<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Rhiannon Giddens Archives - Cultural Attaché</title> <atom:link href="https://culturalattache.co/tag/rhiannon-giddens/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://culturalattache.co/tag/rhiannon-giddens/</link> <description>The Guide to Arts and Culture events in and around Los Angeles</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 23 Dec 2024 21:27:02 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <item> <title>Top 12 of 2024: KANEZA SCHAAL</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2024/12/24/top-12-of-2024-kaneza-schaal/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2024/12/24/top-12-of-2024-kaneza-schaal/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 24 Dec 2024 08:01:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Alexandre von Zemlinsky]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Highway 1 USA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kaneza Schaal]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LA Opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michael Abels]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Omar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Terence Blanchard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Dwarf]]></category> <category><![CDATA[William Grant]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=20981</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The acclaimed opera direct talks about William Grant Still and the future for operas by Black composers.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2024/12/24/top-12-of-2024-kaneza-schaal/">Top 12 of 2024: KANEZA SCHAAL</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>To close out the year I’m posting videos from the top 12 interviews from 2024. These were a mix of my personal favorites, some of your favorites and a few that may have slipped under the radar. Check back as I have a <strong><em>very special</em></strong> new interview that will run just after December 25th. We continue with #11: <strong><em>KANEZA SCHAAL</em></strong>.</p> <p>At the time of my interview with Schaal, the LA Opera production of William Grant Still’s opera <em>Highway 1 USA</em> was going to open with <em>The Dwarf</em> by Alexandre von Zemlinsky. Schaal, who directed the Pulitzer Prize winning opera <em>Omar</em>, which was also performed at LA Opera, was interested in breathing new life into a one-act opera that many people did not know.</p> <p>It should be noted that <em>Omar</em> was written by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels. While the success of that opera, and the success of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBeC2Qihds4&t=19s">Terence Blanchard</a>‘s <em>Fire Shut Up in My Bones</em>, has opened a few more doors for operas by Black composers, so many works have become forgotten (as had <em>Highway 1 USA</em>) or ignored completely.</p> <p>In this lively and fascinating conversation, Schaal talked about her approach to Still’s work, the world that the composers was dreaming about in this opera, the future for other works by Black composers and artists and the universal themes that run through this work.</p> <p>I attended opening night and found <em>Highway 1, USA</em> to be just as Schaal describes it in this engaging interview. I had the privilege of talking about the opera with her after the performance. I hope more people get a chance to see <em>Highway 1, USA</em> and specifically get a chance to see this production.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe title="Kaneza Schaal The Cultural Attaché Interview 1 HD 720p" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8gb4mu4q7bU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>This is the second in our series of interviews you might not have watched yet. The series opened with jazz bassist Linda May Han Oh. I hope you’ll take a look at that conversation as well.</p> <p>You can find all of my interviews at our YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@attache4culture">HERE</a>.</p> <p>Check back for the rest of my Top 12 of 2024 series of interviews.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2024/12/24/top-12-of-2024-kaneza-schaal/">Top 12 of 2024: KANEZA SCHAAL</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2024/12/24/top-12-of-2024-kaneza-schaal/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Kaneza Schaal Takes a Trip Down Highway 1, USA</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2024/02/22/kaneza-schaal-takes-a-trip-down-highway-1-usa/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2024/02/22/kaneza-schaal-takes-a-trip-down-highway-1-usa/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 22 Feb 2024 23:02:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Alma Thomas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Chaz'men Williams-Ali]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Christian Mark Gibbs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Christopher Myers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Highway 1 USA]]></category> <category><![CDATA[James Rosenquist]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kaneza Schaal]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LA Opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michael Abels]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nicole Heaston]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Norman Garrett]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Omar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opera Theatre of St. Louis]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[William Grant Still]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=20042</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>"We rely on our dreamers and the people who have built worlds when the world was against them."</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2024/02/22/kaneza-schaal-takes-a-trip-down-highway-1-usa/">Kaneza Schaal Takes a Trip Down Highway 1, USA</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>“I think that the stories we tell about ourselves and each other are the fabric of our existence. Literally build the architecture and social and political interaction.” That’s how director Kaneza Schaal (<em>Omar</em>) discusses the immense value of the arts.</p> <p>Schaal is directing <em><a href="https://www.laopera.org/performances/202324-season/highway-1-usa-the-dwarf/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Highway 1, USA</a></em> by William Grant Still for LA Opera. It is on a program of two one-act operas (the other being Zemlinsky’s <em>The Dwarf</em>). Opening night is Saturday, February 24th at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. It will be performed through March 17th.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-20055" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Nicole-Heaston-and-Norman-Garrett-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nicole Easton and Norman Garrett in “Highway 1, USA” (Photo by Cory Weaver/Courtesy LA Opera)</figcaption></figure></div> <p>The opera tells the story of Bob (Norman Garrett) and Mary (Nicole Heaston). They have gone to incredible lengths to support Bob’s brother Nate (Chaz’men Williams-Ali). They hope that once he has finished his education he will move on with his life. Though Mary dislikes Nate, Bob is honoring a commitment he made to his mother on her deathbed. Nate doesn’t move on and complications ensue.</p> <p>It is with the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera <em>Omar</em> that many audiences became familiar with Shaal. Her direction of that opera, coupled with the music and libretto by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels, catapulted the opera into the modern day repertoire.</p> <p>Just before traveling to Los Angeles to commence rehearsals, I spoke with Schaal about Still’s opera and his optimistic view of the future; the question she’d most like to ask Still if given the chance and the importance of having stories from “people who have built worlds even when the world was against them.” </p> <p>What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity. To see the full interview, please go to our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQfUdH08rahzGKm2Hcawq-g">YouTube channel</a>.</p> <p>Q: This work premiered in 1963, but remained relatively unperformed until Opera Theatre of Saint Louis did it in 2021. What do you think the two plus generations of opera goers who didn’t get a chance to see this opera missed out on?</p> <p><strong>I think we missed out on maintaining American lineage. I think this is an incredible work. Of course, Still’s symphonic works were celebrated. His operatic works weren’t as widely received. So I think we missed out not only on this piece, but on Still’s oeuvre, all of his operatic works. The idea that this was birthed in the 40s and then didn’t get its production until the 60s. So it really is, as you said, multiple generations who’ve lost this music.<em> </em></strong></p> <p>We probably don’t have to go too far out on a limb to speculate why, in 2021, an opera company decided to give new life to this opera. But I assume you can’t do it just because of socio-political issues. You have to do it because there’s something in it that warrants it as well. What do you think is at the core of this opera and the way William Grant Still tells this story that warrants continued interest in it?</p> <p><strong>I think like with so much of Still’s music, there’s really a sense that he is building a world. This music is him dreaming into existence the future. And quite frankly,the future of all of these works being in the world as well. He started writing it in a backdrop of war. That’s this moment. That’s the birth of American sitcom, which I very much think of as an American dreaming container – this home of our aspirational class stories. </strong></p> <p><strong>The operatic canon also has lots of station in life tensions and class struggle as well. So I think these ideas sit well in this form. But I think touching this music now is an opportunity to also be in our own moment of a backdrop of war. Spending time with this music you can think about the kind of facade of the 50s, the kind of disjointedness of that world. What does it look like to hold the disjointedness of our world now? What are the ways that we resolve these fractures? I think this opera holds all of that.