Aris Antoniades and the TrakArt Pops Orchestra Open 2026 with “Shine On! – A Night of Broadway Musicals”

The 2026 artistic season opened with energy, glamour, and unmistakable Broadway flair as Aris Antoniades and the TrakArt Pops Orchestra presented Shine On! – A Night of Broadway Musicals on January 4 and 5 at the Pattihio Municipal Theatre in Limassol.

Across two performances, the production delivered an authentic Broadway experience to Cypriot audiences, earning strong audience reactions, enthusiastic applause, and a warm ovation, confirming the show as a resounding success and an ideal way to launch the new year.

A True Broadway Sound

Shine On! was conceived and performed in the spirit of a classic Broadway pit orchestra. The 14-piece TrakArt Pops Orchestra, consisting entirely of exceptional local musicians, captured the immediacy, rhythmic drive, and stylistic authenticity of the original Broadway productions.

All orchestrations were crafted by Aris Antoniades, carefully designed to recreate the sound, balance, and energy of the original Broadway scores, while remaining idiomatic for a live concert setting. The result was a vivid and immersive musical theatre experience—intimate, powerful, and unmistakably true to the genre.

A Celebration of Broadway Classics

The programme featured iconic songs and ensembles from some of the most beloved Broadway and Disney musicals, including:

• The Phantom of the Opera

• Les Misérables

• Wicked

• Evita

• Chicago

• The Lion King

• Frozen

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame

• The Greatest Showman

From dramatic ballads and powerful ensemble numbers to high-energy finales, the repertoire showcased the emotional range and theatrical brilliance that define Broadway’s enduring appeal.

Special Guest: Sofia Manousaki

The evening’s special guest was Sofia Manousaki, one of the most exciting up-and-coming vocal artists on the Greek music scene.

Born in Crete, Manousaki pursued music professionally from the age of 18 and has already performed in over 200 concerts in Greece and abroad. She has attracted significant attention for her powerful, expressive voice and artistic maturity, earning praise from audiences and critics alike.

Her career highlights include participation in two gold-certified albums featuring the music of Mikis Theodorakis, who described her as a “momentous revelation.” She was also selected to perform musical settings of K. P. Kavafis’s poetry in a double album by Stefanos Korkolis, which also achieved gold status.

Manousaki has collaborated with Aris Antoniades on several occasions in recent years, including live performances in Cyprus of Stefanos Korkolis’s complete musical cycle on the poems of K. P. Kavafis. Her presence in Shine On! brought emotional depth, stylistic versatility, and emotional strength to the production.

Outstanding Vocal Performances

Joining Manousaki on stage were three up and coming Cypriot talented artists, as well as a Diastasis veteran, each contributing a unique artistic voice to the programme:

• Christos Metaxas, delivering dramatic intensity and vocal authority in roles such as The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame

• Ilia Grigoriadou, whose performances combined lyricism and emotional clarity, particularly in Evita, Les Misérables, and Wicked

• Antrea Sofokleous, offering warmth and expressive sensitivity in moments such as God Help the Outcasts and For Good

• Nicos Mylonas, a baritone whose commanding presence brought strength and gravitas to powerful songs such as Stars and Hellfire

The Diastasis Vocal Ensembles, under the direction of Christina Krasidou (Adult Chorus) and Christina & Dimitra Pissouriou (Children’s Chorus), played a central role in the production, adding dramatic scale, colour, and impact to the large ensemble numbers.

Creative and Production Team

The success of Shine On! was the result of close collaboration between artists and creatives:

TRAKART POPS ORCHESTRA

ARIS ANTONIADES

Artistic / Music Director

Flute | Piccolo: Konstantinos Makaritis

Oboe | English Horn: Stamatis Solonos

Trumpet | Flugelhorn: Giannis Koudounas

Trombone | Euphonium: Andreas Theocharous

Percussion: Zena Christodoulou

Violin I: Giorgos Hadjigeorgiou

Violin II: Lucas Demetriou

Viola: Konstantinos Christou

Violoncello: Marios Stylianou

Acoustic | Electric Bass: Nicolas Tryphonos

Piano: Antonis Polycarpou

Keyboards: Pavlos Daniel Loucaides

Acoustic | Electric Guitar: Christos Tylissanakis

Drums: Soteris Yiatrou

PRODUCTION

• Sound Design & Engineering: Andreas Georgallis

• Lighting Operator: Michael Kyprianou

• Projections, Graphic & Booklet Design: Natalie Pavlidou

• Logistics Director: Konstantinos Makaritis

• Executive Production: Marios Papadopoulos

(Papadopoulos & Schinis Productions) & Melina Schini (Trakart Cultural Development Foundation)

A Bright Beginning

With its authentic Broadway sound, outstanding local musicians, and inspired performances, Shine On! – A Night of Broadway Musicals proved to be far more than a seasonal concert. It was a confident artistic statement and a celebration of musical theatre at its finest.

As the curtain rose on 2026, the message was clear: this is a year that has begun with energy, ambition, and a great deal of shine.