After the chaos that embroiled our country earlier this week, I think this is a good time to settle in for some soul-nourishing culture. Thankfully there are some truly great options in my Best Bets at Home: January 8th – January 10th.
This weekend I have a great mix of classical music, jazz, plays and a new musical revue celebrating composer Jerry Herman (Hello, Dolly!). Once you catch up on my reminders you can add opera and musicals to the list!
So let’s get right to it. Here are the Best Bets at Home: January 8th – January 10th:
CLASSICAL MUSIC: Close Quarters #5 – Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra – Available Now
LACO continues their series of unique films that include performances of chamber music works. In Close Quarters #5, the music of Juan Pablo Contreras, Jimmy López and Jessie Montgomery is performed. Surrounding the performances is the story of a young woman on New Year’s Eve who finds herself alone after leaving a party and unsure of how she’s going to get home.
Contreras, whose work Pueblos Mágicos is the last piece performed in the film, curated the program. López’s Ccantu for solo piano opens the film. Montgomery’s Voodoo Dolls is between the two. All three pieces are terrific. I took particular joy in Pueblos Mágicos.
James Darrah directed the 42-minute film. The script was written by Christopher Oscar Peña and beautifully captures that emotional roller coaster that one experiences when left alone and is having to find acceptance and strength to move beyond. Note that there is strong language in the film.
AUDIO PLAY: The Nomad Project – Coeurage Ensemble – Available Now
Los Angeles-based Coeurage Ensemble has launched a very interesting series called The Nomad Project. The project consists of 10 stories based in Los Angeles and runs approximately 10-12 minutes.
Each of the stories is written to reflect a specific area of the city. By specific I mean down to GPS coordinates. This allows listeners to either listen from the comfort of their home or travel to those coordinates to hear the stories played out. Amongst the locations are Hollywood Boulevard & Western Avenue; the Walt Disney Concert Hall; outside the Faultline Bar; Sun Valley and more.
The playwrights who have created audio plays for The Nomad Project are Boni B. Alvarez, Kate Bailey, Mark Brown, Meghan Brown, June Carryl, Aaron Fullerton, Tom Jacobson, Ann Kimbrough, Roger Q. Mason, Shahrook Oomer and Yael Zinkow.
There’s no cost to listen to these audio plays. Donations, of course, are always welcomed.
MUSICAL: Closer Than Ever – MNM Theatre Company – Now – January 10th
When Closer Than Ever opened in 1989 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, it charmed critics and went on to be named the 1990 Outer Critics Circle Award Winner for Best New Off-Broadway Musical. The completely sung-through show features songs by Richard Maltby, Jr., and David Shire (Baby, Starting Here Starting Now).
Closer Than Ever examines adult life vis-a-vis songs about marriage, divorce and second marriages, mid-life crisis, growing old and more. Maltby and Shire based the songs on the lives of their friends.
Florida’s MNM Theatre Company has produced a streaming version of this musical that will be available through Sunday. Aaron Bower, Johnbarry Green, Shelley Keelor and Elijah Word star. Jonathan Van Dyke directed.
Tickets are $20 and allow for 48 hours of streaming.
PLAY: Making Friends – IAMA Theatre Company – Now – January 18th
Seems like everyone is angry these days. Count amongst them Tom DeTrinis, who describes himself as a rage-aholic. In his one-man show, DeTrinis expunges some of that rage in very humorous was as he rants about transgressions from his childhood, his dislike of Rodgers & Hammerstein and particularly his disdain for New York City (rather ironic since he’s from NYC).
He portrays many of those who have offended him during this 67-minute show directed by Drew Droege. Note that this show contains adult material and language. Tickets start at $15 based on your ability to pay.
JAZZ: Chris Botti – SFJAZZ – January 8th – 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST
This week’s Fridays at Five concert from SFJAZZ dates back almost exactly one year. On January 10th, 2020, trumpeter Chris Botti performed at the venue. That concert will be streamed only once at the time listed above.
Botti is a Grammy Award winner and best-selling artist who, in addition to his own albums, has collaborated with Joshua Bell, Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, Lady Gaga, Yo-Yo Ma, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Sting, Barbra Streisand and more.
To view this concert you must have either a monthly membership ($5) or an annual membership ($60).
CLASSICAL MUSIC: Teatro alla Scala Orchestra – January 9th – 2:00 PM EST/11:00 AM PST
The orchestra from Milan’s fabled La Scala has a streaming concert on Saturday. The program will feature performances of Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90 and Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70. Leading the orchestra is conductor Lorenzo Viotti.
The concert will be available for viewing on the Teatro alla Scala website, their YouTube channel and their Facebook page.
If you can’t see the concert as it happens, they usually remain available for a few days afterwards.
CLASSICAL MUSIC: Anne Akiko Meyers and Fabio Bidini – The Sorting Room Sessions at The Wallis – January 9th – 11:00 PM EST/8:00 PM PST
Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and pianist Fabio Bidini team up for this intimate recital of music by French composers. On the program is Charles Gounod’s Ave Maria; Maurice Ravel’s Sonata No.2 in G Major and Jules Massenet’s Meditation from Thaïs.