</strong></p> <p>It’s also a classic story about family dynamics. Particularly as it relates to Nate and his role in the story. The noise that surrounds family dynamics may change over decades, but the core of what family dynamics are really remain the same, don’t they?</p> <p><strong>One of the delights I have in this music is that I think there’s a dissonance between the words we receive on the page in the libretto and what we hear; the harmonic complexity of Nate’s music, the sweeping kind of mythological landscape that his music invokes. I think there’s a way to think about this character and think about all of these characters beyond a kind of moralism. The libretto, in some ways, is very straightforward. You could feel it like a morality play. You could feel it like a tight sitcom inside of a small apartment. But musically, there’s a complexity to all of the thought. I am very interested in what happens when we strip away the kind of moralistic lens and invite ourselves to really sit in the in the complexity of how we receive these characters in the music.</strong></p> <p>The opera runs an hour. There are two scenes in it. There’s not a lot of time for enormous exposition about backstory and the way the opera is constructed. Is a backstory important for you in approaching this particular story and the way you want to present it? </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-20054" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cheyanne-Williams-and-Kiara-Benn-in-22Highway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cheyanne Wiliams and Kiara Benn in “Highway 1, USA” (Photo by Cory Weaver/Courtesy LA Opera)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>In terms of backstory, I think that depends on the singers, and I cannot wait to be in the rehearsal room with them and to be building the frameworks that they need to hold the music and hold the story. But from my position, holding the stage, the frame for this investigation and this kind of moving beyond the moralism is Mary’s first music when she sings about the fox and the hair. Of course, she’s drawing on br’er rabbit and br’er fox, these African-American folklore kind of traditions of tricksters. These are stories that came across from Africa into America. So I’m very interested in that trickster lineage that this opera starts with. We actually do have a manifestation of the fox and hare on stage to keep reminding us of these other forces that are at play as we receive the story.</strong></p> <p>I read an interview that you did around the time of <em>Omar</em> where you talked about how great opera operates in many different languages and that it was your role to build a library through which a story will be told. What’s the library that <em>Highway 1, USA</em> requires from you?</p> <p><strong>So many. One of the conversations that I had early on with the production designer, Christopher Myers, was really thinking about this dark underbelly of these times that get presented so often in that plastic forward facing 50s container. So much was going on globally. We’ve been looking at various artists who think about disjointedness and rupture and wholeness in different ways. One of them is James Rosenquist and another is Alma Thomas. Very different ways of dealing with rupture and joint. But those are two artists who’ve been important to me in how do we explode this apartment and begin in the rupture and begin in the mythological landscape of these ideas. </strong></p> <p><strong>I do not come to the opera for a kitchen sink with running water. I come for myth and violence and holiness and contradiction. So I wanted our stage to be able to hold and begin in that vastness and in the disjointed world before we find ourselves in the intimacy and in the healing and union of Mary and Bob.</strong></p> <p>William Grant Still did not put any specific mention of race into this work. In fact, Christian Mark Gibbs, who sang Nate at St. Louis, said Still wanted it to be done by various cultural groups. Do you share that opinion of Still’s intention for this work?</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-20056" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Chazmen-Williams-Ali-in-22HIghway-1-USA22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chaz’men Williams-Ali in “Highway 1, USA” (Photo by Cory Weaver/Courtesy LA Opera)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>I hear him trying to dream this world. I think it’s a challenging dream. An un-raced fantasy is a challenging fantasy. It is as problematic as it is glorious. That is what I hear in the music. And I think he meant it. There’s lots of speculation. Was he saying that in order to protect the legacy of the work and pray that it would get produced, or was he saying it because he was dreaming this future? I would argue he was dreaming this future. This complex, magnificent and also a little problematic future of this un-raced possibility.</strong></p> <p>Do you feel like this is progress of performing works by Black composers, whether in the concert or the opera house, is going to be sustainable, or do you have fear that this is a response to a moment in time? </p> <p><strong>I don’t know any way through this moment that is separated from the global processing of war that’s happening. That’s separated from the election year terror that we have nationally, or that’s separated from the immediate and existential crisis of a warming planet. I think through all of that we rely on our dreamers and the people who have built worlds when the world was against them. And who have left us these seeds and these scaffoldings. I think we need artists who are very skilled in that way. Often those are artists who’ve been excluded from the conversation.</strong></p> <p>Are there are there differences for you between lesser-known works and even world premieres that people have no awareness of whatsoever? </p> <p><strong>Well we don’t get to hang out. It was nice to hang out with Michael and Rhiannon. As we got to work, there’s a richness to that. But I think in terms of the task as a director of holding all of the artists who hold this music and the, what shall we call it, the weight of the task, I think incomparable, but also of the same magnitude.</strong></p> <p>Since you could hang out with Rhiannon and Michael, if you could hang out with William Grant still, what would you most want to ask him about this opera? </p> <p><strong>I would want to talk to him about the dream. I would want to talk to him about that fantasy that he is writing into that music of where we could all head. And I did do one thing he asked me not to do, which was put the gas station on stage. But I have done that because we need the mythological landscape of these ideas, and because I believe in my heart of hearts that he put that there because he didn’t want misery porn. He wanted the dignity and the beauty and the tenderness and the care and the exquisite attention to home craft in that apartment. So I would also just want to run that by him and give him my pitch for why it was important.</strong></p> <p>I read a conversation that you did with <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/01/13/alicia-hall-moran-and-her-ultimate-mash-up/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alicia Hall Moran</a> and two others with Kimberly Drew. You said in that conversation, “I am looking for an opera that tells glorious and horrific stories with grace, violence and beauty.” Moving forward, what are the stories you think that need to be told now and in the near future, whether they’re set in present day or not? </p> <p><strong>So many things. I am interested in how we’re all processing war right now. I’ve been in the early phases of working on a piece that takes a text from Ocean Vuong, the mighty poet who thinks so beautifully about processing war. I’m curious about the parade of women, the kind of orgy of women dying of consumption in the canon and the hysteria of it all. So I’ve got some irons in the fire there. And then most of all, I’m always interested in the stories that talk about what happens in the in-between spaces, in the shadows we all cast on one another. I think the opera is the best place for asking all those questions. </strong></p> <p>I’m hoping somebody does an opera about Flint, MI. That has everything in it. The fact that it’s still being neglected at this point…that is not the country I grew up in. It just continues, doesn’t it?</p> <p><strong>For the kind of violence and horror of of everyday life, the form has to be this big. It actually has to be this big. </strong></p> <p><em>To watch the full interview with Kaneza Schaal, please go <a href="https://youtu.be/8gb4mu4q7bU" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</em></p> <p>Main Photo: Kaneza Schaal (Courtesy LA Opera)</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2024/02/22/kaneza-schaal-takes-a-trip-down-highway-1-usa/">Kaneza Schaal Takes a Trip Down Highway 1, USA</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2024/02/22/kaneza-schaal-takes-a-trip-down-highway-1-usa/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson: A War of Attrition</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/09/conductor-jeri-lynne-johnson-a-war-of-attrition/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/09/conductor-jeri-lynne-johnson-a-war-of-attrition/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2022 01:27:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Classical: Metronome]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Courtney Bryan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[DEI Arts Consulting]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Florence Price]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jennifer Higdon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jeri Lynne Johnson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Julia Bullock]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ludwig van Beethoven]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Margaret Bonds]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Omar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Richard Wagner]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rock My Soul Festival]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Santa Fe Opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[This Little Light of Mine]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Valerie Coleman]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=17349</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>"The inherent understanding of genius, stifled genius, unrecognized genius, not given the support and the nourishment that it deserves and having to find its own way. I understand that completely."