Michael McDermott’s brand of rock n’ roll brims with the kind of well-honed style and wisdom that can only come from a career on the road and a pedigree in the studio. Effortlessly blending natural folk sensibility, pop hooks, and honest rock, McDermott’s music is as much for the outcast as the congregation. It’s an exploration of the dark corners of life’s journey and it resonates middle class truths through the passionate filter of a kid that grew up on Chicago’s Irish South Side.
10,000 Maniacs – 45 Years of Timeless Music
Praised as “the greatest songwriter on the planet,” by Sir Elton John, Rufus Wainwright joins the Princeton Playhouse Sinfonia for a special one-night-only engagement performing selections from his albums Rufus does Judy at Carnegie Hall and Want One, Want Two, and beyond. Princeton Playhouse Sinfonia is a dynamic new collaborative ensemble that brings together student musicians from Princeton University's Sinfonia, directed by Ruth Ochs, and Princeton Playhouse Orchestra, directed by Solon Snider Sway, alongside members of the Princeton Jazz Ensembles and local professional musicians.
On the mark of its 20th anniversary this year, Wainwright’s “Rufus Does Judy” is undoubtedly one of the most sensational shows from his incredible career, an exhilarating and loving recreation of Judy Garland’s infamous 1961 comeback concert. “Rufus Does Judy” made its premiere at Carnegie Hall in 2006 and garnered Wainwright’s first GRAMMY nomination for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. The full program has been performed globally including the London Palladium, Hollywood Bowl, Paris’ L'Olympia, and Toronto’s Luminato Festival. For the Colorado Symphony show, Wainwright will curate a special selection of his favorite songs from the album. 2026 will be the last time Rufus reprises this iconic show.
Rufus Wainwright’s Want One and Want Two have earned recognition as iconic albums worldwide, with Paste Magazine elevating Want One to the No. 1 album of the year, and Rolling Stone Magazine listing it in their top 5 best albums of 2003. Bowie hailed Wainwright’s song ‘Dinner at Eight’ as the “best father/son song he knew”. 22 years later, these songs have been given new life through lush symphonic arrangements by Sally Herbert (Woodkid, Florence + the Machine) and Max Moston (Antony and the Johnsons).
Combined in one program, these works form just a few of the many pillars of Rufus Wainwright’s extensive career—works that define his singular voice and fearless emotional range, merging vulnerability with spectacle, tradition with reinvention. Decades on, these songs continue to resonate as the foundation of Wainwright’s legacy.
Eric Jacobsen conductor
Christian McBride double bass
Chris Komer horn
New Jersey Symphony
Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
