Live Musical Theatre: “One Night With Janis Joplin” at the Pasadena Playhouse

By Don Heckman

Pasadena, CA.  The Janis Joplin legend surfaces once again in the powerful music and dramatic story telling of One Night With Janis Joplin at the Pasadena Playhouse. It’s shown up earlier in the film, The Rose, and the theatre piece, Love, Janis.  But never before with such convincing musical and historical authenticity.

Mary Bridget Davies as Janis Joplin

The role of Janis is portrayed by Mary Bridget Davies, who also played the lead in Love, Janis.  And, although the physical resemblance leaves something to be desired, Davies has done a stunning job of capturing the sound, the phrasing, and the intense musical passion of Janis, the original.

Created, written and directed by Randy Johnson, One Night…imagines a performance by Joplin in which she sings from her classic songbook and recalls her early life and its creative influences.  Her history is further illuminated by the far-ranging performances of Sabrina Elayne Carten in the role of “Blues Singer,” vocalizing the memory of Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith.  Supporting the nearly two dozen musical selections, the three-voice, back-up singing Joplinaires, and the eight piece band led by Music Supervisor/Bandleader/Guitarist Ross Seligman bring the late ‘60s Joplin musical era vividly to life.

For anyone, including this writer, who had the good fortune to experience the Joplin mystique live and in person, One Night…called up irresistible memories, especially in songs such as “Piece of My Heart,” “Ball and Chain,” “Mercedes Benz” and “Me and Bobby McGee.”  And given the amount of silver-colored hair in the packed house audience, one suspects that a majority of the enthusiastic listeners also spent time with Janis in places such as Winterland and the Fillmores West and East.  Maybe even her breakout appearance in 1967’s Monterey Pop.

The Joplinaires, Mary Bridget Davies and Sabrina Elayne Carten

The show’s visual design, with its moving platform, multi-leveled staging and flashing lights wasn’t exactly a replica of the Joshua Light Shows at the Fillmores.  But the results were nonetheless visually impressive (even with the absence of the cannabis fragrance that so often permeated the Fillmore events).

So too were the interstitial narratives by Davies, recalling Janis’ early musical experiences as well as the intimacies of her philosophical beliefs.  Although she often amusingly described herself just a “white chick singing the blues,” Janis was far more than that, and Johnson’s script has convincingly captured the remarkable breadth of her beliefs, her character and her music.

At its best, One Night…is neither a tribute show nor a simulation.  It’s a persuasive view of a memorable chapter in 20^th century life and music as seen through the prism of Janis Joplin’s vivid, but far too short life.

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“One Night With Janis Joplin” continues at the Pasadena Playhouse through April 21.

Photos by Jim Cox courtesy of the Pasadena Playhouse.

Live Opera: “The Flying Dutchman”

by Jane Rosenberg

A cursed sea captain doomed to sail the world without rest, an ill-fated Norwegian girl lost in her obsessive desire to become his means of salvation.  Add to this already explosive mix a father willing to sell his daughter for the captain’s riches and a faithful hunter trying desperately to hold on to his deluded love, and you have a fantastic scenario of German Romanticism, as potent as Goethe’s Faust or one of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s macabre tales.  With Richard Wagner’s deeply melodic and moving score, evoking the watery wanderings of a soul in torment, one would think little more is needed for a successful production than a top-tier orchestra, great Wagnerian voices, and a gorgeous set.  Much of this was accomplished on Saturday evening when Los Angeles Opera’s The Flying Dutchman opened at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in a shared production with The Lyric Opera of Chicago and The San Francisco Opera.

Matthew Plenk and members of the Los Angeles Opera Chorus

The Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, conducted by Maestro James Conlon with his usual sensitivity and intelligence, beautifully conveyed the drama’s sublime immersion in music.  From the overture, which contains all the leitmotifs and embodies the entire score, to the final, closing chords, the orchestra delivered the turbulence and subtle shadings of Wagner’s music.

The drama unfolded within Raimund Bauer’s effective minimalist set, which conjured the inner workings of a ship.  Unfortunately, here is where the confusion set in.  The production, conceived by Nikolaus Lehnhoff, created a conflicting array of dramatic and visual allusions.  Inventive though they were, the costumes of Andrea Schmidt-Futterer did little to advance the narrative – more often they confused and impeded the drama.  Were the sailors of Act I samurai astronauts from the future?  Was Captain Daland, with hair like a hedgerow and round spectacles, a comic book mutant from outer space?  And the Dutchman?  He appeared out of the mists like Nosferatu in a German Expressionist film.