</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/09/conductor-jeri-lynne-johnson-a-war-of-attrition/">Conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson: A War of Attrition</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17352" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson (Courtesy JeriLynneJohnson.com)</figcaption></figure></div> <p>Los Angeles Philharmonic’s <em>Rock My Soul Festival,</em> curated by Julia Bullock, has more exciting programming for its second full weekend. <a href="https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/1796/2022-11-11/bryan-coleman-price" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">On Friday</a> the orchestra will play works by contemporary composers Valerie Coleman and Courtney Bryan along with the <em>Symphony No. 3</em> by Florence Price. <a href="https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/1798/2022-11-12/rhiannon-giddens" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">On Saturday</a> Rhiannon Giddens, whose opera <em><a href="https://www.laopera.org/performances/202223-season/omar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Omar</a></em> has its final performance at LA Opera on Sunday, will perform with the LA Phil and the Resistance Revival Chorus. Leading both shows from the podium will be Jeri Lynne Johnson.</p> <p>Johnson most recently conducted the world premiere performances of <em>This Little Light of Mine</em> at Santa Fe Opera. She is also the founder and Artistic Director of <a href="https://www.blackpearlco.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra</a>. In 2015 she founded <a href="https://www.deiartsconsulting.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DEI Arts Consulting</a> “for cultural institutions seeking to create a culture of belonging.”</p> <p>When you click on the <em>about</em> tab on her website, the page says “Black female conductor,” a title which is as unique as you think it is. </p> <p>We spoke a few weeks ago while she was in New Mexico for <em>This Little Light of Mine</em>. We spoke about working with other women, the <em>Rock My Soul Festival</em>, opportunities she’d like to have and more. What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.</p> <p>You’ve stated that it was a concert when you were seven years old that instilled in you this passion to be involved with music. Do you remember what was on that program and was there anything specific about that day?</p> <p><strong>I don’t remember the exact program. I just remember it was Beethoven. It was probably one of the odd numbered symphonies. It was the Minnesota Orchestra when Neville Marriner was the music director. As a young musician I was in love with music and as a pianist I realized I don’t see a piano on stage. I just figured out that what I have to do is what that man with the stick is doing. If I want to make that music I have to be a conductor.</strong></p> <p>They could have played a Beethoven piano concerto. Then what would you have done? </p> <p><strong>You know that is a very interesting question. That has never occurred to me.<em> </em>I always loved piano, but I always wanted to be a conductor. I knew that I made the right choice because I never get nervous as the conductor. As a pianist you get so nervous in your hands and everything. I just never get nervous as a conductor. I always feel like I can trust the musicians, God forbid, if anything goes wrong.</strong></p> <p>What was your first reaction when you heard about the <em>Rock My Soul Festival</em> and what makes this festival unique? </p> <p><strong>I think what makes this festival unique is the wide range of talents that people are going to see on the stage. Nowadays as artists it’s not unusual for us to have a variety of genres and styles that we’re fluent in. That used to be very frowned upon. In an earlier era you only did classical music. If you were to do anything else you didn’t tell anybody about it for fear that you wouldn’t be taken seriously as a classical musician. I think nowadays there is a willingness to recognize excellence across a variety of genres and styles.</strong></p> <p><strong>We’re also doing, of course, compositions by women whose voices are typically underrepresented in music; folk living and who have passed on. I think the thing that connects these composers across time is their willingness to engage in the cultural issues of their day as composers. </strong></p> <p><strong>For Courtney Bryant, her piece was about Black Lives Matter, especially after the murder of George Floyd. Florence Price and Margaret Bonds’s work was written in the era of the Harlem Renaissance. So there was a lot of connection around what it meant to be African-American, what it meant to be Black, what it meant to be Negro in America, as they called it. I wanted to engage with who they were as people and use their music to do so.</strong></p> <p><a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/02/soprano-julia-bullock-wants-to-rock-your-soul/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Julia Bullock</a> told me she was really inspired by that relationship between Florence Price and Margaret Bonds and how she feels the world doesn’t allow for that much anymore because people seem to feel the need to be more competitive with one another. Has it really gotten to that point?<em> </em></p> <p><strong>If that is the case I have not experienced it. This is my first time working with Julia who is a lovely person. I work with a number of African-American women. For me, the experience has always been one of mutual respect and gratitude and recognition.</strong> </p> <p><strong>If we are all here at this place together, it is because we all have sacrificed a great deal to be there. We have all earned our place here. For me it has been nothing but mutual respect and collegiality and a willingness to also hold the door open for other people of talent that maybe we haven’t heard of. That we can connect through and find out about it without putting it a negative spin on it. The more that Black women in classical music are able to work with each other and collaborate, like on this festival, you begin to build that professional trust and that network so that you see more of us out there performing more regularly.</strong> </p> <p>In a video that you did for Careers for Girls you mentioned that it was your job to express emotion from the podium so that you can get the emotion out of the orchestra. What emotional connection do you feel to the work of Florence Price and Margaret Bonds that you then plan to translate to the orchestra?</p> <p><strong>The connection for me, if I can be raw here for a moment and vulnerable and transparent, which I know is like a no-no for conductors, but it is the inherent understanding of genius, stifled genius, unrecognized genius, not given the support and the nourishment that it deserves and having to find its own way. I understand that completely. </strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17354" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conductor-Jeri-Lynne-Johnson-Courtesy-JeriLynneJohnson.com_-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson (Courtesy JeriLynneJohnson.com)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>I can’t tell you as a young conductor how many times I was denied opportunity or just not even paid attention to because of who I am. So I look at these works and women with enormous talent and such incredible gifts who, had they had the ability to work with someone like a Nadia Boulanger as Aaron Copland did, what more would we have seen from them? What we have is incredible and so interesting, unbelievably rich, complicated, complex and soulful. It brings tears to my eyes to see the level of excellence that their works are now commanding and the attention they’re getting. </strong></p> <p>You were talking about genius stifled and denied opportunities. It’s not an easy path being a woman who conducts classical music. I’m sure it’s even tougher being a Black woman who conducts classical music. How much more complicated does that equation become when you are a person of color?</p> <p><strong>The way that race and gender intersect in my career has been very interesting. Not everything that I’ve dealt with has been related to that. Conducting is hard, as you know. For young conductors, it’s just a difficult time.</strong> [Composer] <strong>Jennifer Higdon and I were talking and I was lamenting when I was younger, like, oh, this is never going to work. I should just give up and become a buyer for Neiman Marcus or something. </strong></p> <p><strong>She told me this is a war of attrition. She said whoever lasts the longest lives. She talked about her experience as a composer, as a woman. So I have that tape loop in my head – this is a war of attrition. </strong></p> <p><strong>I think the timing was just right now for me to had been working for this amount of time, to be holding my breath, to be in a position to be able to take advantage of when the L.A. Phil calls and when the Chicago Symphony calls and when Santa Fe Opera calls. The only thing keeping me from these positions before George Floyd was being a Black woman. </strong></p> <p><strong>Now because I’m a Black woman people are now beginning to pay attention to me. The work has always been there. The study, the commitment to excellence of artistry, has always been there. The only thing has changed is people’s perceptions of where excellence resides as an artist and where it can reside and who can embody that on the podium. </strong></p> <p>Is true systemic change going to happen without the same changes that we see on the stage taking place in the executive offices? </p> <p><strong>You’re absolutely right that it has to be. There’s always a power dynamic in any of these relationships of who hires whom and who makes those decisions. We always tell our clients that that representation is not enough. It has to be true empowerment. Until there’s a very diverse setting at the table of who gets to make these decisions it’s always going to be a struggle. </strong></p> <p><strong>I think there’s a lot of fragility around will donors accept this? Will they like it? Change is hard for anyone and you have to be prepared to lose some people along the way. Some people just aren’t going to want to change and that’s okay. But in order to do the work authentically, you have to be prepared to lose a little something in order to gain something on the other side. </strong></p> <p>And how many Beethoven festivals does any one organization need to do every few seasons?