Arts in Los Angeles

We've Moved!

2009-05-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

We've got a new name and a new look. Please visit us at http://CultureSpotLA.com.

Thanks for all your support, and I look forward to seeing you at Culture Spot LA.

What's in Your Weekend?

2009-05-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

Museums of the Arroyo: See six museums for one great price: free! On May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visit the Heritage Square Museum, Gamble House (pictured), Los Angeles Police Historical Museum, Lummis Home and Garden, Pasadena Museum of History and Autry National Center’s Southwest Museum of the American Indian during Museums of the Arroyo Day, a celebration of culture now in its 20th year.

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra: LACO presents the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis' "Radiant Mind" and performs Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor featuring pianist Jonathan Biss, De Falla's "Ritual Fire Dance" from "El Amor Brujo," and Ginastera's "Variaciones Concertantes" on May 16 at the Alex Theatre and on May 17 at UCLA's Royce Hall.

L.A. Theatre Works: L.A. Theatre Works wraps up a 22-city national tour of a sci-fi double bill featuring H. G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" and Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World," directed by Star Trek veteran John de Lancie, at the Skirball Cultural Center May 13 through 17 . All performances are recorded to air on LATW's syndicated radio theater series, which broadcasts weekly on 89.3 KPCC.

Intimate Opera: The final two performances of "La Tragedie de Carmen" are May 16 and 17 at the intimate Gold Room at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. The show is an adaptation of George Bizet's opera by English stage director Peter Brook, along with composer Marius Constant and playwright Jean-Claude Carrière. It's 80 minutes long and features four singers and a 14-piece orchestra.

Musica Angelica: The baroque orchestra pays homage to Hadyn's 200th as well as Mozart and Juan Bautista Sancho May 16 in downtown LA and May 17 in Santa Monica.

Playloop and NextAid Fundraiser

2009-05-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

Playloop, an innovative electronic record label, is hosting a fundraiser for the eighth annual international World AIDS Orphans Day on Thursday, May 7, from 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. at King King in Hollywood. Funds raised will benefit NextAid, an LA-based non-profit organization that raises funds for sustainable solutions for the African AIDS orphan pandemic through dance music events.

The 21+ event brings together electronic music legend John Tejada of Palette Recordings, Playloop/PEX artists Dave Hughes, Justin Paul and Lee Mayjahs?,
plus special performances by ArcheDream for HUMANKIND. There will also be an art auction from 8:30 to 10 p.m. For information about all artist and the art auction, visit www.playlooplist.com.

Proceeds from the auction, as well as $2 from every $15 presale general admission ticket, will go toward the NextAid World AIDS Orphans Day Fund. Advance ticketholders will get exclusive Playloop MP3s. VIP ticketholders ($50) will also get the free downloads, plus a Playloop Music CD and access to the Playloop VIP Area where free drinks will be served. Twenty dollars from every VIP ticket will be contributed to the NextAid World AIDS Orphans Day Fund.

Specifically, a portion of the profits from this event will go to the NextAid/Youth With a Vision Community Center and Children’s Residential Village in Dennilton, South Africa, which will provide a multi-purpose center for the greater community and an ecological children’s center that will serve as a safe home for 50 children orphaned by AIDS. Learn more at www.nextaid.org.

King King, 6555 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 90028, (323) 960-5765, www.kingkinghollywood.com
Event information line: (215) 833-7133
Tickets: http://playloop.ticketleap.com

Have Fun, Help Others

2009-05-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Be entertained and support a good cause by attending Union Station Homeless Services’ 35th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, May 9, at the California Club. A reception begins at 6 p.m. The festivities continue at 7 p.m. with dinner, live and silent auctions, and live music.

The hosts for the evening are actors Adam Arkin and Jane Kaczmarek, a San Gabriel Valley resident who is very active in the non-profit community. Grammy Award winner Debby Boone will perform jazz standards. Tempting live and silent auction items include a wine cellar, box seats at Staples Center for a Lakers game, a Hawaiian vacation, and more. Individual tickets start at $250.

Union Station Homeless Services is the San Gabriel Valley’s largest social service agency, providing housing, employment, and life skills programs to men, women, and children in need. Every year, the organization serves 170,000 meals and provides shelter for 300. What’s more, it has a proven record of success in helping to transform lives. For example, each year, approximately 60% of single adults and 85% of families exit its shelter programs with stable or permanent housing, and 100% of families exit its transitional housing program with permanent housing.

California Club, 538 S. Flower St., LA
For information, (626) 240-4557, www.unionstationhs.org.

Dracula Extended Again!

2009-05-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

Talk about immortal. The production of "Dracula" at the NoHo Arts Center has been extended until May 17. Let the blood-sucking continue. See our review.

Hungarian and Bohemian Rhapsody

2009-05-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Henry Schlinger reviewed the LA Phil's May 3 concert.

This past weekend, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra performed a series of concerts led by Austrian conductor Hans Graf. On the program were three works by composers from Eastern European countries: Concerto for Orchestra by Hungarian composer Zoltan Kodály; the Concerto No. 2 in A major for piano and orchestra by Franz Liszt, another Hungarian composer; and the Symphony No. 8 in G major by Antonin Dvorák, who was born in Bohemia (which then became Czechoslovakia and is nowadays the Czech Republic).

Sunday’s concert opened with the Concerto for Orchestra by Zoltan Kodály, which is nothing like its much more popular namesake from fellow countryman Bela Bartók. Kodály’s concerto, which predates the Bartók, was commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to honor its 50th anniversary and was premiered in 1941. Unlike Bartók’s concerto, which is scored for a bigger orchestra, the Kodály is written in the style of the older concerto grosso and, like that form, features the interplay between the orchestra and various groups of musicians, in particular a string quintet comprising two cellos, violin and two violas – played richly on this occasion by the principal strings. The concerto, a continuous work in three movements, is noteworthy, in part, for the absence of percussion instruments (save for a triangle). It is always a treat to hear an obscure work for the first time, especially one that is as delightful as the Kodály, and the L.A. Phil under Graf played it with a vitality and freshness that befitted its premiere by the orchestra.

The first half of the concert concluded with the Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major by Liszt with the young Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein. Although Liszt’s second concerto is less of a virtuoso piece than his first, one can nevertheless discern from this concerto that Liszt was more of a performer than a composer. It is somewhat interesting that Liszt, who was a virtuoso pianist and a relatively major composer, only wrote two piano concerti, neither of which exceeded 20 minutes. Like the Kodály, the Liszt is one continuous movement consisting of six sections. Gerstein, a tall, lanky Russian, seemed to loom over the keyboard, but his hands danced effortlessly across the keys as both he and Graf were in almost perfect sync. Too bad the orchestra at times overshadowed the piano part. The allegro moderato features a solo cello part somewhat reminiscent of the Brahms second piano concerto, which was beautifully played by Principal Cellist Peter Stumpf. The audience appreciated Gerstein’s performance, and he rewarded them with an encore of the Liebesleid by Fritz Kreisler (arr. Rachmaninoff).

The second half of the concert was devoted to a single work, the Symphony No. 8 in G major by Dvorák, written in 1889. Dvorak followed in the tradition of Schumann and Brahms (as opposed to the tradition of Liszt and Wagner) of writing pure music in the late Romantic style. Dvorák composed the eighth symphony in a spurt of inspiration within about two months in the fall of 1889 at his cottage in the Bohemian countryside. Perhaps not surprisingly, the eighth symphony, unlike its darker and more stormy predecessor, is upbeat and sunny, although there are some solemn moments, especially the G minor opening of the first movement and sections of the C minor Adagio. Nevertheless, the overall feel of the symphony is one of joy and triumph, perhaps reflecting, in part, Dvorák’s peaceful surroundings.

Graf, who is not terribly expressive, conducted the symphony in a crisp but restrained manner, which worked for the inner two movements, but felt somewhat lacking in the outer movements, especially the last movement. Perhaps he was trying to accentuate the triumphant coda dominated by brass and tympani. Either way, the L.A. Phil, as always, showed why they are indeed a world-class orchestra.

A subtle aspect of Graf’s conducting also caught our attention. The scores of all three pieces on the program included trombones and Graf was not shy about featuring them, especially in the last movement of the Dvorák. It was almost as if he and the L.A. Phil trombone section were paying tribute to Principal Trombonist Steven Witser, who died this week at the age of 48.

Photos of Hans Graf and Kirill Gerstein courtesy of LA Phil

"Photography as Meditation"

2009-05-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

As Descanso Gardens’ first artist-in-residence, photographer Christine Burrill has been exploring the spring blooms up close over the past month, zooming in on birds of paradise, yellow tidy tips, and roses wet with dew. Her prints will be on view at Descanso Gardens on Sunday, May 3, and she will talk about her experience capturing them in “The Pause of Focus: Photography as Meditation” from 2 to 4 p.m.

Burrill has been focusing on macro photography of flora for several years. As the title of her talk implies, her approach is almost Zen-like. Burrill says she finds photography “contemplative and meditative,” not just the time spent with the camera in the gardens, but also the work afterward, reviewing every frame and “making it perfect.”

“It slows you down,” she says, “nature does in general, but especially photography.”

Burrill’s images have a haiku-like simplicity, capturing with precision the most exquisite and easily overlooked details in nature. During her residency, she discovered a newfound appreciation for roses while photographing them on a recent dewy morning, but the wildflowers in the California native section remain her favorites, even as masses of bees swarmed around some of them. “The bees were not interested in me,” she says, “which was good.”

A USC Film School graduate, Burrill has spent more than 30 years behind the camera and has worked extensively as a cinematographer and writer of documentary films. One of her projects was the Dixie Chicks’ “Shut Up and Sing.” But she sees her still photography as a creative escape from her work on documentaries, which entail following people around and waiting for a story to unfold and for dramatic moments to occur.

While working on a film in the Brazilian Amazon, Burrill snapped photos of the indigenous tribes and, inspired by David Hockney’s concept of the photo collage, combined dozens of individual prints to form massive, almost motion-picture images. She has exhibited that series and other work in South America, Europe and the United States.

Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, (818) 949-4200, www.descansogardens.org

Palisades Finale

2009-05-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Theodore Bell was at Chamber Music Palisades’ last concert of the season on April 28.

Under the artistic direction of pianist Dee Stevens and flutist Susan Greenberg, Chamber Music Palisades has become a unique and extraordinary organization over the past 12 years. Its concerts at St. Matthew's Parish in Pacific Palisades have a neighborhood, grassroots quality that is particularly endearing. Though the venue does have its shortcomings as a performance space, the ensemble provides genuinely accessible chamber music of the highest order. Tuesday’s program of works by Mozart, Paul Hindemith, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Cesar Franck was an outstanding conclusion to a grand season.

The fondest memory of the evening was violist, Carrie Dennis, principal of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, who stole the show with her compelling art and sound. Dennis’ performance of Hindemith’s “Sonata for Viola and Piano” (Op. 11, No. 4 in F major) was simply among the best I have ever heard. It was exquisite and breathtaking – the highpoint of the evening. Accompanied by Stevens, Dennis delivered legitimate Hindemith – intellectual and demanding, and sopping with humanity. She convincingly mastered this challenging work, all the while invigorating it with moody, warm organic tones that tapped the essence of the instrument. She positively gave no hint of Hindemith as an arid modernist. Her interpretation was at once romantic and impressionistic, but also faithfully spoke a language of linear lyricism. At times, Stevens romanced us with sustained pianissimo melodies embedded in sensual harmonic textures; at other times, we were punched by clusters on the piano as frenetic aural fantasies spun from the viola. Words feel inadequate to describe the validity and vitality of the sound; the mid-concert standing ovation spoke for itself.

On other works earlier in the program, Greenberg played flawlessly in two sharply contrasted works, Mozart’s graceful “Quartet in D for Flute and Strings,” K. 285, and Brazilian Villa-Lobos’ “Jet Whistle” (“Assobio a Játo”) for flute and cello. Her technique in “Jet Whistle” was so well hewn that the listener had no cause to notice just how difficult this music actually is to play.

The Adagio of the Flute Quartet is always a treat, especially the legato flute against a delicately plucked pizzicato. Greenberg found just the right balance, and violinist Roger Wilke’s lead in the Rondeau made an impression that hinted of great music to follow. The flute was less a soloist in this movement, and was occasionally overwhelmed by the exuberance of the string trio; albeit, perhaps, by Mozart’s design.

In “Assobio a Játo,” Greenberg and cellist John Walz were tested thoroughly as they stood in the spotlight of this outré sonic train. As the title implies, the lungs were critical – so many notes, so little breath. The unpredictable flute sailed in broad swaths over Walz’s very deliberate ostinato, and as the duo conversed with gusto in both conventional and unconventional manners, Greenberg wound up in a frenetic, high-pitched whistle-tune frisson. Even this great performance would not have converted Mozart into a flutie, but it was well done and a lot of fun. It particularly sounded good in this venue with its generous reverberation making for a convincing effect.

Franck’s late masterwork, the “Quintet for Piano and Strings,” was called upon for the last farewell of the season. The ensemble exuded a truly grand style, emotional and dramatic, that somehow managed to feel larger than it actually was. KUSC’s Alan Chapman, in a brief introduction, implied salacious underpinnings in this overtly passionate composition to heighten the effect. Wilke, concertmaster of the Long Beach Symphony, played brilliantly despite the difficulty of the composition, and fellow violinist Nina Evtuhov blended beautifully and ably supported every turn of the score, and occasionally was solo herself. Stevens again delivered on a demanding piano part that, even though muddled by the room acoustics, was rich but not maudlin, and solidified the pseudo-symphonic style. The self-confident ensemble rendered a dramatic reading that was right on the mark.

Bringing Back Funny

2009-04-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

The Downtown Comedy Club has been on hiatus for months and, boy, are we glad owners Kevin Garnier and Garrett Morris are finally bringing back funny. After stints in a rundown old hotel and then a sushi restaurant in a swanky hotel, the club re-opens this weekend in a home of its own on Fifth Street in the Gallery Row area.

The grand re-opening celebration begins Friday, May 1, with a 9 p.m. show and continues Saturday, May 2, with shows at 8 and 10 p.m. Vicki Barbolak, Nick at Nite’s America’s Funniest Mom, will headline. Garrett Morris, the actor from the original “Saturday Night Live” cast whose memorable characters include Chico Escuela and the President of the New York School for the Hard of Hearing, returns as the host who doesn't limit himself to four-letter curses.

Garnier, who’s been in comedy for 15 years, founded the club two years ago with Morris. It was voted best comedy club in the LA area both years on myfoxla.com, undoubtedly because these pros managed to book a steady stream of up-and-coming comedians and top comics, including Craig Shoemaker, Doug Stanhope, Jamie Kennedy, Mark Curry, and Tommy Davidson.

The club has lined up Erik Griffin for May 8 and 9, Richard Chassler for May 15 and 16, Shawn Pelofsky for May 22 and 23, and Peter Berman for May 29 and 30.

Tickets are $10. Parking is available in various lots and garages in the area.

Downtown Comedy Club, 114 W. Fifth St. (between Spring and Main), LA 90013, (213) 841-3940, www.downtowncomedyclub.com

Zimerman Performs the Three Bs: Bach, Beethoven... and Bacewicz

2009-04-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Henry Schlinger reviewed Krystian Zimerman's April 26 recital at Disney Hall.

Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman surprised and shocked those who attended his Disney Hall recital on Sunday night when, before beginning the last piece on the program, Karol Szymanowski’s “Variations on a Polish Folk Theme,” he sat for a few minutes with his head down and his hands in his lap, and then, raising his head and looking at the audience, hesitatingly said, “I was trying not to talk … but I will.”

People immediately applauded, but perhaps they should have waited to hear what the maverick pianist would say. Zimerman announced that this would be his last recital in this country until the United States got out of Poland, most likely alluding to the recent U.S. decision to provide that country with Patriot missile systems. He spent the next few minutes railing against U.S. foreign policy, specifically its failure to prosecute those involved in torture at Guantanamo Bay prison, and added that we had better things to export than our military. Some people cheered at his remarks, others booed, but only a few people walked out, provoking Zimerman to comment that when some people hear “military” they march. One man yelled out, “We’re here for a concert,” whereupon another replied with something to the effect of “You’re getting a concert.”

This wasn’t the first time Zimerman has expressed his political views during a recital; and he has been threatening to boycott the United States for years. Some may cry hypocrisy because he continued to play for financial remuneration in this country during the previous administration most responsible for his complaints. However, Zimerman probably has more reason than others for his sentiments. He always travels (from Switzerland where he lives with his family) with his own Hamburg Steinway piano, which he works on himself, tweaking it to his own liking for each performance. But after 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration twice confiscated his instrument, once destroying it and another time returning it to him after several days with broken keys.

Zimerman’s comments at Sunday’s concert may explain his last-minute decision to replace the originally scheduled Brahms’ “Klavierstucke” Op. 119 with the Sonata No. 2 (1952) by the Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz in the second half. Zimerman played the Bacewicz with a passion and intensity that reflected his nationalist pride. He followed that with the Szymanowski’s “Variations on a Polish Theme,” written when the composer was just 22 years old. This piece, like the Bacewicz, required immense technical skills, which Zimerman admirably displayed. It also gave him another chance to plumb the depths of his feelings for his homeland.

The second half of the concert was more memorable than the first, and not only because of Zimerman’s political rant. He gave the audience a tour de force performance. Perhaps he needed to play the Bacewicz to give him the courage to express his political views and then once expressed, felt free to let loose in the Szymanowski and demonstrate why he is considered to be one of the finest and most sought-after pianists of his generation.

The first half of the concert included readings of two major works for piano: the Bach Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826, and the Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111. Struggling with his decision to talk to the audience, however, may have affected his performance of these pieces. Zimerman played the Bach well, with a range of dynamics that were probably not intended by the composer, thus giving the piece a more romantic and late-Brahmsian feel. But it was not an inspired performance. Zimerman’s rendition of the Beethoven was even less well rendered, especially with the reverberations in Disney Hall of András Schiff’s recent extraordinary performance of the sonata. There were times, especially in the opening movement, when Zimerman rushed the music and when the melodic lines were muddled, possibly from holding the sustain pedal down too much.

Unfortunately, American audiences won’t be seeing Zimerman in this country for a while – unless, of course, he reneges on his threatened boycott. But that would be hypocritical of him, wouldn’t it?

Deborah Strang

2009-04-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

Meet the coal miner’s daughter who’s the leading lady in “Ghosts” at A Noise Within.

Hard day at the office: Deborah Strang has acted in more than 40 productions in her 17 years as a resident artist at A Noise Within, the only classical repertory company in Southern California. She’s appeared in countless TV shows and films – in roles as diverse as a Vulcan in “Deep Space Nine,” a detective in “The X-Files,” and a mother in “Eagle Eye.” That doesn’t mean her job has gotten any easier. “I never approach a role without thinking there’s no way I’m going to be able to do it this time,” she says, sitting in the front row of the Glendale theater on a recent weekday afternoon.

Current challenge: In her latest incarnation, Strang plays Mrs. Alving in Henrik Ibsen’s “Ghosts,” on stage at A Noise Within through May 9. When the artistic directors, Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliot, asked her to take on the role of the widow with an ailing son, Strang admits she was hesitant. “I was trying to find ways to get out of it actually,” she says with a laugh. “I wanted an easier path.” Part of the reason the play is so difficult is that “Ibsen walks a very thin line between realism and naturalism and melodrama,” Strang says. “It’s nonstop, it’s that heightened emotional state, it’s talk talk talk talk talk, and just figuring out how do you make that palpable to our modern-day ears?”

