Unlike Chuck Berry and the Beatles before him, Sting has not rolled over (or under) Beethoven to tell Tchaikovsky the news. But Sting, who brings a rather large ensemble into Bethel Woods on Friday, July 30, does have some pretty big news of his own: He is now embarked on the first tour of his storied career with an orchestra - an ambitious undertaking that is officially billed as "An Evening with Sting Performing His Most Celebrated Songs, Featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Conducted by Steven Mercurio."

Yes, it's a mouthful; but Sting is no stranger to near-epic endeavors. And his foray into the world of symphonic pop is both a bit of an artistic stretch and a logical extension of a career that has seen the 58-year-old pop superstar delve into more styles - from rock, reggae and jazz to country, tango, lute-driven medieval music and more - than most of his contemporaries can dream of successfully matching.

Of special note is an "opening slot" that features Sting with a quartet led by guitarist Dominic Miller. This small group setting also features bassist Ira Coleman: no stranger to jazz fans in the Hudson Valley.

But in the context of a 45-piece unit, will Sting lose his edge that made the Police Hall-of-Famers? Will he bash boundaries the way his 1986 Dream of the Blue Turtles, with that great band featuring Kenny Kirkland, Branford Marsalis, Darryl Jones and Omar Hakim, certainly did? Let's hope so.

For tix, visit www.bethelwoodscenter.org.