</p> <p><strong>I’m going to put it out there in the universe. I really want to be the first Black woman to have a set of Beethoven’s nine symphonies recorded.<em> </em>It was kind of my dream as a young conductor so I’m holding fast to that.</strong></p> <p>I think since you’re making your Santa Fe Opera debut, you should also put on your list conducting the <em>Ring Cycle</em>.<em> </em></p> <p><strong>That is on my to-do list. I studied it extensively. I think of Wagner, as a person, as a really awful human being. But his music is just stunningly gorgeous.</strong></p> <p>Florence Price, in a letter to composer/conductor Serge Koussevitzky, then music director of the Boston Symphony, said, “Unfortunately the work of a woman composer is preconceived by many to be light, froth, lacking in depth, logic and virility. Add to that my race – I have colored blood in my veins – and you will understand some of the difficulties that confront one in such a position.” If you had a chance to update Florence Price about the world she so wanted to be a part of, what would you say?</p> <p><strong>I would give her the same advice that Jennifer Higdon told me: that it is a war of attrition. We fight these battles on hearts and minds and that art is a mighty warrior. And that people see you. People appreciate you and people understand you. The artists who understand your work, who understand your struggle, will find you. She’s having her moment and hopefully this moment lasts beyond the political interest of the moment and into real recognition of her as an artist and placing her and Margaret Bonds and others in relationship to their colleagues.</strong><em> </em></p> <p>Main Photo: Jeri Lynne Johnson (Courtesy LA Philharmonic)</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/09/conductor-jeri-lynne-johnson-a-war-of-attrition/">Conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson: A War of Attrition</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/09/conductor-jeri-lynne-johnson-a-war-of-attrition/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Jamez McCorkle Contemplates His Role in “Omar”</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/04/jamez-mccorkle-contemplates-his-role-in-omar/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/04/jamez-mccorkle-contemplates-his-role-in-omar/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 04 Nov 2022 20:48:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jamez McCorkle]]></category> <category><![CDATA[LA Opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michael Abels]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Omar]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Omar Ibn Said]]></category> <category><![CDATA[opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Porgy and Bess]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spoleto Festival USA]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=17301</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>"I myself am very contemplative about everything. I don't necessarily wear my emotions on my sleeve, but when I'm on stage as an opera singer something just changes and I just become this extremely emotive person."</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/04/jamez-mccorkle-contemplates-his-role-in-omar/">Jamez McCorkle Contemplates His Role in “Omar”</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>Though Jamez McCorkle had already been making a name for himself in opera, the world premiere of Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’s opera <i>O</i><em>mar</em> at the Spoleto Festival USA earlier this year elevated his status significantly.</p> <p>McCorkle sings the title role of Omar Ibn Said, a 37-year-old scholar living in West Africa who was enslaved and sent to Charleston, South Carolina. 24 years later, in 1831, his autobiography was published detailing his life, his experiences and the challenges to his Muslim faith.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Sneak Peek of Omar - Now to Nov. 13 only." width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ImB2nlSwL3U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>The same production is now playing at <a href="https://www.laopera.org/performances/202223-season/omar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LA Opera</a> through November 13th. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-10-23/omar-opera-los-angeles-rhiannon-giddens-michael-abels" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Charles McNulty</a>, writing in the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Los Angeles Times</span>, said of his performance, “Even when the libretto feels skeletal, McCorkle supplies an emotional heft. The meditative sincerity of the performance left me with my head bowed.”</p> <p>It was that inner character and the contemplative nature of the character that I saw on opening night that prompted me to talk to McCorkle. What follows are excerpts from that conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.</p> <p>On June 6th you posted a photo of yourself as Omar on your Instagram account and said, “I am Omar.” How do you personally relate to Omar Ibn Said? </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17305" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Amanda-Lynn-Bottoms-Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Amanda Lynn Bottoms and Jamez McCorkle in “Omar” (Photo by Cory Weaver/Courtesy LA Opera)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>I’ve come to this story opera through, not necessarily the man, but the representation of the mother in the spiritual form in the opera. She’s basically the one who’s guided his footsteps, telling him that this is the path for you and you should tell your story. She’s looking over him. </strong></p> <p><strong>My mother passed away right before my college auditions. In my heart I have a connection that way to this opera, feeling as if my mother is also guiding my footsteps in my career. Telling me which path to go. Glad you asked that question because I’ve never talked about it.</strong><em> </em></p> <p>How healing has it been for you to be doing this?</p> <p><strong>I’m glad that when my mother</strong> [in the opera] <strong>comes, I’m not singing because if she came while I was singing, I don’t know if I would be able to sing very well. But yeah, it’s very special.</strong></p> <p>How much did you know about Omar before this opera came your way? </p> <p><strong>Nothing. Most of the people didn’t know anything, honestly. Luckily enough the Spoleto Festival put together a bunch of scholars and got them to do Zoom videos and Zoom calls together to converse about their knowledge. They made it completely open to the public for everybody else to look at.</strong></p> <p><strong>The fact that they even went that extra mile to do that meant that I had less homework to do and I could focus more on the music itself. I think in a previous interview I said</strong> [the music] <strong>was easy. I think people misinterpreted what I was saying because it’s obviously not easy to sing, but the way it’s written is very well written for the voice. It’s well thought out for me. </strong></p> <p><strong>Basically the first act is a gigantic warmup for the second act. My voice has a very large range, but most of the first act sits in more of a baritone range and it’s constantly just churning and churning and trading and warming up and pushing higher and higher and higher until I get to all of my high notes in the second act. It’s just written so very, very well.</strong></p> <p>You don’t often find somebody who is as contemplative a character in opera as Omar is. What are the challenges in getting out the whys of who he is in a story where he’s not always being very proactive. A lot of what is going on is internalized. How do you approach a character that is frankly, on a lot of levels, the antithesis of what a lot of opera characters are? </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17310" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jamez McCorkle in “Omar” (Photo by Cory Weaver/Courtesy LA Opera)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>For a lot of the role, you’re right. But there are certain moments in the show where you have to wear your heart on on its sleeve. You have to make big differences between these two energies in order to give the character more legs to stand on emotionally. </strong></p> <p><strong>I myself am very contemplative about everything. I don’t necessarily wear my emotions on my sleeve, but when I’m on stage as an opera singer something just changes and I just become this extremely emotive person. I’m throwing my emotions everywhere all over the stage. So it’s nice to be able to bring these two parts of myself together as one person.</strong></p> <p><strong>It requires me to acquire more stillness – physically and mentally – and trusting that. It doesn’t always have to be these gigantic gestures. It’s more how you say each and every word, because every word you say now becomes extremely important. The most important thing: it’s not about the colors you can really create with your voice, it’s the colors you can create in the words themselves.</strong></p> <p>In the score I heard homages to <em>Porgy and Bess</em>, just a little phrase here and there. You appeared in <em>Porgy and Bess</em> at the Met. There are many who call for works like that to be relegated to the dustbin of history because they weren’t written by people who had authentic experiences. What is your view on <em>Porgy and Bess</em> and its place in opera today?