It was a day for the Conroe Symphony Orchestra (CSO) to roll out the red carpet as they presented their 4th concert of their 2025-2026 season, working up with Disney in Concert’s ‘A Dream is A Wish,’ at Willis ISD Performing Arts Center on May 2nd. The concert hall was filled with kids with mouse ears, many girls dressed as princesses, along with their parents and grandparents, who were essentially kids at heart. The CSO, headed by Conductor Gary Liebst, teamed with Disney in Concerts’ Symphony Pops Music, Sherilyn Draper, Director and Writer; and Ted Ricketts, Music Director, and the audience was ready to be transported into the magical world of classical and contemporary Disney animated feature films, along with the music that made them so memorable.
The princesses were waiting with bated breath ready for their dreams to come true in their longing to once again be graced with stories of the little mermaid and her quest to become human, or the tale of a lion cub who claws his way to find his way in life, then there is the story who two sisters who aim to thaw their frozen relationship. The amazing ability of Disney to tell stories that captivate young minds with wondrous tales that excite and are filled with feelings of suspense and relief, happiness and romance, that can stand the test of time, with youngsters in time bringing their own children to the movie theaters and concert halls.
The Disney stories of The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and more, were told through the wonderful singing talents of four Broadway singers, as original Disney film footage and the sweeping Disney orchestral scores played so expertly by the CSO. The four Disney singers: Stephanie Burkett Gerson, Andrew Johnson, Domonique Paton, and Aaron Phillips, each stunning in their own way and well versed in their tunes. The singers paired well with the accompanying video, and the music was excellent.
With ‘Kiss the Girl’ from The Little Mermaid, sung by Aaron Phillips, accompanied by his ensemble, was particularly catchy with its romantic calypso style, with the lyrics encouraging Prince Eric to kiss Ariel before time runs out. The accompanying video with Sebastian trying to set the mood is funny and entertaining.
The Aladdin Orchestral Suite featured the CSO solo with ‘Arabian Nights,’ then Andrew Johnson and Domonique Paton teamed for ‘A Whole New World,’ the love song of Aladdin giving hope to an imprisoned princess of what a life of freedom would be like, as the couple acknowledge their love for each on a magic carpet ride.
The Lion King Orchestral Song Suite features the story of the young lion prince Simba, whose father is killed by his uncle Scar to seize the throne. Simba is exiled from the kingdom and as he grows, he must decide if he wants to challenge his uncle and reclaim his throne as king. Stephanie Burkett Gershon sang ‘I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,’ taking on Simba’s challenge in a playful song for the achievement of Simba’s dream.
From the Disney animated film Hercules, Andrew Johnson sang ‘I Can Go the Distance,’ the song about a young Hercules who searches for his destiny. Johnson sang the ballad with a hero’s sense of purpose, belonging, the motivation to overcome obstacles, and a journey for self discovery.
Both Disney and the CSO worked well together, the singing was exceptional and was not drowned out by the music, even though the CSO is appreciated with their most energetic play in other settings.
The Conroe Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, the Apricity Foundation, the Spikes Group, the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, the City of Conroe, and the Montgomery County Community Foundation. The CSO was founded in 1997, and was created to contribute to the cultural enrichment of Conroe and the county as a whole, assuring a better quality of life for everyone in the area. The CSO’s objective is to provide the region with the best possible musical experience, while creating music lovers and connecting communities. They strive to be recognized as one of the outstanding community orchestras in the state of Texas, and as a non-profit community orchestra, it is supported through individual and corporate donations, grants, and ticket sales.
The next concert is ‘Celebrate America!’ The 250th Birthday Celebration of our Great Nation, to be performed on June 27th, 4:00pm, at the First Methodist Church in Conroe.
The CSO website is: conroesymphony.org
Please consider donating to this wonderful organization. With Disney’s involvement and the brand name, the cost to put on a show of this caliber triples, and it is a strain on the CSO’s coffers. That is why donating to the orchestra is so important, to keep music and the arts alive in Conroe and Montgomery County.
Ruben can be reached at: ruben@montgomerycountynews.net