November 16th, 2009, 10:58 am by PAUL HODGINS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The touring version of “Mary Poppins,” a collaboration between Disney and theatrical mega-producer Cameron Mackintosh, opened last night at the Ahmanson Theatre, where it plays through Feb. 7. Adding to the sense of occasion was the presence of Dick Van Dyke, who played Bert the chimney sweep in the 1964 Disney movie musical. He appeared onstage during the bows and graciously passed the mantle to the excellent Gavin Lee, who plays Bert in the touring production. (See some excerpts in the above video.)
Review: “Mary Poppins.”
More theater stories on the Arts Blog:
Posted in: Theater by Paul Hodgins • musicals • "Mary Poppins" • Ahmanson Theatre • Dick Van Dyke • Gavin Lee | Post a Comment »
November 15th, 2009, 11:40 am by TIMOTHY MANGAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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Review: Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in two unfinished symphonies by Schubert, one completed by Berio. The Orange County Register, Nov. 11, 2009. SEE SLIDE SHOW
A week after raising the roof of Walt Disney Concert Hall with a powerful reading of Verdi’s Requiem, Gustavo Dudamel, still in demonstration mode as the new music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, went in a different direction. This weekend’s agenda (heard Saturday night) offered, unusually, a pair of unfinished symphonies and some folk songs.
The not-so-flashy program didn’t give the young conductor much opportunity to do what he has quickly become famous for, which is creating electricity. He did not, on this occasion, become airborne. There was no call for it.
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Posted in: Classical Music by Tim Mangan • Reviews • Gustavo Dudamel • Los Angeles Philharmonic | 6 Comments »
November 13th, 2009, 2:38 pm by PAUL HODGINS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s six-week festival, “Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture” continues with a special staged reading at South Coast Repertory next week. SCR and the Philharmonic Society are presenting “Falling Leaves: The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter” by Adeline Yen Mah. Mah’s play is based on her best-selling book of the same name.
The reading will take place next Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15. For more information call 714-708-5555 or visit www.scr.org.
Posted in: Theater by Paul Hodgins • "Falling Leaves" • Adeline Yen Mah • Philharmonic Society of Orange County • South Coast Repertory | 1 Comment »
November 13th, 2009, 2:36 pm by RICHARD CHANG, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
“Thanksgiving,” a 1935 oil painting by Doris Lee, will be re-created during the 2010 Pageant of the Masters.
Even though times have been tough for arts organizations across the board, one organization seems to be sustaining an audience and doing quite well.
The Festival of Arts, which operates the popular Pageant of the Masters, reported a surplus of about $1 million this past week.
Also, the 2010 pageant, which will be July 7-Aug. 31, will be called “Eat, Drink and Be Merry.” Pretty original, huh?
You can read more about the festival, the pageant, financial results, officers and end-of-the-year honors.
Previous posts on Visual Art by Richard Chang:
Posted in: Visual Art by Richard Chang • Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters | Post a Comment »
November 13th, 2009, 1:44 pm by PAUL HODGINS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Writer Steven Sater first began collaborating with composer Duncan Sheik on “Spring Awakening” in 1999. Over the next six years they labored to turn Frank Wedekind’s controversial Victorian-era play about teen yearning and adult repression in a small German town into a musical. The result was a Tony-winning Broadway hit adored by critics and audiences alike.
“Spring Awakening” runs from Nov. 17-29 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
Read on for a Q & A with Sater.
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Posted in: Theater by Paul Hodgins • musicals • "Spring Awakening" • Duncan Sheik • Orange County Performing Arts Center • Steven Sater | Post a Comment »
November 13th, 2009, 11:59 am by TIMOTHY MANGAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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Review: Guest conductor Grant Llewellyn leads the Pacific Symphony in a five-part program. The Orange County Register, Nov. 13, 2009. SEE SLIDE SHOW
With music director Carl St.Clair conducting “La Boheme” at his other home, the Komische Oper Berlin, it fell to a guest conductor to lead the Pacific Symphony in its third classical program of the season, heard Thursday night at Segerstrom Concert Hall. Welshman Grant Llewellen, music director of the North Carolina Symphony, who studied with Bernstein at Tanglewood in the ’80s and who served as an assistant conductor with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, just as St.Clair did, was the guest on the podium.
The five-part program at first seemed desultory, despite an underlying British theme, but further consideration in the event discovered an interconnecting thread. We began with the Brits, first, William Walton’s ceremonial “Orb and Sceptre,” which ends with a big organ blast. That was followed naturally enough by Edward Elgar’s Serenade for strings, which in this context sounded a little like Tchaikovsky lite.
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Posted in: Classical Music by Tim Mangan • Reviews • Pacific Symphony | 6 Comments »
