July 18, 2026 7:00pm
The Scott Center at Holy Trinity - 5625 Holy Trinity Dr, Melbourne, FL 32940
What's Playing?
GERSHWIN An American in Paris
KANDER / HOLCOMBE Cabaret
SCHWANDT / ANDRÉ / KHAN / KAHN Dream a Little Dream of Me
WALLER / BROOKS / RAZAF Ain’t Misbehavin’
RODGERS South Pacific
LLOYD WEBBER Evita
JACOBS Grease
KANDER Chicago
BOND Rhapsody for a Blue Clarinet, by George! (WORLD PREMIERE)
Program Information
"Songs that don’t just sparkle — they strut, soar, and steal the spotlight."
Lights Up on Broadway is a high-energy celebration of the songs, stories, and larger-than-life moments that define American musical theater. From the first note, Your Space Coast Symphony Orchestra transforms the concert hall into Broadway itself — bold, colorful, and alive with character.
The program opens with Gershwin’s vivid An American in Paris, setting the stage for a concert filled with rhythm, glamour, wit, and unmistakable theatrical flair. At the heart of the evening is the world premiere of Julian Bond’s Rhapsody for a Blue Clarinet, by George!, performed by Jennifer Royals — a playful, virtuosic tribute that slips naturally into this world of Broadway brilliance and Gershwin-inspired charm.
From the bite of Cabaret and Chicago to the sweeping emotion of South Pacific and Evita, the program moves effortlessly between eras, styles, and unforgettable characters. The concert also features the vocal debut of Jordan Bicasan, a longtime violinist of the orchestra, stepping into the spotlight for the beloved American standards Dream a Little Dream of Me and Ain’t Misbehavin’.
With music from Grease, Cabaret, Evita, Chicago, South Pacific, and more, Lights Up on Broadway is nostalgic, electric, and filled with unforgettable melodies — Broadway at full power, immediate, glamorous, and impossible to sit still through.
Inside the Music
There is a particular kind of energy that only Broadway music seems capable of creating. Not just excitement, though there is plenty of that here, but immediacy — music written to land emotionally in real time, to sweep an audience into a story before they’ve even had a chance to resist it. Broadway has always understood something fundamental about American music: sophistication means very little if the audience doesn’t feel something.
That idea runs through every corner of Lights Up on Broadway.
The program begins with George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, one of the great portraits of American imagination abroad. Long before Broadway and the concert hall fully embraced one another, Gershwin was already blurring the boundaries between jazz, symphonic writing, popular song, and theater. His music still feels alive because it captures the sound of a world in motion — restless, glamorous, energetic, sophisticated, and unmistakably American.
That spirit continues in Julian Bond’s Rhapsody for a Blue Clarinet, by George!, a playful and virtuosic new work performed by Jennifer Royals. Rather than simply imitating Gershwin, Bond treats his musical language like a living conversation, allowing the clarinet to slip effortlessly between jazz-infused swagger, lyrical warmth, and theatrical sparkle. The result feels less like a historical tribute and more like Gershwin’s musical world suddenly reappearing in the present tense.
From there, the concert expands outward into the larger universe Broadway helped create.
Cabaret moves into darker territory, where glamour and danger begin occupying the same stage. Chicago sharpens that edge even further, turning cynicism, showmanship, and spectacle into one irresistible theatrical machine. South Pacific offers a different kind of power — sweeping, romantic, and deeply human — reminding us how Rodgers and Hammerstein changed what musical theater could say and how directly it could say it. Evita turns Broadway into near-operatic spectacle, overflowing with ambition, drama, and emotional intensity. Even Grease, beneath its nostalgia and irresistible charm, reflects Broadway’s ability to transform ordinary teenage experience into something mythic and larger than life.
Throughout the evening, the music never stays still for very long. That is part of what makes Broadway music uniquely American. It evolves constantly, absorbing jazz, swing, opera, popular song, dance music, and whatever else it encounters along the way.
The concert’s most intimate moments arrive with Jordan Bicasan’s vocal debut in Dream a Little Dream of Me and Ain’t Misbehavin’. These songs remind us that American standards endure because they leave space for personality. No two performers sing them the same way. The phrasing shifts. The timing changes. A lyric suddenly means something new. The music survives because performers continue breathing themselves into it.
And perhaps that is the real story this concert tells.
Broadway music lasts not because it sits safely preserved behind glass, but because each generation finds new life inside it. Gershwin’s rhythms still pulse. Rodgers and Hammerstein still sing with aching sincerity. Kander still struts and bites. Lloyd Webber still reaches for spectacle. The melodies still soar. The emotions still land instantly. The spotlight simply passes from one performer to the next.
By the end of the evening, the concert hall has transformed into something larger than itself — part jazz club, part Broadway stage, part symphonic spectacle. Glamorous, restless, heartfelt, excessive in all the best ways, and fully alive.
