‘A different kind of challenge’: Spokane Symphony hosts Broadway duo Alli Mauzey and Nicole Parker for ‘Pops 1: Divas from Broadway’

From “Wicked” to “Les Misérables,” the sheer diversity of Broadway music will be on full display at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox this weekend.

The first Pops performance of the Spokane Symphony’s 80-year anniversary season, “The Divas from Broadway,” will unite the symphony and two of Broadway’s most experienced leading women, Alli Mauzey and Nicole Parker.

Mauzey recently starred in the world premier musical, “Kimberly Akimbo,” as well as the Tony-winning revival of “Hello, Dolly!” She has also performed in productions of “Hairspray,” “Cry-Baby” and more. Meanwhile, Parker is known for her roles in “Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me,” “The People in the Picture” with Donna Murphy, and more.

Both actresses have also performed with an array of orchestras around the country and may be primarily known for their critically acclaimed, award-winning performances in “Wicked,” in which Mauzey takes on the role as Glinda and Parker portrays Elphaba.

“It’s fantastic, it’s like getting it directly from the source,” said Spokane Symphony conductor and music director James Lowe. “It’s just superb that we get to bring in great artists from so many different musical worlds into Spokane.”

The repertoire will present a plethora of all-time Broadway classics, from “Phantom of the Opera” to “Hairspray” and “Chicago” to an ABBA medley from “Mamma Mia!” Each Broadway show comes with their own unique and distinctive styles of music, giving audiences a very diverse experience despite the commonality of every piece coming from stage theater.

“The range of this music is huge, even though we tend to think of Broadway as just like ‘one thing,’” Lowe said. “That’s the fun thing for me; I love the challenge of switching up all these totally different styles in the one show.”

Besides bouncing around so many different types of music, other challenges for this type of symphony performance include slight chart differences and working with many medleys. Since a medley is composed of multiple different songs from the same production, Lowe and the orchestra must perfectly execute new tempos on a dime.

“It’s a different kind of challenge,” Lowe said. “But no less challenging.”

The diversity found within the repertoire seems fitting given the diversity found within the entire monumental Spokane Symphony season. From Gustav Mahler’s awe-inspiring Symphony No. 1 just two weeks ago to Broadway tunes this Saturday and future shows focused on favorite films and the Nutcracker ballet, the Spokane Symphony has it all.

“The symphony presents so many different kinds of concerts,” Lowe said. “I like the idea that we offer something for everyone.”