Long Beach Opera Screens THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED Today, 5/27

The true story of a man in the present whose mind is trapped in the past, The Music Never Stopped is a father-son journey toward understanding immersed in a world of Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills & Nash, the Beatles and Rolling Stones, the Vietnam War, acid trips and psychedelic music. An Official 2011 Selection of the Sundance Film Festival, the film screens at 11 am today, May 27, 2012 at the Art Theatre of Long Beach.

Directed by Jim Kohlberg with a screenplay by Gwyn Lurie and Gary Marks, based on neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks’ case study of "The Last Hippie," The Music Never Stopped is packed with 1960s hits, including three previously unreleased Grateful Dead tracks. The score is a vibrant tribute to the unforgettable music which defined the decade. From rock and rollers, dead heads, hippies, and psychology buffs to those who missed the era entirely, everyone is sure to enjoy this nostalgic journey to the past.

The movie precedes Long Beach Opera’s June 16, 17 and 24 presentation of Michael Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, an opera based on another Dr. Sacks’case study involving the relationship of music and the brain.

STORY: For Gabriel Sawyer (Lou Taylor Pucci), the past, present and future have become indistinguishable and he lives fixed in the 1960s. Through the music that embodied the generation gap, the film weaves the heartwarming progress of his relationship with his father, Henry (J.K. Simmons, The Closer, Law & Order) and the guidance of his music therapist, Dr. Dianne Daly (Julia Ormond). Cara Seymour appears in the role of Gabriel’s mother, Helen. The film ponders the question, "Unaware that the era of his music has long passed, Gabriel can express himself and have conversations only when listening to 1960s artists and bands, especially to his. What is it about music that delivers a fully formed emotional memory years, even decades, later--as though you were hearing it for the very first time?“ Unaware that the era of his music has long passed, Gabriel can express himself and have conversations only when listening to 1960s artists and bands, especially to his favorite group, The Grateful Dead. Although his father loathes rock and roll, he is determined to forge new memories and salvage his relationship with his son. In failing health, Henry begins his own pilgrimage through the music of the period. By familiarizing himself with the songs that animate his son's soul, he starts to form an unusual but emotionally vibrant bond with the child he thought he had lost.

For the official website, click here.

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED

WHAT: 2011 Selection, Sundance Film Festival Essential Pictures release, directed by Jim Kohlberg, screenplay by Gwyn Lurie and Gary Marks. Starring J.K. Simmons, Lou Taylor Pucci, Julia Ormond, Cara Seymour. Based on Dr. Oliver Sacks’case study,“The Last Hippie.”

WHEN: Sunday, May 27, 11 am. 105 minutes

WHERE: Art Theatre of Long Beach, 2025 E 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90804

TICKETS: $10 for the movie, pre-show lecture by LBO Artistic and General Director Andreas Mitisek, coffee and mimosas. Tickets available at the door.

Long Beach Opera (LBO) is internationally known for its cutting-edge interpretations of unconventional repertory. LBO creates immediate, inventive and often boldly avant- garde productions for an adventurous audience and stands apart from most other companies in the number of world, American, and West Coast premieres it has staged. Founded in 1979, LBO is one of the largest professional opera organizations in Southern California and the oldest in the Los Angeles/Orange County region. LBO is proud of its performance history which includes more than 90 operas ranging from the earliest works of the 17th century to new operas of the 21st.

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