There are other concerts that are going to be familiar to those who frequent the Bowl. The annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular is back as is a salute to the music of film composer John Williams.

I’ve combed through the schedule and here are the shows that stand out to me as the best bets this summer for fans of the performing arts. They are listed chronologically.

CLASSICAL MUSIC: July 15th: Peter and the Wolf

Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a concert that will feature Oscar and Tony Award-winning actress Viola Davis narrating Peter and the Wolf (with music, of course, by Sergei Prokofiev). The composer’s Symphony No. 1 “Classical” opens the program. Margaret Bonds wrote the Montgomery Variations in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Selections from the work will be performed to conclude the first half of the concert.

JAZZ: July 18th: Kamasi Washington

If you watched the LA Phil’s Sound/Stage series you know how exciting a performer/composer Kamasi Washington is. (And if you haven’t, you should do so immediately.) Between the richness of his writing and the freedom he gives his very large band to improvise and contribute to the musical dialogue on stage, you will see very quickly why Washington is so highly-acclaimed.

As of press time, this is the only concert on his schedule. Opening is hip-hop artist Earl Sweatshirt. Both artists are from Los Angeles.

JAZZ: July 24th: Ledisi Sings Nina Simone

Singer/actress Ledisi is releasing an album of songs made famous by Nina Simone the night before this concert at The Hollywood Bowl. Ledisi Sings Nina includes such classic songs as Feeling Good, My Baby Just Cares for Me and Wild Is the Wind.

For this concert she will be joined by Thomas Wilkins leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

One week later she will be performing at the Newport Jazz Festival on July 31st and she’ll be at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego on August 17th. Wilkins will lead the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in that show.

I fully anticipate that Ledisi will put a spell on you at this concert.

BROADWAY/VOCALS: July 30th: Cynthia Erivo

Also releasing an album, her first solo recording, is the destined-to-be-an-EGOT Cynthia Erivo. (She’s only missing an Academy Award and that is certainly in her future.) That record, Ch. 1 Vs. 1, will be released on September 17th. The first single, The Good, came out last month.

The star of The Color Purple on Broadway and the recent Genius: Aretha Franklin will probably include songs from both her stage and screen career. She’ll be joined by Wilkins and the LA Philharmonic for this concert. At press time this was her only solo concert on her schedule.

I saw her in her Tony Award-winning role as Celie. She blew the roof off the Jacobs Theatre in New York every night. If anyone can make the shell of the Bowl levitate, it’s going to be Erivo.

CLASSICAL MUSIC: August 5th: Schumann & Beethoven UPDATED

Gemma New leads the LA Phil in this concert that opens with warp & weft by Sarah Gibson. She is a Los Angeles-based composer and pianist who also performs as a member of HOCKET.

warp & weft was given its world premiere performance in 2019 by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason was scheduled to perform Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor. However visa issues got in the way. She is being replaced by pianist Behzod Abduraimov. He will be performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15.

The second half of the program will feature the Rhenish Symphony No. 3 by Robert Schumann.

CLASSICAL MUSIC: August 10th: Dudamel Conducts Gershwin

What could be a better line-up of music for the summer than Cuban Overture, Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris and songs by George Gershwin? Obviously for fans of this composer (count me in) this is pure heaven.

Gustavo Dudamel will lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic for this concert.

Joining them will be pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and counter-tenor John Holiday.

As part of the Sound/Stage series, Thibaudet joined the LA Phil to perform the jazz band arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue. Perhaps this will be the full orchestra version. I hope so!

CLASSICAL MUSIC: August 17th: Dudamel Leads Elgar and Grieg

Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason joins the Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel for a concert featuring the works of British composer Edward Elgar and Norwegian composer Edvard Greig.

Opening the program is Grieg’s immensely popular Peer Gynt Suite No. 1. From the opening notes of this work, you’ll immediately recognize it.

