Music in the Air - 1933 - West End Articles Page 4

For the past several summers, I have attended the Festival of Arts and The Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. But this year, I also decided to also visit two other art festivals along Laguna Canyon Road rather than spend any time cruising the town as I had done before. The full-day of exploring all the artistic delights on display this year at all three locations left me dazzled by all the talent on display, while wishing I had lot of extra income to purchase and bring home many of the awe-inspiring items that caught my fancy. But the real highlight of the day was viewing the abundance of 'local color' on display in this summer's 'Under the Sun' themed Pageant of the Masters.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced the selection of four Honorees who will receive the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements, and a special Honors distinction for a work of art and its co-creators. Recipients to be honored at the 41st annual national celebration of the arts are: singer and actress Cher, composer and pianist Philip Glass, Country music entertainer Reba McEntire, and jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter. This year, the co-creators of Hamilton-writer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail, choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, and music director Alex Lacamoire-will receive a unique Kennedy Center Honors as trailblazing creators of a transformative work that defies category.

The California Arts Council announced its plans to award a total of $39,325 to The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts through two separate grant programs, the CAC's "Arts Education: Exposure" program and its "Reentry Through the Arts" program. 

GRoW @ The Wallis presents the world premiere of CRE Outreach's production of MARCHING ON- an original play written by and starring eight military veterans from Veterans Empowerment Theatre (VET), an organization dedicated to presenting a first-hand view of the soldiers' experiences in their rawest form, unfiltered by press, political, or military censorship - in a special engagement at The Wallis' Lovelace Studio Theater, on Thursday, June 28 and Friday, June 29, 2018 at 8pm. This artistic journey brings veterans' personal stories to life from boot camp to returning home, highlighting the difficulty of transitioning back into society and exposing the inner turmoil of the lasting scars, both external and internal, endured from combat. For one veteran, her transition unlocks memories that have been hidden away for years, another feels rejected because of the color of his skin, while others realize that, above all, family matters most. Though alone in their stories, these heroes come together as a unit as they search for the strength to keep marching on. 

CRE Outreach presents the World Premiere of MARCHING ON, an original play written by and starring eight military veterans from Veterans Empowerment Theatre (VET), a group dedicated to presenting a first-hand view of the soldiers' experiences in their rawest form, unfiltered by press, political, or military censorship. This artistic journey brings veterans' personal stories to life from boot camp to returning home, highlighting the difficulty of transitioning back into society, exposing the inner turmoil of the lasting scars, both external and internal, endured from combat. For one veteran, her transition unlocks memories that have been hidden away for years, another feels rejected because of the color of his skin, while others realize that, above all, family matters most. Though alone in their stories, these heroes come together as a unit as they search for the strength to keep marching on.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will pay homage to the glittering world of Hollywood musicals with Mad About Musicals!, a special month of programming celebrating timeless movie musicals such as The Wizard of Oz, Singin' in the Rain and Cabaret. TCM is once again partnering with Ball State University and Canvas to offer a free online multimedia course tied to this programming special about the history of the musical genre and its evolution with cultural and technological shifts. Enrollment is open until June 17 and fans can sign up for the course at musicals.tcm.com.

New York City music lovers will get to experience a wonderful array of French produced music this summer when the festival FRANCEROCKS SUMMERFEST returns. The month-long music festival-the largest of its kind in the US-will showcase the expansive wealth of multifarious French talent as well as international artists who draw their inspiration from France. The lineup includes over 25 soaring artists spanning genres from indie pop, rock, eclectic world and electronic that spawn an exciting melting pot of sounds. Free and ticketed shows at over 25 venues range from Central Park Summerstage and Lincoln Center to Brooklyn's Northside Festival and Brooklyn Steel as well as intimate performance spaces throughout New York City. Over the years, FRANCEROCKS has featured such cutting- edge artists as Phoenix, Air, M, IAM, Stromae, CharlElie Couture, Wax Tailor, Angelique Kidjo, La Femme, Yael Naim, Ibeyi, Tony Allen, Ala.Ni, Her, Emilie Simon and Ayo.

The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams' much loved, absurdist and subversive satire, is presented in a vibrant, fast paced, gender-bending production directed by Madeleine Dahm, from Thursday, June 14 through Sunday, June 17, 2018, including a Science Fiction Costume Night on June 16, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in the Lovelace Studio Theater. After its first appearance as a radio play originally produced by BBC 4 Radio in 1978, Adams' work quickly became a worldwide cult classic celebrated for its sharp wit and ironic style. Dahm's version at The Wallis integrates puppetry, stylized movement, miniature sets and live music to bring the timely political satire to life.  

