It's unlikely a single member of Saturday night's Duluth-Superior Symphony audience walked away from the "Pops Live!" concert disappointed or dissatisfied.

Well, maybe not every audience member. A few misguided souls on this planet simply can't stand the sound of opera-quality voices - even when they're performing Broadway tunes. Let them go to Bob Dylan.

For the rest, Saturday's "Direct from Broadway" concert was a feast of familiar melodies beautifully performed by two ultra-gifted guest artists and, of course, the symphony going it alone on some of those lavish Boston Pops and Cincinnati Pops-like arrangements of Broadway medleys.

Who could ask for anything more?

The soloists, soprano Laurie Gayle Stephenson and tenor Doug LaBrecque were a satisfying reminder that real singing is not dead and will be alive and well - well into the 21st century, thank you.

The university music departments and specialized music schools are still turning them out, and Stephenson and LaBrecque are shining examples.

Neither singer's resume lists opera credits, but each recounts vast experience in the American musical theater, a lot of it on Broadway.

Stephenson is a classic lyric soprano (she has been on of the many Christines in "Phantom of the Opera" both on Broadwqay and on tour) who can also belt out a tune, but whose range can be startling.

When the two did that old chestnut "I Can Do Anything Better than You" from "Annie Get Your Gun", her high note at the end won that battle, not to take one scintilla away from LaBrecque.

As engaging in manner as he is at ease singing, LaBrecque has an astonishing voice. His range runs from the high baritone up to somewhere in the heavens.

He performed "Some Enchanted Evening", a number usually associated with the basso profundo but here transposed into a comfortable tenor range, movingly.

LaBrecque's biggest solo crowd pleaser came on "Bring Him Home" from "Les Misérables" in which he displayed seamless shifts into his falsetto.

This is a handsome, talented pair who is as comfortable singing as breathing. Their finale, the "Music of the Night" sequence from "Phantom", was as well performed as anything available on recordings, including the original cast.

What can you say about the rest of a concert that includes selections from "My Fair Lady", "The King and I", "West Side Story" and on and on - not an unfamiliar melody in the lot?

You can say it was fun. You can say it was lovely. You can say some of the old Rodgers and Hammerstein is so familiar it is starting to sound a bit old hat.

And speaking of hats, a tip of one to Concertmaster Diane Balko for her movingly perfomed solo of "One Hand, One Heart" from "West Side Story".

All of the proceedings, of course, were under the capable leadership of Youn-yan Hu, the orchestra's conductor and music director, whose enthusiasm for whatever type of music he is performing is contagious.

It makes for fine concerts.