</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17312" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Jamez-McCorkle-in-22Omar22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-LA-Opera-4.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jamez McCorkle and company of “Omar” (Photo by Cory Weaver)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>It’s not really my place to say whether an opera should be designated to the trash bin or not. But without <em>Porgy and Bess</em> there would be no <em>Omar</em>. Things go out of vogue, you know? So eventually time will tell whether or not it can stand up to the test of time. But without <em>Porgy and Bess</em> there would be no <em>Malcolm X</em>. There would be no <em><a href="https://culturalattache.co/2021/09/26/fire-shut-up-in-my-bones-terence-blanchards-second-opera/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fire Shut Up in My Bones</a></em>. There would be none of these new pieces that are being created by composers who are minorities and from a minority’s viewpoint.</strong> </p> <p>Are you optimistic that that that the success of something like <em>Fire Shut Up in My Bones</em> or the success of <em>Omar</em> will inspire other other artists of color to write for opera?</p> <p><strong>I hope so. Also just to bring to light to the works of all minorities who have written works already that have yet to become mainstream or to be seen by a vast majority of people.</strong> </p> <p><strong>I just went to a the African-American Art Song Alliance Convention at the University of Irvine. I came across works I never knew existed and by composers I had never heard of. I stayed for a couple of recitals and it was just beautiful music. How had I never heard of these people before? So it’s wonderful that we have these giant pillars such as <em>Omar</em> to help unearth the things that are even already there.</strong></p> <p>On your Facebook account on June 11th you posted, “I get to make music as my career. I mustn’t forget how special that is.” How often do you need to remind yourself how special that is?</p> <p><strong>I’ve done it my entire life. So it’s almost like drinking water, breathing air for me. It makes it easy to forget that this is special. Not many people get to have this type of experience in life. There’s just this certain aspect of life where if something feels special in that moment, but you have constant access to something that special, over time, it becomes something that you don’t really think about as much as special. What I’m doing in this art form as a classical musician is not something that people get to do very often. And it is very special.</strong><em> </em></p> <p><a href="https://religionnews.com/2020/02/07/who-was-omar-ibn-said-new-research-reconsiders-muslim-slaves-writings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karl Ernst</a>, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was interviewed for <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Religion News</span> in 2020 about Omar Said. He said of his writings, “We have to have a way of understanding how someone like him could have lived the life he did surrounded by people who couldn’t understand him at all.” How has your preparation and performance of Omar allowed you to understand him and how has this project allowed you to understand yourself better?</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17308" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Omar-Ibn-Said-circa-1850-Courtesy-LA-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Omar Ibn Said circa 1850 (Courtesy LA Opera)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>As an African-American, we tend to walk through life, and it’s been said before, but it’s true, having these two masks. One that we wear around black people and then one that we wear around everyone else. Omar and the way that he would write, it would be as if speaking to two different people at the same time. Leaving hints of Islamic literature inside of his writing that would inform those who are from that path, too. That’s how I come to think of it. It’s trying to walk the line. </strong></p> <p><strong>I guess it just made me realize that it’s not anything new, you know? It’s something that’s probably going to always be there; having to walk that line. To somehow remain true to yourself, but to still forge ahead and do the things you want to do. </strong></p> <p>Let’s take this conversation full circle. If your mother could be there to see you perform in this opera and see the relationship that Omar has with his mother, how do you think she’d respond? </p> <p><strong>Oh, she’d be screaming “That’s my baby! That’s my baby!” She was someone who always fought for me, even when I didn’t really fight for myself sometimes. She always had my back. She was always in my corner. Even if I was wrong. She would love…I’m sure she does love this opera. She’s watching it right now. She’s in love with it. Yeah. She’s smiling for sure.<em> </em></strong></p> <p>Main Photo: Jamez McCorkle in <em>Omar</em> (Photo by Cory Weaver)</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/04/jamez-mccorkle-contemplates-his-role-in-omar/">Jamez McCorkle Contemplates His Role in “Omar”</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/04/jamez-mccorkle-contemplates-his-role-in-omar/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Soprano Julia Bullock Wants to Rock Your Soul</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/02/soprano-julia-bullock-wants-to-rock-your-soul/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/02/soprano-julia-bullock-wants-to-rock-your-soul/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Classical: Metronome]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bell Hooks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Christian Reif]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Courtney Brian]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Florence Price]]></category> <category><![CDATA[History's Persistent Voice]]></category> <category><![CDATA[J'Nai Bridges]]></category> <category><![CDATA[James Agee]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jasmine White]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jeri Lynn Johnson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[John Adams]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Julia Bullock]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Margaret Bonds]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Meshell Ndegeocello]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michelle Bradley]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michelle Cann]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nonesuch Records]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Peter Sellars]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rock Your Soul Festival]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Samuel Barber]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Valerie Coleman]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Walking the Dark]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=17271</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>"I made a lot of peace with who I am and how I also am expanding in the various roles that I can take on and feel comfortable in."</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/02/soprano-julia-bullock-wants-to-rock-your-soul/">Soprano Julia Bullock Wants to Rock Your Soul</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17279" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-2-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure></div> <p>This year is going out with a bang for soprano Julia Bullock. She’s curated the <a href="https://www.laphil.com/concerts-and-events/festivals/rock-my-soul-festival" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Rock Your Soul Festival</em> </a>with the Los Angeles Philharmonic that starts in earnest on November 5th and runs through November 22nd. She has her first solo recording coming out from Nonesuch Records. It’s called <em><a href="https://www.nonesuch.com/albums/walking-in-the-dark" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walking in the Dark</a></em>. Finally she and pianist/conductor husband Christian Reif are expecting their first child any day now.</p> <p><em>Rock Your Soul</em> <em>Festival</em> was originally conceived by the LA Phil as a celebration of the work and friendship of Florence Price and Margaret Bonds. The title harkens back to a spiritual (<em>Rock My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham</em>) and a book by noted author and activist Bell Hooks (<em>Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem</em>).</p> <p>Amongst the artists Bullock has assembled for the festival are soprano Michelle Bradley, mezzo-soprano <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/05/31/jnai-bridges-enters-peter-lorraine-hunt-liebersons-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">J’Nai Bridges</a>, pianist Michelle Cann (look for our interview with her later this week), singer/composer Rhiannon Giddens, conductor Jeri Lynn Johnson, singer/songwriter <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2019/07/11/meshell-ndegeocello-unplugged-and-unmasked/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meshell Ndegeocello</a> and mezzo-soprano Jasmine White.</p> <p><em>Walking in the Dark</em> finds Bullock performing works by John Adams, Samuel Barber, Oscar Brown Jr., <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDdUOXpp6Zc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Connie Converse</a> and Sandy Denny. It’s a beautiful record that is set for release on December 9th. Reif plays piano on the recording and leads the Philharmonia Orchestra of London as well.</p> <p>Bullock’s pregnancy precludes her from performing in <em>Rock Your Soul Festival</em>, but it did allow for other opportunities which she described in our conversation recently. What follows are excerpts from that conversation which have been edited for length and for clarity.