American Dreams with Brian Stokes Mitchell

Returning to SPAC for the first time since 2014, two-time Tony® Award–winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell leads an “American Dreams” program, highlighted by his narration of Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait — a stirring reflection on unity, equality, and democratic responsibility. In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the program also pays tribute to Marian Anderson’s landmark performance of the work at SPAC 50 years ago.

The evening continues with Broadway favorites, including “Wheels of a Dream” from Ragtime (the role Mitchell originally brought to life), “The Impossible Dream” (Man of La Mancha), and Iryna Aleksiychuk’s Go Where the Wind Takes You…, dedicated to the courageous women of Ukraine, before concluding with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9.

Please note: All e-tickets for The Philadelphia Orchestra will be sent one week prior to the performance date. Please contact the Box Office with any questions at 518-584-9330.

Please note that web & phone ticket purchases will incur a $7 service fee; no fees are applied for in-person ticket purchases at our Box Office.

Premier Parking Upgrade Available

Premier parking is available as an optional upgrade. Limited spaces are available. Purchase at checkout for $20 and enjoy easy access to the Route 50 entry gate. Choose premier parking as an add-on during ticket checkout or purchase separately. General admission parking is free.

Marin Alsop

One of the foremost conductors of our time, Marin Alsop is the first woman to serve as the head of major orchestras in the United States, South America, Austria, and Great Britain. She is internationally recognized for her innovative approach to programming and is the first and only conductor to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.

Alsop serves as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Polish National Radio Symphony; Principal Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra; Principal Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra; and Chief Conductor of the Ravinia Festival. She made history as the first female conductor of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms. Her long-awaited Berlin Philharmonic debut was in 2025.

To nurture the careers of women conductors, Alsop founded the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship to empower extraordinary women conductors through intensive coaching, mentoring, and financial support. Today, all 36 award winners hold over 30 music director or chief conductor positions.

Alsop is a 2025-26 Carnegie Hall Perspectives artist, leading concerts by the Philharmonia Orchestra and America at 250 programs with The Philadelphia Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, and The Juilliard Orchestra. Other season highlights include concerts with major orchestras and festivals.

Brian Stokes Mitchell

Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell has enjoyed a career that spans Broadway, television, film, and concert appearances with many of the country’s finest conductors and orchestras.

He received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for Kiss Me, Kate, and earned Tony nominations for Man of La Mancha, August Wilson’s King Hedley II, and Ragtime. Other notable Broadway shows include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jelly’s Last Jam, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Shuffle Along. In 2016 he was awarded the Isabelle Stevenson Tony for his charitable work with The Actors Fund and was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Mitchell has performed across jazz, opera, pops, country, and musical theater worlds, working with John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Gustavo Dudamel, Keith Lockhart, Michael Tilson Thomas, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Big Band, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and others. He has appeared multiple times at Carnegie Hall and has been invited twice to perform at the White House (both performances aired on PBS’s Great Performances). His screen credits include Roots: The Next Generations, Trapper John, MD, and more recent television roles on Madam Secretary, Mr. Robot, The Path, Billions, and The Good Fight. As a voice-over artist he performed “Through Heaven’s Eyes” in DreamWorks’ The Prince of Egypt.

As a writer, Mitchell has contributed to Hirschfeld’s Harlem, wrote the preface to At This Theatre, and co-authored the children’s book Lights on Broadway.

For fun he has been known to fly planes and jump out of them (usually not at the same time), and he can ride a bicycle on a high wire.

Permitted Items

• Food, beverages, and disposable utensils (compostable, plastic, reusable, etc.)
• Blankets and breathable ground coverings
• Umbrellas
• Please note: Only personal-sized umbrellas will be permitted on the amphitheater lawn.
• Lawn chairs
• Please note: Lawn chairs must not exceed 43” in height when opened. Lawn chairs on the center amphitheater lawn must not exceed 26" in height when opened.
• Tents
• Please note: Tents of any size will NOT be permitted on the Amphitheater lawn or immediately in front of the Charles R. Wood Discovery Stage.

Items listed are subject to change or vary on show day

Items Not Permitted

• Metal utensils
• Plastic tarps
• Lawn chairs over 43” in height when opened
• Tents on the Amphitheater lawn or immediately in front of the Charles R. Wood Discovery Stage
• Grills, cooking equipment, or any flame that uses a liquid, gas, or gel accelerant
• Laser pointers
• Drones
• Professional audio or video recording equipment
• Cameras with detachable lenses
• Bikes, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters, etc.
• Pets (except ADA approved service animals)
• Illegal drugs or substances
• Weapons of any kind

Items listed are subject to change or vary on show day

Ground Rules

• Security Procedure: All bags will be inspected, and all personnel will be searched via metal detectors. Bags include but are not limited to coolers, baskets, tote bags, purses, diaper bags, strollers, and other containers. Any item not permitted on SPAC grounds should be disposed of or returned to your vehicle.
• Smoking is permitted on the SPAC grounds in designated areas only. Please ensure that all cigarette butts are disposed of properly.
• Guests are welcome to bring items such as blankets and umbrellas but please consider others around you. If your items are disruptive to others, you may be asked to remove them.
• Reentry is permitted for SPAC-produced events. Guests must obtain a reentry wristband from staff at the gates prior to exiting the venue.
• SPAC has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment of any kind. If you are made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe, please immediately report any concerns to SPAC staff or security personnel.

Amphitheater House Rules for Classical Performances

• Beverages are permitted in the amphitheater, but food is not.
• As a courtesy to performers and the audience, guests arriving after the performance begins will not be seated until the earliest appropriate opportunity at the discretion of House Staff.
• Please turn off or silence all mobile devices prior to the start of the program. If an emergency requires using a mobile device, please step outside of the theater to avoid disturbing others.
• Video, photography, audio, or cell phone recording during performances is prohibited.