Have fun, fun, fun with the Beach Boys and the Southwestern Suburban Symphony

If you're chatting with a Beach Boy about how you're starting a symphony and he tells you his band performs with those groups, you'll do more than just remember that. 

Christine Flasch of Franklin founded Music by the Lake, a summer festival featuring eight performances on the campus of George Williams College of Aurora University in Williams Bay in 2000. 

In addition to the fest, she was building the music department of Aurora University and teaching vocal performance at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. 

"I was in music all of my life," she said. This included eight years with the Metropolitan Opera.

She said she had been thinking about what she still wanted to do in life and decided conducting a symphony was it. She had conducted full operas each summer at the fest. 

"I have a small window of time where I can try this," she said. 2014 was her last year with the fest and the Beach Boys were the band she hired for it. 

"It was fantastic," she said. "Everybody loved them."

When she was talking with the band, she mentioned how she was starting a symphony. She said Bruce Johnston told her they had a show for that. 

"I tucked that away," she said. 

The Southwestern Suburban Symphony made its debut with a Gershwin show in Aug. 2015 in front of an audience of 750. Last summer, they did a Bernstein concert in honor of his 100th birthday. On Aug. 25, a symphony of 55 will perform with the Beach Boys at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex in Franklin. 

"This will be the Beach Boys regular show, but with a full symphony orchestra behind them," Flasch said. 

Bruce Johnston said he was "so pleasantly honored" when Flasch reached out. 

While the songs stand alone, he said it's special to hear them live with a symphonic configuration and their voices.

"It gives another perspective to the makeup of our music and songs," he said. The Beach Boys have been performing with symphonies for about 30 years. 

Flasch received the scores about a month ago. "Everything was hand-delivered to the players so that they could begin practicing," she said. 

The concert will come together in one rehearsal on the same day as the show. She'll meet with the music director at noon to go over the songs and musicians will arrive at 2:30 p.m. to run through everything, including "The Light Cavalry Overture," which starts off the concert. They break for dinner and then it's showtime. 

The symphony puts on three performances a year including a Christmas concert, an educational show geared towards children and a summer concert.

She said she started the symphony to bring high-caliber music to the southwest suburbs like Greendale, Hales Corners, Greenfield, West Allis, Franklin and Muskego, which is where she was raised. 

"I want to do something that will live beyond me, that will make my community better and stretch it," she said. 

Performances have been held at the Greendale High School Auditorium, Hales Corners Lutheran Church, the Saber Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin and the Polish Center of Wisconsin. 

Flasch said she wanted to attract the broadest audience with the upcoming performance with the Beach Boys. 

Johnston said he thinks Beach Boys music appeals to so many generations because it's about the innocence of being young. He said people don't have to think beyond high school or college when they're listening. 

"They find relief in our music," he said. "They're safe again."

In addition to the concert, there will be a classic vintage car show from 5:30 p.m. to showtime, which is 7:30 p.m. 

Flasch said they are expecting about 50 vehicles, including ones the Beach Boys sing about. So far, there are five T-Birds, a Deuce Coupe and a 409. 

"We're going to showcase all of those cars with a spotlight as they sing those numbers," she said. 

The car show is free to attend. 

The Beach Boys in concert with The Southwestern Suburban Symphony 

DATE: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25

ADDRESS: Milwaukee County Sports Complex, 6000 W. Ryan Road, Franklin

WEBSITE: swssymphony.org

PRICE: $25-$130

Flasch said her dream is to start a festival like Music by the Lake in the southwest suburbs and hopes these performances will