast members Ashley Brown of Mary Poppins and Josh Strickland of Tarzan, this sensational show, most recently seen in Tokyo, makes its debut in Philly-backed by the full Philly POPS orchestra, and complete with screens to simulate the full-show experience.

This performance will include signature songs from the Broadway productions of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aida, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, King David, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, Aladdin, and Frozen.

Ashley Brown has performed multiple times with the POPS in the previous years, including 2018's Sinatra & Friends, 2019's Big Band Broadway with Ashley Brown, and January's HAMLISCH: With Love.

For over two decades, Disney's treasured musicals have made an indelible mark on the Broadway stage. Several Disney musicals have won GRAMMY and Tony awards and several have set records on Broadway-The Lion King is the third longest-running show in history (it has been running continuously since 1997), and Aladdin celebrates its six-year anniversary this month. Combined, they have welcomed over 110 million audiences members, worldwide.

"We're excited to bring the POPS' signature Broadway sound uptown to The Met Philadelphia!" said Frank Giordano, President and CEO of The Philly POPS. "Hearing the full POPS orchestra with these incredible Broadway talents is sure to be a magical evening for families, Broadway fans, and Disney lovers!"

Disney's Broadway Hits runs April 4, 2020 at The Met Philadelphia. This performance is part of The Philly POPS at The Met Philadelphia concert series.

Tickets are available at www.phillypops.org/disney

About Ashley Brown
Ashley Brown originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for "Best Actress." Ms. Brown also starred as Mary Poppins in the national tour of Mary Poppins where she garnered a Garland Award for "Best Performance in a Musical." Ms. Brown's other Broadway credits include Belle in Beauty and the Beast, as well as starring in the national tours of Jack O'Brien's The Sound of Music and Disney's On The Record. Ms. Brown has starred in both Oklahoma! and Showboat at Chicago's Lyric Opera, and has performed with virtually all of the top orchestras in North America including the Boston Pops (twice), the New York Philharmonic, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at Disney Hall, The Pittsburgh Symphony, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall (five times), Fort Worth Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops and Philadelphia Orchestra (twice). Ms. Brown's PBS special called Ashley Brown: Call Me Irresponsible received a PBS Telly Award. Other television credits include NBC's The Sound of Music. Ms. Brown is the voice of Disneyland celebrating its 60th anniversary singing the newly penned Richard Sherman song "A Kiss Goodnight." Ms. Brown's album of Broadway and American Songbook standards, Speak Low, and her newly recorded Christmas EP, The Secret of Christmas, are available on Ghostlight/Warner Brothers.

About Alton Fitzgerald White
After a record-breaking 4,308 performances as King Mufasa in The Lion King on Broadway, Alton added author and keynote speaker to his list of titles. His book, My Pride: Mastering the Challenge of Daily Performance, filled with secrets to fulfillment and joy in work and life, was recently published by Disney Editions. Other Broadway starring roles include Mister in The Color Purple, Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Ragtime, Ken in Smokey Joe's Cafe, John in Miss Saigon, and The Hawker in The Who's Tommy. Alton has performed concert dates all over the world. His best-selling CD Disney My Way!, along with autographed copies of his Disney book, are available at www.altonfitzgeraldwhite.com. Alton has had guest star roles on the hit TV series Law and Order, Bull, The Blacklist, The Good Fight, Code Black, Elementary, Mindhunter and Madam Secretary. He has also starred on the big screen opposite Nicole Kidman in The Goldfinch and Sam Elliott in The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot. Join him on his Facebook fan page, @WhiteAlton on Twitter, and @Alton2459 on Instagram.

About Kissy Simmons
Kissy Simmons, a native of Floral City, Florida, graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.A. in Speech Communications. She was also a NCAA Division 1 Track and Field athlete. Kissy grew up playing the keyboard and singing in church, and she was a State Champion high jumper at Citrus High School. After graduating from the University of South Florida, she got her professional theatre debut at the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts where she was seen in Little Shop of Horrors (Ronnette), Jacques Brel and other seasonal cabaret shows. Broadway credits include: The Lion King (Nala). First national tour: The Lion King (Nala). Las Vegas: The Lion King (Nala). TV credits include Smash, Hope & Faith, 30 Rock, 6 Degrees and many commercials, voiceovers, and print.

About Josh Strickland
Josh Strickland is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. In 2006, Strickland created the leading role of Tarzan in Disney's Tarzan on Broadway. In 2009, he made his starring Las Vegas debut in Peepshow at Planet Hollywood Casino & Resort while concurrently co-starring in the hit E! reality show Holly's World. Strickland debuted his first single "Report to the Floor," which skyrocketed to the top-five on the iTunes Dance Charts the first week of its release, followed by "Last Dance." In 2013, Strickland joined the cast of Vegas! The Show at the Planet Hollywood Casino & Resort in Las Vegas in a starring role. Strickland has also appeared internationally with the all-star cast of Disney's Broadway Hits, including the Emmy®-winning concert at Royal Albert Hall in London, England. He most recently reprised his role as Tarzan in Disney's Tarzan in Oberhausen, Germany at the Stage Metronom Theatre. Twitter & Instagram: @joshuajstrick