No spoiler alert necessary: Written by the Norwegian playwright in 1881, “Ghosts” was considered shocking and scandalous when it was staged the following year. Without giving away the plot, let’s just say infidelity, venereal disease, incest, and death all play a part in this intense drama, but it's ultimately a universal story. “What our director Michael [Murray] wanted it to be about,” Strang says, “was a debate … between two ways of living: living an authentic, true life where you’re following your soul and your heart or living a life where you’re just living the dictates of religion or government or the people who have power over you, like a husband in her case, or your parents. That’s what this woman is teetering in between: what she knows to be right and what has been instilled in her all of her life.”

Mrs. Alving in “Ghosts”: “We’re haunted by the ghosts of our mothers and fathers – and by all kinds of old, dead ideas and dead beliefs that are piled up inside us.” In many of his plays, Ibsen created strong female characters trapped by Victorian traditions, perhaps influenced by his mother-in-law, Magdalene Thoreson, a leader of the feminist movement in Norway.

From shocks to sparks: Strang’s boyfriend and fellow resident artist, Joel Swetow, plays the role of Pastor Manders. “You always kind of fall in love with your leading man,” Strang says, “so how fun can it be to fall in love with the man you’ve already been in love with for 26 years. It’s like having a little honeymoon or something. It’s opening up all those love channels and you don’t have to repress it at all. It’s great and I think -- I may be wrong -- but I think we’re pretty hot together onstage.”

The place Strang calls "home": Founded in 1991, A Noise Within is one of the few companies in the nation dedicated to classical drama. It presents works in the repertory tradition and has won 26 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. Strang has been there practically from the beginning (she missed the first season when three plays were produced).

Surprise favorite: When Strang read Alfred Jerry’s absurd and surreal 1896 play, “Ubu Roi,” she let the artistic directors know she did not want to be in it. Naturally, she was cast as Ma Ubu in the 2006 production. When Director Rodriguez-Elliott mentioned in the first rehearsal that she wanted to start the play off with Ma and Pa Ubu sitting on toilets, Strang said, “Oh no, I’m not gonna sit on a toilet. I just don’t even want to go there.” It turned out, she says, she had the best time of her life doing that play. “Once you sit on a toilet in front of an audience full of people, you are free to do anything. I was up in the audience sitting on people, I was singing on top of a piano. It was so freeing and so much fun to do and I had no idea.”

On the tube: Despite the numerous TV shows she’s worked on, including most recently “Cold Case,” “Close to Home,” and “Numb3rs,” Strang has yet to be cast as a series regular. “I don’t expect it to happen now. I mean you never know, a ‘Golden Girls’ might come along or something like that,” jokes the middle-aged actress. She currently has a recurring voiceover on “The Spectacular Spider-Man” as Aunt May, a job she got through one of A Noise Within’s subscribers who wrote and produced the animated series.

Coal miner’s daughter: Strang begins her explanation of how a coal miner’s daughter from Appalachia, Virginia, became a stage and screen actress in LA by mentioning the woman who recently caused an international sensation on “Britain’s Got Talent,” the overseas version of “American Idol.” “Have you seen Susan Boyle… the woman who’s on YouTube everywhere now? The poor little woman who just sang her heart out? You’ve got to look at that video. It’s very, very moving.
“You know, there are just a whole lot of people all over the world that have these kinds of dreams and they’re in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes they fall through the door that leads them on the route to their dreams and sometimes they don’t. I think I just fell through the door. It wasn’t through anything that I necessarily made happen. I always pursued my bliss.”

Opening doors: Strang went to a small liberal arts college in her native state to study social work. “I wanted to follow John Kennedy’s ‘Ask what you can do for your country,’ I wanted to join the Peace Corps. … I ended up auditioning for plays and followed that bliss.” She graduated with a BFA from Emory & Henry College and went on to get an MFA in Dramatic Art from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Once in LA, she went to Santa Monica College and UCLA to pursue a doctorate – but not in theater. “I wanted a Ph.D. in biology, but to go into the environmental world because I was bored with film and television. … But at the same time, this was developing more and more and I didn’t get recycling coordinator at Universal Studios, I got Olga in ‘Three Sisters.’”

Not too many people can say this: “I think I’m probably happier than just about anybody else I know,” Strang says. Following your bliss “is what the play’s about, whether or not we follow what we feel we want or what we ought to do. I do think I’ve generally done what I’ve wanted to do.”

“Ghosts” continues through May 9 in repertory with Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” (through May 17) and Jean Anouilh’s “The Rehearsal” (through May 24). Remaining dates are:

Sat., April 25, 2 pm
Sat., April 25, 8 pm
Sun., April 26, 2 pm
Sun., April 26, 7 pm
Wed., April 29, 8 pm
Thurs., April 30, 8 pm
Fri., May 1, 8 pm
Fri., May 8, 8 pm
Sat., May 9, 2 pm
Sat., May 9, 8 pm

A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale 91204, (818) 240-0910, ext. 1, www.anoisewithin.org.

Photos of Deborah Strang (and Joel Swetow) by Craig Schwartz/courtesy of A Noise Within

The Weekend of Festivals

2009-04-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

We've told you about the book festival, the Takemitsu festival, and the Earth Day festival happening this weekend, but there is also an arts festival.

The free Downtown Burbank Arts Festival on Sat., April 25, and Sun., April 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., is billed as one of the largest open-air art markets in the area, bringing ceramicists, painters, photographers, jewelry designers, and other artists to San Fernando Boulevard between Magnolia and Angeleno.

Presented by the Burbank Arts Education Foundation (BAEF) in partnership with the Downtown Burbank Partnership and West Coast Artists, an entire city block will be devoted to student artists from the Burbank Unified School District. Performances are scheduled throughout the weekend (see below). Various interactive arts are offered too; kids can make a movie, play an instrument, and learn to dance, among other activities. A live auction will benefit the BAEF, which was established to ensure that all of Burbank's 15,000 public school students have access to arts education in music, visual arts, dance, and drama.

In addition, the BAEF has an online auction of skateboard deck art donated by comic book artists and animators to raise more funds for arts education. These works will be on display at the festival.

Stage Schedule
Sat., April 25

10 am Emerson Elementary Chorus
10:15 am Free Hip Hop Dance Instruction by Garri Dance Studio
11 am Luther Middle School Wind Ensemble
11 am Miller Elementary Chorus
12:35 pm Jordan Wind Ensemble
12:50 pm Jordan Jazz Ensemble
1:20 pm Burbank Youth Summer Theater Institute
2 pm Burroughs High School VMA
2:30 pm Burbank High School Drama
2:50 pm Media Dance Centre
3:15 pm Show tunes with Melody Hollis, accompanied by Steve Hollis
4 pm Burbank Music Academy Bands: Smash It Up • What If • Skin and Bonez

Sun., April 26

10 am Igloo Music Band: Misperception
10:30 am Burbank High School Dance
11:15 am Erik Garcia and the Afro Cuban Express
Noon McKinley Elementary - ShowCamp Performance
12:30 pm Jefferson Elementary - ShowCamp Performance
12:45 pm Burbank ShowCamp
1:15 pm Burbank Music Academy Band: Harvey Drive
2:15 pm John Burroughs High School Dance
2:40 pm Burbank High Jazz Band
3:15 pm Emerson Elementary Hip Hop
3:30 pm Free Hip Hop Instruction by Garri Dance Studio
4 pm Burbank Music Academy Band: Without Warning
4:30 pm Burbank School of the Ballet

For more information, (818) 238-5180 or www.burbankartsed.org.

Celebrating the Third Rock

2009-04-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22.

By now, everyone probably knows about the new documentary, “Earth,” and how Disney will plant a tree for every ticket sold during opening week. Plus, kids get an extra treat at screenings at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood: Wildlife experts will bring animals from around the world onstage Wed., April 22, through Tues., May 26.

But there are plenty of other events for Earth Day too. We’ve compiled an assortment of festivals to get you started.

April 17-23 and April 30
USC Earth Week

Wed., April 22, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Wilshire Center Earth Day
3700 Wilshire Blvd., LA

April 25, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
City of Pasadena Greening the Earth Day and Armory Family Arts Festival
Memorial Park and the Armory Center, Pasadena

Sat., May 16, 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
World Fest
Woodley Park, Encino

Sat., June 27, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Venice Eco Fest
Presented by Venice Chamber of Commerce and Earth Day LA
Venice Beach Recreation Area

Below are some links to environmental nonprofits with websites where you can learn more about sustainable seafood, green companies, reducing your carbon footprint, saving endangered species, and more. All of these nonprofits have been rated four stars by Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that evaluates the “financial health” of various charities and lets you know which ones use their donations most effectively.

National and international groups:

Conservation International
World Wildlife Fund
Natural Resources Defense Council
Environmental Defense Fund

Local groups:

Santa Monica Baykeeper
Global Green USA
Heal the Bay

Sounds Like Zen Spirit

2009-04-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Shumei Arts Council in Pasadena is celebrating composer Toru Takemitsu with a free festival this weekend called “Confronting Silence: The Music of Toru Takemitsu.” The events, including a symposium, concert, film, and other entertainment, are about art, aesthetics, nature, and spirituality, as much as a personal tribute to one of the major composers of the late 20th century.

Takemitsu (1930-1996), the first Japanese composer to win international acclaim, wrote more than 100 pieces for orchestra, chamber orchestra, and piano and another 100 film scores, including music for Akira Kurosawa's 1985 epic, "Ran." In addition to traditional Japanese music and composers such as Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen, Takemitsu was inspired by jazz, popular music and the avant-garde.

Sat., April 25
A symposium at 1 p.m. will focus on the Japanese concept of "ma," an artistic principle that plays a key role in Takemitsu's compositions. On its website, the Shumei Arts Council defines “ma” as “an open space, a breath, a pause, or a silence defined by sound and found between sounds.” (In visual terms, that’s like the aesthetic relationship between the white space in a painting [silence] and the color [sound].) Among the panelists are Japan Society of Boston’s Peter Grilli and Southwest Chamber Music’s Jeff von der Schmidt. Pianist and Occidental faculty member Junko Ueno Garrett will demonstrate instances of “ma” in Takemitsu’s music.

Starting at 4 p.m., an event produced by Takemitsu’s nephew Kouji Sh'tara will put the theory of “ma” into practice with music by Takemitsu and his niece Haruno Kira, as well as the world premiere of “Seihitsu? Thoughts for Takemitsu” by taiko master Koji Nakamura. The music will be accompanied by dance, photography, calligraphy and even a tea ceremony. Then enjoy a reception with a calligraphy demonstration and more from 5 to 7 p.m.

Sun., April 26
Grilli and Sh’tara introduce “Music for Movies: Toru Takemitsu,” a documentary film about Takemitsu’s 40-year film-scoring career, at 1 p.m.

Finally, a 3 p.m. concert by Southwest Chamber Music will include compositions from Takemitsu’s “Waterscapes" series, with harps, vibraphones, and Japanese percussion. The music is inspired by nature; “Toward the Sea III,” for instance, was written in 1981 as a contribution to the Greenpeace Foundation’s Save the Whales program.

Southwest Chamber Music will repeat this concert and conclude their regular season on Mon., May 4, at 8 p.m. at the Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. The ensemble will also perform a selection of pieces from the “Waterscape" series in a free family concert on Sat., May 2, at 2 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. First., LA 90012, and at 4 p.m. at the Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena 91101. For more information, visit www.swmusic.org.

Shumei Hall, 2430 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena 91107
For more information about these and other events in the Takemitsu festival, visit www.shumeiarts.org/takemitsu.htm.

Get Ready for Books

2009-04-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

Tickets for panels at the LA Times Festival of Books (April 25 and 26) became available today. Tickets are free, but Ticketmaster charges 75 cents.

Panels on Saturday and Sunday at the UCLA campus feature authors talking about every genre of fiction and non-fiction, including comedy, horror, sci-fi, crime/mystery, history, biography, and science. Plus, there are plenty of discussions about the future of the newspaper.

Well-known authors appearing at panels on Saturday include Gore Vidal, Ray Bradbury, Janet Fitch, and Clive Barker. Sunday panels bring Jane Smiley, Michael J. Fox, T.C. Boyle, Sandra Tsing Loh, James Ellroy, and Arianna Huffington.

There are also quite a few opportunities throughout the weekend to learn more about LA Times columnist Steve Lopez, author of the book-turned-movie "The Soloist."

Beyond the panels, there are stages with entertainment (no tickets required) ranging from music and dance to poetry reading and cooking demonstrations. An entire stage is also dedicated to children's entertainment. Among those appearing on the stages will be Bob Barker, Peter Yarrow, Alonzo Mourning, Culture Clash, and Marlee Matlin. A Comix Strip area will focus on graphic novels and manga.

Of course, just perusing the booths and partaking of the edible goodies could take you all day.

UCLA, 405 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles 90095
Schedules and information about parking and other details can be found at www.latimes.com/festivalofbooks.

Readers' Poll

2009-04-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Scroll down to vote on LA Opera's Ring Cycle. Just below our welcome message is a Readers' Poll. We know you have strong opinions about your art and culture, so tell us what you think.

Dramatic, Creative "Universes"

2009-04-14T23:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA presents Universes: Ameriville Unplugged. Universes is an ensemble of writers and performers redefining the theater experience by blending such artistic elements as poetry, hip-hop, dance, and jazz with drama. Its latest production, “Ameriville Unplugged,” explores attitudes toward race, poverty, and politics in the context of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans. Before the show starts at 8:30 p.m. at the Intimate Theatre, there will be a pre-show event with music, open mic, and open bar, at 7:30 p.m. outdoors on the Luckman Street of the Arts. Tickets are $35; call (323) 343-6600.

Thurs., April 16, through Sun., April 19, 8:30 p.m. (plus 7:30 pre-show event)
The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, 90032, (323) 343-6600, www.luckmanarts.org

Affordable Play After Tax Day

2009-04-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

On Wed., April 15, the taxes will be done and in the mail. It’s time to reward yourself. But that refund’s not here yet, or, worse, you just sent off a check to the government. So how do you do it? Take advantage of A Noise Within’s Pay What You Can night (Thurs., April 16) during previews of Jean Anouilh’s “The Rehearsal.”

The play takes place in 1950s France and concerns a Count bored with pursuing pleasure and excess and suddenly taken with an innocent young woman. His jaded court, of course, does not want the Count to give up his old ways for purity and virtuosity. Humorous, witty, and also intensely dramatic, “The Rehearsal” is Anouilh’s most critically acclaimed work.

Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of two per person, and must be purchased in person at the box office after 2 p.m. on the day of the performance with cash only. There is a suggested $10 minimum; regular prices are $28 for previews and $40-$44 once the play opens on Saturday, April 18.

Thurs., April 16, 8 p.m.
A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale 91204, (818) 240-0910, ext. 1, www.ANoiseWithin.org

Illustrated Love Poems at Norton Simon

2009-04-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

Henri Matisse was inspired by poetry, apparently so much so that later in his career he would not lift a paintbrush before reading some verse.

In 1941, the artist began illustrating the work of Renaissance poet Pierre de Ronsard, and seven years later the 128-page “livre d’artiste” (artist’s book) called “Florilege des Amours de Ronsard" was published.

Lithographs from this "Anthology of Ronsard’s Love Poems" are currently on display at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. The exhibit, titled “Matisse’s Amours: Illustrations of Pierre de Ronsard’s Love Poems,” continues through June 8, but National Poetry Month seems an ideal time to see it.

Considered the father of French lyric poetry, Ronsard (1524-85) brought the Italian sonnet and classical ode and elegy to the French. His romantic and sensual “Amours” (first published in 1552) are a natural match for Matisse’s love of painting the female form and flowers in a decorative, almost musical style.

Each of Matisse’s illustrations seems to flow in rhythm with the verse, communicating ethereal beauty with a few strokes of his brush. In one deceptively simple yet exquisite rendering, the artist created a sensual female body with only seven lines.

The Norton Simon exhibit includes 25 pages, spreads and folios, including a drawing of "The Birth of Venus" and one that visitors will recognize as resembling Matisse’s most famous painting, “The Dance.” To set the mood, Renaissance music plays softly in the gallery.

For the sonnet “Je veux pousser par la France ma peine,” Matisse illustrated Ronsard’s words with a mermaid on the surface of the ocean. Lounging with her arms behind her head and the clouds floating lazily above her, she seems to be casually oblivious of her seductive power. The poem (English translations are available in the gallery) reads:

I wish to drag my pain the length of France,
Faster than an arrow from the bowstring,
I desire with wax my ears to stop,
To no longer hear my siren’s voice.
I wish my two eyes to turn into a fountain,
My heart into a fire, my head into a rock,
My feet into a trunk, never to approach
Her so proudly human beauty.
I wish my thoughts to turn into birds,
My gentle sighs into new Zephyrs,
To broadcast the world over my complaint.
I wish the hue of my pale color
On the banks of the Loire to bear a flower,
Painted with my name and my misfortune.
(Translation by Michael Mills)

An illustration of two lovers in an embrace, with heads, arms and legs inseparably wound together in ecstasy, accompanies this song called “Plus estroit que la Vigne l’Ormeau se marie”:

More closely than the clinging vine
About the wedded tree,
Clasp thou thine arms, ah, mistress mine!
About the heart of me.
Or seem to sleep, and stoop your face
Soft on my sleeping eyes,
Breathe in your life, your heart, your grace,
Through me, in kissing wise.
Bow down, bow down your face, I pray,
To me that swoon to death,
Breathe back the life you kissed away,
Breathe back your kissing breath.
So by your eyes I swear and say,
My mighty oath and sure,
From your kind arms no maiden may
My loving heart allure.
I’ll bear your yoke, that’s light enough,
And to the Elysian plain,
When we are dead of love, my love,
One boat shall bear us twain.
(Translation by Andrew Lang)

Matisse created more than a dozen “livres d’artiste” in his lifetime. For the "Amours de Ronsard," he selected and updated the text, chose the typeface, and designed the layout in addition to illustrating the poems. His seven-year undertaking was interrupted during World War II when his wife was imprisoned by the Germans and his daughter was captured and tortured – adding poignancy to an already evocative work of art.

The exhibit is small enough to savor and still have plenty of time to explore the rest of the Norton Simon Museum, a treasure trove of European and Asian art. Just past an amazing room of Van Gogh paintings and Degas sculptures are some colorful canvases by Matisse, featuring sensual women, elaborate patterns and floral motifs, including “Odalisque with Tambourine (Harmony in Blue)” (1926), “The Black Shawl (Lorette VII)” (1918), and “Nude on a Sofa” (1923).

Listen to a podcast before you go.
Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 449-6840, www.nortonsimon.org.

Image credits:
Florilège des Amours de Ronsard, 1948
Henri Matisse, French, 1869-1954
Lithograph (Printed by Albert Skira, Paris)
Jennifer Jones Simon Art Trust, N.1965.8.1
© 2009 Succession H. Matisse, Paris / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

A "Ring" to Make Wagner Proud

2009-04-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

Guest contributor David Maurer is a former Senior Editor for Classic Home magazine and writes about the arts and architecture for a variety of print and online outlets.

LA Opera's production of "Die Walküre" is a creative, invigorating and altogether splendid realization of Richard Wagner’s idea of a gesamtkunstwerk, a complete artwork synthesizing music, drama, poetry, painting, sculpture, and architecture. Berlin-based director Achim Freyer has succeeded in giving us a fresh and radical rethinking of Wagner’s 1854 meisterwerk, an overhaul the master himself undoubtedly would have approved of. Make no mistake, with a running time of 4 hours and 50 minutes, sitting through this operatic experience is a commitment — but one that is richly rewarding in numerous ways.