The popular intimate nightclub, The Sorting Room, returns this summer to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, delivering a compelling and eclectic mix of music, comedy and cabaret with nine diverse sessions from June 22 – July 21, 2018, 7 pm. The Sorting Room  transforms the Lovelace Studio Theater into a 140-seat custom built nightclub space that offers Los Angeles audiences a rare opportunity to experience some of the best and emerging talent in cabaret, live contemporary music, spoken word, and more. The Sorting Room Summer sessions are sponsored by Delta Air Lines.  

Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Long Day's Journey Into Night  comes to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for a limited three-week engagement from Friday, June 8 through Sunday, July 1. Richard Eyre's acclaimed Bristol Old Vic production stars Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons(Brideshead Revisited, Reversal of Fortune,  'The Borgias') and Olivier Award winner and Oscar nominee Lesley Manville(Another Year,  'Harlots,' Phantom Thread). Matthew Beard (The Imitation Game, The Riot Club), Rory Keenan (BBC's 'War & Peace,' 'Peaky Blinders') and Jessica Regan (reprising the role as Cathleen from the 2016 Bristol Old Vic production) round out the ensemble cast.  

The Wallis production of BLUES IN THE NIGHT, conceived and directed by Sheldon Epps, starts performances next week in the intimate Lovelace Theater! Artistic Director Paul Crewes snuck into rehearsal to chat with cast members Yvette Cason, Bryce Charles, Chester Gregory, and Paulette Ivory about this exciting new production.

Leslie Odom, Jr., played to a sold-out crowd at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis with a quintet of his own and the full Minnesota Orchestra, lead by principal conductor Sarah Hicks, with a pleasing mixture of his Broadway hits and favorites with a healthy dose of Nat King Cole songs.

BritWeek and The Wallis are proud to announce A Shakespeare Jubilee!  BritWeek, the largest and most visible celebration of the creativity and innovation between the UK and the US, celebrates its twelfth year with three significant events in Los Angeles. BritWeek has become a global forum that highlights British excellence and influence in theater, films television, music, fine art, and sport. This year's opening event is A Shakespeare Jubilee!, BritWeek's first co-presentation with The Wallis.Produced and directed by Louis Fantasia, and featuring a star-studded cast of 27 actors, A Shakespeare Jubilee! takes place Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 7:30pm in the Bram Goldsmith Theater at The Wallis and tickets are now on sale.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts announces the cast for its upcoming production of Blues in the Night.  Conceived and directed by Sheldon Epps, the production will feature Yvette Cason (Shout Sister Shout, Broadway and film versions of Dreamgirls), Bryce Charles (The Book of Mormon, ABC's "Black-ish"), Paulette Ivory (Disney's Aida and the West End premieres of The Lion King and Blues in the Night) and Chester Gregory (Broadway's Motown: The Musical, Hairspray and  Sister Act).  Blues in the Night will begin performances April 27 through May 20 in the Lovelace Studio Theater.

Traditional and contemporary versions of Vivaldi's iconic "The Four Seasons" are juxtaposed in a distinctive program by the acclaimed Zurich Chamber Orchestra, led by Music Director Daniel Hope, who serves as violin soloist in both works, presented by the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, March 22, 2018, 7:30 pm.  The concert includes Vivaldi's classic cycle of the famous Baroque violin concertos followed by Vivaldi Recomposed, Max Richter's contemporary minimalist take on the masterpiece.  Hope, "among the best in the world" (The Observer), also conducts/performs Fabian Muller's Intermezzo III "Winter" for Violin and Ensemble

American baritone Nathan Gunn and pianist Julie Gunn, partners in life and often on stage, will make their debut at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in an evening of cabaret by iconic composers ranging from Leonard Bernstein and Cole Porter to Billy Joel and Tom Waits.  The evening concert from an eclectic American Songbook joins Bernstein at 100, the worldwide celebration of the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein, one of the most prodigiously talented and successful musicians in American history. An Evening with Nathan and Julie Gunn takes place Thursday, March 15, 2018 at 7:30pm in the Bram Goldsmith Theater at The Wallis.

wild Up, under the direction of conductor Christopher Rountree, is an adventurous Los Angeles-based chamber orchestra committed to creating visceral, thought-provoking musical happenings. For its debut at The Wallis, wild Up: Future Folk explores music from ancient India, modern California, post-war New York, as well as American works rooted in folk ethos. wild Up: Future Folk takes place Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 7:30pm in the Bram Goldsmith Theater at The Wallis. Classical KUSC's Brian Lauritzen will talk to wild Up's Chris Rountree on the Bram Goldsmith Theater stage starting at 6:30pm.