</p> <p>I want to start by asking you about something you told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/25/arts/music/julia-bullock-zauberland-lincoln-center.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zachary Wolff</a> in the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">New York Times</span> in 2019. It was advice your mother gave you: “Make sure that your work is making a difference for the betterment of the world.” You seem to have taken up that challenge and made it your mission. How do you think that has made your career different than others and, by extension, more fulfilling for you? </p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17280" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure></div> <p><strong>Well, I don’t know if it’s made it so much different from other people’s. I think every artist has a call in one way or another to have a mission or have their their passion realized. I don’t have a casual relationship with music. In fact, my desire to sing and also share music is because I know the impact that it’s had on my life and also how it’s enriched my life and helps me feel more interconnected and engaged. </strong></p> <p><strong>I guess I’m always looking for ways to deepen that exploration and enjoy it in the process. I find that most of the artists whose work I really love also have this sort of mission. They’re very much conscious of the world that was going on around them and trying to make sense of it or call out hypocrisies. I’m not sure if I feel it’s so different than what other artists are doing. I guess I’ve just given myself permission to expand that in as many directions as I can imagine.</strong></p> <p>I would assume that in doing that, when someone like Peter Sellars says “Her path is going to be our path,” that’s got to be both hugely flattering and also a bit of a mantle to take on on a certain level.</p> <p><strong>I truthfully don’t like to be positioned in any capacity. I appreciate that Peter feels that the way that I work, the reflections that I have, and just the fact that I’m really dedicated to my craft and my own development and learning, is something that he wants to celebrate. I guess I celebrate that, too. That would be part of why, in the performing arts in particular, I don’t take that pressure on because that’s just a projection of something. The work that I do is not trying to live into some projection of Julia. </strong></p> <p>In the liner notes for <em>Walking in the Dark</em> you conclude your statements in the liner notes with “If our intentions are translated well enough and are clearly in focus, it may lead to some moments of illumination.” What has been the process of making your intentions perfectly clear with the <em>Rock Your Soul Festival</em>?</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17275" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Florence-Price-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Florence Price (Courtesy New York Public Library Archive)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>It was their idea, not the title or anything like that, but just the proposal to curate a program that was focusing on the relationship between Margaret Bonds and Florence Price. Other than their vocal music and really just their songs, I was not too familiar with a lot of their repertoire – the breadth of their repertoire. It was an opportunity for me to again delve into some research and take six, seven months to consider the work of composers that I had not had the time or had this opportunity to look at. </strong></p> <p><strong>I was reading about their personal lives and also this relationship of mutual support. They had this teacher</strong> (Price)<strong>/ student</strong> (Bonds) <strong>relationship.</strong> <strong>When there were really troubling times for Florence Price in her personal life she went and lived with Margaret Bonds for a period of time. That really communicated this beautiful thing. It wasn’t just about their artistic output. It was also about nurturing and respecting each other as human beings and fully supporting each other that way. That was something I really wanted to celebrate and acknowledge besides just sharing their repertoire. </strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17276" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Margaret-Bonds-Courtesy-New-York-Public-Library-Archive.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Margaret Bonds (Courtesy New York Public Library Archives)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong>Every single artist that was invited into the festival there is this feeling of mutual support. Every single composer that I know, that I work with personally and also the composers that I either read their letters or biographies, they openly admit how influenced they are by the people who are around them. And they seek out guidance and advice. They are influenced by what’s going on socially, politically.</strong> </p> <p>I think we can learn a lot from what Florence Price and Margaret Bonds did in terms of shared experiences as musicians and as human beings. Because it goes without saying that a lot of people care more about ideologies and less about each other as human beings right now. Perhaps the festival can find a way to bridge that divide.</p> <p><strong>It can be very closed and people can get very closed. Growing up listening to recordings, my family had vinyls or cassettes playing all the time. A lot of the time we listened to music together. Even if I was alone I was still playing music, not locked into an earphone or earbuds privately, it was something that was heard in the house – the shared space. I think music can foster some really beautiful acknowledgment of each other. It’s not just some theoretical exercise. It’s like actually putting it into practice. I think that’s probably what drove me and that’s what drives most musicians to make music. Because you’re wanting a shared experience and wanting to share your own experience as well.<em> </em></strong></p> <p>Once you became pregnant and knew that being here for the festival wasn’t going to be possible did that give you any opportunities to make changes or add other things that maybe couldn’t fit into the program because you were a part of it at one point and now you were not?<em> </em></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17282" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Julia-Bullock-4-Photo-by-Allison-Michael-orenstein-Courtesy-Askonas-Holt-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure></div> <p><strong>I’m sad. I’m just not going to be there. Obviously I’m growing a human being. So that’s what it is.</strong><em> </em></p> <p><strong>I was supposed to perform <a href="https://juliabullock.com/met-residency-historys-persistent-voice/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">History’s Persistent Voice</a>, which featured a lot of contemporary composers who are all Black women. That was an hour-and-a-half program.<em> </em>I decided to save this for another season and think about another program. </strong></p> <p><strong>That was a great opportunity to perform one of <a href="https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/1796/2022-11-11/bryan-bonds-price" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florence Price’ full symphonies</a>. It was also an opportunity then for me to think about the composers who were associated with <em>History’s Persistence Voice</em> and look at some of their other pieces and see if there was a way to feature their work.</strong> </p> <p><strong>I’m really excited Courtney Brian’s <em>Sanctum</em> is included. Her work is just super powerful and I’m so glad that that is going to have a premiere at the LA Phil. Valerie Coleman’s selections from her <em>Phenomenal Women</em> will be featured as well. It’s the first time that she will have anything performed at the Phil.</strong></p> <p>Your first album is going to be something that was to be considered carefully. Now that you’ve recorded it, and I know from earlier in this conversation you haven’t listened to it recently, but what would you like listeners to know about you from hearing the choices that you made for <em>Walking in the Dark</em> and the performances you give? </p> <p><strong>What do I want them to know about me? I really hope it is just an invitation. All of the music that’s on this is material I’ve lived with for honestly two decades and some of it I’ve performed for a decade. The chance to lay it down and be a part of a recording legacy of some of these pieces that have also been recorded by so many different artists was a rare and wonderful opportunity. It’s not one that I take for granted. </strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="300" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover-300x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-17277" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover-300x300.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover-150x150.jpg 150w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover-768x768.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover-696x696.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover-1068x1068.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover-420x420.jpg 420w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Walking-in-the-Dark-Album-Cover.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure></div> <p><strong><em>Walking in the Dark</em>, I mean the title of it. I didn’t write this in the liner notes and I’ve only brought it up to a few people, but I want to make it very clear that darkness is not something that should have, in fact, any kind of negative association. I feel in some ways that darkness, or blackness even, has been conditioned in certain parts of societies or cultures to have negative connotations and somehow promotes the idea of a white supremacist ideology. That really is not something that I can tolerate. </strong></p> <p><strong>I guess it’s been something I have grappled with – a collective question about identity or I have felt that I have had to question my identity for a very, very long time. I made a lot of peace with who I am and how I also am expanding in the various roles that I can take on and feel comfortable in.