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What a Night: Summer Symphony Pops

The Hit Men to play two nights on stage at Rebecca Farm backed by symphony

By Molly Priddy
The members of The Hit Men on stage. Courtesy photo.

It was early on in 1976, and the top song in the country was one recalling a very specific night in late December 1963, when a young man began his first romance with a young lady.

“Oh, what a night,” the Four Seasons crooned, with lead singer Frankie Valli popping in on bridge sections and backing drummer Gerry Polci on the lead vocals.

The song, “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” hit No. 1 on the Billboard and UK charts, became part of the cultural fabric nearly 40 years ago, and will enjoy a local renaissance on stage at the Glacier Symphony and Chorale’s July 11 and 12 Summer Symphony Pops concerts.

The main act this year is The Hit Men, featuring the former stars of the Four Seasons as well as musicians who helped make the sounds of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s playing with acts such as Carly Simon, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Elton John, Kiki Dee, and Barry Manilow.

Band members include Gerry Polci and Lee Shapiro originally of the Four Seasons, and Jimmy Ryan, Larry Gates, and Russ Velazquez.

Having played sold-out shows at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish two years ago, The Hit Men have proven they can draw a crowd with their decades of experience and talent, which is why the GSC decided to expand the annual Summer Pops concert from one night to two.

“It’s definitely a lot bigger this year,” Alan Satterlee, executive director at GSC, said. “This is the first year we’ve hired a nationally recognized act to perform with the symphony.”

The Summer Pops concert takes place at Rebecca Farm outside of Kalispell, where there is plenty of room to lay out a blanket, set up a picnic, and enjoy the show. Satterlee said he expects about 3,000 people in the audience on Saturday, July 11, and another 1,500 to 2,000 on Sunday.

The Hit Men will play on stage, joined by the 65-piece symphony orchestra, which should provide a full sound for the audience in the fields. Large projection screens on either side of the stage will play throughout the show, offering stories and history from this epic era of rock and roll.

“It’s great stuff that everyone will recognize and sing along and get up and dance to,” Satterlee said.

Shapiro, one of the original members of the Four Seasons, said the show reinvigorates not only the audience, but the band members who lived the experience.

“They will leave … happier and younger than when they got there. It’s truly a time-transportation evening. The interaction between the band and audience is truly rejuvenating,” Shapiro said in a prepared statement. “We really are having fun reliving our childhood with the audience … We call it a double reunion the band with each other and the band with the audience.”

Not only has the concert expanded to two nights, but there are also special ticket sections for people who want an up-close experience, Satterlee said. Given the extra expense of bringing in such an act, the GSC decided to create a premium seating area closest to the stage.

Individual tickets for this section cost $40, or a table of eight can combine for $500 and receive an eight-person picnic table along with premium wristbands; $200 can reserve an 8-foot-by-8-foot area by the stage where four people can bring their own seats and blankets to sit on.

Otherwise, the usual ticketing process for the Pops concert will be in effect: $40 per carload of people, and audience members can bring their own food and beverages to enjoy during the show.

There will also be food vendors on site, as well as beer, wine, soda, and water for purchase.

Satterlee recommended buying premium seating tickets before the show, and they will be available at the GSC office for pick up until noon on Friday, July 10. Already, the GSC has sold 1,200 tickets for the show, and Satterlee expects plenty more audience members.

“It’s kind of the biggest musical gathering in the area each year, it’s great,” Satterlee said. “People should come out and just have a good time. There’s something for everybody.”

For more information, visit www.gscmusic.org or call 406-407-7000.