Always Looking Forward, Keith Lockhart Pauses to Reflect on 30 Years with the Boston Pops

Last June, in "Broadway Today! Broadway's Modern Masters," a Boston Pops concert last season dedicated to the Broadway musical in the 21st century, Tony-award winning Victoria Clark donned a powdered wig and morphed into King George III to perform her own take on "You'll Be Back" from "Hamilton." It was completely unexpected and brought down the house, capping one of the best Pops concerts of recent times. At the podium was, of course, Keith Lockhart – the place he has been since taking over what is considered the best Pops orchestra in the world in 1995. And it also pointed to what he has done best during his tenure: balancing innovative programming within the confines of an orchestra steeped in tradition.

This is nothing new for the Pops. Arthur Fiedler (the 10th conductor to helm the orchestra in its 140-year history) brought the Beatles' music to the Symphony Hall stage, as well as television cameras with his popular "Evening at Pops" programs. That popular series, along with the Fourth of July concerts on the Esplanade, helped make the Pops the most famous orchestra in America, if not the world. His successor John Williams expanded the orchestra's repertoire with an emphasis on film scores (his own and others), best-selling records, and starry guests.

Watch a preview of the Boston Pops 2025 Spring season at Symphony Hall.

When the boyish, 35-year-old Lockhart took over, he expanded the orchestra's reach even further. He was one of the first conductors to take advantage of technology that allowed the presentation of popular films, such as "The Wizard of Oz," "Jaws," and "Star Wars," with the orchestra providing the musical accompaniment, an innovation that was quickly picked up by other orchestras around the world. Lockhart also introduced themed concerts, including the ever-popular "Gospel Night" and last year's "Pride Night;" expanded its guest line-up to include rock and alternative artists, such as Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles, and rock groups like Guster; and made Symphony Hall and Tanglewood (where the orchestra performs in the summer) a home away from home for such Broadway talent as Audra McDonald, Leslie Odom Jr., Kelli O'Hara, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. He also presented semi-staged versions of classic musicals such as "West Side Story," "Sweeney Todd," and, most notably, "Ragtime," in a premiere version of an authorized concert version.

Lockhart has also been instrumental in bringing multi-media presentations to Symphony Hall, and to use YouTube and streaming as a way of widening the orchestra's audience. And Lockhart has worked to expand the Pops' reach to communities underrepresented through the commissions of new works and to program concerts such as last fall's "Day of the Dead" concert, which proved to be a huge success on all fronts; as did last season's Pride concert that spotlighted the amazing drag star and accomplished musician Thorgy Thor at a moment when drag is under fire by right-leaning politicos.

The 2025 Spring season opens tonight with the fierce, queer superstar Cynthia Erivo, fresh from her stunning appearance at the Met Gala, in her debut with the orchestra. The deftly programmed season, which continues through June 7 with the annual "Gospel Night" concert, offers an array of special events, themed concerts, and guest artists, (queer and not). Among them are George Takei, returning to his television roots in a concert, a multimedia program that explores the intersection of music, space, and science fiction, and Orville Peck, the queer country music star who is currently making a splash as the Emcee in the current hit revival of "Cabaret" on Broadway. There are screenings of "Jaws" and "Frozen"; a special "Star Wars" celebration; a John Williams curated concert of his own works; and a very special 30-year concert honoring Lockhart that features such musical luminaries as Jason Danieley, Melinda Doolittle, Michael Feinstein, and John Pizzerelli.

Plus, don't forget the Pops perform year-round, either in tours or in Symphony Hall and Tanglewood. In June at Tanglewood, hip-hop superstar Nas joins the orchestra. In July there's a very special concert that will bring Tony winners Kelli O'Hara and Sutton Foster together for a tribute to Carol Burnett and Julie Andrews. And in August, a screening of "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," plus the annual "Tanglewood on Parade" concert in which the orchestra under Lockhart's direction takes part.

Back at Symphony Hall in the fall, there are two screenings of "The Princess Bride," and two special concerts: "A Concert for the City," which celebrates Boston's rich cultures and musical traditions; and "Everything I Know," a tribute to Lin-Manuel Miranda featuring his longtime collaborator Mandy Gonzalez. October and November bring a trio of Halloween-related concerts: the much-loved film "Hocus-Pocus," a screening marking the centennial of the horror classic "Phantom of the Opera" with live organ accompaniment by Brett Miller, and the return of the hugely successful "The Day of the Dead" concert. And to end the year, Lockhart returns for the annual Holiday Pops season.

EDGE caught up the ever-busy Lockhart earlier this week as he headed to a rehearsal.

EDGE: Has your ability to move with times with innovative programming been a key factor with your success with the Pops?