Meyers has released over 30 albums. Her most recent recording is Estonian Lullaby which features the music of Arvo Pärt and was released earlier this year.
Italian pianist Bidini has released 13 albums and in addition to his performance career, teaches at Los Angeles’ Colburn School
Tickets are $25 and allow for 24 hours of streaming.
JAZZ: Exploring Billie’s Influence – 92nd Street Y – January 10th – 3:00 PM EST/12:00 PM PST
Grammy Award-winner Christian McBride hosts a conversation about the legendary Billie Holiday with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson.
All three women have recorded albums as tributes to Lady Day. Let’s be honest, what female jazz singer can ignore the enormous impact Holiday had on all singers?
Will there be any singing? It doesn’t appear so from the website, but given the enormous talent on stage, this will be a riveting conversation with our without performances.
Tickets are $15.
JAZZ: Neal Caine Quartet – Smalls Live – January 10th – 5:00 PM EST/2:00 PM PST and 7:00 PM EST/4:00 PM PST
Jazz bassist Neal Caine is not only one of jazz music’s finest bass players, he’s also one of its most in-demand. Caine has performed and/or recorded with Jon Batiste and Stay Human; Brian Blade; Betty Carter; Harry Connick, Jr. Big Band; Benny Green; Dr. John; Elvin Jones Jazz Machine; Diana Krall, Branford Marsalis; Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet; Ellis Marsalis Trio; Wynton Marsalis;
If you haven’t heard his 2005 album Backstabber’s Ball, you should check it out.
Joining him for these two sets at New York’s Smalls are Donald Edwards on drums; Jerry Weldon on tenor sax and Anthony Wonsey on piano.
If you can afford to make a “reservation” for either performance, those funds go to the venue and the musicians. Otherwise, you can find the performances streaming live on Small’s website.
CLASSICAL MUSIC: Piano Sonata by Philip Glass – CAP UCLA – January 10th – 6:00 PM EST/3:00 PM PST
The world premiere of composer Philip Glass‘ first piano sonata took place in 2019 in Germany. The piece was performed by pianist Maki Namekawa who asked the composer to write the sonata for her.
She returns to the work in this special filmed performance that was recorded live in Austria for CAP UCLA.
The sonata came into being after a conversation Namekawa and her husband, Dennis Russell Davies, had with the composer in the back of a restaurant in 2017.
Zachary Woolfe, in his New York Times review of the sonata’s first American performance by Namekawa in 2019, said, “For all the work’s switches of mood — between major and minor, churning and calm — the stakes feel low, though not unagreeably. Even when it’s headlong, as in the chugga-chugga perpetual motion of the third movement, the work is light, even superficial, a revue of Glassian riffs that’s pleasant and passing. While it’s imposing, at nearly 30 minutes, the sonata feels larky.”
MUSICAL: You I Like, A Musical Celebration Of Jerry Herman – Pasadena Playhouse/PlayhouseLive – January 10th – February 7th
Jerry Herman was the Tony Award-winning composer of such musicals as Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Mack and Mabel and La Cage aux Folles. He passed away in late 2019. This revue of his music was created by Andy Einhorn and had its first performance at New York’s 92nd Street Y early last year. Einhorn has reworked the show and it was filmed by Pasadena Playhouse for their Playhouse Live programming.
Starring in You I Like are Ashley Blanchet (Frozen), Nick Christopher (Hamilton), Olivier Award-winner Lesli Margherita (Matilda The Musical), Andrea Ross (The Sound of Music) and Ryan Vona (Once). Einhorn serves as music director and our guide through the show. (Next week look for my interview with Einhorn!)
Songs from all those musicals listed above are in the show as are some rarer songs from his early work like Parade and Milk and Honey. There are also songs from his lesser-known musicals such as The Grand Tour.
On the virtual opening night there will be a Q&A with Bernadette Peters (who appeared in the recently revival of Hello, Dolly! and also Mack and Mabel) and David Hyde Pierce (also in Hello, Dolly!) with Einhorn and Pasadena Playhouse’s Danny Feldman.
Tickets are $29.99 to watch the virtual opening. All other viewings will be $24.99.
That’s my list of the Best Bets at Home: January 8th – January 10th. But, of course, there are a few reminders:
David Bowie fans will not want to miss his musical Lazarus, which is being made available for three performances this weekend from DiceFM. For full details go to my preview here.
New York’s 9th annual Prototype Festival launches this weekend with an intriguing program of new works. My preview has full details.
The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival has begun and I have a full rundown of the programming available.
The operas available this weekend from the Metropolitan Opera from this week’s Epic Rivalries theme. They are Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni and Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo on Friday; Gaetano Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda on Saturday and Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore on Sunday. You can find full details here.
Here’s to taking a break, enjoying some great performances and recharging ourselves!
Enjoy the Best Bets at Home: January 8th – January 10th and enjoy your weekend.
Photo: Lesli Margherita, Andrea Ross, Ryan Vona, Nicholas Christopher, Ashley Blanchet, and Andy Einhorn in You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman (Photo by Jeff Lorch/Courtesy Playhouse Live)