Tomas Tomasson

The dramatic tension in “Dutchman” has a lot to do with the juxtaposition of the real and the unreal, the material and immaterial, the rational and irrational: Erik, the hunter, Mary, the nurse who raised Senta, and Captain Daland with his greed for gold, represent the rational, material world.  Their costumes should be rooted in their characters.  The Dutchman, his ghostly crew, and Senta represent the metaphysical and uncanny. When the distinctions blurred, the audience, unable to evaluate the nature of the characters, was lost in confusion.

Even with his unfortunate costume and make-up, James Creswell as Daland sang with a sumptuous tone and effortless grace.  As directed by Daniel Dooner, he played the greedy Sea Captain with an odd comic touch, subverting the tragedy of a father who, unthinking, offers his daughter for a pot of gold.  Matthew Plenk, the Steersman, rendered his very human song of Act I, with warmth and nuance. Tómas Tómasson, as the satanically cursed Dutchman, arrived on shore with a steely dignity.  Tentative at first, his voice seemed to grow and blossom as the evening wore on, particularly in his duets with Daland and Senta.

Julie Makerov

The surprise of the evening was the last minute appearance of Los Angeles native Julie Makarov, substituting for an ailing Elisabete Matos. Fortunately for the audience, she flooded the hall with her powerful soprano.  After the joyful spinning song of Act II, adroitly performed by the women’s chorus, garishly dressed in what looked like steel hoops over black taffeta, and grooming themselves like a pack of flying monkeys from “The Wizard of Oz,” Senta sang her ballad.  With its howls and halloings, the song delivers us more forcibly into the drama and Senta’s obsession with the Dutchman.  No neurotic schoolgirl, Makarov’s Senta is a woman accepting her fate – to break Satan’s curse and conduct the Dutchman to everlasting peace.  Also of note, Ronnita Nicole Miller’s portrayal of Mary, Senta’s nurse, beautifully sung and well acted.  More problematic was Corey Bix in the role of Erik.  Stiff and plodding, both in voice and mien, one wished he had delivered a more lyrical rendition of Erik’s plight and pain.

Throughout the acts a scrim was lowered at the front of the stage, unfortunately distancing us from the action.  If used sparingly it could have been effective, as in Act II when it displayed the Dutchman’s massive silhouette.  While Senta stared, hypnotized by his portrait, we saw her gazing upward, as the shadow hung over her, a constant reminder of his mythic presence in her life both past, present, and future.

Act III was rife with visual confusion.  Sailors who looked more dead than alive swarmed the stage.  It was difficult to keep in mind that they were the living crew of Daland’s ship, not the ghostly riders of the Dutchman’s vessel.  Their taunting song was robustly performed, however, driving us towards the disembodied answer of the Phantom Song by the Dutchman’s crew and propelling us towards the awaited end: the Dutchman’s departure and Senta’s self-sacrifice.

Yet, in spite of the mixed metaphors and failed symbolism, this “Dutchman” lingers in the mind.  At two hours and twenty minutes and without intermissions, the curious production entertained, leaving an appreciative audience in its wake.

To read more reviews and posts by Jane Rosenberg click HERE.

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Jane Rosenberg is the author and illustrator of  SING ME A STORY: The Metropolitan Opera’s Book of Opera Stories for Children.  Jane is also the author and illustrator of DANCE ME A STORY: Twelve Tales of the Classic Ballets.

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Live Music: 2012 in Review

By Michael Katz

Los Angeles, CA.  Looking back over the year’s worth of live performances I covered, mostly in jazz, is a bittersweet experience. There are surely enough terrific moments to fill a column, but in a city with L.A.’s diversity of talent, you can’t help wishing for more. Our club scene is struggling, with only Catalina Bar & Grill consistently booking major touring acts for extended stays. In the Valley, Vitello’s  has done a nice job of showcasing the best of our local talent and the occasional national stars, and downtown the Blue Whale has presented an intriguing mix of fresh talent and local mainstays. As for the Westside, the best news was that the light rail Metro Line finally made it to Culver City.

Now, if I could only get to Culver City.

On the concert side, the Hollywood Bowl brought lots of talent to its band shell on summer Wednesday evenings, mostly in combinations for retro theme nights, but its directors don’t  seem to trust anyone on the current scene to headline a show. UCLA Live (newly renamed the Center For The Art of Performance) presented an eclectic program that included the Mingus Dynasty septet, Bill Frisell and Hugh Masekela.

How anybody finds out about this music is another problem. (Unless, of course, you visit iRoM). Our local newspaper covers only a scant sampling of the jazz spectrum, while our jazz radio station has narrowed its daily programming range to the Old, the Dead and the Smooth.

