For the past five years, conductor Evan Roider has been on the road with the national tours of Cats, Les Misérables, and now Wicked—but every once in a while, he feels pulled to climb out of the pit and stand in front of a full orchestra.

"I never want to give up one world because I love both of them so much," Roider says. This affinity makes him a perfect presence on the podium for Broadway Showstoppers, Sarasota Orchestra's first Pops concert of the 2023-2024 season running January 19-20 at the Van Wezel.

"I think it makes me a good fit for a symphonic show of Broadway tunes because I know the music well, and people like that I come from the Broadway world," says Roider, who knew he wanted to become a Broadway conductor when he was just a teen.

In addition to the musicians of Sarasota Orchestra, Roider will work with three Broadway A-listers on this program of all-time musical theater favorites. Teri Hansen starred in the Tony Award-winning production of Show Boat directed by Hal Prince and has since taken leading roles on tour with The Music Man, Camelot, and An American in Paris. Ali Ewoldt made history as the first woman of color to play Christine in the 35-year Broadway run of The Phantom of the Opera. With a "beautifully commanding" voice, Sean MacLaughlin garnered critical acclaim as "a superb embodiment of [Juan] Perón" (Lavender Magazine) in the most recent Broadway revival and national tour of Evita.

Roider says choosing favorites from the Broadway Showstoppers song list is like admitting you have a favorite child. But he never gets tired of audience reactions to the music of A Chorus Line, and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" from Jersey Boys brings back sweet memories of going to musicals with his grandfather, who always sang along with gusto.

"All of the songs on this concert bring back embedded memories for me that are very personal and that I can always connect to," Roider says. That personal connection, he adds, brings pure magic to a concert of Broadway hits across the decades and makes meaningful experiences for listeners, too:

"The thing I love about all this music we're doing is, whether in the context of the show or not, all of the songs tell a story—it's all about the storytelling," Roider says. "All the music is so relatable, especially to our American vernacular and history. So I think the moment people hear these tunes, it brings them back to a happy place. It takes them out of their day, and everything about the experience is uplifting."

To learn more and purchase tickets to Pops: Broadway Showstoppers, visit Sarasota Orchestra’s website or call the Box Office at 941-953-3434. All programs and featured artists are subject to change.