Kanneh-Mason joins for the chamber version of Elgar’s Cello Concerto. This was the composer’s last major work for orchestra. Kanneh-Mason’s 2020 recording with the London Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle received glowing reviews. Rob Cowan, writing for Gramophone, said of the performance:

“It really is a remarkable performance, one that has already given me enormous pleasure.”

The performance concludes with Elgar’s Enigma Variations.

CLASSICAL MUSIC: September 9th: Beethoven and Schumann

One month earlier you had the chance to hear what a piano concerto in A minor written by Clara Schumann sounds like. With this concert you can hear what Robert Schumann did with his Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54. What makes this concert so appealing is the soloist, Hélène Grimaud.

Long a fan of Schumann’s work, Grimaud made her US concert debut with a performance of this work with the Cleveland Orchestra in 1990. Twelve years later she performed the concerto as part of her debut at Carnegie Hall. In other words, this piece has a special and substantial place in her heart.

The concert, lead by conductor Marta Gardolińska, will open with Overture by Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz. After the intermission, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 will conclude the evening’s performance.

CLASSICAL MUSIC: September 14th: Yo-Yo Ma’s Bach Project

Bach’s Six Cello Suites will be performed by Yo-Yo Ma alone on the massive Hollywood Bowl stage. Almost exactly four years prior to this concert, he did exactly the same concert. The quiet, emotional and intimate music of Johann Sebastian Bach performed on a single instrument for two-and-a-half hours to an enraptured audience.

I know what you’re thinking, did this really work?

Here are some excerpts from Mark Swed‘s review for the Los Angeles Times:

“…the concert proved an unquestionably great, memorable Bowl occasion. …This audience sat in nearly unbelievable rapt attention focused on Ma as each musically complex and austere six-movement suite followed suite. …Extraordinarily, this had the effect of a kind of visual and aural intimacy you could never reproduce in a concert hall while at the same time producing a sense of awe being in a large outdoor arena where attention-deficit is normally taken for granted. With the Bowl doing everything right — the lighting, the mood, the outstanding sound system — Ma made the astonishing an argument against dumbing down.”

I certainly hope to experience this performance. If you do, don’t hesitate to get tickets. The previous performance was sold out.

JAZZ: September 26th: Herbie Hancock

He’s a legend. He always puts on a massively entertaining show. And I’d venture a guess by saying no two performances by keyboardist/composer Herbie Hancock are the same.

With a career that spans from Miles Davis to The Headhunters to his Oscar-winning score for Round Midnight, Hancock is always trying something new and pushing the definition of jazz into new areas. His support of young artists is also powerfully important.

There are no guests announced yet for this concert, but there will undoubtedly be many. He’ll be performing with his band (though wouldn’t a solo concert be amazing?).

I’ve seen Hancock several times and can strongly recommend seeing this concert.

Those are my selections as the best bets for the Hollywood Bowl 2021 season. If, like me, you enjoy a wide range of music, I recommend checking out the full schedule.

Coming soon will be my selection of the Best Bets at The Ford.

Leave a message in the comments section and let me know what you’re looking forward to seeing most this summer at the Hollywood Bowl.

Update: This post has been updated to reflect the change of soloists and material being performed on August 5th. Isata Kanneh-Mason was unable to get a visa.

Photo: Hollywood Bowl with Fireworks (Photo by Adam Latham/Courtesy Los Angeles Philharmonic)

The post Top Picks for the Hollywood Bowl 2021 Summer Season UPDATED appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

The music of George Gershwin is at the core of this movie. Gene Kelly (who also directed significant portions of the movie and choreographed the film including the stunning ballet sequence (which truly showcases both his genius as a choreographer and Gershwin’s gorgeous music.)  An American in Paris is one of the best arguments for seeing films on a big screen.