But enough grumbling. Here’s a few of the superb performances that still resonated in my mind, months after the last note had died out.

Dee Dee Bridgewater

I never saw a full set of Dee Dee Bridgewater, but when she stepped onto the stage of the Hollywood Bowl during the Ray Charles tribute last summer, she simply took over.  She began with “Hallelujah I Love Him So,” backed up by the great Houston Person and finished with “I Got News For You,” her ringing, soulful vocals augmented by Terence Blanchard and George Duke. A few months later I caught her in the closing set of the Monterey Jazz Festival with an all-star group that featured Christian McBride, Benny Green, Ambrose Akinmusire, Lewis Nash and Chris Potter . She opened the set in a nimble duet with McBride on “Do What You Want To Do” and brought the crowd to pin drop silence with “Don’t Explain.” This group will be at the Valley Performing Art Center on January 23, so don’t miss them.

Arturo Sandoval

I saw a number of outstanding big bands this year, but the most memorable was led by Arturo Sandoval, in support of Dear Diz, his Grammy nominated CD and my favorite disc of the year. I caught them at The Federal, which hopefully will expand its presentation of jazz in 2013. Sandoval is clearly one of the world’s elite trumpet players, his tones piercing and his leadership swinging and joyful. His collection of mostly Dizzy Gillespie tunes featured sharp new arrangements, including a wonderful take on “Bee Bop” by Gordon Goodwin and a rollicking “Night In Tunisia.”

John Pisano

LA is the home of some of the world’s great guitarists, and I was lucky enough to catch a few of them live. At the top of the list is John Pisano’s Guitar Night. He keeps moving it farther away from my digs on the Westside, but I did manage to catch one of his last shows at Vitello’s with Anthony Wilson. Watching the two of them riff through two sets, testing their imaginations and dancing around familiar standards  reminded me that Guitar Night remains one of LA’s great treats.  I hereby resolve to make it out to Lucy’s 51 in Toluca Lake to see Pisano and friends in 2013.

Dori Caymmi

Meanwhile, there were other great guitarists, including Dori Caymmi presenting a night of Brazilian music at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, in what we hope is a prequel to the new Jazz Bakery, still in the planning stages next door. For jazz deprived Westsiders, it cannot come soon enough.  Pat Metheny played two sets at the Monterey Jazz Festival, my favorite being a trio performance with bassist McBride and percussionist Jack DeJohnette.  And then there was Mimi Fox, who we don’t hear nearly enough of, doing a lovely Saturday matinee duet at MJF with flutist Ali Ryerson.

Mads Tolling

As usual there were some unheralded performers that caught my attention. Here’s to a couple of fiddlers: Sara Watkins and Mads Tolling. Watkins, late of Nickel Creek, shone during an LA performance of Prairie Home Companion, dueting with host Garrison Keillor on “Let It Be Me” as they strolled through the crowd, and later burning it up in a fiddle showdown with Richard Kriehn. Tolling, a veteran of the Turtle Island Quartet, fronted his own group on Sunday afternoon at the Garden Stage at MJF. Whether plucking in tandem with his guitarist or racing through a tribute to Jean Luc Ponty, Tolling was a revelation. His live CD, A Celebration of Jean Luc Ponty, was another of my favorite discs.

Monterey, as usual, had lots of highlights for me, including some wonderful trio work by pianist Mulgrew Miller, a rousing vocal performance by Gregory Porter and a Cal Tjader tribute led by pianist Michael Wolff, featuring Warren Wolf on vibes.

Luciana Souza

And finally, there was Luciana Souza, opening the season at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, singing warm renditions from her two CDs that would later be nominated for Grammys, Duos 3 and The Book of Chet.

So what are my resolutions for 2013? For one, I resolve to catch Gustavo Dudamel leading the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl. For another, I resolve to brave the traffic (and the absence of chairs) at the Blue Whale and see what is happening downtown. And finally, it is long past time for me to get to New York and check out the great jazz scene there. Perhaps if we can avoid the fiscal cliff, I can get some federal funding for a trip East. Sort of a reverse Lewis and Clark Expedition culminating in a week or so in the Big Apple. I plan to get it tacked on to an appropriations bill. I’m sure no one will notice.

Happy New Year to all.

To read more iRoM reviews and posts by Michael Katz click HERE.

Click HERE to visit Michael Katz’s personal blog, Katz of the Day.

Arturo Sandoval and John Pisano photos by Bob Barry. 