The magical world of artist Marc Chagall and his wife Bella will be tenderly brought to life onstage at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) next month in director Emma Rice's production of Daniel Jamieson's The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk.  Partners in life and on canvas, Marc and Bella are immortalized as the picture of romance. On the painter's canvas they flew, but in real life they walked through some of the most challenging times in 20th Century history-navigating the devastation of war, the Russian Revolution and each other. Following the artistic heights of Brief Encounter and 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, Kneehigh and Rice return to The Wallis with a production that combines the visuals of Chagall's paintings with the music and dance of the Russian-Jewish tradition. Performances begin February 23 and run through Sunday, March 11, 2018 with opening night set for Saturday, February 24 at 7:30pm. The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk is made possible in part by the generous support of Camille and Arnon Adar. Theater @ The Wallis Series is sponsored by Montage Beverly Hills and Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills.

The Wallis will be the place for jazz lovers this month when the performing arts center, in conjunction with the Arturo Sandoval Institute, present a special four-night musical celebration curated by the dynamic American jazz legend Arturo Sandoval from Today, January 25 through Sunday, January 28. Sandoval shines a spotlight on his legacy, as well as up-and-coming musicians, in an exciting jazz series featuring a Master Class, sponsored by the Arturo Sandoval Institute; two extraordinary nights of emerging jazz artists, whom Sandoval proudly calls the Young Lions; and an unforgettable concert of his own with special guests.

Kneehigh founder and owner of the world's most malleable face David Mynne brings his extraordinary one-man portrayal of Charles Dickens's Great Expectationsto the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) for six performances only in February. With just a suitcase, bowler hat, tiny forge, candlestick, mirror and some cloth, Mynne tells the gothic tale of Pip's journey through life and his great expectations at the hands of a mystery benefactor. Directed by fellow Kneehigh colleague Simon Harvey, Great Expectations will be performed in the Lovelace Studio Theater from Thursday, February 8 through Sunday, February 11.

Two-time Tony and GRAMMY Award winner Patti LuPone returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis), as part of the acclaimed Broadway @ The Wallis series, for a one-night-only Valentine's Day event featuring two intimate concerts at 7:30pm and 9:30pm on Wednesday, February 14, 2018. The Broadway legend will be joined on stage by Broadway @ The Wallis series host and music director Seth Rudetsky who wrote and starred in the Broadway musical Disaster! in a not-to-be-missed night of singing and conversation produced by Mark Cortale. The Broadway @ The Wallis concert is made possible by generous support from Ken and Wendy Ruby.

Hailed as the best ensemble of its kind in the world, (Manchester Evening News), the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet make its debut at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Art (The Wallis) with one of the most distinctive artists of his generation, pianist and MacArthur Genius Stephen Hough, in a one-night-only performance in the Bram Goldsmith Theater on Saturday, February 10 at 7:30pm. The evening concert includes works by W.A. Mozart, Samuel Barber, Jacques Ibert, Francis Poulenc, and an original work by multitalented Hough.

Great books haunt Laurie Anderson's bold experimental performances. From Moby Dick to The Tibetan Book of the Dead works of literature are embedded in many of her films, stories and songs. In celebration of her new book, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) and The Library Foundation of Los Angeles' ALOUD series present the West Coast Premiere of Laurie Anderson in All the Things I Lost in the Flood on Friday, April 20 at 7:30pm. Through intimate storytelling and bold digital language, this original one-woman piece gives a tour of the creative process noting both successes and failures behind Anderson's many operas, projects and installations, and invites audiences to witness how a book comes to life as a performance.

The Wallis will be the place for jazz lovers this month when the performing arts center, in conjunction with the Arturo Sandoval Institute, present a special four-night musical celebration curated by the dynamic American jazz legend Arturo Sandoval from Thursday, January 25 through Sunday, January 28. Sandoval shines a spotlight on his legacy, as well as up-and-coming musicians, in an exciting jazz series featuring a Master Class, sponsored by the Arturo Sandoval Institute; two extraordinary nights of emerging jazz artists, whom Sandoval proudly calls the Young Lions; and an unforgettable concert of his own with special guests.

In the last few months of his short life, prolific Austrian composer Franz Schubert wrote some of the most miraculous music ever created. Now, acclaimed Los Angeles-based pianist Ory Shihor presents the story behind Schubert's last compositions in the world premiere of Last Thoughts: Schubert's Final Works at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis) on Saturday, January 20, 2018 at 7:30pm. With words by master musical storyteller Hershey Felder, Shihor's program includes the two of three final piano sonatas created by Schubert, who bridged the worlds of Classical and Romantic music in the early nineteenth century. This performance is made possible in part by the generous support of Camille and Arnon Adar.