First, the music. This is one of the greatest of the Romantic-era scores, and under conductor James Conlon, who spent nine years leading a Wagner-heavy orchestra in Cologne, the music is communicated with all the passion, drama, and foreboding that Wagner baked in. Although the orchestra has been rendered invisible underneath a black scrim (Wagner’s idea to avoid competing with the drama onstage), the sumptuous music pours forth undiminished with all its moments of power and delicacy intact. The basses and kettle drums carry us into the howling storms, while the brasses continually blat out swells of impending doom. And this is to say nothing of the magnificence of the singers, particularly Plácido Domingo in the role of Siegmund. Having performed this role many times in the past, most notably in New York’s Metropolitan Opera version, Domingo inhabits his character with a natural and seemingly effortless grace. The power and purity of his voice, along with his emotive expression perfectly evokes the tragic hero. Clearly, his Siegmund will be remembered as one of the most memorable roles for one of the most memorable tenors of our era. Other standouts include Linda Watson as Brünnhilde and Vitalij Kowaljow as Wotan. These artists are adept at connecting us to the turbulent emotional currents that form the spine of the drama.

Fortunately, the production is as mesmerizing to watch as to listen to. Freyer not only has stage-directed the production, but is also responsible for the costumes and the lighting. So to a larger extent than is typical, what we see is one man’s artistic vision. Freyer is an accomplished painter (he has a painting represented in the current LACMA show "Art of Two Germanys") and his astute visual sense comes through in eye-popping fashion. Costumes, puppets, even faces are painted in garish, surrealistic designs, adding to the sense of otherworldliness. The characters’ natures are cleverly reflected in the costumes, which appear outlandish, but are fully in keeping with the strange mythical world we have entered. Wotan, for instance, wears a floor length white mantle with giant shoulder pads; his head is represented by, or encased in, a grid of bars somewhat akin to a bishop’s miter, while another head emerges from his stomach.

Characters and images appear as if in a dream — disjointed, isolated, and out of place. Several of the characters have (non-singing) doppelgangers — figures who personify thoughts or moods. There is almost the feeling that you have stumbled into a de Chirico painting. Time and place are indistinguishable and irrelevant here. And this is just how it should be for a drama whose source is myth, an art form where the essential truths exist beyond recognizable ideologies, fashions, or historical periods, removed from the chaotic random events of day-to-day life.

There are a number of technical devices that elevate the production. The entire opera takes place behind a scrim. High-definition digital images — of racing clouds or fire, or even “curtains” opening and closing, are projected on to the scrim at various times. Mostly, the scrim is transparent and does not interfere with clear views of the action onstage. The stage is canted at a sharp angle, the back higher than the front. The action takes place on, next to, and above a large circle, which sometimes turns, and at other times is manipulated into abstract symbols suggesting a millstone or a clock. At one point, the wheel becomes a one-Ring circus for an astonishing parade of fantastical dwarves, harlots, babies, giants, animals, and Gods. The ending, in which the horses of the Valkyries transform into a circle of blazing fire that surrounds the accursed Brünnhilde, is another technical as well as emotional high point.

Obviously, strict traditionalists who are annoyed to see Brünnhilde appearing in anything except a horned Viking helmet will be disappointed in this production. But for those who appreciate fresh thinking, arresting visions, and a new way forward for opera, Freyer’s "Die Walküre" is cause for great enthusiasm. This quasi-surrealist approach to Wagner, so true to the spirit of the gesamtkunstwerk, is running "Rings" around the traditional.

The LA Opera introduced the first of its Freyer-produced Ring operas, "Das Rheingold," in February. "Die Walkure," the second in the series, continues through April 25. It will be followed by the final two operas, "Siegfried" and "Götterdämmerung," in the 2010 season, with the opportunity to see all four staged within a 10-day window in June 2010.

[Editor's Note: The author is also a director of a foundation that has, in the past, provided educational grants to LA Opera, unrelated to this production.]

Photo of Vitalij Kowaljow (Wotan) and Linda Watson (Brunnhilde) by Monika Rittershaus/courtesy of LA Opera

"Photograph 51" Presents Snapshot of History

2009-04-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Considering that British biophysicist Rosalind Franklin played a crucial role in one of the 20th century's greatest scientific discoveries, it’s incredible that she is virtually unknown. That’s one reason that Anna Ziegler’s “Photograph 51,” playing at the Fountain Theatre in Hollywood through May 3, is so engaging.

The play, like Franklin’s life, is definitely a tragedy. In the early ’50s, Franklin came extremely close to figuring out the structure of DNA in her research using x-ray diffraction images. The most significant of those images, Photograph 51, was the key to geneticist James Watson and biophysicist Francis Crick’s successful model of the double helix. Franklin did not know that her research partner Maurice Wilkins had showed Watson and Crick the photo, and therefore had no regrets that she had lost the race to discover the “secret of life,” in which Caltech’s Linus Pauling, another famous male scientist, was also a competitor. When Watson, Crick, and Wilkins shared the Nobel Prize in 1962, Franklin again had no regrets – she had died four years earlier of ovarian cancer at the age of 37.

Aria Alpert is properly stoic as our heroine, who arrives at King’s College in London in 1951 and rather quickly puts her weaker colleague Wilkins in his place. But Alpert rarely seems to break from that emotional indifference. I wished the script could have revealed more of the private side of Franklin, because, as it’s written, Alpert is barely able to give us glimpses of that in the soliloquies. Though this is Franklin’s story, her character remains something of a mystery to us.

Daniel Billet’s socially awkward Wilkins elicits some sympathy as the rejected love interest who never falls out of love with Franklin. When he secretly shares her photograph with Watson and Crick, who constantly pump him and Franklin for any information they can get, he does so out of excitement rather than an attempt at sabotage. But when he calls the ambitious Watson (an entertaining, high-energy Ian Gould) and Crick (a comparatively reserved Kerby Joe Grubb) “rogues,” it’s hard not to think he is no less of one, or maybe more of one, for keeping the woman he loves in the dark and, later, not making sure her extraordinary contributions are recognized.

It’s not as if Franklin is a stereotypical asocial lab scientist. Doctoral student Ray Gosling (Graham Norris) gets along with Franklin remarkably well in the lab and talks to the audience (perhaps unnecessarily) while adding some moments of humor. Ross Hellwig is the gallant Don Caspar, the Yale scientist with whom Franklin corresponds through letters and finally has a date.

The play ponders whether Franklin was a victim of a sexist system or of her own failure to establish professional relationships. But it is indeed difficult to fault Franklin for her desire to work alone and analyze her own data in a world where King’s College had a dining room that did not allow women, Watson and Crick are shown analyzing her looks while she gives a scientific presentation, and Wilkins, despite his personal feelings, never seemed to respect her as a colleague.

Director Simon Levy effectively steers the actors through a human drama, and there is an emotional swell at the end. Yet there is also a sense of disappointment. It is oddly jarring to have all five male characters surround the deceased Franklin and throw out possible reasons she failed to be recognized for her work. Furthermore, the final dream sequence with a sorrowful Wilkins trying to figure out where he went wrong loving her is a strange note on which to end the show, further emphasizing how we learn much more about his private thoughts than our heroine’s.

For more information, see the April 2 post.

Photo of Aria Alpert holding Photograph 51 (with Graham Norris in background) by Ed Krieger/courtesy of Fountain Theatre

Dracula Extended!

2009-04-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

"Dracula" has been extended through April 26 at the NoHo Arts Center. No surprise -- it's incredible. See our review.

Celebrate Verse

2009-04-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

There is a time to celebrate just about everything in this country. Among the more obscure celebrations listed in my calendar are National Teacher’s Day (May 5), Adopt a Cat Month (June), Parent’s Day (July 26), and Kiss and Make Up Day (Aug. 25). I mention those because National Poetry Month may be just as obscure to some. Nonetheless, there are plenty of readings and events this April to keep word and verse lovers happy.

Of course, I haven't forgotten the two environmental days this month: Earth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 24). We'll post more on those later.

Vroman's Bookstore
Fri., April 10, 6 p.m.
Vroman’s Bookstore celebrates National Poetry Month with a group reading, featuring Colette LaBouff Atkinson, Marcia Arrieta, Carine Topal, and Kim Triedman. In her first book, "Mean: Poems," Atkinson writes about everyone from John Milton to her husband's ex-wife who happens to be a stripper. Arrieta's latest collection is "An Uncommon Accord," and Topal has published her third volume of poetry, "In the Heaven of Never Before." Triedman, the only poet not from the LA area (she lives in Boston), spent many years writing fiction before turning to poetry. She will read from her first collection of poetry, "bathe in it or sleep."

Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, 91101, (626) 449-5320, www.vromansbookstore.com.

Skylight Books
Sat., April 11, 5 p.m.
Skylight Books presents a Spoken Word event headlined by Saul Williams and Douglas Kearney. Williams is a multifaceted artist -- poet, musician, performance artist, and actor -- who helped define Spoken Word. He wrote and starred in the movie "SLAM." His latest album, "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!," blends industrial, spoken word and hip-hop. In creating that album, Williams adapted poetry from his 2006 book "The Dead Emcee Scrolls" and worked closely with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

Kearney's first full-length collection of poems, "Fear, Some," was published in 2006 by Red Hen Press. He recently collaborated with composer Anne LeBaron on the surreal, postmodern opera "Sucktion," which premiered at REDCAT's New Original Works Festival in Los Angeles last year. Kearney teaches at CalArts, where he received his MFA in Writing.

Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz 90027, (323) 660-1175, www.skylightbooks.com

ALOUD at the Central Library has scheduled a series of poetry events this month, including the following:

Wed., April 22, 7 p.m.
Linda Gregerson, Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Muldoon, and former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky -- all selected as judges of the Kingsley and Kate Tufts Poetry prizes (administered by Claremont Graduate University and to be awarded on April 23) -- will read from their own poetry.

Tues., April 28, 7 p.m.
National Public Radio commentator and surrealist poet Andrei Codrescu talks about his humorous "Posthuman Dada Guide: Tzara and Lenin Play Chess" with "Transylvanian Yankee poet" Oana Sanziana Marian.

Wed., April 29, 7 p.m.
Continuing its celebration of new local talent, ALOUD presents Newer Poets XIV, an evening of readings by Billy Burgos, Peter Eirich, Erica Erdman, Ro Gunetilleke, Cathie Sandstrom,
and Mary Torregrossa. This event is co-presented by Beyond Baroque Literary Center and the Los Angeles Poetry Festival.

ALOUD events are free, but reservations are strongly recommended.

Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, Fifth and Flower streets, Los Angeles.
For more information, (213) 228-7025, www.libraryfoundationla.org/aloud,
directions and parking information

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Sat., April 25, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sun., April 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Numerous poets will participate in panels, sign books, and read their work at the Poetry Stage throughout Saturday (including Robert Pinsky and Carol Muske-Dukes) and Sunday (including Kim Addonizio and Jeffrey McDaniel). The Times' 14th annual festival devoted to all things book-related is one of the largest in the nation, and brings tons of authors, booksellers, food, and entertainment to the UCLA campus.

UCLA, 405 Hilgard Ave., Los Angeles 90095, www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/

Tune in for Salonen on KUSC

2009-04-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

Esa-Pekka Salonen’s final season as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic is called Celebrate Salonen, and Classical KUSC 91.5 FM has taken that mission to heart. The nation’s largest non-profit classical music radio station has planned a series of broadcasts celebrating Salonen’s 17- year tenure with the orchestra.

Included in KUSC’s programming lineup are a new documentary about the career and influence of the LA Phil’s longest-serving music director, live broadcasts of Salonen’s penultimate and final concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the re-broadcast of the music director’s U.S. conducting premiere with the LA Phil in 1984.

After those special programs, a new LA Phil broadcast season (with concerts from 2008-2009) begins on Sun., April 26, with Salonen conducting music of Falla, Debussy, and Ravel. Brian Lauritzen will be the new sole host and producer, as Program Director Gail Eichenthal, who began hosting LA Phil radio broadcasts at KUSC in 1978, turns over the mic.

Sun., April 5, 4 p.m. (repeat broadcast Sun., April 19, 4 p.m.)
“E-P in LA: Reinventing the Los Angeles Philharmonic,” a two-hour documentary on Salonen’s tenure as music director of the LA Phil, features interviews with Salonen and some of his closest collaborators such as Frank Gehry, Peter Sellars, Deborah Borda, Ernest Fleischmann, and LA Phil musicians. Documentary host and producer Lauritzen has also included recordings of LA Phil concerts.

Sat., April 11, 8 p.m.
Hear a live broadcast of Salonen’s penultimate concert, in which violinist Leila Josefowicz performs the world premiere of Salonen’s Violin Concerto. The LA Phil also plays Ligeti’s “Clocks and Clouds” and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Eichenthal and Lauritzen co-host.

Sun., April 12, 4 p.m.
Go back in time for Salonen’s U.S. conducting debut. As guest conductor with the LA Phil in 1984, Salonen led a program featuring Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, and the West Coast Premiere of Lutoslawski’s Symphony No. 3. A younger Eichenthal was the host.

Sun., April 19, 2 p.m.
Salonen’s final concert will also be broadcast live from Disney Hall. The LA Master Chorale joins the orchestra for a semi-staged version of Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex” as well as Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms,” with Peter Sellars directing. Eichenthal and Lauritzen co-host.
(At 4 p.m., catch a repeat broadcast of KUSC’s documentary “E-P in LA: Reinventing the Los Angeles Philharmonic.”)

For more information, www.kusc.org.

photo by Mathew Imaging/courtesy of LA Phil

What on Earth?

2009-04-02T22:24:00.002-07:00

On Monday, April 6, George Preston, director emeritus of the Carnegie Observatories, talks about that stuff that covers two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and rarely falls from the sky in LA. His Carnegie Astronomy Lecture at the Huntington Library is titled “How the Earth Got Its Water.” A reception begins at 7 p.m., and the lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. in Friends’ Hall. And, unlike water, this event is free.

The next lecture in this series, focusing on NASA’s Messenger probe that has made two flybys of Mercury, is scheduled for Monday, May 20.

Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino 91108, (626) 405-2100, www.huntington.org.

A Play With Good DNA

2009-04-02T22:24:00.001-07:00

James Watson and Francis Crick received the Nobel Prize for their model of DNA, but biophysicist Rosalind Franklin, whose research (specifically the X-ray diffraction image that gives this play its name) aided that scientific breakthrough, died in relative obscurity. It sounds like the stuff of good drama, and indeed it is in Anna Ziegler’s “Photograph 51.” Simon Levy directs and Aria Alpert (daughter of Herb Alpert and Lani Hall) stars in the West Coast premiere, which continues at the Fountain Theatre through May 3.

“Photograph 51” comes with a scientific and dramatic stamp of approval. The winner of the 2008 STAGE (Scientists, Technologists and Artists Generating Exploration) award for Best New Play about Science and Technology, Ziegler’s play was chosen from nearly 150 entries by a panel of judges that included Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner David Auburn; Tony, Olivier, and Obie Award winner John Guare; Nobel Laureate in physics Sir Anthony Leggett; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire; and Nobel Laureate in physics Dr. Douglas Osheroff.

The Fountain Theatre itself is no stranger to prestigious awards. It has won more than 160 for theater excellence, including every major theater award in Los Angeles.

Performances run Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $25 (Thursdays and Fridays), $28 (Saturdays and Sundays), $23 for seniors over 62 (Thursdays and Fridays only), $18 for students with ID (Thursdays and Fridays only). Parking is $5.

The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. (at Normandie), Los Angeles 90029, (323) 663-1525, www.FountainTheatre.com.

photo of Graham Norris and Aria Alpert by Ed Krieger/courtesy of Fountain Theatre

Cool Science

2009-04-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

NHM Celebrates “Darwin Year”
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is doing it up right for Charles Darwin’s 200th with a series of First Fridays celebrating the famous discoverer of evolution. First Fridays feature tours, lectures, DJs and bands on, you guessed it, the first Friday of every month (January through June).

On April 3, arrive early (space is limited) for a tour of the entomology collections (that’s bugs to the rest of us) at 5:30 and 6 p.m. Then at 6:30 p.m., USC’s Dr. Michael W. Quick moderates a discussion with Dr. Michael Ryan, a scientist with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and zoology professor at the University of Texas, Austin. The focus of the discussion is Darwin’s other theory, sexual selection, and Ryan will explore how males and females of various species (humans included) differ. Have your questions ready. Then grab some food and drink and enjoy the music from 7 to 10 p.m., as Phatal DJ and T-Kay spin tunes, and Bus Driver and Tim Fite perform.

The next First Fridays event on May 1 brings Dr. Donald C. Johanson, who as the founder of "Lucy," a 3.2-million-year-old hominid fossil, could definitely be called a science celebrity.

Tickets are $9, and $6.50 for students with ID.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles 90007, (213) 763-DINO, www.nhm.org.

Schiff Mesmerizes in His Final Recital

2009-04-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

Last night, András Schiff wrapped up his complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas. Henry Schlinger, who has attended the recitals since the musical event began at Disney Hall in Fall 2007, provides a closing review.

On Wednesday, April 1, pianist András Schiff concluded his two-season odyssey through the complete Beethoven piano sonatas at Disney Hall with mesmerizing performances of the Op. 109, Op. 110, and Op. 111 sonatas.

In his last recital, perhaps more than any of the previous ones, Schiff became Beethoven, demonstrating not only the technical prowess necessary to play these pieces, but, much more rare, the intellectual and emotional understanding of the sonatas. As with the recital on March 25, Schiff played these three sonatas without intermission in a program that lasted only a little more than an hour. But what an hour it was.

It is difficult to describe Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas without using superlatives. Collectively, they may be the greatest single musical achievement in Western music -- although the Mozart piano concertos and the Haydn string quartets may be a close second. Many of the sonatas are masterpieces in their own right, and the Op. 109-111 certainly stand on their own as pillars of the art form. But one probably cannot fully appreciate them either individually or as a group unless one is familiar with the 29 that preceded them.

Beethoven was a bit like Picasso; he continuously redefined himself in his music. He wrote revolutionary symphonies, concertos, string quartets, and, of course, piano sonatas. But Beethoven had to define what was revolutionary for himself because he had no contemporary equals and therefore could only rebel against his own musical standards. So it is with these last six sonatas, especially the last three. In each, Beethoven includes movements that are stripped down to their bare essentials with simple, controlled melodic lines that seem more appropriately written for voice and chordal accompaniment. In the Op. 109 and Op. 110 sonatas, the first movements end on the quietest piano and are immediately followed by dramatically contrasting second movements that display what Schiff described in a conversation with Martin Meyer as “demonically agitated energy” and “boisterous anger,” respectively. There are large intervals between the lowest bass and the highest treble keys. There are instances of contrapuntal writing and fugues, most notably in the third movement of the Op. 110, harking back to Bach and Handel. And there are sections in all three sonatas that are downright hymn-like, maybe because he was simultaneously working on his “Missa Solemnis” (Solemn Mass).

Schiff said to Meyer that his favorite movement in all 32 sonatas is the third (theme and variations) movement of the Op. 110. It’s hard to disagree with him on this, although my preference is for the second and final movement of the Op. 111. And it’s not just because it is the concluding movement of all the 32 sonatas. The movement is also a set of variations in C major (in contrast with the dramatic and fateful key of C minor [like the Fifth Symphony] in the first movement), including one that incorporates a jazzy rhythm. But the variations dissolve and the remainder of the movement is characterized by pure sonority, including trills and double trills at the piano’s high registers that become ethereal (and anticipate Ravel and Debussy) before concluding with a simple C major chord -- a fitting conclusion not only for this monumental sonata, but for all 32.