Live Musical Theatre: “Anything Goes” at the Ahmanson Theatre

By Jane Rosenberg

Los Angeles, CA.  Tired of the annual parade of Nutcrackers and Messiahs?  Looking for musical entertainment that’s sophisticated, witty, and wall-to-wall fun?  Then pack your steamer trunk and hop on board Cole Porter’s cruise ship sailing for nineteen more performances (including matinees) at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.  It’s the Roundabout Theatre’s 1987 Tony award-winning production of Anything Goes, and it is chock-full of Porter’s best: “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” “De-Lovely,” and, of course, “Anything Goes.” Superbly choreographed and directed by Kathleen Marshall, with terrific sets by Derek McLane, and costumes by Martin Pakledinaz, this production sparkles from top to bottom.

Star-crossed love and mistaken identity aboard the luxury liner, the S.S. American, generate the plot. Passengers include a gorgeous nightclub owner and singer, a middle-aged fortune hunter, a gangster masquerading as a priest and an ordinary guy masquerading as a gangster, a sexy gun-moll who has a weakness for sailors, a rich, drunken stockbroker, a debutante, and a goofy English lord.  Also on deck are a missionary and a pair of Chinese converts, and though their roles have been softened from the 1934 original, there is still some discomfort in seeing old stereotypes dragged out.

The music, originally orchestrated by Michael Gibson with additional orchestrations by Bill Elliott, was played to blissful effect under the baton of Jay Alger.  And the talent assembled for this romp into the brilliant mind of Cole Porter (not to mention P.G. Wodehouse who had a hand in the original book) was stellar.

As Reno Sweeny, the “seen it all” nightclub owner and heroine of the piece, Rachel York, with her potent and beautifully modulated voice, delivered the goods.  Seems like there’s nothing she can’t do, whether tap dancing with the cast, belting out the mock gospel song, “Blow, Gabriel, Blow,” or delivering her knowing lines with spot-on comic timing – albeit a bit heavy on the Mae West imitation.  Erich Bergen played Billy Crocker, the lovesick stowaway, who pines for the debutante, Hope Harcourt. In another terrific performance, Bergen managed the singing, dancing, and comedy with a relaxed charm, every inch a Cole Porter leading man.

Other cast members were equally talented, and the strength of the whole ensemble was that they managed to elevate their roles beyond their hilarious stock characters, to deliver a madcap ménage of quirky personalities.  The only flat performance was Alex Finke as Hope.  She possessed a pleasing voice but seemed to lack bounce and individuality.  Edward Staudenmayer was a knockout as the effete Lord Evelyn.  Like a refugee from a Monty Python skit, and with Michael Palin-esque charisma, Staudenmayer transitioned from uptight Englishman to lust ridden suitor while cavorting like a bullfighter in the number “The Gypsy in Me.”

As for the corps of passengers, crew, and Reno’s sexy quartet of “angels,” they made every minute a party – in particular the sailors who provided the glowing backdrop on which all the action was painted.

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Jane Rosenberg is the author and illustrator of  SING ME A STORY: The Metropolitan Opera’s Book of Opera Stories for Children.  Jane is also the author and illustrator of DANCE ME A STORY: Twelve Tales of the Classic Ballets.

To read more iRoM reviews by Jane Rosenberg click HERE.

Theatre Review: “Follies”

“FOLLIES“

By Don Heckman

I finally got around to seeing Follies last Thursday night.  I’d had some reservations about what to expect from a revival of what is, by almost any standard, one of the seminal American musical theatre pieces.  But when our dear friend Susan Watson Wright, an enchanting member of the cast, offered us some house seats, how could I resist.

The current revival had received rave reviews from its original performance at the Kennedy Center, after the opening of its six month run on Broadway, and after its Los Angeles premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre on May 3.  But Bernadette Peters had dropped out after the Broadway run, choosing not to be part of the L.A. cast.  And one couldn’t help but wonder what impact this had on the creative communal interaction among the large cast.

As it turned out, no worries.  About anything.  Follies is already being touted as a favorite to win a Tony Award in the best revival category, and the show’s seven other Tony nominations cover acting, costumes, sound and lighting.  All with excellent reason, as the Ahmanson production thoroughly confirmed.  Suffice to say that no dollar was left unspent, no stone left unturned in creating a performance brilliantly illuminating Follies’ stunning combination of music and story.

The setting is a 1971 reunion  party for the showgirls of Weissman’s Follies.  Among the party goers, a collection of aging performers – many of whom are seeing each other for the first time in decades.  And some of whom are still captivated by their early love affairs, despite having moved on to other relationships – most notably two unhappily married couples, Phyllis and Ben, and Sally and Buddy.