Keith Lockhart: Well, I think being adaptable to change is the key to success with any orchestra, but especially with the Boston Pops, which, unlike more traditional symphonic outlets, has long been more reflective of the times. Being able to embrace where contemporary culture is headed is part of what we do. And it can be from places we never really thought of, such as the fact that so much of entertainment is internet-based these days, especially with music. Back when I came onboard, we were still making records. So, being able to stay current with the times is the key to the Pops' success; that hasn't just been in my tenure, but throughout the orchestra's 140-year history.

EDGE: But is that difficult in a city like Boston that is known to be a very staid place?

Keith Lockhart: Yes. It can be difficult. Boston is famous for doing things one way; and continuing to do them that way. Moving the ball here is perhaps more difficult. But on the other hand, there are there are compensations in balancing things, such as the traditions of this place and the way that people really embrace the Pops as being not just a flavor-of-the-month thing. The Boston Pops are part of the city's infrastructure and that is due to the city's embrace of tradition. So, we try to balance the two.

EDGE: It must make you happy to look out in the Symphony Hall audience and see younger faces there.

Keith Lockhart: Bringing in a younger audience has been part of an ongoing struggle. I mean, we were talking about that when I first came and we're still talking about that. But it's funny, with enough passage of time, when we do the Holiday Pops concerts, I've now more than once had the experience of people coming backstage with their little kids to meet me and then showing me pictures of themselves when they were little kids when they were taken backstage. So, I guess I've been here covering a generation or two; but that goes back to how the Pops are a tradition in the lives of those who attend the concerts.

EDGE: Bringing younger audiences in must also come from the innovative programming that the Pops has been doing such as the "Day of the Dead" concert last year, which was amazing.

Keith Lockhart: Well, I was really thrilled with that. But to tell you the truth, it wasn't my idea, and I was kind of wondering if it was going to work. As it turned out, it worked better than I ever suspected. And it's a really good example of what we need to be doing to expand our audience outward. We are always looking for connections to communities who may not feel particularly well served by the Boston Pops, and it was gratifying to see how happy that audience was to be there and how grateful they were that we were sharing that cultural moment together. And it made me realize that I can learn things some thirty years into this experience.

EDGE: There was also the concert last season that offered an overview of Broadway musicals in the 21st century. It was one of best curated and performed Pops concerts in recent memory. It was the latest example of your collaborating with Jason Danieley, who staged that one, as well as the "Ragtime" in Concert event. How did your relationship with Jason develop?

Keith Lockhart: I've known Jason since he starred on one of my earlier "Evening with Pops" in late '90s – '97 or '98; and his late wife Marin Mazzie was with us on the Fourth of July around that time. Jason is one of my favorite Broadway performers who has made a wonderful transition from being a performer on stage to a directorial role. He's also a great friend and a great resource about Broadway, so he was the only person I spoke to when I thought of doing a Broadway concert in the post-Sondheim era. I think a lot of people think of Sondheim as being last word in modern Broadway; and he remains a huge influence, but a lot has happened since his last show was produced, so it was fascinating for me to explore these shows that Jason and I focused on. And I think it really was one of the most artistically effective Broadway shows we've ever done.

EDGE: And you are returning with Pride Night, which last year was also a terrific concert with Thorgy Thor. Who knew that she had such prodigious skills as a violinist, in stilettos, no less?

Keith Lockhart: Yes, I was certainly amazed. She was quite something that we were doing Pride Night again this year (on June 5), and our, our guest star is Orville Peck, the gay country star who is now starring as the Emcee in "Cabaret" on Broadway. That's really going to be special and a really great way to follow up on last year's success.

EDGE: He's famous for always wearing his mask. Will he be doing so with the Pops?

Keith Lockhart: I don't know. I'll let you know the day of the concert. He doesn't wear it in "Cabaret," but he won't be in "Cabaret" for this, so we'll see.

EDGE: He is really a major queer star on the rise. And you are opening with one of the biggest stars in the world right now and another queer icon – Cynthia Erivo (May 8). That is quite a coup.

Keith Lockhart: Yes. I guess we can call this catch of all time and I'm still pinching myself on that. But you know what? It isn't as if we suddenly jumped the on the Cynthia Erivo bandwagon. We have been trying to get her for years; it just happened we did book her at the time when she exploded because of "Wicked." Now everyone knows who she is. She has an incredible stage presence and is a really, really amazing performer with an incredible voice.

EDGE: You will also be showing the film "Jaws" (May 9 – 10) with the orchestra playing the John Williams score live. Is this the first time with that film?

Keith Lockhart: No. We did the world premiere of showing the film with score played by a live the orchestra I think a decade ago. And now it's 50 years old. It is such an iconic New England movie, and plus, with our relationship with John, I thought it was a great time to bring it back.

