Broadway fiddler plays with Windsor Symphony Orchestra

A little piece of Broadway is coming to Windsor's Capitol Theatre for the weekend.

The on-stage fiddle player from Broadway's hit Come From Away joins the Windsor Symphony Orchestra for two performances, and an open dress rehearsal.

Caitlin Warbelow has created symphony arrangements of "tunes she's been playing for years," said WSOmusic director Robert Franz.

"And for the first time ever outside of the show, two of the songs will be excerpted and performed here," said Franz. No Come From Away songs have ever been performed outside of the Broadway or touring show.

"Right here in Windsor," said Franz. "We're cutting edge."

Warbelowand the WSO will play the show's theme 'Welcome to the Rock' and a moving ballad 'Here and the Sky,' accompanied by students from the music theatre program at St. Clair College.

Sixteen students from the music theatre program will join the WSO on stage.

"They'll meet Caitlin for the first time on stage [Friday] night for rehearsals," said program coordinator Katherine Kaszas. In addition to the students having to just take Warbelow's lead, it's also one of the rare opportunities the students have to work with live on-stage musicians.

'Once in a lifetime'

According toKaszas, it's about the fifth time the students and the WSO have collaborated. They've been rehearsing for the last few weeks on their own, but joining Warbelow and the WSO is almost a "once in a lifetime" chance.

"It's critical to their development as performers to have a wide variety of experiences on stage," said Kaszas. "The opportunity to connect with artists like Robert and Caitlin ... it's almost a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Franz and Warbelow used to teach music together and when he went to see Come From Away, he didn't know she was involved.

"I was so happily surprised to find out that my friend Caitlin was on stage for the show," said Franz."I got her attention from the crowd, and then got a tour of the theatre and met the cast ... and then immediately asked her to come to Windsor to do a show."

Come From Away on Broadway seats about 1,000 people, so getting Warbelow's attention wasn't easy. Franz said another 100 people from the audience helped him get her attention.

Warbelow worked with an arranger to connect the fiddle to an orchestral setting.

"I wanted it to sound real, authentic," said Warbelow.

It's the first time the arrangements will be played, including a premiere of the arranger's compositions.

Other fiddle-focused music will be part of the WSO show and will also feature dancers from the Emerald Isle Dance Society. Shows on Saturday and Sunday are sold out, with tickets left for Saturday morning's open dress rehearsal.