Book writer James Goldman’s story has been transformed by Stephen Sondheim’s stunning score into musical theatre at its finest.  In classic fashion, one illuminating song after another advances the plot while simultaneously providing a vehicle for several brilliant solo performances from the stellar cast.

Among them are some now-legendary Sondheim songs: “Broadway Baby,” sung in explosively dynamic fashion by Tony-nominated Jayne Houdyshell; “I’m Still Here,” in a superb rendering by the U.K.’s theatre star, Elaine Page; “Could I Leave You?” delivered in convincing fashion by Tony-nominated Jan Maxwell; and the “folly” song “Losing My Mind” sung and performed emotionally by Victoria Clark.

Other songs were equally vital in bringing the story to life: “The Road You Didn’t Take”; and the three other final, individual “folly” songs, sung by the other members of the two couples, “The God-Why-Don’t-You-Love-Me Blues” by Danny Burstein; “The Story of Lucy and Jessie” by Maxwell; and the climactic “Live, Laugh, Love” by Tony-nominated Ron Raines.

And there’s much more.  Including “Who’s That Woman,” a wild, choreographic delight in which the elder showgirls go step for step with the young images of their distant past.  As well as the startlingly dramatic visual transformations – some of them cinematic in scope – accompanying the “Loveland” segment that closes the performance.

In short, it was just about everything one could ask for in musical theatre.  Follies has been – as I suggested above – one of the definitive words/music/dance works of the American theatre since it first arrived on Broadway in 1971.  I didn’t see that version, but it would be hard to imagine a more convincing production, on all counts, than the show that runs at the Ahmanson through June 9.  It simply doesn’t get any better than this.

Live: Cirque du Soleil’s “OVO”

By Don Heckman

The bugs took over the beach next to the Santa Monica pier last week.  The bugs and a mysterious egg, that is.  Bugs in the form of the brilliantly talented members of Cirque du Soleil, revealing their extraordinary physical virtuosity in their latest show, OVO.

For this installment of the company’s numerous events, they have again returned to Santa Monica via their original circus roots, in a 180,000 square feet big top tent – Grand Chapiteau.  The huge yellow and blue enclosure has become the home for a “teeming and energetic world of insects.”

The gifted Cirque du Soleil creators – writers, directors, choreographers, designers, composers, costumers, lighting, set and sound designers – along with the performers, of course, only need the stimulus of a fundamental idea to get their juices flowing.  And the notion of applying the unique Cirque du Soleil style to a world of insects was enough to produce one of the company’s most unique efforts.

On Wednesday night, the performance opened with the subtle incursions of Jonathan Deans’ sound design – a wildly imaginative collection of rustling beeps and squeaks, sudden roars and rhythmic pulsations.  Next, and continuing throughout the evening, the music of Berna Ceppas followed with a stirring collection of melodies, textures and pulsations resonating with the appeal of Cappas’ Brazilian roots.  Superb as accompaniment, it was more than good enough to stand on its own as a compelling collection of songs.

The bug motif was especially apparent in the evocative costuming of Liz Vandal, whose vivid imagination produced insect legs and wings, attached to the performers in a kaleidoscopic array of colors.  And Gringo Cardia’s imaginative set design managed to create the atmosphere of a bug world with convincing suggestiveness rather than over staged specifics.

As with all Cirque du Soleil productions, of course, it was the performers themselves whose efforts demanded the greatest attention via a series of set pieces showcasing extraordinary physicality from individuals, duos and ensembles.

Scarabs

Among the ensemble high points: the jaunty food and body juggling of the sextet of Red Ants; the elegant, beautifully balanced formations of the Acrosport yellow and red fleas; the extraordinary, height-defying trapeze work of the Flying Act scarabs.  And, perhaps most impressive of all, the remarkable running, leaping, climbing, trampoline-driven action of the 20 performers in the climactic Wall number.

Butterflies

The duo of Butterflies offered a graceful pas de deux on a rope, in a balletic blend  of artful strength and flexibility.

Among the soloists, the firefly Diabolos masterfully juggled up to four spinning spools in arcs high above the stage.  In Orvalho, a dragonfly displayed the incredibly difficult art of balancing on one hand.  And in Slackwire, a spider accomplished the seemingly impossible task of balancing on a slack wire.

Creatura

Finally, there was Creatura, a strange, bulky figure, part-insect, part-slinky, with limbs twisting and stretching in seemingly impossible directions.

Despite the title – OVO – the large egg that surfaced from scene to scene had little to offer in the way of story continuity.  Nor did the comedic interplay between a pair of quirky bugs and a ladybug add much actual humor.

