The 6 Shows You Need to See: This Weekend in LA (4/27-4/29)

Here are the 6 Shows you need to see: This Weekend in LA (4/27-4/29)

Crosscurrents: Zakir Hussain, Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Shankar Mahadevan and The Vijay Iyer Sextet – Walt Disney Concert Hall

April 27

The “crosscurrents” of the title of this event reflect the pairing of jazz and Indian music. Hussain is a master tabla musician and Holland is an incredible bass player. For this show saxophonist Potter and vocalist Mahadevan are in the mix. Also on the bill is one of my favorite jazz musicians (and the man called “Artist of the Year” three times by Downbeat Magazine), the immensely talented Vijay Iyer performing with his sextet. Without question Iyer is one of the most exciting figures in jazz. On Saturday, the Vijay Iyer Sextet will be performing at the Center for the Humanities at UC Merced. On Sunday they will be appearing at the Douglas Beach House on Miramar Beach in Half Moon Bay.

Stomp – Hollywood Pantages Theatre

April 27-29

If you’ve never seen this show which originated off-Broadway at the Orpheum Theatre (where it has run continuously since 1994), you are in for a unique dance/music combination where everyday items are used to create the percussive energy that propels the dancing. If you’ve never considered brooms, trash can lids and inner tubes as both instruments and dance partners, then Stomp has surprises in store for you.

The Joey Alexander Trio – Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University

April 27

Not many teenagers can claim to have three Grammy nominations and four albums released. Bali-born jazz pianist Joey Alexander will be able to claim both when his new release, Eclipse, comes out next week. To support the new work (which primarily features his own compositions), Alexander is on tour. It’s exciting how phenomenally well he plays. The first California stop is Friday at MUSCO. Saturday finds the trio at the Balboa Theatre in San Diego and on Sunday they’ll be at UCSB. We spoke with Alexander about his music. You can read that interview here.

A Shakespeare Jubilee – The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

April 28

This is a celebration of the works of the Bard featuring thirty stars of film, stage and television. Hosting the evening are Joely Fisher and Ioan Gruffudd. Amongst the American and British artists joining in the celebration will be:  Eric Braeden, Jane Carr, Michele Greene, Harry Hamlin,Finola Hughes, Jamison Jones, Nigel Lythgoe, David Melville, Joe Spano, Kitty Swink, Joan Van Ark, Peter Van Norden, Sabra Williams, Sherry Williams, Madeline Wu and Oscar Zhang.

Two Chorus Concerts: Great Opera Choruses (The Soraya at CSUN) and The Verdi Chorus (First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica)

April 28 (both shows) and April 29 (The Verdi Chorus Only)

In a rather ironic coincidence of scheduling, LA Opera is presenting a free concert at The Soraya on Saturday afternoon of Great Opera Choruses. Grant Gershon, who is conducting that show, was also around for the start of what became The Verdi Chorus when he served as an accompanist for them. The Verdi Chorus began when performers at a long-defunct restaurant in Santa Monica. It featured opera singers and they  decided to continue what they were doing in a more formal and professional way after the restaurant closed. 35 years later, they are celebrating their anniversary with two concerts entitled The Force of Destiny. Both of these shows offer incredible opportunities to hear great music performed beautifully. For more information on how The Verdi Chorus began, check out our interview with artistic director Anne Marie Ketchum here.