</strong></p> <p>James Agee, who probably needs no introduction to you since his poetry inspired Samuel Barber’s <em>Knoxville Summer of 1915</em> (which Bullock performs on <em>Walking in the Dark</em>), is quoted as saying, “Some people get where they hope to in this world. Most of us don’t.” I feel like in watching your career over the last number of years that you’re actively working through your art and through your activism to get the world to where you hope it will be. As a soon-to-be mother, what is the world you’d like to see your child living in and how do you think your art can pave a path for that to be a reality? </p> <p><strong>Well, I hope that this child will feel safe. That the child will not be limited in anything that they want to invest in and enjoy. That there will be not be a lot of assumptions made or anticipated projections of this child and what they feel they have to represent so that they can just live their lives. But there’s something in safety that feels really important right now.</strong></p> <p>Photos of Julia Bullock (By Allison Michael Orenstein/Courtesy Askonas Holt)</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/02/soprano-julia-bullock-wants-to-rock-your-soul/">Soprano Julia Bullock Wants to Rock Your Soul</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2022/11/02/soprano-julia-bullock-wants-to-rock-your-soul/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Johnny Gandelsman Explores America</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2022/05/18/johnny-gandelsman-explores-america/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2022/05/18/johnny-gandelsman-explores-america/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 18 May 2022 20:49:33 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Classical: Metronome]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Angelica Negrón]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Brooklyn Rider]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Conrad Tao]]></category> <category><![CDATA[interview]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Johnny Gandelsman]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Terry Reily]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[This Is America]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tomeka Reid]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tyshawn Sorey]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Violin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[World Premiere]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=16363</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>"I can't say that I'm an activist in any way. I'm hoping that through the work of being a musician there's something positive that I can bring to the conversation or people's experience."</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/05/18/johnny-gandelsman-explores-america/">Johnny Gandelsman Explores America</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16367" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure></div> <p>“I do like the possibility of just people experiencing something that they’re unfamiliar with. And then hopefully what it does is just either raises some questions or just piques their curiosity.” That’s how Grammy Award-winning violinist Johnny Gandelsman describes the optimal reaction he’d like audiences have to his new anthology, <em>This Is America</em>.</p> <p>The project finds Gandelsman performing 24 newly-commissioned works for solo violin. Amongst the composers who have contributed to <em>This Is America</em> are Rhiannon Giddens, Angélica Negrón, Tomeka Reid, Terry Reily, Tyshawn Sorey and <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2019/05/17/how-does-pianist-composer-conrad-tao-juggle-it-all/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Conrad Tao</a>. The composers represent the true melting pot that is America: straight, gay, multiple ethnicities, young, old, immigrants and more.</p> <p>Gandelsman is himself an immigrant having been born in Russia. He was raised there and in Israel before moving to the United States. He is best known as the co-founder of the string quartet Brooklyn Rider and a regular collaborator with Silkroad Ensemble. Gandelsman has collaborated with such artists as David Byrne, Yo-Yo Ma, <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2016/05/11/handel-wrote-music-besides-messiah-anne-sofie-von-otter-going-sing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Anne Sofie von Otter</a> and Suzanne Vega.</p> <p>Our conversation took place after a horrific weekend of violence and racism in the country he now calls home. What follows are excerpts from that conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.</p> <p>How much is your list of composers for <em>This Is America</em> a reflection of that basic idea of what this country is supposed to be and by extension, how much does their individual music represent that concept as well?</p> <p><strong>The project is there to sort of broaden the conversation about what is America and who are the voices that we hear from in the concert hall. So all of those things where definitely part of my thinking when I was working on the list. I love lists. I have a very long list of people that I would love to work with. So 24 is definitely not the end of it. It’s trying to present a broad view of what’s happening right now in this country in terms of creative output. This is just a drop in the bucket.</strong></p> <p>How does new music allow you to do that in a way that the classic repertoire of classical music does not?</p> <p><strong>If we want people to feel connected to music, to what we do on stage, we can’t just play the old stuff. It just doesn’t make any sense. I really think that hearing from people who are writing music today and putting their experience in front of other people is the way for audiences to connect to music that’s written right now. Just like people</strong> [could] <strong>connect it to when Beethoven was writing his symphonies and he was a contemporary composer. I think the practice of playing music of the past is a relatively new idea. And while it has done some good things in terms of making sure that those pieces are around and people are familiar with them, it just cannot be the only thing that our art form does.</strong></p> <p>Each composer has his or her own approach and compositional style. How did you respond to all these various pieces?</p> <p><strong>Some pieces I had a feeling that I understood right away. And some pieces what was being asked of me was was either foreign to me or challenging or just something that I’ve never tried before. And so I had to overcome this sense of fear of I can’t do that. That’s foreign. That’s no good. It’s embarrassing to admit, but my first reaction was, oh, this is just not good, you know? And it was just because I didn’t understand it. And I was totally afraid of it. What was really nice about it was that the composers were really kind and gently guided me into their process of thinking and what they were imagining.</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-16368" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Johnny-Gandelsman-Photo-courtesy-of-the-artist-and-The-Wallis-2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure></div> <p>That fear or the unknown seems like it is also a reflection of our world today.</p> <p><strong>When faced with something that was really challenging, my first reaction was fear. And that’s what we see in the world today across all all spheres of of our lives. People, when faced with unknown things, the first reaction often is rejection of those things. I say this in the notes for the album, but I really wish that people in all walks of life would have this kind of gentle guidance into the unfamiliar world where they could feel safe to experience something new and then find a way to accept people who</strong> [have] <strong>different ideas, who are different.</strong></p> <p>Once you settled into each composition in <em>This Is America</em>, how has your approach to them grown? In addition to the recording you are also performing some of the selections live in concert.</p> <p><strong>When I recorded these pieces they were very fresh. Since then I’ve had a chance to perform them. That experience in itself changes how I feel about it. It changes the piece. In a way I wish I could re-record the whole thing again. But that’s true of almost all albums that are made. I do think that the pieces might resonate now slightly differently. I mean the world just keeps throwing these things at us that are just constant.</strong></p> <p>Has <em>This is America</em> allowed you to foster a greater love for America or question whether the American experiment is destined to ultimately fail?</p> <p><strong>That’s a really hard question. I love this place. I’m Russian, Israeli, American. And all of these places have some incredibly disturbing things about them. At the same time they have great culture, great people and probably equal amount of people who believe in the things that we believe in. They just don’t have the governments that, at least currently, allow for a conversation about that really. So I don’t know. I do believe that this place the idea is great, but it’s clearly a work in progress.</strong> </p> <p><strong>It’s easy to kind of stay in your own bubble and not engage. It seems like maybe we don’t have the luxury of staying on the sidelines and letting it roll down the hill and then seeing what happens. I think people do whatever they believe they need to do in their own ways. I can’t say that I’m an activist in any way. I’m hoping that through the work of being a musician there’s something positive that I can bring to the conversation or people’s experience.</strong></p> <p>Hopefully for at least the length of your concert, regardless of ideologies, people are having a shared experience that silences those differences.</p> <p><strong>This might be my imagination, but it does feel like when we’re together in the room experiencing music – and that’s relatively new now right after COVID – people find ways to connect to, if not the music, but the idea behind it. I think that’s a kind of invisible bridge that is established for that period of time. So it does feel like we’re all in it together: the composers, the audience and myself. Which is a nice place to be.