But no matter. The vibrant insects of OVO were irresistibly entertaining, fully capable of conducting their audience into a world rich with visual delights.

Photos and video courtesy of Cirque du Soleil

Live: Cirque Du Soleil’s “Iris” at the Kodak Theatre

By Don Heckman

There’s not much doubt about what to expect from a Cirque du Soleil performance.  The formula of extraordinary physical feats, exotic sets and atmospheric music has been well established.  And most people leave a presentation by the gifted Canadian troupe with a sense of sheer wonder at the magical events they’ve just experienced.

One can say exactly the same thing about Iris, the current Cirque du Soleil production at the Kodak Theatre.  Conceived for that specific location, Iris is described as a “journey through the world of cinema,” and what better place to present it than in the very heart of Hollywood.

At last week’s presentation of Iris, all the familiar Cirque du Soleil wizardry was  present. All that and more.  But Iris  is more than a physical and musical extravaganza.  Written and directed by Philippe Decoufle with music by Danny Elfman, it’s a collection of extraordinary set pieces, wrapped around the theme of a boy and a girl – Buster and Scarlett – in the midst of the motion picture world of fantasy and illusion.  There’s not enough of a story, as such, to create much empathy for Buster and Scarlett, but the visual and aural world that surrounds them is utterly mesmerizing.

Start with the two male acrobats who fly through the entire upper spaces of the Kodak, suspended by straps.  As a physical feat alone, it would be astonishing.  What makes it even more than that is the refined elegance of the acrobats’ movements, of their almost symbiotic interaction with each other.

Add the shadow projections across a screen in rear stage, calling up ancient cave wall images, humanity’s earliest visual expressions.  And the updating of Icarian games, the acrobatic foot juggling that is one of the earliest circus arts.  Here, it was done with eight artists, spinning and leaping with mind-blurring speed and skill.

Each of the stunning displays of imaginative derring-do was impressive in its own right, but the sets, the staging and the music  were equally powerful entities.  The movie set sequence, for example, captured the multitudinous events taking place on a large motion picture stage, with multi-level layers of activity interconnecting via complex timing.  The result was magical, so filled with color, movement and activity that it would have taken repeated viewings of Iris to fully grasp all its dramatic nuances.

Remarkably, it was followed by the almost equally intriguing film noir set, an atmospheric view of a city at night, with action of every sort taking place behind the windows.  In front stage, gangsters fought and shot at each other, while springing from roof to roof via soaring, trampoline leaps.  Here, as elsewhere, the music — performed live by players positioned in boxed seats on either side of the stage — added intense emotional seasoning to every scene.

And there was more, much more: a female trapeze artist – swinging down close to the stage as a janitor with a broom swept beneath her in total admiration; hand balancing acrobatics by the heroine, Scarlett; a group of costumed women fearlessly sailing back and forth on trapezes positioned at the very top of the Kodak ceiling.

It was, in other words, yet another wonder from Cirque du Soleil.  Not surprising that it was, once again, a performance to remember.  More than that, it offered convincing evidence of this superlative company’s ability to find ever-astounding ways to dazzle the eyes, enchant the mind and enliven the spirit.

Picks of the Week: July 25 – 31.

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

Justo Almario

- July 26. (Tues.)  Justo Almario Quartet.  Saxophonist/flutist Almario is one of the Southland’s great jazz treasures, a player who moves convincingly across every jazz arena. Vibrato.  (310) 474-9400.

- July 27. (Wed.)  Gladys Knight and James Ingram.  The one and only Grammy-winning Empress of Soul shares the stage with the smooth sounds of balladeer Ingram.   Hollywood Bowl.   (323) 850-2040.

- July 28. (Thurs.)  David Angel’s Saxtet.  Angel continues his quest to showcase the jazz saxophone in all its glories.   Charlie O’s.  (818) 994-3058.

- July 28. (Thurs.)  Red Baraat.  The band that has convincingly married the Punjabi bhangra percussion rhythms with spunky New Orleans brass makes its West Coast premiere appearance.  The Skirball Cultural Center.   Free.  Seating on first come basis.  (310) 440-4500.

Ann Hampton Callaway

- July 28 – July 30.  (Thurs. – Sun.) Ann Hampton Callaway.  Blessed with one of the jazz vocal world’s most gorgeous, emotionally pliant voices, Callaway is also a convincing pianist and a masterful musical storyteller. Catalina Bar & Grill.   (323) 466-2210.

