THE MUSIC GOURMET

Mention the name Jack Everly, and any regular pops attendee at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts ought to respond instantly with the three Es associated with his name: Excellence. Excitement. Extravagance.

That pretty well sums up every overthe top program the Hoosier-born maestro has created, enjoying nonstop kudos throughout the world in the process.

Imagine being so good you're hired by Mikhail Baryshnikov freshly out of college. That's how Indiana University grad Everly began his career: as artistic director for the legendary ballet dancer. Not exactly a bad beginning.

Literally thousands of productions later, he changed direction, quickly becoming equally acclaimed as director for hits such as Marvin Hamlisch's "They're Playing Our Song" and "A Chorus Line" and Carol Channing's "Hello, Dolly!" He had his talented mind and hands in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and has conducted some of the greats from all genre of music, including Pinchas Zukerman, Sandi Patty, Marilyn Horne and Bernadette Peters, to name but a few.

He serves as principal pops conductor for The Indianapolis Symphony, The Baltimore Symphony and The National Arts Centre in Ottawa. And he's been music director for the Symphonic Pops Consortium since he created it in 1998.

So, what should audiences expect from Everly and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra during their seven performances of Pops #3 "Viva Las Vegas" at the Phil this week? I guarantee edge-of-your-seat action and high-voltage entertainment, with great arrangements, great entertainers and the NPO at its absolute best (something Everly always manages to accomplish from the moment he hops onto the podium and lifts his baton). It'll be a visual and auditory smorgasbord of highly recognizable tunes ("New York, New York," "I Gotta Be Me," "Luck Be A Lady Tonight," "Fly Me to the Moon," "I've Got You Under My Skin"), Vegas-style showgirls strutting their stuff, a cadre of exciting vocalists and even Mr. Showmanship himself, Liberace (performed by Martin Price).

Pops #3 “Viva Las Vegas” will be presented at 8 p.m. March 12-14 and also at 2 p.m. March 14-15. Food dona-tions will be welcome at each performance. If you don’t have a ticket for Pops #3 but would still like to par-ticipate in the food drive, donations can be dropped off in front of the lobby, near the box office, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. through March 15.

When you call for Pops #3 tickets, go ahead and purchase some for the NPO’s remaining Everly extravaganza of this season: Pops #4 “Hollywood Epics” will be performed April 28 through May 3. ■

Peg Goldberg Longstreth was trained as a classical musician. She owns Longstreth-Goldberg Art Gal-lery in Naples.

If you go

>>What: Pops #3 "Viva Las Vegas"

>>Who: Jack Everly conducting the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra

>>When: 8 p.m. March 12-14 and 2 p.m. March 14-15

>>Where: The Philharmonic Center for the Arts, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., Naples

>>Info: 597-1900 or www.thephil.org