Overture!

Davis Shakespeare Festival is proud to introduce its resident​ music ensemble: ​Davis Shakespeare Festival Music Ensemble. You’re invited to our inaugural concert, ​Overture!

The musical overture is a lost art. The overture in a musical is usually the first to be cut for time. As a new age of modern musical theater continues to emerge, it seems writers and directors prefer to jump right in to the action, leaving little room if any for a five-minute musical montage of melodies to come!

In fulfillment of its mission to celebrate the role music plays in various media, Davis Shakespeare Festival Music Ensemble invites you to indulge in some of the most influential, invigorating, and luscious musical overtures from the twentieth century. In addition, you’ll enjoy some lesser-known vocal selections from each composer — Sondheim, Porter, Styne, and more — featuring singers from DSF’s 2019 Festival!

This inaugural concert is just the beginning of our commitment to using music to enhance our cultural surroundings.