Events
Classic Series
CHRISTMAS ON BROADWAY
Saturday
Dec 16, 2023
7:30PM
Alberta Bair Theater
2801 Third Ave. N.
$20 - $69
Nicolas Dromard & Desirée Davar, performers
Scott Jeppesen, guest conductor
Don’t miss out on the highly anticipated return of the talented pair, Nicolas and Desiree, as they bring an unforgettable evening of music, dance, skits, and holiday joy to Billings. This inspiring concert will showcase a variety of beloved and contemporary holiday songs, accompanied by the Rocky Mountain Jazz Collective and the Billings Symphony Orchestra, all under the exceptional direction of Scott Jeppesen, the director of the Rocky Mountain Jazz Collective. Additionally, Kevin Freeman will have a special appearance as a guest conductor for one of the arrangements.
- Rocky Mountain Jazz Collective is a regular guest on our Sukin Series.
- Every show Nicolas and Desiree do is a mixture of show-stopping dancing and vocals that touch the heart assuredly as they please the ears.
- “The Christmas Waltz” is a song written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne in 1954. Frank Sinatra first recorded the song as a single in 1954. He re-recorded it in 1957 for his album A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra.
Guest Artist and Guest Conductor Vidoes
Guest artists
Scott Jeppesen is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at Montana State University Billings teaching Music Theory, Ear Training, Music History, Jazz Combo, and private lessons on saxophone, clarinet, and flute.
Scott is an alumni of the University of Southern California where he earned Bachelor of Music (BM), Master of Music (MM), and Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degrees in Jazz Studies.
Prior to accepting the position at MSUB, Scott lived in Los Angeles for seventeen years. In that time, he performed with Maria Schneider, Bobby McFerrin, Burt Bacharach, Lalo Schifrin, Alan Pasqua, Bill Watrous, Shelly Berg, Manhattan Transfer, Stevie Wonder, Nancy Wilson, Artie Shaw, Bob Mintzer, Dave Brubeck, Natalie Cole, Louis Bellson, Al Jarreau, Steve Miller, Randy Brecker and James Moody…just to name a few. Scott has composed and arranged for many different artists including Steve Miller, Ramsey Lewis, Natalie Cole, Ruben Studdard, Dave Koz, Ledisi, Burt Bacharach, Monica Mancini, Scott Martin, and the PBS Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, which aired in the spring of 2007.
In 2009, he cofounded Cultivating Creative Minds along with his wife, Roxanne, which provides arts instruction to elementary school aged students throughout Santa Clarita, CA.
Scott has also performed clinics for many colleges, high schools, and middle schools around northern and southern California including University of Southern California, Cal State University Sacramento, Brubeck Institute at University of the Pacific, Cal State University Northridge, Cal State University Sonoma, American River College, West Ranch High School, Canyon High School, and Saugus High School. In addition to clinics, Scott is in demand as a featured guest artist. In 2014, Scott was the featured artist with California State University Sacramento jazz ensembles where they performed the music of the Joe Henderson Big Band. In the same year, Scott was the guest artist for the SuperJazz at the Ranch festival in Stevenson Ranch, CA where he performed a duo set with Russell Ferrante of the legendary Yellowjackets.
NICOLAS DROMARD & DESIREÉ DAVAR
Nicolas Dromard originally hails from Ottawa, Ontario, but for the last 17 years ,Nicolas has been traveling all over North America performing on Broadway and in National Tours. He was most recently seen on Broadway as Tommy DeVitoin the closing cast of Jersey Boys. In March 2013, Nicolas was honored to close the Broadway production of Mary Poppins in the lead role of Bert, which he also performed on tour. Other credits include Wicked, Cabaret, 42ndStreet, Hairspray, Mamma Mia!, Oklahoma!, West Side Story, Gypsy, The Boy from Oz with Hugh Jackman, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Fun fact: born to French-speaking parents, Nic didn’t learn English until the age of 7!
Desireé Davar has performed all over the world from New York to Japan! She started dancing with her mother Kristi at the age of 4 in Orange County, CA, and since then she is proud to have starred as “Anita” in multiple productions of West Side Story, including the Broadway revival, the International Tour, Sacramento Music Circus, The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma City. Additional favorites include Chicago(“Velma”) at Village Theatre in Seattle, “Erma” in Anything Goes at Goodspeed Opera House, “MaryDelgado” in Jersey Boys at the Fulton Opera House, and Kiss Me Kate and Can-Can at Papermill Playhouse. She was also a featured dancer in the TV series “Glee” and in the most recent film version of Annie.
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