In the film Jerry Mulligan (Kelly) plays an American painter try to make a go of it in Paris. So too is his friend, Adam (Oscar Levant), a struggling pianist. A woman (Nina Foch) takes Mulligan under her wing to support him, but she is ultimately in love with him and has more than being a patron of the arts on her mind. Mulligan falls in love with Lise (Leslie Caron), a French girl he  meets at a restaurant. Unfortunately she is in a relationship with Henri (Georges Guétary) who is good friends with Adam. Who will ultimately be in love with whom? And can’t somebody love Oscar Levant?

An American in Paris makes very wise use of Gershwin’s music, both his classical repertoire (as in the piece that gives this film its title and one movement of his Concerto in F) and the songs written with his brother Ira including Our Love Is Here to Stay, I Got Rhythm and I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise.

Brett Mitchell leads the LA Philharmonic.

Of additional interest:  Patricia Kelly, Gene’s widow, recently launched in Europe a new live show called Gene Kelly: A Life In  Music. To hear music from many of his film performed live by a symphony orchestra, mixed with stories only she can tell, would be a treat for all fans of his, classic musicals and great music. Who knows, maybe that will be on the program next year at the Bowl? That would be ‘s wonderful and ‘s marvelous.

For tickets go here.

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July 10th: Tony Bennett

Does anything else really need to be said beyond his name? Less than one month prior to his 93rd birthday, this legendary singer returns to the Hollywood Bowl for another evening of standards interpreted like no other.

There are certain performers who cannot imagine not performing – regardless of age. Amongst them are Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Angela Lansbury and Tony Bennett. For Bennett he just keeps singing – and aren’t we all the better for it?

Though he left his heart in San Francisco, he finds his home every couple years at the Hollywood Bowl. If you’ve never seen and heard Bennett – and even if you have – this is a concert you don’t want to miss.

July 12th & 13th: Cécile McLorin Salvant

If you look at the schedule for the Hollywood Bowl, this concert is listed as Cyndi Lauper with Orchestra. Not exactly jazz. Look at the second billing and you’ll see why this concert is listed amongst your best bets: Cécile McLorin Salvant returns to the Hollywood Bowl as an opening act. (She previously opened for Bryan Ferry in 2017.)

If you read Cultural Attaché on a regular basis, you know how much I am a fan of Salvant and her singing. She takes songs you know and turns each one into a master class of interpretation.  She is a three-time Grammy Award winner with her most recent win coming earlier this year when she was awarded Best Jazz Vocal Album for The Window.

Salvant will be joined by the Aaron Diehl Trio. You might recall we spoke with this talented pianist when he performed earlier this season with the LA Philharmonic. He told us then about Salvant:

“She’s a special artist because what she does that most people can’t do is make connections. And not just between Duke Ellington and say Herbie Hancock, but connections between art and human relations to that art and culture. She points things out – anything you can think about – she can make all kinds of associations. That’s so rare. That’s another level of artistry.”

When Lauper takes the stage she will be joined by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra under the direction of Thomas Wilkins.

August 14th: Ivan Lins and Friends: A Journey to Brazil

This evening will be an all-Brazil evening with two different ensembles taking the stage.

Opening the evening will be Lee Ritenour’s World of Brazil. Joining the Grammy Award-winning guitarist (who has long celebrated the music of Brazil) will be composer and pianist Dave Grusin, vocalist Luciana Souza, percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, harmonica stylist Gregoire Maret and guitarist/composer Chico Pinheiro.  That’s a very impressive line-up for an opening act.

The headliner of this concert is the Ivan Lins Quartet. Lins, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, is a master of Brazilian music. He’s a songwriter whose songs have been performed by such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Barbra Streisand, Sting and Michael Bublé. He’s also written music for Brazilian films and soap operas.

Lins will not only perform with his quartet, but also with his big band which will be conducted by John Beasley.

For this concert he will also be joined by special guests singer Dianne Reeves, four-person vocal ensemble New York Voices and guitarist Romero Lubambo.