I wished that after each sonata, especially the Op. 109 and Op. 111, the audience wouldn’t have applauded for at least a few minutes so as not to disturb the profound and solemn mood. I know that Schiff agrees because he said to Meyer about the Op. 109: “After a conclusion of that kind, applause should really not be allowed.” One could tell that Schiff felt this way because in the Op. 109 and Op. 111 sonatas, both of which conclude very quietly, Schiff left his hands on the keyboard for several seconds after the last notes sounded. Unfortunately, at the conclusion of the Op. 111, the applause began before Schiff’s hands left the keyboard, but quickly subsided when he didn’t move his hands. It was clear that Schiff was still in the throes of the emotional struggle of not only that sonata but the totality of the three together and perhaps of all 32 he had performed over the last two seasons. This also explains why, despite a standing ovation and several curtain calls, Schiff did not include an encore. What, after all, can follow these three sonatas?

Master Chorale Inspires With Folk Songs

2009-04-01T09:06:00.000-07:00

Classical reviewer Theodore Bell checked out the Los Angeles Master Chorale on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale presented an inviting folk anthology on Sunday, March 29, in Walt Disney Concert Hall. Grant Gershon led a fascinating musical exposition on themes sampled from Béla Bartók’s “Slovak Folk Songs,” Veljo Tormis’ “Forgotten Peoples Cycle,” Francis Poulenc’s “Chansons Françaises,” and Aaron Copland’s “Old American Songs.” Assistant Conductor Ariel Quintana added the complete “Zigeunerlieder” of Johannes Brahms.

In a pre-concert discussion with KUSC’s Alan Chapman, Gershon explained that because the musical traits of folksong are intimately tied to the language and culture where they originated, they do not translate so well. Thus, the Choir had the additional technical challenge of singing in five languages (including Slovak and Karelian).

Bartók’s four “Slovak Folk Songs” (Sz. 70) fit the Master Chorale to perfection. The gently flowing “Thus Sent the Mother” was ethereal at times, having a blend that was organic in a way one can only feel. As Gershon noted, Bartók took these folk melodies and “raised them to the level of art song.” The 5/8 meter of “Where the Alps Soar so Free” comfortably flowed with graceful balance, and the lively “Food and Drink” and sanguine “Bagpipes Are Playing” snapped nicely with their brisk cadence.

Tormis’ “Forgotten Peoples’ Cycle” was based on the ancient songs of vanishing Baltic and Finnic cultures. Only one of the six groups of the larger work was sung on this program, “Karelian Destiny.” This novel regional musical argot contains harmonic and rhythmic components that sound arcane to the Western ear, but Tormis’ contemporary style easily accommodates. “The Weeping Maidens” was melancholy but warm, and the altos gave a solid performance as they were featured here and in several other songs. Alicia Kirwin Murray sang the closing lullaby so sweetly that there was no need to follow the translation to understand its sentiment.

Brahms was less the musicologist and more the entertainer in the 11 songs of his faux-folk “Zigeunerlieder” (“Gypsy Songs”), Op. 103, with its distinctively Hungarian-flavored melodies. Quintana capably guided the Master Chorale through the homeland, squeezing every bit of the intensity packed in this pithy passion-filled trek through mania and melancholy, and all of the twists between. The piano accompanist, Lisa Edwards, was outstanding, deftly supporting the Chorus at every turn while navigating Brahms’ demanding virtuosity. The ideal acoustics of Disney Hall faithfully transmitted every syllable of the sumptuous “Lieber Gott” through every forte and piano, and the sullen text of “Horch, der Wind” had nary the least bit of sibilant muddle.

Quintana and the Chorus delivered an inspired performance. But in the overall modernist context of the program, “Zigeunerlieder” somehow felt out of place; relative to the other selections it was like a musical first cousin once-removed. Also, the turning of pages in awkward unison as the audience followed the translations was distracting at some critical moments in the first half of the program, and the undimmed lights significantly diminished the ambiance.

The house lights were dimmed for the second portion of the program. Gershon skillfully painted Poulenc’s saturated colors and horizontal harmonies as he leaned into the composer’s surrealist manners. The Chorale flickered bright and dim, evoking moods light and dark, as they sang the eight a cappella “Chansons Françaises.” Gershon had earlier portrayed the music of Poulenc as “unpretentious,” and “distilled down to the essence.” The solo bass unfortunately was overwhelmed at times in the rhythmic male-only march, “Clic, clac, dansez sabots,” although the men sang “La Belle si nous etions” with a rapid, deliberate rhythm, detaching each syllable, and impressing a penetrating earthy quality.

Copland’s collection of "Old American Songs” was obviously the most linguistically and culturally accessible. I lamented that the iconic “Simple Gifts” was not included on the program, but I found myself delighted to be “in that place just right” anyway, as Abdiel Gonzales sang in the “Boatman’s Song.” The sheer horsepower of his piercing voice shook you in your seat without distracting from the simplicity of the text. Gershon’s tempos were familiar and seamless in transition, and the lovely "Little Horses" lullaby was sweet, without a trace of saccharine sentimentality. The minstrel tunes, "Long Time Ago," "At the River," and especially "Ching-A-Ring Chaw" were vigorously expressive in a vernacular the audience understood – iconic Americana.

The familiarity and unmistakable appeal of Copland’s music provided the highpoint of the concert, yanking at the heartstrings. The encore, Copland’s moving “Shenandoah” (Across the Wide Missouri), was especially fine. The delicate sound of lapping waves pulsed from the a cappella counterpoint, and as the rhythmic flowing melodies wound down to a precise pianissimo, we were left with a most gentle comfort to savor.

The Master Chorale, Gershon and Quintana clearly succeeded with this folk-based program. The inherent humanity of this repertoire resonated loud and clear. We left just a bit closer to each other than when we arrived. Bartók, the applied ethnomusicologist – and the other composers for that matter – would have been pleased.

photo by Steve Cohn Photography/courtesy of LA Master Chorale

"Spamalot"

2009-04-01T08:50:00.001-07:00

The Center Theatre Group hosts a Spam fest on April Fool's Day from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Music Center Plaza downtown. Not only will tickets go on sale for "Monty Python's Spamalot," the comic musical that lands at the Ahmanson Theatre July 7 through Sept. 6, but Spamwiches, Spam tacos and mead will be available for purchase at the Patina Spotlight Cafe. That's right: Spam at Patina. It may be the first time in history Spam gets a gourmet pricetag. Be sure to dress accordingly for the Fool's Faire, as 98.7 FM's Josh Venable will host the King of Fools Costume Contest with a grand prize of $350 and a little something for all who enter. Of course, the whole reason for celebrating is the box office grand opening, when for one day (and only in person) you can buy tickets at a discounted rate and get a free gift. We hope it's not Spam.

Music Center Plaza, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012
For more information, (213) 972-4400 or www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.

Weird, Wild Stuff

2009-04-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

"TOKYO!"
Head over to the Regent Theatre, get a ticket to "TOKYO!," and let the surreal visions of three filmmakers rain over you. Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), Leos Carax ("Lovers on the Bridge"), and Bong Joon-Ho ("The Host") direct three very different variations on a theme (in Japanese and French with subtitles).

Gondry's short, "Interior Design" -- by far the most elegant -- is grounded in the very real struggles of a young couple who have just arrived in Tokyo. Hiroko is there to screen his first film, an esoteric, stylized piece that goes overboard in trying to be original -- and emphasizes how the very triptych we're watching is surreal but still intelligently crafted. While he is excited about his imagined prospects, Akira is upset that she can't even get a job gift-wrapping packages. One morning, she awakes alone in the friend's apartment where they have outworn their welcome, and a dreamlike sequence reveals her newfound usefulness in life.

Carax's "Merde" takes an immediate plunge into the absurd and metaphoric, when a creature (played by Denis Lavant) resembling a devil, terrifying leprechaun, or evil troll emerges from the Tokyo sewers. At first innocently consuming money, cigarettes, and flowers, he sets off a media frenzy, heightened when he disovers grenades left over from World War II in the sewer and wrecks havoc on Tokyo like a human Godzilla. The gibberish exchanged between the creature and his twin-like lawyer in the prison and courtroom can get tiresome, but the symbolic messages of the film win over.

Joon-Ho's "Shaking Tokyo" returns to the more naturalistic bent of the first short, following a shut-in, or hikikimori, who expereinces an unlikely spark of love at the moment of an earthquake. The hikikimori seems far too mentally healthy for someone who has isolated himself from the world for the past 10 years, and he somewhat easily crosses the threshold when he finds out the pizza delivery girl he fell for has become a hikikimori herself. Despite its flaws, the ages-old story of the lover out to rescue his trapped sweetheart serves as a soothing close to the triptych.

Regent Theatre, 1045 Broxton Ave. (between Weyburn & Kinross) in Westwood, (310) 281-8223, www.landmarktheatres.com.

photo from Carax's "Merde"/courtesy of Liberation Entertainment

Classical Folk at Disney Hall

2009-03-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Master Chorale presents a concert of folk music on Sun., March 29, at 7 p.m. at Disney Hall.

Forty chorus members will join voices in Bartók's "Slovak Folk Songs," Tormis' "Forgotten Peoples Cycle," Poulenc's "Chansons Francaises," Copland's "Old American Songs," and Brahms' "Zigeunerlieder." Music Director Grant Gershon and Assistant Conductor Ariel Quintana will share conducting duties.

Look for our review of this concert early next week.

Sun., March 29, 7 p.m. (pre-concert talk with Gershon and KUSC's Alan Chapman at 6 p.m.)
Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012

Tickets are $19 - $124; student rush tickets available at the box office two hours before the performance.
For more information, (213) 972-7282, www.lamc.org.

Wowee, Wow, Wow!

2009-03-27T22:26:00.000-07:00

I've got a fever. And the only prescription is more... Walken.

Thank goodness "All About Walken: The Impersonators of Christopher Walken" -- which has been developing a following for quite some time and recently ran for four performances at Theatre 68 on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood last November and December -- returns for two shows at the LA Improv (annex) on Saturday, March 28, at 8 and 10 p.m.

Created, produced and directed by Patrick O'Sullivan, this show is actually as awesome as it sounds. Nearly a dozen actors take on the Academy Award-winning actor who trained as a dancer in musical theater but has a cult following because of his fascinatingly bizarre movie roles, his turns as host of "Saturday Night Live," and, of course, his distinctive speech rhythms and pauses.

The "All About Walken" players don't just run through rote imitations; they have crafted a show that abounds with creativity and plays intelligently with Walken's famous roles, idiosyncratic speech and quirky personality. O'Sullivan and crew -- including Amy Kelly, Dionysio Basco, Kenzo Lee, Lily Holleman, Aryiel Hartman, Joe Dallo, Kate Frisbee, Naathan Phan, Pat McAleenan, Ivet Corvea, and Sascha Rasmussuen -- perform songs, improv, skits, and more. Yes, there is a cowbell, and they do the watch scene, among other favorites.

The show kicks off with O'Sullivan (in a wig that is a character on its own) as Walken doing a version of Nancy Sinatra's hit with a minor adjustment to the lyrics: "These boots were made for ME."

Amy Kelly -- yes, a woman -- does a hilarious fake commercial with Walken as spokesperson for a hygiene product. But she is also a dead ringer for Robert DeNiro in a few scenes that play on the "Taxi Driver" movie, so much so that her role as DeNiro practically overshadows her turns as Walken -- not that there's anything wrong with that.

While everyone is amazing, another woman, a wide-eyed blond named Lily Holleman, also deserves special mention for her spot-on impersonation of Walken.

It might be hard to imagine men and women of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities all becoming Walken, so don't try. Go to the show instead, and get ready to laugh your boots off.

Sat., March 28, at 8 p.m., LA Improv, 8162 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles 90046.
For more information, (310) 663-4050, www.myspace.com/allaboutwalken.

2009-03-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

The Verdi Chorus is the only ensemble in Southern California that focuses exclusively on performing choruses from opera. The group was founded by Anne Marie Ketchum in 1983 and now boasts more than 50 members and a repertoire of nearly 200 opera choruses.

On the program for the Spring Concert on March 28 and 29, are excerpts from "Maria Stuarda" and "Don Pasquale" by Donizetti, "Cavaleria Rusticana" by Mascagni, "Candide" by Leonard Bernstein, "Un Ballo in Maschera" by Verdi. The chorus will enact scenes from these operas with guest soloists Lori Ann Fuller (soprano), Hak Soo Kim (tenor), and Eugene Chan (baritone).

Sat., March 28, at 7:30 p.m. and Sun., March 29, at 4 p.m.: First United Methodist Church, 1008 11th St., Santa Monica
For more information, (310) 684-3024, www.verdichorus.org.

Photo courtesy of the Verdi Chorus

Schiff Channels Beethoven

2009-03-26T14:54:00.001-07:00

Henry Schlinger last reviewed the LA Phil's concert with Martha Argerich.

On Wednesday, March 25, pianist András Schiff performed the next to last recital in his two-season cycle of the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas at Disney Hall. On the program were the Op. 90, Op. 101, and Op. 106 (“Hammerklavier”) sonatas, which Schiff played straight through without an intermission – that’s about an hour and a half of non-stop playing. And as if that weren’t enough, he performed two encores – the first of which wasn’t some little throw away ditty, but rather the “Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue” by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Schiff’s Herculean performance was technically flawless and revealed a range of dynamics that also showed off the acoustics of Disney Hall. Unfortunately, I cringed at each pianissimo because inevitably someone would cough out loud or something would fall off someone’s lap, breaking the spell created by Schiff’s channeling of Beethoven. But even a camera’s flash and the ringing of someone’s cell phone during the “Hammerklavier” didn’t phase Schiff, who during a recital a few years ago at Disney Hall actually walked off stage after several disruptive noises, including a cane falling down some stairs. While I suppose one could quibble about aspects of his interpretations (for example, he plays some passages a little too staccato for my taste), by and large they were spot on.

The last six piano sonatas of Beethoven demonstrate the composer’s growing attraction to Handel as reflected in his increased use of the canon and fugue (in particular, in the fourth movements of Op. 101 and most notably the Op. 106). These baroque techniques are tailor-made for Schiff, who was known as a Bach expert before beginning the daunting project of performing and recording the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas in 2004. And Schiff‘s Bach prowess was clearly in evidence in the three sonatas on Wednesday’s program. He even sounded a bit more like Bach than Beethoven in his playing of the Op. 90 and Op. 101.

But with the opening notes of the Hammerklavier, Schiff was definitely Beethoven sitting at the keyboard pounding fortes (and his feet on the pedals). He clearly conveyed the immense feeling of the 14-minute second movement (Adagio sostenuto), which, in a conversation with Martin Meyer, he called “one of the peaks of Western musical history” that “affects … us in the depths of our mind and spirit.”

Schiff did not leave the stage between the first two sonatas and, following one brief trip offstage after the Op. 101, returned to his instrument and immediately launched into the “Hammerklavier,” startling those who were still talking and rustling into paying rapt attention.

His performance of the “Hammerklavier” was the stuff of legends, and despite the difficulty of the sonata, not only for the performer, but also for the listener, Schiff mesmerized the audience until the very last notes were struck.

After numerous curtain calls and loud cheers, Schiff returned to play the “Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue” by Bach, which he has also recorded. The Fantasy came in waves of arpeggios that made Schiff’s hands undulate across the keyboard.

Not content with just one encore, even one as difficult (and fitting) as the Bach, Schiff rewarded the audience once more with a piece designed to be the finale, this time a true ditty, Mozart’s “Adagio for Glass Harmonica.”

For many, hearing Beethoven’s later piano sonatas, especially by a performer of Schiff’s caliber in a place like Disney Hall, is a religious experience. Fortunately for us, it will happen one more time next Wednesday, April 1.

Photo courtesy of LA Phil

Striking a Chord

2009-03-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Theodore Bell attended Tuesday's concert at Disney Hall. His last review was the March 8 Musica Angelica concert.

Acclaimed conductor, organist and harpsichordist Harry Bicket and the English Concert joined chords with gifted American countertenor David Daniels on Tuesday, March 24, at Walt Disney Concert Hall. This evening of masterworks by Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel marked the latest installment in the L.A. Philharmonic Baroque Variations series.

Daniels recently teamed up with the English Concert, the world-renowned chamber orchestra of which Bicket was named artistic director in 2007, for their critically acclaimed recording of Bach cantatas and arias on Virgin Classics. Four of these works were on the program at Disney Hall, and they were every bit as precise and eloquent as the studio-produced versions – perhaps even better given the extraordinary gestural interpretation that Daniels and Bicket brought to the stage.

Though Bicket, the English Concert, and Daniels have performed these works together on many occasions, Tuesday’s concert had freshness, an unmistakable enthusiasm and a comfortable lightness of spirit.

Bach’s First Orchestral Suite (BWV 1066), which opened the program, had all of the instrumental athleticism one would expect. From his keyboard, Bicket charmed intricate melodic lines from the orchestra with large fluid motions, while enhancing each phrase with facial expressions and popping hands. The ensemble stroked the textures and hues of the suite marvelously, and the reeds gave a stellar performance.

Enter David Daniels. His superb voice quality was evident from the first syllable of “Vergnügte ruh” (BWV 170). The stratospheric pitches and even tonal quality across his range attested to his technical prowess. He is indeed a countertenor of the highest order, and in combination with the ever-changing inflection and prosodic nuance he convincingly applied, he proved to be in a class of his own. Katherina Spreckelsen’s mellow oboe d’amore blended perfectly with unison violin as they fused into a single, rich instrument trading phrases and artistically mixing with Daniels’ unique voice.

Spreckelsen was again in the foreground with her alluring warm tone, as she ably captured the plaintive, conciliatory affect of the “Qui sedes” from the B minor Mass. The interplay between the solo oboe d’amore and Daniels was memorable, but although she physically separated from the reeds for that solo, a closer proximity to Daniels and the lute would have improved the intimacy of the sound.

The Bach portion of the program closed with “Erbarme dich” (BWV 244: No. 47) from “Saint Matthew Passion.” The strings gently accompanied Daniels as he shared a soulful story of guilt and mercy. Nadja Zweiner’s violin solos and duos with Daniels were exquisite with her engaging expression and flawless flowing lines. “Erbarme dich” was profoundly beautiful, and clearly an old friend to Daniels, who had sung it years before at his M.M. Recital at the University of Michigan, and obviously many times since. His portrayal was so evocative that its emotion followed me through the intermission.

That mood was broken however, as Handel’s Concerto Grosso (Op. 6, No. 11) opened the second half of the program to recalibrate from the heady Bach to the street-wise Handel and to accommodate the smoldering psychological tension inherent in his themes.

The dramatic opening of “Ombra cara” from “Radamisto” evoked the supernatural as Daniels’ character sang to the ghost of his wife (who is actually alive). Daniels gazed into the audience as if it was a mirror, and every nuance seemed genuine as he portrayed these charged emotional states. Merging that delivery with his rarefied countertenor range and voice quality was uncannily riveting. The pianissimo string coda was particularly effective; it felt like a tender embrace.

The “Furibondo” from “Partenope” leapt from the stage. While Daniels’ dramatic manner mesmerized the eye, his mastery of baroque ornamentation and vocal bravura astonished the ear. He brilliantly peeled through Handel’s characteristic coloratura passages, engineering a fascinating sonic ride with all of the valleys, peaks, and turns that the composer demanded.