- July 29. (Fri.)  Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos.  One of the major pop music breakthroughs of the past decade, the Grammy winning, platinum producing Lonely Boys share the stage with the older, more established, but no less compelling Los Lobos. The Greek Theatre.  (323) 665-5857.

- July 29. (Fri.)  John Proulx, Kristin Korb and Dave Tull. Trio’s like this don’t come along very often.  Pianist Proulx, bassist Korb and drummer Tull are all first rate instrumentalists  But each of them is also an appealing jazz vocalist.   Vitello’s.  (818) 769-0905.

- July 29 & 30. (Fri. & Sat.) Michael Feinstein and the Singing Stars of Television.  Pianist/singer Feinstein, who matches his musical adroitness with a dedication to the glories of American song, performs with Wayne Brady, Florence Henderson, Cheyenne Jackson and Dick Van Dyke.   Hollywood Bowl.    (323) 850-2040.

- July 30. (Sat.)  Trouble in Tahiti. The too-rarely seen Leonard Bernstein one-act opera receives a rare and unusual performance in a night club setting.  Jessica Marney and Phil Meyer star.   Vitello’s.  (818) 769-0905.

- July 30. (Sat.)  Shoghaken Ensemble and Tigran.  An evening overflowing with the colorful, far-reaching melodies and rhythms of Armenia.  Grand Performances.

(213) 687-2159.

- July 30. (Sat.)  Chuck Manning Quartet.  Versatile tenor saxophonist Manning brings an inventive point of view to his bop-influenced, straight ahead style.  His stellar backing includes Jay Daversa, trumpet, Pat Senatore, bass and Jimmy Branley, drums.  At 6:30 and 10:30, the Otmaro Ruiz duo.   Vibrato.  (310) 474-9400.

Peter Frampton

- July 30. (Sat.)  Peter Frampton.  One of the icons of classic rock, Frampton was a co-founder of the group Humble Pie when he was only eighteen.  Still a star, this time out he performs his multi-platinum album Frampton Comes Alive! in its entirety.  Greek Theatre.   (323) 665-5857.

- July 30 & 31. (Sat. & Sun.)  The Central Avenue Jazz Festival.  The 16^th annual festival, always a showcase for the Southland’s finest, takes place in one of the founding places of Los Angeles jazz.  This year’s line up includes: on Saturday: Pete Escovedo, Kamasi Washington, the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra, Karen A. Clark Project, Ashley Siris, Dorian Holley, The LAUSD All-City High School Jazz Band.  On Sunday: The Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Katia Moraes and Sambaguru, Deacon Jones with Ray Goren, Ernie Andrews, Jazz America tribute to Buddy Collette.  The Central Avenue Jazz Festival takes place on Central Ave. between 42^nd and 43^rd streets.  Free.  (213) 473-2309.

San Francisco

New West Guitar Group

- July 27. (Wed.)  New West Guitar Group. A trio of gifted young guitarists – John Storie, Perry Smith and Jeff Stein, the New West players have thoroughly authenticated their ability to move freely and imaginatively across jazz, rock, folk and beyond.  Freight & Salvage.   http://www.thefreight.org  (510) 644-2020.

- July 29. (Fri.)  Lavay Smith’s Crazy in Love with Patsy Cline.  The one and only sultry siren finds entertaining common ground between jazz, blues and country.  Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse.   (510) 644-2020.

- July 31 – 31. (Sat. & Sun.)  The Fab Four.  Tribute bands seem to be proliferating in every direction.  But none do a more entertaining job of it than the Fab Four’s ear and eye catching versions of the Beatrles. Yoshi’s San Francisco.    (415) 655-5600.

New York

- July 26 – 30. (Tues. – Sat.)  Leny Andrade.  “From Rio With Love.”  The title is great, but it doesn’t say it all.  Andrade, in fact, has for years been one of Brazil’s most proficient jazz vocal artists, combining her deep understanding of Brazilian rhythms with an equally inventive jazz style.  Birdland.     (212) 581-3080.

- July 26 – 31. (Tues. – Sun.)  Fourplay. Guitarist Chuck Loeb joined founding Fourplay members Bob James, keyboards, Nathan East, bass and Harvey Mason, drums in 2010.  The result has been a further musical enhancement of a group that has always had the ability to find the creative heart of whatever style they elect to play.  The Blue Note.   (212) 475-8592.

Claudia Acuna

- July 26 – 31. (Tues. – Sun.)  Claudia Acuna.  In a jazz world overflowing with talented female vocal artists, Acuna continues to soar freely at the highest levels of the art.  Chilean born, she mastered the basics quickly, but what makes her special is the way she has shaped her version of those basics into her own mesmerizing musical story telling. (212) 258-9800.   Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.

