The Ashland Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is taking Broadway by storm and will have some familiar and talented friends to help them.

On Saturday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m., the ASO will welcome experienced vocalists John and Nancy Shuffle back to Ashland with their concert, “Classical to Broadway: a Pops Evening with the Shuffles.”

According to a press release, the concert will feature light classical favorites and Broadway tunes from works such as Carmen, La Traviata La Boheme, Fiddler on the Roof, and South Pacific.

“The diverse program for the evening will showcase the technical abilities of the Shuffles and the ASO musicians,” ASO General Manager Jarrod Brown said.

Brown said this pops concert promises to have an exciting and “evolutionary” flow from the orchestra’s classical fare to more contemporary tunes, displaying “a progression of vocal music through several centuries.”

John and Nancy Shuffle, appearing for a second time together as guest artists with the ASO, are very well respected vocalists around the country with a great deal of collective experience, according to Brown.

One look at the Shuffles’ career biographies provides an impressively extensive list of major roles held, including globe-spanning location performances, numerous performance awards and great critical acclaim.

John Shuffle had performed in concert and on stage in 32 different U.S. states and in countries such as New Zealand, England and Israel. He’s held lead roles in productions such as “Don Giovanni,” “Die Fledermaus” and “Barber of Seville,” among many others. John has also been hailed as a “Critic’s Pick” by the Chicago music press and has received praise by Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick.

Nancy Shuffle has made much of her career as a leading lady in over 60 musical productions around the Midwest and has also headlined many of the same national and international locales with her husband, John.

While John has made his mark in operatic productions, Nancy has found acclaim in a variety of well-known musicals, including “The Sound of Music,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The Secret Garden,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”

According to the release, critics have lauded Nancy for her “outstanding vocal and acting talents” and have described her voice as being “awesome,” “excellent,” and “first-class.”

Together, the Shuffles have over 150 roles, nine solo and duet recordings and performance awards on both the national and regional level credited to their stage and concert careers.

The concert will be held in McDowell auditorium at Ashland Middle School.

For concert tickets and additional information about the 2010-2011 Ashland Symphony Orchestra season, visit their website at www.ashlandsymphony.org, or call the ASO office at 419-289-5115 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. through 12 p.m.

Tickets are also available at the Ashland University box office in person or by phone at 419-289-5125 or at the door.