August 21st: Herbie Hancock: Next Generation R+R=NOW

For those who like their jazz with more edge, this concert is for you. Herbie Hancock, who truly needs no introduction, has always been on the forefront of jazz. He’s also been a keen shepherd to those who have come, and are coming up, behind him.

This past January he celebrated the Edge of Jazz at Walt Disney Concert Hall with world premieres of works by Hitomi Oba, Vijay Iyer, Billy Childs, Kamasi Washington, Tyshawn Sorey and Hermeto Pascoal.

At this concert you will get to hear Hancock play some of his best known and most inventive compositions. But remember, he’s there as a mentor. So joining him for this Next Generation concert will be some very talented artists.

R+R=Now is a Blue Note Records ensemble that was put together by Robert Glasper. Glasper will be on keys with Terrace Martin on synthesizer and vocoder, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah on trumpet, Derrick Hodge on bass, Taylor McFerrin on synth and beatbox and Justin Tyson on drums.

Joining the concert is Noname, a poet, rapper and producer from Chicago. Earlier this year she released her new record, Room 25. Also from Chicago and on the bill is vocalist, producer, instrumentalist Phoelix. He’s collaborated with Noname and also Saba and Smino. In 2018 he released his second record, Tempo. A new song, BBS, was released in May.

September 12th: An American in Paris

This isn’t truly a jazz concert. Honestly it falls into the category of live music performed to a screening of the Academy Award-winning Best Picture of 1951. The Los Angeles Philharmonic will be playing the glorious George Gershwin music under the direction of Brett Mitchell.

George Gershwin always straddled the line between jazz and classical music. An American in Paris is most commonly found, as are his other major compositions like Rhapsody in Blue, in the concert hall. But Gershwin’s roots were always in jazz. An American in Paris is no exception.

And unlike films today, this Vincente Minnelli classic lets the music live front and center. From the classic songs performed throughout the film to Oscar Levant’s ego-nightmare brilliantly set to Gershwin’s Concerto in F to the staggeringly beautiful ballet choreographed and directed by Gene Kelly – this is a movie that knew where to put the emphasis.

The only other concert likely to include Gershwin this season will be Tony Bennett. Which brings us full circle.

For tickets to these concerts, go here.

Main photograph: Tony Bennett.  Unless otherwise noted, all photographs courtesy of the LA Philharmonic Association.

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At the end of March, von Essen finished a run on Broadway in Anastasia. Prior to that he was Tony-nominated for his performance as Henri in An American in Paris. He was also in the revival of Evita as Magaldi.

When I spoke with him by phone, he had just arrived in Los Angeles from San Francisco where the tour of Falsettos began. We talked about the challenges of being Marvin and how this part is in stark contrast to the music he performs on his recently released CD, Call Me Old Fashion – the Broadway Standard.

What are the challenges of taking this journey eight times a week?

It’s been the most challenging role I’ve ever taken on without a doubt. The most difficult part is where I have to go emotionally. I’ve had trouble coping and letting go every night. To me the major theme of Falsettos is about these human beings in uncomfortable places in their lives and having to work through them. He really isn’t likable. He’s rash, he’s violent, he’s stubborn, he’s cold. The beautiful thing is he gets to change and redeem himself. He really gets a chance to grow up. You feel the audience change with you and it’s an awesome journey to take.

Actors like to be liked and to be likable. How do you get beyond that desire and allow yourself to place someone who is anything but likable?

It’s definitely been a struggle. Not only as an actor, but as a human being. Every role can’t be a likable role. It’s really difficult to be cruel on stage and hear the audience gasp. I have to know people have ugly moments. The point is to show it and how he changes.

Composer William Finn has written a very complex score. What makes this show challenging for you musically?

It was extremely difficult to learn. The rhythms, the notes, the different lines that people sing against each other are all very complex. We had two days for music on Act 1 before we were staging. As you know, we move everything. It’s like a math test. You’re trying to sing notes, learn rhythms and learn movements for blocking. Our heads were exploding. The harder thing is the endurance as it’s a sung-through show. But when you get it, it is so rewarding. Years ago if I had the opportunity I would have made an excuse to say “no.” I’ve gotten braver and a little more confident and it’s nice to know you can take on something of this magnitude and say, “I think I got this.”