The evening closed with the mad scene from “Orlando,” in which Daniels masterfully elicited a wide range of emotions in rapid succession. Daniels again found himself portraying the insane, this time in the underworld’s mind-altered 5/4 time. He was simultaneously convincing and entertaining in this 18th-century version of March Madness.

The encore, an aria from Act 3 of “Radamisto,” was a gentle ending to the night. The harpsichord, lute, and solo cello and basso backed Daniels with a transparent accompaniment that gave opportunity for his voice to shine one more time. Bicket’s harpsichord was more pronounced than it had been throughout the evening and created their first real duo.

What a delightful experience it was to listen to the best of the baroque repertoire performed by such outstanding and unique artists – and in a venue with few equals, if any.

If you have never heard Daniels before, find a way to hear him when he returns for the Messiah at Disney Hall in December. His ticket to stardom was his beautiful countertenor, but clearly his artistic star has risen far beyond the range of his voice.

Six More Sonatas

2009-03-24T15:51:00.001-07:00

András Schiff concludes his series of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas at Disney Hall with two recitals on Wed., March 25, and Wed., April 1.

Still left in Schiff's chronological journey are Nos. 27-32. The "Hammerklavier" (No. 29), on this week's program, is considered one of the greatest piano sonatas ever written. The final recital includes the technically demanding No. 32.

Schiff, quoted in publicity materials from the LA Phil, said of the last concerts: “In all six sonatas of the last period there are moments, and sometimes even whole movements, that subvert the music’s seriousness, and show us what you could call the composer’s humorously angry or playfully improvisatory side.”

Wed., March 25, 8 pm: Beethoven Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90; No.28 in A, Op. 101; and No. 29 in B-flat, Op. 106, “Hammerklavier.” (no intermission)

Wed., April 1, 8 pm: Beethoven Sonata No. 30 in E, Op. 109; No. 31 in A-flat, Op. 110; and No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111. (no intermission)

Tickets are $17-$92. A limited number of $10 rush tickets for seniors and full-time students may be available at the Walt Disney Concert Hall box office two hours prior to the performance. Valid identification required, one ticket per person, cash only.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000, www.laphil.com

Rock Me, Amadeus

2009-03-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

People have always looked forward with excitement to a new release from the latest hot musician -- even in the 18th century with Mozart at the piano. In that sense, classical was no different than contemporary rock. Perhaps Falco said it best when he sang, "Come on and rock me, Amadeus."

More than 200 years later, you can still hear Mozart performed probably any weekend you choose, but how many music fans do you know flocking to hear the latest works of contemporary classical composers? Did you even know there are a lot of them? Well, there are, and Southern California’s Mark Carlson, founder and artistic director of Pacific Serenades, is one.

Carlson has personally received more than 40 commissions . And he’s obviously a champion of new music: By the end of this season, Carlson will have commissioned and premiered 94 works from 51 different composers with the chamber music ensemble he founded in 1982.

Pacific Serenades’ latest world premiere -- to be presented March 21, 22 and 24 -- is a composition by Carlson called “View From a Hilltop,” a piece for clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano (no flute, though that is Carlson’s instrument) that is all about family and friends. He was commissioned by extended family members (owners of Leavens Ranches in Ventura County) to write the piece in honor of his 81-year-old aunt. And longtime Pacific Serenades musicians/friends will perform. Clarinetist Gary Gray has been with the group since 1987, violinist Roger Wilkie since 1988, cellist David Speltz since 1989. Pianist Joanne Pearce Martin has been on the board for 15 years.

In the tradition of the ensemble’s programming classics from the chamber music repertoire along with new works, the “Music Among Friends” concert will include Brahms’ Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 114, and Ravel’s “Sonata for Violin and Piano.”

Get out there and experience Carlson’s new release. You can say you knew him when…

Sat., March 21, 8 p.m.: private home in Tarzana ($55)
Sun., March 22, 4 p.m.: Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena ($32). The Gamble House, next door to the church, offers a discounted tour at $8/person to Pacific Serenades patrons on concert dates only. One-hour tours begin promptly at 2 and at 2:40 pm. Reservations are required at least 48 hours in advance of the concert date by calling (626) 793-3334, ext. 16.
Tues., March 24, 8 p.m.: UCLA Faculty Center, 405 N. Hilgard Ave., on the UCLA campus in Westwood ($32). Parking is available for $9 in Lot 2. Pacific Serenades patrons can dine at the UCLA Faculty Center prior to the concert. Reservations can be made by calling (310) 825-0877.

Student tickets available for $5 March 22 and 24.
For more information, (213) 534-3434, www.pacser.org.

Musica Angelica

2009-03-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra’s next concert features Sacred Lenten music written in the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries by such composers as Gaspar Fernandes, Hernando Franco, Francisco Lopez y Capillas, and Juan de Lienas as well as an anonymous 16th-century Missa written in Brazil and a St. Matthew Passion written in 17th- century Mexico.

Featured soloists from the award-winning Concord Ensemble include Paul Flight (3/21) and Daniel Roihl (3/22), countertenors; Pablo Corá and N. Lincoln Hanks, tenors; Shawn Kirchner, baritone; and Aaron Cain and Scott Graff, bass-baritones.

Sat., March 21, 8 p.m.: Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena
Sun., March 22, 7 p.m.: First United Methodist Church of Santa Monica, 1008 11th St., Santa Monica

Tickets are $39.
For more information, (310) 458-4504 , www.MusicaAngelica.org.

A Legendary Pianist, an Energetic Conductor and a Great Orchestra

2009-03-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

Guest Contributor Henry Schlinger reviewed the March 15 concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

In what certainly can be described as a rare treat, the legendary Argentinian pianist, Martha Argerich, performed the Ravel Piano Concerto in G with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by the young Canadian Yannick Nézet-Séguin, in a series of concerts March 12-15.

I’ve always thought it would be interesting to attend each of the four concerts over a weekend to see whether and how the soloist, conductor and orchestra change over the course of the concerts, especially as they become accustomed to the acoustically sensitive and tricky Disney Hall and to each other. I don’t know how the first three concerts were, but Sunday’s showed a legendary pianist, an energetic conductor, and a great orchestra all in almost perfect sync.

I have looked forward to hearing Argerich in person for a long time. And what better work to hear her perform than the Ravel, which has become a signature piece for her since she first recorded it with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic in 1967. In the ensuing 40+ years, Argerich has lost none of her pizzazz at the keyboard. She handled the lengthy trills, especially in the slow movement (Adagio assai), with precision; and she beautifully rendered the elegant simplicity of that movement. In the Allegramente and in the Presto, Argerich’s hands danced over the keyboard with the youthfulness of the 26-year-old she was in 1967. She dazzled the audience with her technique and artistry, bringing them to their feet as soon as the last notes sounded.

Argerich was brought back onstage for an encore and was joined by Nézet-Séguin in a piano four-hands version of the last movement (“Le Jardin Feerique”) of Ravel’s ballet for orchestra “Ma Mère l'Oye” (Mother Goose). Only a pianist of Argerich’s stature and confidence could share the spotlight of an encore with someone else at the piano. But, then again, she has been sharing the spotlight with talented conductors, such as Abbado and former husband Charles Dutoit, her entire career. Nézet-Séguin held his own, covering much of the keyboard while Argerich handled the melody at the upper end.

Sunday’s audience was then treated to a second encore with Argerich playing the “Mazurka Op. 24, No. 2, C Major” by Chopin. After that, she finally had to take Concertmaster Martin Chalifour’s hand and lead the orchestra offstage to silence the audience’s clapping and screaming.

The concert opened with a performance of “La Valse” by Ravel, a symphonic poem whose composition was interrupted by World War I during which Ravel served as an ambulance driver. “La Valse” was originally titled “Vien” (Vienna) and was supposed to be a tribute to that great city and the waltzes so intimately associated with it. But Ravel’s experience in the war probably changed his vision of it. According to composer George Benjamin, “Whether or not it was intended as a metaphor for the predicament of European civilization in the aftermath of the Great War, its one-movement design plots the birth, decay and destruction of a musical genre: the waltz.” Still, “La Valse,” a series of waltzes from the tender to the raucous, is richly and expertly orchestrated as one would expect from Ravel.

The concert concluded with a stirring performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, a work composed in 1937 and described by the composer as “a Soviet artist's reply to just criticism,” referring to Stalin's displeasure with his opera, “Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District.” Politics aside, the Fifth Symphony in D minor (the key of Beethoven's Ninth and many other great symphonies) stands on its own as pure music. And as such, it has remained his most popular work.

In all three works, the 34-year-old Nézet-Séguin, who is artistic director and principal conductor of Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montreal and was recently named music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic, showed why he is a rising star. His conducting was so expressive that if one was unfamiliar with any of the pieces on the program, they could have simply watched him to see what instruments or sections were supposed to play and with what dynamics. Nézet-Séguin led the orchestra with precise control through the full range of dynamics from the quietest pianissimos to the loudest fortissimos.

At the conclusion of the Shostakovich, the audience again rose to their feet, hollering not only for Nézet-Séguin, but for the orchestra that the Angelenos in attendance clearly cherish.

ArtNight Pasadena

2009-03-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 13, is ArtNight Pasadena, when the city gets into full party mode with 14 cultural venues offering free admission and performances. The world-class Norton Simon Museum, the lively Pasadena Symphony, Pasadena Jazz Institute, Pasadena City College and Art Center College of Design are among the many options. Local restaurants offer special treats as well.

Start at City Hall, the gorgeous 1927 California Mediterranean structure designed by Bakewell and Brown, where you can enjoy some music before jumping on the free shuttles that circulate the ArtNight route. This arts extravaganza happens twice a year, in the fall and spring. The fall '08 event brought in 14,000 people, so plan accordingly. For more information, visit artnightpasadena.org.

The Boston Court Performing Arts Center offers a day of music, theater and more on Saturday, March 13. For information on that event, visit www.playhousedistrict.org.

Beautiful Baroque

2009-03-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Guest contributor Theodore Bell reviewed Musica Angelica’s March 8 concert. He is a flutist and composer, and a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Music and the UCLA Doctoral Program in Psychology.

Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra lived up to its ever-broadening reputation, as guest conductor and noted violinist Ilia Korol (who took Music Director Martin Haselböck’s place) and cellist Phoebe Carrai joined strings to create a timeless afternoon of musical delights this past weekend. The March 8 program, titled “Italian and French Masters,” featured music by Tomaso Albinoni, Antonio Vivaldi, Jean-Marie Leclair, and Marc-Antoine Charpentier.

When concertmaster Korol joined the musicians on stage and the strings found their traditional pitch, the very special timbre from the soloists’ instruments was immediately evident. My vantage was superb, and the acoustic properties of UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall were adequate for the small ensemble, although not ideal.

The program opened with the Italians represented by Albinoni’s Concerto Grosso (Op. 10, No. 11). Korol capably conducted the ensemble, capturing every nuance of the score. The energetic Albinoni splashed like a sonic aperitif that gave the ensemble opportunity to find a comfortable unity of spirit that would carry through the concert. Initially the sectional players occasionally overwhelmed Korol, and the violas found it difficult to be heard, but they found their target and ended in an extraordinarily precise unison.

Cellist Carrai brought to bear her international reputation as a performer, recording artist, and scholar as well. Vivaldi’s Concerto in b minor for Violoncello, Strings and Basso Continuo is less often performed, but what a pleasure to hear it played by such competent hands. Her articulation was understated but still lively, complementing her artful phrasing and on-target tempos. Her instrument sang gloriously.

Carrai’s intense interpretation and exuberant manner skillfully contrasted lively, happy themes with interludes of quiet introspection. She was emotionally engaging, constantly teasing the attention. The Largo presented with a wonderful lyrical theme, and the depth of this soulful and heartfelt rendition was truly moving. The Allegro was blinding in its speed; a few uncharacteristic harmonics inevitably attested to the blazing motifs flying from her fingers. It felt like she was relaying something important, while attempting not to alarm. The breadth of virtuosity and sensibility produced a warm, graceful gravitas.

The irrepressible joy of melody, as only Vivaldi, Il Prete Rosso (The Red Priest), could score, was brought to life as the nucleus of the program and embodied in the two violin concerti (RV 149, 158), each with its own unique character. Both featured a three-movement allegro-andante-allegro form – a tiramisu for the ears! I anticipated boredom from the two of them back-to-back, but how wrong I was. The contrasting punctate opening motif and complementary flowing melodies of the G Major were a treat. Korol’s lyric solo over a light pizzicato orchestration was a wonderful ending to the Italian program, and a clear demarcation to the rich French style to follow. Korol brought the full range of his expressive talents to the performance. With his mastery of baroque interpretation, Korol is singularly capable of bringing to life the string virtuosity of the composer – and he pulled it off flawlessly.

The choice of Leclair’s Concerto for Violin (Op. 10, No. 6) in G Minor was effective, like a carefully selected French vintage. Bravi to the organizers of the program! Leclair’s excitement of returning to Paris is evident in Opus 10, and Korol’s inspired lyricism and virtuosity brought Leclair’s mature “forty-something” exuberance en vie. His virtuosity was apparently effortless and mind-boggling in its precision. The various duos with the other members of the ensemble were mesmerizing and left the listener with a complex, lingering sweetness.

The conclusion for the evening was a lovely Charpentier suite in d minor: Concert pour les Violes. Charpentier’s brilliance as a musician and scholar shined through this work. The violins blended beautifully, but each was able to exert its own unmistakable personality to the counterpoint. The ensemble performed with impeccable attention to detail, from their approach to the trills to the ever-present dynamic contrasts.

The Préludes formed a complementary pair, the first lush and full, the second quick and light; a listener cannot resist inviting these charming tunes into the psyche to linger long after the concert has ended. The Sarabande was almost arrhythmic in its feel, but the contrasting gigue Angloise incited a kinetic reaction throughout the audience. Alas, the suite (and the evening) came to a close with a beautiful Passacaille.

The performers graced us with a much-warranted encore. The Passacaille served the purpose; it was even better the second time around. Korol was beautifully animated, and the blend and surety of the instruments were even better projected than in the initial playing.

The evening was a timeless respite from our modern times. Musica Angelica continued its record of providing Southern California with masterworks more and less known, authentically performed with scholarly virtuosity, in an intriguing program obviously crafted as an art itself. What a joy. Were my expectations unreasonably high? Yes. Were they met? Oh yes!

Photo from previous performance / courtesy of Musica Angelica

1950s 'Shrew'

2009-03-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

"The Taming of the Shrew" opens at A Noise Within tonight. Shakespeare's comedy about love, marriage and relationships gets a 1950s Italian spin, with music by crooners such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett helping to set the mood.

The production, directed by co-founder/artistic director Geoff Elliott, will feature Allegra Fulton (Katherine), Steve Weingartner (Petruchio), Apollo Dukakis (Baptista), Alan Blumenfeld (Grumio) and Tom Fitzpatrick (Gremio).

Founded in 1991 by Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, A Noise Within is the only classical repertory company in Southern California and one of only a handful in the country dedicated solely to producing classical drama from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams. The company has produced more than 120 plays and earned 26 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards.

Sat., March 7, 8 pm
Sun., March 8, 2 and 7 pm
Wed., March 25, 8 pm
Thurs., March 26, 8 pm
Fri., March 27, 8 pm
Sat., March 28, 2 and 8 pm
Wed., April 22, 8 pm
Thurs., April 23, 8 pm
Fri., April 24, 8 pm
Sun., May 3, 2 and 7 pm
Wed., May 6, 8 pm
Thursday, May 7, 8 pm
Sat., May 16, 2 and 8 pm
Sunday, May 17, 2 and 7 pm

Tickets: $44 (Friday and Saturday evenings, Sunday matinees), $40 (Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings, Saturday matinees)

A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale 91204.
For more information: (818) 240-0910, ext. 1, www.ANoiseWithin.org.

Up next at A Noise Within... Ibsen's "Ghosts" runs Sat., March 21, through Sat., May 9.

Classical Choices This Weekend

2009-03-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

Southwest Chamber Music's program on Saturday, March 7, and Monday, March 9, includes music by two Americans and a Czech composer who influenced music on the other side of the globe.

Wadada Leo Smith's String Quartet No. 3, "Black Church,"
Charles Ives' String Quartet No. 1, “From the Salvation Army"
Dvořák’s Quintet in A Major for Piano and Strings

Smith's String Quartet No. 3, "Black Church," is a lyrical blues-spiritual composition with references to West African drumming ensembles. Smith, a trumpeter, composer and Cal Arts educator, is well-known for his contributions to jazz and world music.

Quintessential American composer and New England native Ives was often inspired by hymns and patriotic songs. He wrote String Quartet No. 1, “From the Salvation Army,” in 1896.

The concert ends with Dvořák’s Quintet in A Major for Piano and Strings, which celebrates Czech nationalism.

Sat., March 7, 8 pm, (pre-concert talk with Artistic Director Jeff von der Schmidt at 7:30):
Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena 91103.

Mon., March 9, 8 pm, (pre-concert talk with Artistic Director Jeff von der Schmidt at 7:30):
Zipper Concert Hall at the Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012.

Tickets: $38 (General), $28 (Senior), $10 (Student w/ID)
For more information: (800) 726-7147, www.swmusic.org.

Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra presents a concert of Italian and French masters: Albinoni, Vivaldi, Leclair and Charpentier. Ilia Korol, concertmaster of Musica Antiqua Cologne, the Bach Ensemble and Spanish Baroque Orchestra, will be the guest conductor, and cellist Phoebe Carrai, director of the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra, will appear as soloist.

The program has changed since the concert was announced and will include:
Albinoni: Concerto Grosso, Op. 10, No. 11
Vivaldi: Concerto in B Minor for Violoncello, Strings and Basso Continuo
Vivaldi: Concerto for Strings in G Major, RV 149
Vivaldi: Concerto for Strings in A Major, RV 158
Leclair: Concerto for Violin Op. 10, No. 6 in G Minor
Charpentier: Suite in D Minor, Concert pour les Violes

Sat., March 7, 8 pm: Zipper Concert Hall at the Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
Sun., March 8, 4 pm: Schoenberg Hall on the UCLA campus (near the Westholme entrance).
Tickets: $39 to $55, students $15
For more information: (310) 458-4504, www.MusicaAngelica.org.

Look for our review of this concert early next week!

Vienna Nights

2009-03-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

Guest contributor Henry Schlinger reviewed the Vienna Philharmonic's March 3 and 4 concerts at Disney Hall. He is a musician and classical music aficionado.

After several curtain calls following a glorious performance of Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony by the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra at Disney Hall on Tuesday night, the conductor, Zubin Mehta, held up his hand to quiet the cheering audience and told them that he had dreamt of playing for them with the Vienna Philharmonic since 1962.

In two different concerts on consecutive nights this past week, Mehta led the renowned orchestra in programs whose highlights were two great ninth symphonies by composers who lived in Vienna: Anton Bruckner who had moved there relatively late in his life, and Franz Schubert who was born and who died there.

The signature piece on Tuesday night was the Symphony No. 9 by Bruckner in D minor. With the exception of a couple of missed notes in the horns -- unfortunately at the worst possible time at the end of the Adagio when the horns must hold a high F# pianissimo for the final four measures -- the orchestra played flawlessly. The tempo in Scherzo was a bit slow for my taste (even slower than Carlo Maria Giulini’s 1989 performance with this same ensemble on Deutsche Grammophon), but not so slow that it really mattered.

