Wicked super-star Cynthia Erivo was to hit the SPAC stage on August 22 for the most highly-anticipated concert during Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2025 summer residency. Her cancellation due to “scheduling conflicts” sent shockwaves through the local classical music crowd.
“There should be no scheduling conflict if she was already scheduled,” said one fan with tickets for the performance.
“I’m devastated,” said another ticket-holder.
In her place, SPAC and the orchestra have booked the popular and critically-acclaimed Jon Batiste, winner of seven Grammys — including 2021 Album of the Year for We Are — from a whopping 22 nominations. His 2023 Netflix documentary American Symphony was also a huge hit.
“Jon will put on a great show,” said yet another ticket-holder. “But he’s not in the same league as Cynthia. She is simply the ‘it’ star right now.”
Tickets to An Evening with Cynthia Erivo will automatically be transferred to A Special Evening with Jon Batiste and The Philadelphia Orchestra, but ticket-holders who prefer a refund or credit can do so via email.
Batiste is married to renowned New York Times writer and best-selling author Suleika Jaouad, who’s from Saratoga. The A-list couple met during a summer music intensive at Skidmore.
Batiste’s concert will be the very day his new album, Big Money, is released and the first time he’ll perform its music. He kicks off his national “Big Money Tour” August 27 in Kansas City, Missouri.