If one wants to explore your range as a singer, they could put on Call Me Old Fashioned – The Broadway Standard which couldn’t be more different than Falsettos. I’m assuming since this is your solo debut, the material here is more in line with your personal sensibilities?

[The recording features songs such as “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” “Everything Old Is New Again” and “Almost Like Being in Love.”]

Yeah, I would say so. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do for a solo show. Something as big as this it comes down to a fear of “it’s so much work,” and “what am I meant to sing.” Because An American In Paris felt so good in my voice, I knew I wanted it to have this throwback feel. Then it all just felt into place. It felt like a comfort zone.  

You version of “Fly Me to the Moon,” is the most beautiful and simple arrangement I’ve ever heard. How did you and your music director, Billy Stritch, decide to do that arrangement?

One day I was sitting at my piano and was lazy and playing the song. I knew there was a verse, but it wasn’t in the sheet music I have. I uncovered it and thought how nice would it be to start this out of nowhere and as soon as I hit “Fly me to the moon…” then have Billy come in on that. He had his own feel and we came up with it together. 

Part of the lyric in “What Would I Do?,” the last song in Falsettos, says “Once I was told that good men get better with age.” Do they and have you gotten better with age?

Ha! So far yes. I’ve learned to enjoy what I’m doing and it doesn’t pass me by. I do feel like there was a time when I didn’t want to hear myself or think of myself performing. I’m not super confident by any means, but I know who I am. I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning, but I know now I can take on big challenges. I didn’t do that ten years ago. I let it scare me. Like with Falsettos or Call Me Old Fashioned, you can take on something you never thought you could handle. It’s nice to have that sense of knowing now.

For tickets go here.

Main Photo: Max von Essen and Nick Adams in Falsettos. Photo by Joan Marcus

All production photos by Joan Marcus/Courtesy of Center Theatre Group

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Bringuier returns to the LA Philharmonic for four concerts beginning tonight celebrating the music of Maurice Ravel and George Gershwin.

The program features two works by each composer.  Gerswhin’s Cuban Overture and An American in Paris are joined by Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales and the Piano Concerto in G. The soloist for the concerto is Hélène Grimaud.

When I recently spoke with Bringuier by phone, both he and Grimaud were in Dallas for a series of concerts. They are regular collaborators are you will see in our conversation.

How did this program come together and why?

This is a big year for the LA Philharmonic with the centennial season. They wanted to have Hélène Grimaud performing Ravel. I feel lucky to accompany her on the stage. The orchestra knows that I love to perform Ravel. My last concert as Resident Conductor I conducted Ravel. It was nice to add Valses nobles et sentimentales. And we thought what composer to add and Gershwin came to mind to all of us. 

Ravel met Gershwin in 1928. Is there anything we can hear in Ravel’s work that gives us an idea of the influence Gershwin may have had on him?

It’s more obvious in the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand which has real jazz, but already in the Piano Concert in G you can hear that. At first he called this piece Rhapsody Basque. We know his influence from the Basque country and Spanish  music. For the slow movements he was inspired by Mozart and by Saint-Saëns.

Conversely, what influence of Ravel can we hear in Gershwin?

We can always hear some similarities of composers at that time if we look at Ravel and Debussy and Saint-Saens. They were always influencing one another, but I like to see Gershwin as an American composer.

Ravel said, “Personally I find jazz most interesting: the rhythms, the way the melodies are handled and the melodies themselves.” How much did Ravel embrace jazz within his own works?

It is about finding the rhythm and its link to melody and harmony. Obviously in Valses, the first introduction of the theme, the very rhythmic introduction, it’s something we can feel. It has already been important to hear.

You perform regularly with Hélène Grimaud. What makes your collaboration unique?