For me, it is difficult to comment critically on the performance because I am a Brucknerd, and like most Brucknerds, the chance to hear the Ninth performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta in Disney Hall is as close as it gets to a religious experience. That the symphony has that effect isn’t entirely accidental as Bruckner, who had grown up as a church organist and who had composed a fair amount of sacred music, wrote music to carry the listener away. Of course, I wasn’t the only Brucknerd in attendance on Tuesday night. You could tell some of them from the way they were moving to the pile-driving rhythms during the Ninth Symphony’s Scherzo.

The programming of the first half of the concert, which included Hugo Wolf’s Italian Serenade and four songs by Joseph Marx, however, was puzzling. Although the performances were fine, compared to the drama and grandiosity of the Ninth they seemed insignificant. But maybe that was the point: not to make too many demands on the audience in preparation for the Bruckner.

Wednesday night’s concert was more balanced. The first half contained a stirring performance of Wagner’s "Rienzi" overture, followed by a fine reading of the Chopin Second Piano Concerto in F Minor with Lang Lang as the soloist, with the second half devoted to another “great” ninth symphony, that of Franz Schubert.

At 27 years of age, Lang Lang has already been a superstar for several years, and in the Chopin, he displayed the technical wizardry and flair that earned him that reputation, though perhaps to a fault. To be fair, however, he showed that he could also play with delicacy, especially in the Larghetto.

Mehta and the Vienna Philharmonic’s performance of the Schubert was exactly what one would expect and want from the orchestra of the composer’s hometown. The performance was tight from the opening horns to the final sforzando diminuendo. Mehta often showed his pleasure with the orchestra’s playing with smiles; he clearly enjoyed their performance as much as the audience did.

But let’s be real, even with Lang Lang on the program, the real stars were Zubin Mehta and the Vienna Philharmonic. In case you didn’t already know, Los Angeles classical music fans love their favorite son, Zubin Mehta, who was Music Director of the LA Phil between 1962 and 1978, and was named Honorary Conductor of both the LA Phil and the Vienna Philharmonic. He’s the only conductor I’ve ever seen who elicits cheers and bravos from an audience when he walks out on stage even before he lifts his baton. But he clearly feels at home here, and this week, like a man bringing his lover home to meet his family for the first time, Mehta brought this orchestra home to meet his family in LA.

‘Frost/Nixon’ Live

2009-03-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

If you saw Ron Howard’s Oscar-nominated film, “Frost/Nixon,” you know what a dramatic duel of words and wit David Frost’s 1977 television interviews with President Richard Nixon were. Now, Center Theatre Group gives LA the chance to see the play on which that movie was based and experience the optimal format for this battle of wills. “Frost/Nixon” runs March 12-29 (preview March 11) at the Ahmanson Theatre.

Olivier Award-winning director Michael Grandage, who directed Michael Sheen and Frank Langella in the original London production of Peter Morgan’s 2006 play, comes to the downtown LA stage with a cast of 10, including Alan Cox and Stacy Keach in the respective title roles. Morgan, who wrote the screenplay for Howard’s film, was also the screenwriter for films such as “The Queen” and “The Last King of Scotland.” “Frost/Nixon,” his first play, received three Tony nominations (best play, direction and actor) and won one (Frank Langella as Nixon).

Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012, (213) 628-2772, www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.

Photo by Carol Rosegg/Courtesy of CTG: Alan Cox as Frost and Stacy Keach as Nixon

Kirk Douglas and His Namesake Theater

2009-03-04T16:59:00.000-08:00

Not since the grand opening in 2004 of Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre has the man it’s named for graced its stage. Since he didn’t perform that time, CTG Artistic Director Michael Ritchie has been waiting for Douglas’ return to the Culver City venue. That wish has finally been fulfilled, as the 92-year-old Hollywood legend will perform a new one-man show about his life, “Before I Forget,” directed by Jeff Kanew. Douglas has plenty of interesting material, which he has explored in a few autobiographies, starting with 1988’s “The Ragman’s Son.” Born in New York to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Douglas worked his way out of his familial poverty to become an Academy Award-nominated screen star with work in such films as “Champion,” “The Bad and the Beautiful,” and “Lust for Life,” as well as other classics like “Spartacus.” Douglas’ most recent memoir, “Let's Face it: 90 Years of Living, Loving, and Learning,” was published in 2007.

Performances will be on Fridays, March 6 and 13, at 8 p.m.; and Sundays, March 8 and 15, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25.

“Before I Forget” is part of DouglasPlus, a series of theater events including readings and other minimally staged shows. A family show called “Darwin” on Saturday, March 14, at 10:30 am and 2 pm will feature the adventures of a scientist and his creation, “an electro-luminescent wire dinosaur” named after the English naturalist whose 200th birthday (Feb. 12) is being celebrated across the world. This hybrid of theater, puppetry, music and dance created by Corbin Popp and Ian Carney is free to Culver City residents (all others $20). Next up is Mike Daisey’s monologue, “How Theater Failed America" March 18-21, followed by Michael Sargent and Bart DeLorenzo's world-premiere play “The Projectionist” March 26-28 and April 2-3, and then Matt Sax and Eric Rosen’s “Venice,” a hip-hop musical loosely based on “Othello.” Tickets to each of those shows are $20.

Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City 90232, (213) 628-2772, www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. The theater also has a great Lounge (with a full bar and food) that becomes a post-performance hang-out with DJs spinning tunes on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Photo courtesy of CTG

Surreal 'Ring'

2009-03-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

LA Opera’s “Das Rheingold” brings a number of unusual references – try Dali and Picasso, Fellini, and “Hellraiser” on for size – to the 19th-century Wagner opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

With this first installment in the company’s historic foray into Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle, director and designer Achim Freyer introduces a surreal motif that sets the stage for three more productions that will continue the story about a magic ring that grants its bearer dominion over a fantastic world of dwarfs, giants, gods and mortals.

Freyer, a renowned artist known for provocative work in European theater, opera and visual arts, made his LA Opera debut in 2002 with Bach’s “B Minor Mass” – which got boos from the audience, at least partly because that piece is not usually staged in theatrical fashion – and returned in 2003 with a production of “La Damnation de Faust.”

In his dream/nightmare vision of “Das Rheingold,” Freia and the Rhinemaidens have bloody-looking red mouths and bald white heads, reminiscent of demons from a horror film. In the beginning, they float ominously with their mirror images in the flowing waters of the Rhine River, created of billowing fabric agitated by people underneath.

In general, the characters seem somewhat abstract and rarely move about the stage or seem to interact with each other. The gods, Wotan, Fricka, et al, wear costumes seemingly inspired by "Hellraiser," and stand behind Dali- and Picasso-like cut-outs that serve as both set design and costume, emphasizing the sense that Freyer (and co-costume designer daughter Amanda Freyer) has created a live painting on stage. (Fricka’s long fake arms actually recalled a character in the surreal “fishy, fishy” scene in Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life.”)

Unfortunately, baritone Gordon Hawkins, as Alberich, is hidden inside a huge dwarf head the entire evening. The costume may be interesting, but it distances the character from the audience.

Loge, played by Arnold Bezuyen, received the most applause at the curtain calls, perhaps because he moves, looks and acts more naturally as the Joker- and devil-inspired demi-god with a red, flame-like costume and four arms.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg; the visual circus grows to vast proportions, as if an impossible number of clowns keep stepping out of a tiny vehicle. There is too much going on at any one time: There are projections of colored bands or swirling rings on a scrim that remains between the stage and audience (created with co-lighting designer Brian Gale), light sabers and giant hands, and even a parade of bizarre circus characters near the end of the opera.

Freyer undoubtedly wanted to create a spectacle worthy of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. It is, after all, the biggest work in Western music, consisting of four operas totaling about 15 hours, and making it the most ambitious project – both financially and artistically – that an opera company can undertake.

While Freyer’s style sometimes dazzles, it also distracts from Wagner’s music, which was sung marvelously by all the cast, performed wonderfully as always by the orchestra, and conducted as passionately as ever by Music Director James Conlon.

It’s not a fait accompli that an elaborate and visually lavish production will overpower the music and libretto. For instance, LA Opera’s last show, “The Magic Flute,” was a fabulous success, drawing ooh and aahs from the crowd.

Even so, it is always exciting to see new work, and this “Das Rheingold” is something creative enough to draw new audiences from beyond the opera circle – lovers of fantasy and sci-fi and artists of all sorts – as long as people are still shelling out for entertainment in this economy.

And speaking of the economy, by the time all is said and done – including next month’s “Die Walkure,” next season’s “Siegfried” and “Gotterdammerung,” and the presentation of all four operas consecutively in 2010 – the cost is expected to reach $32 million. LA knows it is lucky to have such generous patrons of the arts, like Margaret and David Barry, Dr. Armin and Barbara Sadoff, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. When those names were projected on the supertitles screen, there was plenty of applause. The Broads donated $6 million, and, without them – let’s face it – there might not be much of an art scene in LA.

You have to hand it to General Director Placido Domingo and Conlon for dreaming big and aiming to put LA Opera on the world map. As Conlon once said, “I want to see LA Opera become a hub of Wagnerian activity in the coming years so as to instill our audience, and especially our young people, with a thirst for this fantastic mix of glorious music theater, the world of myth and human relationships.”

Thousands of opera fans travel to take in every new production of the epic series. It will be fascinating to see the global response to this one.

Photo by Monika Rittershaus/Courtesy of LA Opera: Vitalij Kowaljow (Wotan), Gordon Hawkins (Alberich), and Arnold Bezuyen (Loge)

Dracula

2009-02-24T22:35:00.000-08:00

Dracula lovers, your ship has come in – and yes, it’s carrying the irresistible Count and his coffins of Transylvanian soil. It’s docked in North Hollywood, where “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” plays at the Noho Arts Center through March 22.

Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel “Dracula,” the bible of vampire literature, has spawned countless retellings, not all of them worthy of their literary ancestor. Fortunately, director Ken Sawyer adapted Hamilton Deane’s 1924 play, authorized by Stoker’s widow and revised by John Balderston in 1927. The Noho production feels authentic and contemporary at the same time, and has a great balance of horror, romance and even a few laughs.

In this version, Mina (understudy Erica Hess at last Sunday's show) is Count Dracula's (Robert Arbogast) first victim, and Lucy Seward (Mara Marini), Jonathan Harker’s (J.R. Mangels) fiancée, becomes the Count’s next conquest (and, it turns out, his reincarnated love from centuries past). Lucy’s mother, Dr. Lily Seward (Karesa McElheny), runs the asylum, where Renfield (Alex Robert Holmes) tries to resist being a slave to the “Master.” Dr. Seward’s friend, professor Van Helsing (Joe Hart), who has a helpful knowledge of folklore, leads her and Harker in a quest to kill the vampire.

Yes, there are plot and character condensations, and no scenes in Transylvania, but those are not to be considered flaws, even by this Stoker purist who has not found satisfactory updates in Anne Rice’s books or Buffy and Angel and has not checked out “Twilight” for fear of similar disappointment. The essence of the classic in the Noho Arts Center Ensemble/David Elzer production is as potent as wolfsbane or garlic is to vampires.

All of the actors, without exception, are outstanding. But, of course, Dracula is the star. Arbogast, with his lean chiseled body and low-riding tight leather pants, is a reincarnation of the sexy, seductive and pretentiously evil vampires played by Frank Langella or Gary Oldman. But Arbogast’s version is no imitation; only once, and to good effect, did a line recall Oldman’s delivery in the 1992 Francis Ford Coppola movie. And a sexy “Dracula” is only appropriate given the themes of the classic novel, including the Victorian notion that female sexuality is a sin and that women willing to be tempted by the evil Count must have their souls saved.

Marini (who usually plays Mina but was cast last Sunday as Lucy) could work as a horror movie screamer and made a convincing transformation from meek innocent to voluptuous vampire. Holmes has a meaty role as an asylum patient who climbs walls and eats flies, but is sane enough to know evil when he sees it. Even the smaller roles of Butterworth and Wells, played by Chad Coe and Tahni Delong, are distinct and interesting characters.

The set design by Desma Murphy is worthy of a film with plenty of lush, romantic details and ingenious devices, like torn “ship sails” that economically transform part of the stage into the ship on which Dracula traveled from Transylvania to England. The literary touch of painting a copy of Henry Fuseli’s 1781 “Nightmare” on the set’s back wall was a creative and thoughtful addition. Throughout the play, a soft light usually stayed on the incubus sitting on a sleeping woman’s chest.

Paula Higgins’ costumes evoke a Victorian era with a contemporary twist. And the atmosphere’s thrills and chills are intensified by Sawyer’s sound and Ovation Award winner Luke Moyer’s lighting. The theater is filled variously with bat sounds, lightning, howling wolves, smoke and more.

The only weakness in the production came near the end. I was unsure what happened to Lucy because Van Helsing says they cut out her heart to save her soul -- but then that doesn’t appear to be true. Even so, that’s easily forgiven after an hour and a half of brilliant theater.

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 3 pm through March 22.
Noho Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 508-7101, ext. 7, www.thenohoartscenter.com

Robert Arbogast as Dracula and Joe Hart as Van Helsing in the Noho Arts Center Ensemble production of “Dracula,” directed by Ken Sawyer. Photo by Michael Lamont/courtesy of Demand PR

Vienna, Mehta and Lang Lang

2009-02-24T17:51:00.000-08:00

File this under “hard-to-believe-but-true”: The Vienna Philharmonic has never played at Disney Hall. With all the world-class orchestras the LA Phil has been bringing in since moving to their new home in 2003, that’s a surprise. But, finally, the Vienna Phil, one of the world’s undisputed best for a century and a half, makes its debut on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and returns Wednesday, Feb. 4. Both concerts begin at 8 pm.

And that’s not all: The conductor will be LA’s beloved Zubin Mehta, who served as Music Director of the LA Phil between 1962 and 1978, and holds the title of Honorary Conductor here. Mehta is a classical superstar, having led the New York Philharmonic for 13 years and been named Music Director for life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra as well as Honorary Conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and Bavarian State Orchestra.

The Vienna-themed program on Tuesday will feature Wolf’s “Italian Serenade,” Marx’s “Four Songs” (with soprano Angela Maria Blasi), and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9. Wednesday brings Wagner’s “Rienzi Overture,” Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 “Great.”

As if you needed more enticement, 26-year-old Lang Lang, dubbed “the hottest artist on the classical music planet” by the New York Times, will perform the Chopin Piano Concerto (which he recently recorded with Mehta and the Vienna Phil) at Wednesday’s concert.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000, www.laphil.com

Two Lives, Two Stories

2009-02-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

LA photographer Karl Larsen contacted me last weekend with a story idea: “I know this lady in Pasadena who is African-American and she is the City Attorney for Pasadena. Her name is Michelle Bagneris, and her grandmother just turned 109 years old last week!! As a gift I am going to give her a print of Barack and Michelle Obama on the parade route. She was too old and frail to go to the inauguration herself, so I feel this may be the next best thing.”

Not only did I want to know more about how the centenarian Lucile Burrell and her family felt about the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, but I also wanted to learn the story behind the photo itself and more about the photographer whom I had hired to shoot Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney for stories I worked on as an arts editor at a weekly newspaper.

The Big Picture
Attached in Larsen’s email was his photo of the President and First Lady, smiling, holding hands and waving to an expectant nation on Jan. 20. For so many people, of so many races and backgrounds, that day was historic. Larsen said being at the parade was a “spiritual experience,” a sentiment that many in this country who went into the voting booths on Nov. 4 and only watched the inauguration on TV completely understand.

But Burrell, having been born in Arkansas on Feb. 2, 1900, was someone who perhaps had a much deeper understanding of the significance of the occasion. “She was born just one generation removed from slavery,” Larsen said, “and I thought I would have to give her a photo of this monumental event that I was fortunate enough to capture.”

I drove with Larsen on Presidents Day to Inglewood, where Big Mama, as she is affectionately called by her family and friends, lives with her daughter Rohelia Beal and son-in-law Meredith Beal, Bagneris’ parents.

Big Mama – who had met George Washington Carver as a child when he came to Arkansas to teach food-canning skills and stayed at her family’s home – didn’t say much during our visit, but when she saw the 16-by-20-inch framed print of the Obamas, she seemed excited and said “hallelujah.” She even began to sing a little bit.

She had a similar reaction when the family watched the inauguration together on TV. Bagneris told me, “We experienced chills and watery eyes, and Big Mama exclaimed ‘hallelujah,’ and as Obama spoke, she shouted to him to ‘tell the world!’”

All three generations were overcome with emotion, Bagneris recalled. “My 86-year-old father choked up, saying that, having been raised as a child in East Texas, he never in his wildest dreams imagined that he would live to see the day that a Black man would be president.”

Before we left, Larsen posed with the entire family and gave Big Mama a kiss on the forehead, both of which I captured with his camera.

Afterward, Bagneris told me what the inauguration and Larsen’s gift meant to her. “My mother and I revel in the recognition that, although America continues to experience challenges in race relations, this represents a giant leap forward and something that my children will recognize came with great sacrifice, presenting a hopeful future. Karl’s photo of the First Couple represents the strength, unity and determination that I have seen in my parents and grandparents, and that I hope to convey with my husband.”

Behind the Camera
Larsen didn’t have media credentials to attend Barack Obama’s inauguration, but that didn’t stop him from flying to Washington, D.C., last month. On Jan. 19, he scoped out the mall and realized without a ticket he couldn’t get close enough to the stage, so he visited the parade route, found a good spot and noted things like the lighting at the time of day he expected to take the photo.

The next day he awoke at 3 a.m. and was the first civilian in line for the parade at 4:35 a.m., behind police, volunteers and media. By 7 a.m., he was in place and trying to stay warm – in thermals, ski pants and goggles – waiting for the president to pass by at 4 p.m. Apparently, it’s not just the National Geographic photographers stalking wildlife and ideal skies who have incredible patience.

Over the course of nine hours of talking and even dancing to Motown, country and more over the PA system, Larsen got to know the people around him. “We all were strangers at 7 a.m. and by 4 p.m. were lifetime friends,” he said, explaining that he also promised to send them all a copy of the photo if they were careful not to bump him during that one crucial moment – which came at 4:05 p.m.

He had maybe a matter of seconds to take a photo of the Obamas, who hopped back into the limo right after he snapped it.

I knew that Larsen, who started as the house photographer for the West Hollywood House of Blues and has worked extensively for Rolling Stone magazine – and whose image of Paris Hilton crying in the back of a police cruiser made newspapers across the country – was good at his job. Hearing about his trip to D.C. and seeing his “catch” confirmed that.

Even so, Larsen’s agency has not yet sold the photo to any media outlets (most likely because many have subscriptions to agencies like the Associated Press and Reuters). So Larsen gave one photo as a gift to Burrell and a 24-by-30-inch giclee print to a friend’s mother who happens to be a Congresswoman in Florida. She had flown with the President on Air Force One when he visited her district and wanted to send it to the White House as a thank you.

In the meantime, a giclee print of the Obamas, arguably the biggest celebrities in the world right now, is at the Celebrity Vault gallery in Beverly Hills along with a few other images by Larsen, as well as ones by famous photographers Richard Miller, Bert Stern, and Gered Mankowitz, who photographed icons such as James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Jimi Hendrix, respectively. Larsen is investigating the possibility of Obama signing a number of his limited-edition giclee prints so that he can sell them at the hip gallery on Canon Drive and donate a portion to charity.

At the gallery, in addition to photos of Slash whom Larsen had intimate access to as the official photographer on Velvet Revolver’s first album tour, are some others by Larsen. They aren’t portraits, but emotional images that quietly tell LA stories. The shuttered Tower Records on Sunset is a symbol of the end of a musical era. The inflatable pig that escaped during a Roger Waters concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 2006 and floated toward a full moon makes it obvious that being a photographer is as much about being in the right place at the right time as it is about doing your homework.