Paris

- July 29. (Fri.)  Ravi Coltrane Quartet.  Tenor and soprano saxophonist Coltrane has successfully accomplished the difficult task of creating his own convincing musical identity, expanding inventively from year to year, inspired but undistracted by the greatness of his father.  New Morning.    01 45 23 51 41.

Justo Amario photo by Tony Gieske.

Live Theatre: “Brigadoon” by the Fullerton Civic Light Opera

By Roger Crane

Brigadoon is a classic musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Songs from the score, such as “Heather on the Hill” and “Almost Like Being in Love,” have become standards. The latter song has been embraced by many jazz performers, as well.

The musical tells the story of a mysterious village in the Scottish highlands that appears for only one day every hundred years.  To the villagers, however, the passing of each century seems no longer than one night. This strangeness is viewed by them as a blessing rather than a curse, for it saved the village from destruction. Two American hunters, Tommy and Jeff, lost in the highlands, stumble upon the village just as a wedding is about to be celebrated.  Their arrival has serious implications for the villager’s inhabitants and, of course, also leads to dancing and songs.

Jennifer Matthews and Robert Patteri

The good-natured and enduring show originally opened on Broadway in 1947 and continues to enjoy frequent revivals to this day. One of the best is the current production by the Fullerton Civic Light Opera (FCLO) organization.  The male lead, Tommy,  is portrayed by Robert Patteri, who has a powerful baritone that he softens on his duets with Jennifer Matthews, who plays Fiona, the female lead and his love interest. Matthews is particularly impressive; her soprano is bell-like, pure and vibrant. If she does not have CDs available, she should.

Patteri and Matthews were arguably better in their leads than Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in the 1954 film version of Brigadoon. Their duet on “Almost Like Being in Love” was stellar, as was their treatment of the well-known “Heather on the Hill.” Patteri was particularly effective on “There But For You Go I.”

Ted Leib’s deadpan delivery brought the sardonic, boozing Jeff (Tommy’s hunting buddy) to life and he was inarguably better in this role than Van Johnson in the movie. Leib’s scenes with the lustfully cheery Meg Brockie were a treat. Meg, by the way, was played perfectly by Katherine Larsen (Elaine Stewart in the movie). And the lovely and graceful Mallory Cooney King, who portrayed Fiona’s newly-married sister Jean, is a world-class ballerina.

Speaking of the dancing, many kudos to the choreographer Karen Nowicki. The sets and scenic design also deserve praise as do the eye-catching colorful costumes and the playing of the 20-piece FCLO orchestra under the baton of Lee Kreter. Brigadoon has a quiet charm and is an enchanting piece of musical theater. To see it produced and performed with such enthusiasm and talent is a treat.

Today is the last appearance of Brigadoon at the Plummer Auditorium. The FCLO production now moves south to the California Center for the Arts in Escondido with performances on May 28^th through the 30^th.

Live Theatre: “An Evening Without Monty Python”

By Dave Gebroe

I didn’t realize at first, as I walked into the Ricardo Montalban Theater last Wednesday night, that my stomach was clenched in nervous anticipation. What if all this amounted to was an evening of sawdust-coated taxidermy, a lifeless trotting-out of the Python troupe’s greatest hits in a nudge-nudge-wink-wink reminder to purchase the DVDs? Well, I needn’t have worried.

The main drawback of An Evening Without Monty Python, a Monty Python stage revue revisitation co-directed (with B.T. McNicholl) by Eric Idle — fresh off his success with “Spamalot” — is cheekily implanted right there in the title, effectively sideswiping all griping about where the production inevitably falls short. You simply cannot replace Cleese, Chapman, Idle, Palin, Gilliam, and Jones. Theirs was a chemistry that had no precedent, and will never be replicated.

What we have, instead, is a joyous reminder of their prowess as sketch comedy writers: we’re treated to such classic bits as “The Minister of Silly Walks,” “Albatross,” “Nudge Nudge Wink Wink,” “The Spanish Inquisition,” “Dead Parrot” and “The Lumberjack Song.” The cast — Jeff B. Davis, Jane Leeves, Alan Tudyk, Rick Holmes and Jim Piddock, with music directed by John Du Prez — ranges from competent to hysterically funny in parts. And although it never amounts to more than a reminder of how great the original troupe was, you could do far worse than subject yourself to some of the most clever pieces of humor ever dreamt up.

And if you squint here and there, you can almost pretend it’s them.

An Evening Without Monty Python runs at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Los Angeles through October 4 and at Town Hall in New York City October 6 – 10.