Country music icon Kenny Rogers sang fan favorites like Lucille, Lady, and We’ve Got Tonight to the rich accompaniment of the UMW Philharmonic. Photo by Tom Rothenberg.
UMW benefited from a rained-out Kenny Rogers concert. The country music great was scheduled to play an outdoor gig in Fredericksburg last September. At the last minute, it was called off due to rain. Organizers vowed to honor all tickets, and they took advantage of a great new Fredericksburg venue – the University’s William M. Anderson Center.
The concert was rescheduled for seven months later.
On April 21, both the UMW Philharmonic and the Anderson Center showed off their attributes when Kenny Rogers joined the UMW William M. Anderson Celebrity Series. The evening began with the 85-member ensemble playing a set of patriotic tunes, concluding with Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA.
Then Rogers, who at 73 is as engaging as ever, entertained the crowd of nearly 2,000 with one-liners and familiar hits, including The Gambler, Lucille, Islands in the Stream, Lady, and We’ve Got Tonight, most of them to the philharmonic’s rich accompaniment.
The 2013 Celebrity Concert will feature virtuoso flutist Sir James Galway. The native Irish musician will play March 16, the eve of St. Patrick’s Day.