As for his black-and-white image of the Hollywood sign with smoke ominously billowing behind it, Larsen said at the moment he heard the fires were encroaching on the city’s world-famous icon, “If the Hollywood sign was going to burn down – then I was going to have to get that photo.”

Visit the Celebrity Vault gallery or website to see more of Larsen’s work: 345 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills 90210, (888) 838-1881, www.thecelebrityvault.com

Visit Wikipedia to learn about the controversy about Larsen’s famous photo of Paris Hilton being incorrectly attributed to Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer Nick Ut on ABC’s “20/20.”

A Must-Hear Concert

2009-02-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

If you’ve heard the 6,134-pipe Disney Hall organ, you know why every opportunity should be taken to hear it again. The next chance is Sun., Feb. 22, when the Los Angeles Master Chorale presents an evening of “Chorus + Organ” at 7 p.m.

Now if you’re thinking this kind of music is not your thing, remember that Carl Orff’s popular “Carmina Burana” – a collection of dynamic songs based on medieval poems about everything from spring to drinking and which you’ve undoubtedly heard in movies and commercials – is choral music. Furthermore, the Master Chorale is not just any ensemble – it is the nation’s, and maybe the world’s, most innovative chorale group, thriving under its vibrant music director, Grant Gershon. They’ve commissioned 21 and premiered 51 new works, bringing vital spirit to an art form that goes all the way back to medieval Gregorian Chants.

I don’t know much about chorale music, but I was blown away by the gorgeous artistry of one of the Master Chorale’s recent concerts featuring a collaboration between choreographer Cheam Shapiro and composer Chinary Ung for the world premiere of “Spiral XII.” (As an interesting side note, the singers of the Master Chorale have been featured on movie soundtracks, including a personal favorite, Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.”)

On Sunday’s six-piece program are the world premieres of “Dream Variations” by Andrea Clearfield and Steven Sametz’s “Music’s Music” as well as the West Coast premiere of Nico Muhly’s “Expecting the Main Things From You.” Plus, there will be music by Bruckner, Liszt and Part. Christoph Bull is the featured organist.

Clearfield’s “Dream Variations,” written for flute, viola, harp and organ, will be performed with the Debussy Trio. “All About Jazz” said of the composer that she “is to be thanked for ‘daring to disturb the universe.’”

Sametz’s “Music’s Music,” was commissioned by Kathie and Alan Freeman in honor of Gershon, Executive Director Terry Knowles and the Master Chorale and features double choir, mezzo-soprano, obbligato clarinet and harp.

“Expecting the Main Things from You,” a three-movement piece for organ and string quartet, sounds like another rare treat, as the work of Muhly, who has collaborated with the likes of Bjork and Philip Glass, is rarely performed on the West Coast. He’ll also be at the concert.

Also of note is Arvo Pärt's “De Profundis,” for men's chorus, which, the press materials indicate, “starts at the lowest depth, as its title suggests, and uncoils into an eight-minute long crescendo and thundering climax with tam-tam (gong) and organ.” If that doesn’t sound awesome, I don’t know what does.

Tickets start at $19. Student rush tickets are $10.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012, (213) 972-7282, www.lamc.org

photo by Steve Cohn Photography/courtesy of LA Master Chorale

Art at the Armory

2009-02-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

Time is winding down on your chance to see "at the Brewery Project," an exhibit that ends March 1 at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena. The Brewery Project was a showcase for artists, by artists, first organized at the Brewery Art Colony near downtown LA by artist John O'Brien in September 1993. Between then and May 2007, the project was responsible for more than 35 exhibits, curated by as many as 20 different artists, and featuring photography, painting, ceramics, collage and more.

The retrospective at the Armory provides a fascinating glimpse of the contemporary art scene in LA. Among the most fun works on display is Keiko Fukazawa's "Good Luck" with a wedding cake -- made of white ceramic Maneki Neko (Good Luck) cats topped with the colorful ones that are ubiquitous in Little Tokyo -- paired with a kimono decorated with graffiti art. In front of Thomas Muller's enlarged photos of a clay elephant balancing on a gorgeous ripe tomato are the actual items in plexiglas boxes on wooden pedestals -- only it takes a while to figure out what's going on in those boxes because the tomatoes have almost completely decomposed since the installation.

Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena 91103, (626) 792-5101, www.armoryarts.org

Keiko Fukazawa, Good Luck, 2005, clay and kimono, kimono: 60 x 50 x 3 inches, ceramic cake: 60 x 22 x 22 inches/photo courtesy of Armory Center for the Arts

The 'Ring' Begins

2009-02-17T22:34:00.000-08:00

Following an enchanting “Magic Flute,” LA Opera unfurls “Das Rheingold,” the first of four operas in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, “Der Ring des Nibelungen” (“Nibelung’s Ring”). Fantasy and adventure combine in a tale of a Nibelung dwarf who creates from the gold of the Rhine a magic ring that gives its bearer power over the world. Inspired by German and Scandinavian myths, Wagner’s 19th-century epic is filled with gods, warriors and giants – and may win over an admirer or two of JRR Tolkien. The Ring Cycle is an ambitious undertaking for any opera company, and LA Opera aims to impress with acclaimed German artist Achim Freyer on board to dazzle LA crowds with his direction and design. At a mere 2 hours 25 minutes, “Das Rheingold” is the shortest work in the Ring Cycle, which continues when LA Opera General Director Placido Domingo stars in “Die Walkure” in April.

Sat., Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m.; Wed., Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m.; Sun., March 1; Thurs., March 5, at 7:30 p.m.; Sun., March 8; Wed., March 11, at 7:30 p.m.; Sun., March 15
Wed., Thurs., Sat. at 7:30 p.m.; Sun. at 2 p.m.

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012, (213) 972-8001, www.laopera.com

If you want some help figuring out Wagner's "Das Rheingold" before you go to the LA Opera production, get over to the Brand Library on Sat., Feb. 21, at 2 pm for a free talk by Jackie Johns of the Los Angeles Opera Speaker Bureau.

Glendale Public Library, 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale 91201, (818) 548-2051, www.brandlibrary.org

photo by Monika Rittershaus/courtesy of LA Opera

Documentary Film Events

2009-02-12T23:32:00.000-08:00

Let’s face it: You have no chance of getting into the Oscars. But you can get into the International Documentary Association’s 27th Annual Nominees Reception, hosted by comedienne extraordinaire Lily Tomlin, on Wed., Feb. 18, at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. There, you’ll get a glimpse of the documentary features and shorts up for Oscars this year and hear from the filmmakers, who usually have a tremendously passionate stake in the material -- because god knows they aren’t making any money – and create amazing works of art with true stories, meant to inform, inspire, incite emotion, or all of the above.

The nominated documentary features are:
Werner Herzog’s “Encounters at the End of the World” about a hidden society living in Antarctica
Scott Hamilton Kennedy’s “The Garden” about a community garden in South Central LA
James Marsh’s “Man on Wire” about high wire walker Philippe Petit
Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s “Trouble the Water” about an aspiring rapper in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina
Ellen Kuras’ “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” about the struggle of one family from Laos, filmed over 23 years

Wed., Feb. 18, 6:30 pm hors d’oeuvres and wine, 8 pm program: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 8949 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills 90211
For tickets and info: http://www.documentary.org/reception09

Then DocuDay on Sat., Feb. 21, provides the unique opportunity to see all five features and four shorts, since most so rarely make it to the theater. Films run from 9 am to 11:55 pm (what happens to documentarians at midnight?), and all-day passes are available.
Sat., Feb. 21: Writers Guild of America Theater, 135 S. Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills 90211
For tickets and info: http://docuday.eventbrite.com/

My Romantic Valentine

2009-02-12T14:27:00.001-08:00

The acclaimed Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra presents Henry Purcell’s “The Fairy Queen” on Sat., Feb. 14, and Sun., Feb. 15. “The Fairy Queen,” a masque written in 1692, is based on Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a comedy about Athenian lovers and a mischievous fairy named Puck. The melodic, operatic piece will feature the Santa Monica-based orchestra, along with sopranos Lisa Saffer and Catherine Webster, bass-baritone Michael Dean, and the Concord Ensemble chorus. Music Director Martin Haselböck will conduct.

Sat., Feb. 14, 8 pm.: Zipper Concert Hall, Colburn School of Performing Arts; 200 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles
Sun., Feb. 15, 4 pm.: The Broad Stage, Santa Monica Blvd and 11th Street, Santa Monica
Tickets: $39 to $55
(310) 458-4504, www.MusicaAngelica.org

My Funny Valentine

2009-02-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

Christopher Moore, on tour with his latest novel, “Fool,” appears at the Borders in Northridge on Sat., Feb. 14, at 2 pm. “Fool” is a bawdy (the author says there’s plenty of “shagging”) and humorous retelling of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” from the point of view of the king’s fool, Pocket. An American author of incredible imagination, Moore also authored the irreverent and epic “Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal,” in which the adventures of a teen-aged Jesus and his friend Biff read like a take on “The Odyssey.”

Borders, 9301 Tampa Ave., Northridge 91324, (818) 886-5443, www.borders.com

Gedde Up!

2009-02-09T13:19:00.002-08:00

Gedde Watanabe stars in East West Players' next production "Ixnay." (For details, see the previous post.)

Watanabe, who just finished a film and is part of a TV pilot in development, sat down in the lobby of EWP’s David Henry Hwang Theater one evening before rehearsal for “Ixnay” to chat with me. The laughter punctuating his comments was so hearty and infectious, he could sell tickets to listen to him just talk and laugh on stage.

Tell me about your character Tadashi Ozaki.
Tadashi Ozaki is head of the Reincarnation Station No. 92, which is when people die, they come and see me before they transition.

Do you choose what they become?
I don’t really choose, but probably from my own sense I can choose who goes back as Asian American. And a lot of them didn’t want to. [laughs] One of the characters [Raymond Kobayashi, played by Aaron Takahashi] doesn’t want to go back as one, and I’m totally befuddled by the fact that he doesn’t want to go back as an Asian American.

Why doesn’t he?
I think he just had a really hard life [laughs] as an Asian American. You know, the discrimination. He wants to experience being a white person. It’s kind of profound in that sense. I totally get it. But my character is totally befuddled at him. Consequently, he shows his racist side because he pushes it so hard…. I try to reason with this kid about why it’s so important why he needs to go back as one. I give him lots of lists, and it’s like [laughs] the reasonings are kind of comical. But in an odd way, they’re kind of real too. … One line says the Japanese-American race is kind of disappearing because of interracial marriages and all that kind of stuff. In the year of Obama, you kind of wonder.

Is this a laugh-out-loud comedy?
I have no idea how this audience is going to react to this. It’s kind of like [Albert Brooks’] “Defending Your Life” Japanese style, in a way. [laughs] It will be interesting to see what the audience, what the generations are going to think of this.

How are rehearsals going for this word premiere?
There’s an open door for me in this play and I realize that [director Jeff Liu] is letting me do that and I respect that. It’s been neat. He knows that I’m always trying to figure something out. I will always question something when it’s just not working…. This is what’s so great about East West is that you can explore that. You don’t have to be perfect. I think they want to make a good play and they want to figure out how to make sense of it.

Is that why you like working here? [Note: Watanabe also performed in EWP's "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" in 2001 and last year's "Pippin."]
I think the reason why I like working here is that it’s just comfortable. … They all know me. They can slap me in the face when I’m really being ridiculous. They can tell me to go to hell. Or I can tell them to go to hell. [laughs] So it’s sort of comfortable. It’s like you’re in your living room. And what better place to do theater than in your living room? At least when I was a kid we all did theater in the living room.

Were you funny when you were a kid?
No. My sisters thought I was funny. I was very serious and very brooding. I fought people a lot. So maybe that’s what made me funny. I defended a lot of people. You grew up in Utah, so all the white people you just wanted to slap in the face. Excuse me, sorry. It’s true. [laughs] All the Mormons, sorry. I wanted to slap them in the face. [laughs] Especially the girls that were always complaining about girls that didn’t wear bras. I thought, “Oh god, get over yourself.” That’s all the Mormon girls cared about: “She’s not wearing a bra.” My best friend was a girl from Boston and she never wore a bra and she was the most brilliant girl in that whole class, just sophisticated. Her mother brought her to Utah and she said, “What the f!$* am I doing here?” -- excuse me -- and we became friends immediately.

I noticed on Tadashi’s Myspace page (www.myspace.com/tadashiozaki) that he said he hated “Sixteen Candles.” Now why is he disparaging that film?
He did? I never said that. [laughs] Somebody made that up.

Oh, you aren’t doing the updates?
No, I don’t even know what Myspace is. … That’s an interesting thought: Would he have liked “Sixteen Candles”? Yeah, he would have liked it. He would have adored it, because he is just out of his gourd about how he sees life. … Isn’t that weird? Interesting, huh? Yeah, he would have thought it was like Shakespeare probably. [laughs] That’s the character speaking, that’s not me speaking. [laughs] He would have loved it, and I’ll tell you why. Because he was making fun of another culture, which he does. He thinks everything is below Japanese American. So he would have loved it!

Well, you know, everybody still loves that movie. What’s it been, 25 years? People still love that movie and talk about your character Long Duk Dong. [Note: Some in the Asian-American community found it controversial.]
Can’t live it down.

No. But do you want to?
No, I don’t really think about that much anymore. The last thing I ever did that made any sense to me about it was I went to a benefit for homeless women who needed underwear and I just thought at the last moment, you know I’m going to raise them some money, so I took the microphone and I said I will sell any line that you want, put it on your cellphone if you give them $10. They made over $2,000 in the crowd, something like that. I thought, well, there you go. Who cares anymore?

If you could be reincarnated…
Oh god!

You know I have to ask this. I saw your Myspace video (www.myspace.com/tadashiozaki), but I figured I’d ask this fresh.
I would just like to be able to be reincarnated. Let’s just say if I decided to come back as an actor, I would love to come back in a time when color didn’t matter for the role. Because I think you don’t get considered for a lot of stuff. In one sense, you can’t really develop your talent, and I think that’s the hardest to live with when you are in this business.

East West Players

2009-02-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

East West Players, the nation's premiere Asian-American theater, brings Long Duk Dong back to its Little Tokyo stage in "Ixnay," which opens Feb. 18. Well, not actually Long Duk Dong, but the actor who played him in the classic '80s film "Sixteen Candles," Gedde Watanabe. Beloved by a generation of now-middle-aged John Hughes fans who have seen the film over and over and can recite all of the actor’s hilarious lines, Watanabe appeared recently on East West Players' stage as the grandmother in the company's hip-hop/anime version of "Pippin."

If you missed the chance to see Watanabe in drag, be sure to catch him in "Ixnay," written by Paul Kikuchi (and developed and workshopped in EWP’s David Henry Hwang Writers Institute) and directed by EWP Literary Manager Jeff Liu. This world premiere play is the story of a Japanese-American man who wants to be reincarnated as a Caucasian. Watanabe plays the reincarnation station attendant. Other actors in the cast include June Kyoko Lu, one of the founders of EWP (“Lady in the Water”); Dante Basco (“Hook”); and Aaron Takahashi, member of Cold Tofu improv troupe (“Yes Man”).

“Ixnay” opens Wed., Feb.18, and closes Sun., March 15. Opening night will be accompanied by a pre-performance cocktail reception and a post-show reception with the cast and creative team ($60). Regular performances ($30, $35) are Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2pm. Previews ($20) are Feb. 12 - 14 at 8 and Feb. 15 at 2. The Pay-What-You-Can Performance will be Feb. 19 at 8.

East West Players’ David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000, www.eastwestplayers.org.

Photo by Azusa Oda/courtesy of EWP: Aaron Takahashi surrounded by Dante Basco, Gedde Watanabe, June Kyoko Lu, and Matthew Yang King.

Fun With Words

2009-02-03T15:05:00.001-08:00

Larry Wilmore, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning “Senior Black Correspondent” from "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" discusses and signs "I'd Rather We Got the Casinos: And Other Black Thoughts" at Vroman's Bookstore on Feb. 10 at 7 pm. Through letters, op-eds, graduation speeches and more, Wilmore takes a comic look at race in America. Vroman's brings authors on an almost-daily basis to Pasadena. Founded in 1894, it is the oldest and largest independent bookstore in Southern California, with two floors of books and gifts, as well as a cafe.

Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, 91101, (626) 449-5320, www.vromansbookstore.com.

Coming up...

2009-02-03T15:05:00.000-08:00

Literary Music
On Feb. 7 and 9, Grammy-winning Southwest Chamber Music presents the West Coast premiere of "The Haroun Songbook," music from Charles Wuorinen's opera "Haroun and the Sea of Stories," based on Salman Rushdie's novel about a storyteller who loses his powers. (Incidentally, New York City Opera, which commissioned that work that opened in 2004, also asked the composer to write an opera based on "Brokeback Mountain.") The excerpts from the magical, comic opera have been arranged by Wuorinen for piano and four singers. The Southwest Chamber concert will feature pianist Phillip Bush, mezzo sopranos Elissa Johnston and Kathleen Roland, tenor Robert MacNeil, and bass-baritone Cedric Berry. Also on the progam devoted entirely to Wuorinen's work in celebration of his 70th birthday are: "Eleven Short Pieces for Violin and Vibraphone" (West Coast Premiere), the "Ave Maria…Virgo Serena" for violin, clarinet, violoncello, and piano, and "Iridule" for oboe solo and ensemble (West Coast Premiere). The latter was also inspired by literature, namely, Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Pale Fire."

Sat., Feb. 7, 8 pm, (pre-concert talk with Artistic Director Jeff von der Schmidt at 7:30):
Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena 91103.

Mon., Feb. 9, 8 pm, (pre-concert talk with Artistic Director Jeff von der Schmidt at 7:30):
Colburn School for Performing Arts, 200 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles 90012.

Tickets: $38 (General), $28 (Senior), $10 (Student w/ID)
For more information, (800) 726-7147, www.swmusic.org.

East and West, Old and New
Pacific Serenades, a chamber ensemble founded in 1982, presents its 91st commissioned world premiere Feb. 7, 8, and 10: "Memories of a Shoehorn" by Istanbul native Münir Beken. The piece combining Western and Turkish sounds will feature the composer on oud (precursor of the lute), Pacific Serenades Founder and Artistic Director Mark Carlson on flute, Kathleen Lenski of the Grammy-winning Angeles String Quartet on violin, Roland Kato on viola, and David Speltz on cello. Since Pacific Serenades makes it a point to mix old favorites with world premieres, the other pieces on the program are Beethoven's String Trio in C minor, Op. 9 No. 3, and Mozart's Flute Quartet in D major, K. 285.

Sat., Feb. 7, 8 pm: private home in Valley Glen ($55)

Sun., Feb. 8, 4 pm: Neighborhood Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena ($32).
The Gamble House, next door to the church, offers a discounted tour at $8/person to Pacific Serenades patrons on concert dates only. One-hour tours begin promptly at 2 and at 2:40 pm. Reservations are required at least 48 hours in advance of the concert date by calling (626) 793-3334, ext. 16.

Tues., Feb. 10, 8 pm: UCLA Faculty Center, 405 N. Hilgard Ave., on the UCLA campus in Westwood ($32). Parking is available for $9 in Lot 2.
Pacific Serenades patrons can dine at the UCLA Faculty Center prior to the concert. Reservations can be made by calling (310) 825-0877.

