The celebrations of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein continue with Tuesday night’s concert Bernstein 100 Celebration with Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl. Maestro Dudamel leads the LA Philharmonic in a program that includes Bernstein’s “Prelude, Fugue and Riffs;” selections from On the Town and Wonderful Town; three meditations from Mass and the “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story.
If you didn’t catch the LA Phil’s concert version of Mass, you are in for a taste of what you missed – and how utterly contemporary and compelling the work is. Conductor John Mauceri once told me that everyone thinks the “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story are easy, but reveals “it’s an extremely difficult work for people to play. It is enormously difficult and challenging.”
And to sweeten the deal Tony Award winners Sutton Foster and Brian Stokes Mitchell will be joining for the selections from the two musicals. (Kristin Chenoweth was originally announced for the concert and had to bow out due to scheduling issues.)