EDGE: And speaking of John Williams, there is no franchise that he's better associated with than "Star Wars." And you are doing a two-hour composite of the series? (May 15).

Keith Lockhart: I have to say, that's totally my fault. I was sitting around late one night, perhaps having had one too many scotches, and I said, "I wonder if you could do a concert where you played music from all nine of the 'Star Wars' movies that told the entire ridiculous story in one two-hour concert." So, I sat down and started writing. I also had in mind one of our local actors, Jeremiah Kissel, who works quite a bit with us, who I thought would be great for the project. We took it to Japan when we toured there a year ago and the Japanese public ate it up. It' a lot of fun – great music and a really compelling program. I'm really very proud of it.

EDGE: And moving from "Star Wars" to "Star Trek," you have a program entitled "Music of the Cosmos" with George Takei, who was the original Hikaru Sulu on the Enterprise.

Keith Lockhart: It's amazing that George Takei is joining us. He is 87 years old and still an incredibly articulate force of nature. He will be taking us through the 60 years of "Star Trek" in its various manifestations. And he will be joined by Sunita Williams, the astronaut who, if you remember, spent nine months in space on what was to be an eight-day mission. It's nice to see her back to earth. She's something of a local hero, having grown up in Needham.

EDGE: How did country star Cody Fry became part of the season?

Keith Lockhart: Earlier I mentioned how we look to the internet for talent and find ways to translate their work into a big orchestral format. Cody is an example of that. We started looking at his stuff and found it really incredible, thoughtful and smart. It is easy to understand why it is so very popular on the internet. And this is one way that we have of connecting with a younger audience base who are getting so much of their entertainment on the web.

EDGE: There is also a John Williams concert comprised of his playlist. What does that consist of?

Keith Lockhart: He picked the program of his personal favorites from his own compositions, so I'm not going to object. And it has several new pieces that we've never played before. I have conducted almost as much of John's stuff as he has himself, so it's pretty exciting for me to playing something new by him.

Watch Keith Lockhart at his first Boston Pops concert in 1995.

EDGE: And there is the concert that you will be conducting that honors your 30 years with the orchestra with an array of guest stars. Those announced are Michael Feinstein, Melinda Dillon, John Pizzarelli and Jason Donleavy. How do you feel about it?

Keith Lockhart: Well, I hate being honored, and I'm a little apprehensive about it, mostly because it's being kept as a surprise for me. And that's funny because I actually have to conduct it. But, of course, I'm honored and flattered, and it should be a really fun evening with a huge number of guests coming back to make sure I'm still alive. But I can't wait to get to season 31.

EDGE: Why is that?

Keith Lockhart: One reason is that we're spending a lot of time thinking about the 250th anniversary for July 4. That's the big thing on everybody's mind. And this year we're premiering a piece about Katherine Lee Bates, the Wellesley English professor who wrote "America the Beautiful." She was born in Falmouth and lived most of her life in Wellesley, so that's a nice Massachusetts tie into the patriotic theme as we approach this year's Fourth of July, which is all about the shot heard around the world and Lexington and conquer[ing] the beginning of the battles.

EDGE: Speaking of big American themes, you had a great success two years ago with the premiere of the concert version of "Ragtime." Would you like to do another musical like that?

Keith Lockhart: I would, and we will. It's... Those are extremely expensive to mount, so we have been a little careful about them these last couple of years. But we are committed to be doing more of those because I think that's one of the things we can really do, and we do them better than anybody.

EDGE: There was a terrific profile of you in the New York Times that made it appear like you are the Energizer Bunny of Classical Music. Reading it made me wonder, where do you get all your energy?

Keith Lockhart: I've been wondering where all my energy went. But I am very fortunate to be able to do something that I love. And think the best source of my energy is I have two teenage boys at home, so I can't act like an old person yet.

EDGE: Over the 30 years, was there a most embarrassing moment?

Keith Lockhart: I've had wardrobe malfunctions, and I've forgotten to bring artists out or introduced the wrong artists before they came out. Yeah, I think it's some combination of those sorts of things. But I have a really good selective memory for getting rid of the embarrassing moments I have had over the years,

EDGE: On the other hand, do you remember your most memorable moments?

Keith Lockhart: Can you believe there have been 2300 concerts? Of them, there was the first Pops appearance of the Super Bowl in 2002 at the Superdome in New Orleans. That was pretty cool. And my first Fourth of July concert with Mel Torme and the Pointer Sisters was pretty special. But so have the other 28 after that. And I feel like I'm doing a disservice to many other great concerts we have done over the years by only mentioning a few. And I don't see my role as looking backward. It's always a lot better to look forward.

For more on the Boston Pops 2025 Spring season, visit the Boston Pops website.