Student tickets available at the door on Sunday and Tuesday for $5!
For more information, (213) 534-3434, www.pacser.org.

Art, Science in Pasadena

2009-02-01T23:05:00.000-08:00

Science is a beautiful thing and, sometimes quite literally, a work of art. Such specimens spotlighting the universe, the natural world, and technology are on display at the Pasadena Museum of California Art through April 12.

In the main gallery, "Data + Art," curated by Jet Propulsion Laboratory Visual Strategist Dan Goods and Mars Public Engagement Outreach Coordinator David Delgado, features numerous works that express scientific data in creative visual (and auditory) ways, as well as some materials used in NASA missions, such as a material called Aerogel that is 99.8% air and was used to collect dust from a comet. The project gallery has colorful Scanning Electron Microscope images by David Scharf. In the back gallery, guests can don 3D glasses and ogle the Martian landscape captured by Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The three exhibits make for a thoughtful and intriguing -- okay, mind-blowing -- experience.

Movement or sound make many of the "Data + Art" works especially interesting. "Flight Patterns" is a constantly changing digital work using flight path information from the FAA; and an animated video, accompanied by an upbeat, rhythmic soundtrack, uses MRI data to explore the development of a quail inside an egg. A couple of works use classical music to make physical information audible. Radiohead fans will appreciate the DVD detailing the making of the band's "House of Cards" video with a robotic laser scanner, one of which will capture your body and movement on a large screen. Other items of note include a giant hundred dollar bill, miniature drawing robots, a tiny disk etched with 13,000 pages of information, and an incredible visual representation of the number of people imprisoned in the US in 2005.

Alex Dragulescu's architectural designs generated by computer programs using junk email as input (see photo) are spiky and impractical and, oddly enough, bear a resemblance to Scharf's images of ascorbic acid crystals or kidney stones magnified thousands of times their actual size. Scharf's digital images captured with the S.E.M. technology he developed include pollen grains, salmonella, and other natural subjects in prismatic color and enlarged to reveal interesting patterns and the unbelievable complexity sometimes invisible to the naked eye. Cannabis flowers magnified 400 times, for instance, look like a psychedelic landscape of mushrooms.

This is not the first meeting of science and art in Pasadena; the city's world-famous JPL and California Institute of Technology have collaborated with other local arts institutions, including the Armory Center for the Arts and Art Center College of Design. The PMCA's current exhibits succeed (as the shows at this modest, high-quality museum devoted to California art and design from 1850 to the present usually do) at being manageable in size, accessible, and stimulating.

Upcoming programs include a gallery walkthrough with the "Data + Art" curators on Feb. 7 and a panel discussion with the curators and artists on Feb. 28. For details and other events, visit www.pmcaonline.org.

PMCA, 490 E. Union St., (626) 568-3665, www.pmcaonline.org. Open Wed.-Sun., noon-5 pm. General admission $7, free first Friday of the month.

Visual Spectacles: From Mozart to Gorey

2009-01-26T21:57:00.000-08:00

LA Opera's "The Magic Flute," which ended yesterday, transported audiences to an awe-inspiring place of imagination. Beyond Mozart's glorious music and some outstanding voices and performances, the audience was oohing and aahing at Gerald Scarfe's designs: the giant serpent menacing Tamino in the beginning scene; the fanciful, cartoon-like dinosaurs, lions and other creatures; the Queen of the Night with a silver face and curlicue black and purple gown suspended above the stage; the delightful flying bird ship with three cherubic young singers guiding Tamino in his quest to find Pamina; and on and on.

Experience another creative escape from the real world, albeit of a very different sort, when The Edwardian Ball comes to downtown LA's 1927 Tower Theater. A fixture in San Francisco for the past nine years, the Ball comes to LA for the first time on Jan. 31, presented by co-creators Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society with LA's own Cirque Berzerk. It brings the tales of American writer/illustrator Edward Gorey to the stage, along with original music, a live band, ballroom dance, and other entertainment. Gorey is the artist, with a macabre bent and a cult following, behind such books as "Gashlycrumb Tinies" and the opening animation of PBS's "Mystery."

The goth and cabaret-inspired Cirque Berzerk will undoubtedly make a fascinating addition to The Edwardian Ball. The troupe of talented trapeze artists, contortionists, stiltwalkers and fire dancers performed a mesmerizing, inventive, sexy and athletic Big Top show at the Los Angeles State Historic Park in downtown last summer.

Circus acts, DJs and an absinthe bar obviously make The Edwardian Ball a very different experience than the opera, and it's doubtful that many operagoers will be flocking to the Tower Theater, but it's interesting to note how LA Opera's "The Magic Flute" and The Edwardian Ball both involve popular illustrators, theatrical artistry and wild imagination.

Doors open and show begins at 8 pm, and all ages are welcome. Costumed attire is encouraged. General admission tickets cost $25, and a limited amount of $75 VIP tickets are available that include reserved balcony seating and hosted absinthe bar, courtesy of Obsello Absinthe (21+ only).

Venue: Tower Theater, 802 S. Broadway, 90014, (213) 629-2939 or www.towertheaterla.com. Tickets and info: www.edwardianball.com.
(photo by Neil Girling/www.theblight.net)

A Closer Look at Gustavo Dudamel

2009-01-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

I'm adding a post from a guest contributor. Yesterday, when Gustavo Dudamel appeared at Disney Hall, classical music aficionado Henry Schlinger used the occasion to write down some of his thoughts on the maestro.

Los Angeles rolled the red carpet out today, but it wasn’t for any of the usual suspects. No, the red carpet was rolled out for the new music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, wunderkind Gustavo Dudamel. The hype over the past several months surrounding Dudamel’s succession to the L.A. Phil throne has been nothing short of, well, hype.

The question is whether a 27-year-old, relatively unknown (until his appointment as the L.A Phil music director) kid from Venezuela is everything he’s been touted as being.

Well, from what I’ve seen so far, the answer is an unequivocal “yes.”

I’ve now attended three concerts in which Dudamel conducted the L.A. Phil. The major works on those concerts were the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, and Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony. Each of these pieces is in its own way very challenging: the Berlioz because, well, it’s Berlioz; the Beethoven because it is popular and performed often; and the Strauss because it is rarely performed, scored for a huge orchestra, and almost an hour long.

Was the 27-year-old up to the challenge of conducting these works?

In a word—absolutely.

Impressively, Dudamel conducted these works without a score. I’ve seen many much older and more seasoned conductors unable to conduct the Beethoven and Berlioz works without scores. In talking about whether Dudamel would use a score for the Strauss prior to the performance, I guessed that he would because the piece is played so rarely and it is so complex. When he bounced onto the stage and climbed onto the scoreless podium, I sat in disbelief and remained that way during the entire stirring performance.

In every piece I have seen him conduct, Dudamel was in total command of the orchestra, swaying, singing and smiling as they played seemingly only for him. When he is on the podium, he conducts like someone much older and more experienced. Off the podium, however, Dudamel seems more his age. In fact, during his brief time in L.A., Dudamel has been like a kid in a candy store. He seems not to fully comprehend the attention he has received and so far maintains a youthful innocence and honesty.

One might figure that anyone who has had as many accolades heaped on him as Dudamel has would become cocky. But I have never witnessed a more humble conductor than Dudamel. I have yet to see him take a bow for himself; rather he steps down from the podium and stands with the orchestra during the audience applause. When called back onto the stage by cheers, whoops, hollers, and whistles, he has not climbed back on the podium and taken a bow, but again has stood with the orchestra. At the conclusion of one piece that featured a soloist, Dudamel stood deferentially behind the soloist clapping. When pianist Simon Trpceski was called back for an encore after performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in a concert last March, Dudamel, who was still on stage, sat down on the podium to listen. It was spontaneous and informal, but very powerful.

As if Dudamel’s musical prowess isn’t enough (which it is), his humility and modesty has won over this fan, and any doubts I had about the L.A. Phil’s decision to hire him vanished the first time I heard him conduct. Deborah Borda and the Board of Directors have hit an even longer home run with Dudamel than perhaps they did with Esa-Pekka Salonen, who himself was a huge score.

Gustavo Dudamel

2009-01-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

Oh My GustavO Dudamel!

Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil's music director designate, is the talk of the classical world right now. It's easy to understand why, not only when you watch him conduct an orchestra with unbridled passion, but also when you hear his ideas about the power of classical music to change lives.

At a press conference announcing the LA Phil's 2009/10 season yesterday at Disney Hall, President Deborah Borda compared Dudamel's vision to Barack Obama's: It focuses most of all on hope. The 27-year-old conductor has already started YOLA, Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, based on "el Sistema" in his native Venezuela, a program that provides free music lessons to 250,000 children whose alternatives are often crime and drugs in the poor, violent neighborhoods of that country.

When Dudamel speaks about music changing kids' lives, improving the world, and offering peace and hope, he's speaking from experience. He told "60 Minutes" that: "The music saved me. I'm sure of this. With all these bad things around you, you are exposed to these things, very close. The music give me a way to be far of these things."

Dudamel started music lessons at 4 (he plays violin) and was appointed music director of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela in 1999. He sees YOLA, like "el Sistema," as a model for the rest of the world. Composer John Adams, who was appointed Creative Chair of the Phil and joined Dudamel and Borda onstage, commented that young people in Caracas actually think classical music is cool. Dudamel could be our great hope of changing perceptions here.

Also part of his goal as music director is to make concerts more accessible to the community at large. Dudamel's first concert on Oct. 3, 2009, at the Hollywood Bowl will feature Beethoven's Ninth -- and be free to the public. For a sneak peek at next season, visit www.laphil.com.

Griffith Observatory

2009-01-20T22:07:00.000-08:00

At the Griffith Observatory, you can find a bust of James Dean and a sculpture of Albert Einstein. The juxtaposition of these two famous, yet very different, figures is fitting for a landmark in LA since science and cinema both reign here.

Dean starred in the 1955 film "Rebel Without a Cause," which features interior and exterior scenes shot at the Observatory, and the monument to his work is located outdoors where the Hollywood sign is visible on the hills behind it. The grounds of the Observatory and the views of the hills, the ocean (on a clear day), and the city are part of what make this place so incredible.

The Einstein statue sits on a bench in the Gunther Depths of Space exhibit gallery near the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater (Spock!). Sit down next to him to get a perspective on "The Big Picture," the largest accurate astronomical image in existence (152 x 30 feet) created at nearby Caltech in Pasadena. It contains millions of stars and galaxies but represents only the amount of night sky that would be covered by Einstein's finger held a foot from his eyes.

Another example of the meeting of science and entertainment is "Centered in the Universe," the show that's been at the Samuel Oschin Planetarium since Fall 2006 when the Observatory reopened after extensive renovations. With the most advanced star projector in the world, one of the largest domes (75 feet), a 3-D digital film, and live narration, the show lives up to Hollywood-size expectations.

"Centered in the Universe" takes the audience through time and space, with graphics that will blow you away (or make you think the room is spinning), even providing a glimpse of the Big Bang. Executive Producer Ann Hassett, who with husband Bob Niemack has produced numerous award-winning documentaries, told me back in 2007 when I saw the show twice (before returning again just recently): "We were in the middle of Hollywood, and they [the Friends of the Observatory and Director Dr. E. C. Krupp] didn't want it to be seen as just another dusty, old educational film." They got it right. It's exciting, thought-provoking, and thoroughly entertaining -- almost like a Disneyland ride for the mind.

Griffith Observatory, 2800 E. Observatory Road, (213) 473-0800, www.griffithobservatory.org

LA Phil Celebrates Salonen and (a little early) "Spring"

2009-01-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

On Friday and Sunday, Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct the LA Phil in Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring," the very piece that he chose for the first public concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall in October 2003. Salonen, now in his final season with the Phil, has often revisited Stravinsky's work over the past 17 years. He explained his fascination with the Russian composer at a press event last year when he said, "I know he is the heart of all that is new in the music of the last century and this century."

In 1913, "The Rite of Spring" was revolutionary. The ballet about a pagan ritual of human sacrifice with dissonant music and unconventional dance movement actually caused a riot at its premiere. Perhaps that is a common response to genius ahead of its time, as "The Rite of Spring" has proven to be one of the most important compositions that exists. Leading the orchestra in this incredibly complicated and rousing piece, the 50-year-old Finnish conductor will show that his passion for music is no less fiery than incoming music director 27-year-old Gustavo Dudamel.

Salonen's programming, the sound of the orchestra, and the architecturally and acoustically magnificent Disney Hall (which Salonen played an important role in bringing to fruition by working closely with architect Frank Gehry) have brought the Phil to the elevated place where it now stands. In January 2006, The New York Times wrote that LA was overtaking NY as the symphonic capital of the nation.

Salonen ends his tenure with eight concerts in April, but you'll only be able to hear "The Rite of Spring" this weekend. If you miss it, there's a disc with a live recording in the gift shop. It's a rare chance to own a CD featuring Salonen and the Phil at Disney Hall.

Friday, Jan. 16, 8 pm

Sunday, Jan. 18, 2 pm

Also on the program: Leos Janacek's "Sinfonietta" and the world premiere of Louis Andriessen's "The Hague Hacking"

On tap Thursday and Saturday is the West Coast premiere of fellow Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho's "La Passion de Simone," directed by Peter Sellars with dance and voice, including soprano Dawn Upshaw and the LA Master Chorale.

Thursday, Jan. 15, 8 pm

Saturday, Jan. 17, 8 pm

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000, www.laphil.com

Movie Awards Season

2009-01-12T19:11:00.000-08:00

It's awards season, and that means as a Screen Actors Guild member, I have a few weeks to see as many of the nominated films as I can before voting for the SAG Awards. I've seen a few movies in the past week that I highly recommend: "Gran Torino," "Frost/Nixon," and "The Visitor."

Though not in the running for a SAG Award, "Gran Torino" is a must-see. Who could have known that the guy who played Dirty Harry decades ago would end up making such sensitive movies as "Million-Dollar Baby," and now this. Eastwood does an entertaining job as Walt Kowalski, an intolerant, bigoted curmudgeon who slings both well-known and creative epithets left and right, and owns a mint 1972 Ford Gran Torino. Kowalski is the minority in a Michigan neighborhood filled with immigrants, but he gradually softens toward a young Asian (Hmong) brother and sister next door and takes the boy under his wing. A former auto worker and decorated Korean War veteran, Kowalski steps in Dirty Harry-style when the youngsters are harrassed by their gangster cousin. Full of tenderness and humor, the film also turns intensely dramatic, as any Eastwood fan would expect.

"Frost/Nixon" could have been boring since we know the story, but it was completely engaging. Frank Langella was incredible as the only president ever to resign over a scandal that could have ended in impeachment. In the film, Richard Nixon refers to the interviews with British talk show host David Frost (played with urgency by Michael Sheen) as a duel, and the drama unfolds on multiple levels as Frost is banking his whole career and savings on a news interview for which he seems entirely out of his league. Since the end of the Bush presidency is coming in a week and Obama did not commit to investigating any possible improprieties during that administration, this movie is very timely and much more than a mere glimpse of history. Ron Howard, who directed such popcorn movies as "Splash" and "Cocoon," has gone even deeper than "A Beautiful Mind" with this one.

Look for "The Visitor" on DVD. Ubiquitous and talented character actor Richard Jenkins, who also played the gym manager in "Burn After Reading" (a quirky, fun movie with hilarious work by John Malkovich, George Clooney and Brad Pitt), is a lonely, unhappy, rather lifeless college professor from Connecticut who goes to his NY apartment for a conference in the city to find an illegal immigrant couple, a Syrian musician and a Senegalese jewelry-maker, living there. When Jenkins' character finds they have nowhere to go, he invites them to stay. The Syrian man teaches him the drum and, over time, helps him find his rhythm in life. The beat kicks up a notch when the Syrian man is arrested and detained, and the professor takes a leave of absence to immerse himself in his new friends' plight. It's not important that the film doesn't present both sides of the immigration issue, because it's about emotional connection of the best sort, unexpected and life-affirming.

Robert Graham's Sculptures

2009-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

If you go to the opera this month, plan to get there a little early and have a cocktail on the Music Center Plaza. While you're there, take in the ambiance, which is enhanced by fountains, white lights, and sculpture. In particular, check out "Dance Door," an open door with reliefs of dancing figures by sculptor Robert Graham. Recognized as one of LA's most important artists, Graham died on Dec. 27, 2008 at the age of 70.

Graham's work can be seen across the country in civic monuments such as the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C. Public artwork in LA includes the "Great Bronze Doors" at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, the "Olympic Gateway" at the Memorial Coliseum, and female torsos on Rodeo Drive and in Venice, the latter visible from a window in the artist's studio.

I had the great fortune and honor to meet Robert Graham about a year ago, after interviewing him on the phone for an article on his exhibit of sculpture and paintings at the USC Fisher Gallery. Graham's assistant called after "My Tour With Robert" was published (in December 2007 in the weekly newspaper where I was arts and entertainment editor) and said the artist wanted to invite me to his new studio in Venice because I had written their "favorite article." (The California Newspaper Publishers Association liked it too. I received honorable mention, top 10% in the state, in the category of "writing" for that article.)

I got a tour of the sunlit space, which forms a kind of compound with the home he shared with actress/wife Anjelica Huston and her production office. The bottom level was a gallery and the upper one a working studio. He was smoking a cigar as he showed me his latest work: paintings of the female nude done with brushes dipped in hot, black wax (which went on display at Ace Gallery in Beverly Hills in March). Graham and I sat and chatted for a while, though we're both on the quiet side. When I inquired about the price of his tiny sculptures on display at the Fisher Gallery, he was embarrassed to say. But I told him why I wanted to know: to see if I could afford one. As I expected, $3,000 to $10,000 was not in my price range, so he got up and found a teeny, tiny silver sculpture about the size of my fingertip (a study for the series at the gallery) and said, "Here, this is for you."

Graham made a career-long study of the female figure using live models. He told me this about his sculpture: "Everything is dance. When you look at these great athletic events and you see these movements of the bodies, it's awesome."

"The Magic Flute" at LA Opera

2009-01-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

Who couldn't use a little magic in their lives, given all the doom and gloom out there? It turns out LA Opera programmed "The Magic Flute" at just the right time, offering a chance to start the otherwise slightly foreboding new year with a fanciful story and the exquisite music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The visually arresting show is actually a revival of Peter Hall's 1993 production, with sets and costumes by Gerald Scarfe. You may have seen Scarfe's cartoons in The New Yorker, and he designed the animation in "Pink Floyd: The Wall," so expect some characters to look more like mythical creatures than people. Of course, that just adds to the captivating tale of Prince Tamino (Matthew Polenzani, Joseph Kaiser) who attempts to rescue Pamina (Marie Arnet, Erin Wall), daughter of the Queen of the Night (L'Ubica Vargicova, Albina Shagimuratova), from Sarastro (Gunther Groissbock, Morris Robinson). The revival is made fresh with the LA Opera debuts of each of those singers and several others. There's been a lot of talk lately about how entertainment fared well during the Great Depression because people needed an escape. LA Opera's "The Magic Flute" could be just the ticket in these woeful economic times (prices start at $20).

Opening night: Sat., Jan. 10, 7:30 pm

Sun., Jan. 11, 2 pm

Fri., Jan. 16, 7:30 pm

Sat., Jan. 17, 7:30 pm

Sun., Jan. 18, 2 pm

Wed., Jan. 21, 1 pm

Thurs., Jan. 22, 7:30 pm

Sat., Jan, 24, 7:30 pm

Sun., Jan. 25, 2 pm

Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., LA 90012, (213) 972-8001, www.laopera.com