Exactly the way American musical theater was always meant to be.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are $35 in advance for adults and are available through our website or by calling (855) 252-7276. Tickets can also be purchased in person at any Marine Bank & Trust location. To find a ticket outlet near you, click here. Tickets at the door are $40. All seating is general admission — seats are not assigned.
All SCSO concerts are free for those 18 and under or any college student with a valid student ID. Discounted tickets are available through the Symphony for Everyone program.
Season 18 All Access Pass and Flex Ticket holders: Your pass or flex tickets are valid for this concert and all Season 18 subscription concerts. All Access Pass holders will find their reserved seats waiting. Flex ticket holders do not need to call ahead — simply present your tickets at the door upon arrival.
Artist Information
Jennifer Blahnik Royals, a native of Vero Beach and principal clarinetist for the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, has been playing the clarinet for over twenty-five years. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree and a Master of Arts degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of Central Florida. While an undergraduate student, she was chosen for advanced clarinet studies in France. Ms. Royals has studied privately with Ivan Wansley, Keith Koons, and Nora Lee Garcia. Additionally, she has taken master classes from Stanley Drucker, Robert Spring, Michele Gingras, Alessandro Carbonare, and Charles Neidich.
Ms. Royals has played with various orchestras and ensembles including Treasure Coast Wind Ensemble, the Vero Beach Chamber Orchestra, the Sunshine Clarinet Quartet, Treasure Coast Opera, Central Florida Lyric Opera, Bulgaria’s Teatro Lirico D’Europa, Orlando Light Opera, Lakeside Chamber Players, Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Haifa Symphony, Space Coast Pops Orchestra, and the Licorice Sticks Clarinet Orchestra. As a founding member of the Space Coast Symphony, she has been featured in several chamber concerts as well as four solo performances with the orchestra. Jennifer is a member of the International Clarinet Association and has performed at the 2010 Clarinet Fest in Austin, Texas, the 2013 Clarinet Fest in Assisi, Italy (where she premiered new pieces for clarinet quartet), the 2014 Clarinet Fest in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and will be performing at the 2017 Clarinet Fest in Orlando. In addition to her active concert schedule, Royals is a sought after clinician who provides private clarinet instruction to middle and high school players in Indian River County. Her students routinely earn top seats in the Florida All-State.
Violinist Jordan Bicasan has built a career defined by artistry, perseverance, and an abiding belief in the transformative power of music. His journey—from the town of Pace, Florida, to professional stages around the world—stands as a testament to how passion and determination can transform a dream into a lifelong vocation.
Born in Pensacola, Florida, Bicasan's fascination with music began at the age of eleven. Through his public middle school's band program, he was introduced to the alto saxophone and the fundamentals of music reading by band director William Shaner. This early exposure sparked a deep passion for practice and performance. Seeking to advance further, Jordan began studying with saxophone teacher Bob Maksymkow. During these lessons with "Mr. Bob," he developed a skill that would later become one of his greatest strengths as a professional musician: sight-reading. Even at a young age, his teachers recognized a rare focus and musical instinct that would guide him through every stage of his development.
At the age of thirteen, Jordan discovered the violin after seeing a film that featured a violinist performing Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp Minor. Captivated by the instrument's expressive voice, he knew immediately that it would become the next step in his musical journey. Without access to a public school orchestra program, Jordan took it upon himself to practice the violin in his bedroom every day for hours at a time. Through discipline, determination, and an unwavering passion for music, he carried forward both a violin and a vision: to build a life centered on artistic and personal growth.
Bicasan earned a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Central Florida, where he studied under distinguished faculty members Dr. Chung Park and Dr. Ayoko Yonetani, who helped shape his musical voice and technical artistry. During his time at UCF, he performed regularly in chamber ensembles, orchestral concerts, and solo recitals. His expressive playing quickly established him as a respected member of the university's vibrant musical community.
Bicasan's artistry is characterized by a warm, singing tone, interpretive depth, and an innate ability to communicate emotion through sound. His repertoire spans the great masterworks of the classical canon as well as contemporary works, reflecting both a reverence for tradition and a curiosity for new forms of expression. He has toured internationally, including performances with the Eagles and appearances throughout China and Japan with the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra. His performances have taken him around the world, and he continues to appear with ensembles such as the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra and others.
In addition to his performance career, Bicasan is deeply committed to music education and community outreach, inspired by his own early experiences with limited access to musical resources. He remains passionate about mentoring young musicians and advocating for the importance of arts education in shaping confident, creative, and compassionate individuals.
For Bicasan, music is more than a profession—it is a personal mission. From a small town in Florida to concert halls around the world, his journey embodies the power of dedication, gratitude, and the unwavering belief that every dream, no matter how improbable, deserves to be pursued with heart and purpose.