One of the things that is most amazing when I’m with Hélène is we never talk before we play with the orchestra. Sometimes I have a soloist and conductor meeting to talk about the music and the interpretation. With Hélène, it’s so natural that we’ve never had to meet. We play it just like chamber music. I play with her a really demanding piece like the Brahms Piano Concerto and we just meet on stage directly with the orchestra and it clicks very easily. She considers the orchestra and the conductor as her partner.

When you regularly perform a piece of music, how important it is for you as a conductor to say something new about the piece? Or even make a new discovery that keeps you interested?

If it is a piece I have done already or recorded, like Valses nobles, every time I open the score I try to feel it like it was new. I always discover new things. Sometimes we feel also a tempo difference between the last time we did it and the next time. We always bring personal things and feelings. But the most important thing is to go back to the score and the presentation becomes more personal.

What is the effect of Ravel and Gershwin’s music on your personally, the Philharmonic players and ultimately the audience?

If you take the slow movement of the piano concerto, Ravel manages to have, in a short period of time, all of the emotions of human beings. If you look at the G Major slow movement, it is very soft and meditative and we can feel this in the hall. Everyone gets very quiet. Then within less than one second we play toccata to fast movement. Then we have only four chords and it is very loud and filled with enchantment and joy. That’s indeed the effect and probably it was on purpose that Ravel did it.

The same with Gershwin. I don’t know if it is because I lived in Paris, but I can feel very clearly what he had in mind – the spirit of Paris and the taxi horns. We always hear people honking in Paris and the agitation you have in the city all the time. I think he was amazed by that and it’s clearly in the music.

Do you still get excited when you take to the podium?

I’m always excited to conduct and make music. Last time in Washington I did Petrushka, a piece I’ve done now more than 50 times. I was excited to conduct it – like it was the first time. The only thing that changed is I’m more comfortable with the technical challenges. The beauty of the music still gets me excited. An American Paris, that music is exciting. I can never be bored. It’s just a joy to do this in the United States.

For tickets to one of the four performances, please go here.

Main Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic

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Leading the LA Philharmonic for these performances is, appropriately enough, French conductor Lionel Bringuier. Another French artist joining the program is pianist Hélène Grimaud.

Gershwin & Ravel opens with Gershwin’s Cuban Overture. That is followed by  Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G. The second half of the program begins with Ravel’s Valses nobles et sentimentales. The program concludes with, what else, An American in Paris.

There are multiple reasons this program fascinates. Gershwin’s Cuban Overture is not played nearly as frequently as the composer’s other works. Likewise you are probably very familiar with Bolero or La Valse, but Valses nobles et sentimentales is a lesser-performed work by Ravel.

Grimaud is an excellent pianist who has regularly performed with Bringuier. As you’ll read in our interview with him later this week, the two are so comfortable with each other they rarely feel the need to discuss the work they are performing before the first orchestra rehearsal. The Piano Concerto in G is less well-known than Ravel’s Piano Concerto for Left Hand.

And then there’s An American in Paris. I, for one, will always think of Gene Kelly’s phenomenal direction and choreography of the ballet in the Oscar-winning film from 1951 when I hear this music.

If you like jazz, but are unsure if you’ll like classical music, this is a great concert to dip your toes into. If you like classical music, but aren’t sure if you like jazz, you, too, will find plenty to engage with at these concerts.

For tickets to one of the four performances of Gershwin & Ravel, please go here.

*This story, which has been around for ages, may or may not actually be true.

Photo of George Gershwin courtesy of the New York Public Library.

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If you’re expecting a 90-year-old woman to be in a wheelchair telling stories, let me assure you nothing could be further from the truth. The screen legend was 47 years older than she was when they first met. She’s working on his memoirs based on her lengthy conversations with him. Those same conversations serve as the foundation for some of this show.

This is a sublime evening filled with the kind of stories you can only get from someone who was that close to Gene Kelly.

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