</strong></p> <p><em>Johnny Gandelsman will perform selections from This Is America</em> <em>at The Wallis in Beverly Hills on May 19th. For tickets and more information, please go <a href="https://thewallis.org/show-info.php?id=496" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</em> </p> <p><em>To pre-order the CD or a digital download of “This Is America,” please go <a href="https://johnnygandelsman.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-america-an-anthology-2020-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</em></p> <p>All photos courtesy of the artist and The Wallis.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2022/05/18/johnny-gandelsman-explores-america/">Johnny Gandelsman Explores America</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2022/05/18/johnny-gandelsman-explores-america/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Best Bets at Home: September 25th – September 27th</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/25/best-bets-at-home-september-25th-september-27th/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/25/best-bets-at-home-september-25th-september-27th/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:01:46 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Dance: At the Barre]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jazz in 5/4 Time]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Musicals: 5-6-7-8]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Play's The Thing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[A Love Supreme]]></category> <category><![CDATA[A Time to Sing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Anat Cohen]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Andrew Lippa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Antonin Dvořák]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Benjamin Britten]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Branford Marsalis]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Carly Bawden]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cécile McLorin Salvant]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Charles Lloyd]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Christian McBride]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Christian Sands]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Christopher Dimond]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dances at a Gathering]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dee Dee Bridgewater]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Diana Krall]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dianne Reeves]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Emma Rice]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Frédéric Chopin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fridays at Five]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald Clayton]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Giacomo Puccini]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gustavo Dudamel]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Healdsburg Jazz]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Helen Thorpe]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Herbie Hancock]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Home]]></category> <category><![CDATA[J'Nai Bridges]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jamie Cullum]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jason Paige]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jazz Stream]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jerome Robbins]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Joe Lovano]]></category> <category><![CDATA[John Coltrane]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Joshua Redman]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Julian Lage]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Just Like Us]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Karen Zacarías]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kenny Barron Trio]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kurt Elling]]></category> <category><![CDATA[La Bohème]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Latino Theater Company]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lila Downs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Los Angeles Philharmonic]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lula Washington Dance Theatre]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marc Antolin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marcus Strickland Trio]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Metropolitan Opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michael Kooman]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Miranda: A Steampunk VR Experience]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Monterey Jazz Festival]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nancy Ma]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nicole Glover]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Open Fist Theatre Company]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ramsey Lewis]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Regina Carter]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Renée Fleming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Romantics Anonymous]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Roy Hargrove]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SFJazz]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Shoshana Bean]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sound/Stage]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Stephen Sondheim]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Table Top Shakespeare: At Home]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Terri-Lyne Carrington]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Ford Theatre]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Kennedy Center]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Royal Ballet]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tosca]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Turandot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ty Taylor]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Vanessa Williams]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Village Vanguard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[William Shakespeare]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Zakir Hussain]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=10777</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Over a dozen recommendations for your culture fix this weekend</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/25/best-bets-at-home-september-25th-september-27th/">Best Bets at Home: September 25th – September 27th</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>Summer is officially over. With our Best Bets at Home: September 25th – September 27th we are officially kicking off the traditional start of the new culture season. Of course, it looks a little different this year. With the recent news that the Metropolitan Opera has cancelled their full 2020-2021 season, I fear that will be just the tip of the iceberg and more performing arts organizations will make similar announcements.</p> <p>Thankfully it appears we will have an even larger number of ways to enjoy culture at home in the weeks and months ahead. This weekend’s best bets include a virtual version of the annual Monterey Jazz Festival, a live-streamed musical from England, a dystopian virtual reality live musical, a concert with two stars of opera and stage and so much more.</p> <p>Here are your Best Bets at Home: September 25th – September 27th:</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10789" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lula-Washington-Dance-Theatre-Courtesy-Ford-Theatre.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Lula Washington Dance Theatre at the Ford Theatre (Photo courtesy The Ford Theatre)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/3404612752924811/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">From The Ford with Lula Washington Dance Theatre</a></em></strong> – Now</p> <p>Cultural Attaché made a big deal about the cancellation of this summer’s Hollywood Bowl season. Lost in the shuffle was the cancellation of the season at The Ford Theatre as well. Much like their colleagues on the other side of the Cahuenga Pass in Los Angeles, they have been presenting some programming on line.</p> <p>While much of it isn’t programming that we would naturally cover – which does not reflect on its quality at all – this week’s program is a perfect fit.</p> <p>Los Angeles-based Lula Washington Dance Theatre performed at The Ford in 2018. That performance became available Thursday on The Ford’s Facebook and YouTube pages. The performance (and, in fact, all of the performances they began streaming in August) are available for viewing.</p> <p>Earlier this year I interviewed Lula Washington as they celebrated their 40th anniversary. You can read that interview <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/01/30/lula-washington-looks-forward/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> and get more information about this wonderful company.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10797" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-2013-Photo-by-Cole-Thompson-Courtesy-Monterey-Jazz-Festival.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>The Monterey Jazz Festival 2013 (Photo by Cole Thompson /Courtesy Monterey Jazz Festival)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MontereyJazzFestival" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monterey Jazz Festival</a></em></strong> – September 25th – September 27th</p> <p>Every day this weekend the Monterey Jazz Festival is streaming two-hours of performances by jazz legends. There will be a mix of archived and new performances. The streaming begins each day at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT on the festival’s YouTube channel.</p> <p>The line-up is as follows (and when I last checked there was still a notice that more performances might be added):</p> <p><em>Friday, September 25th</em>: Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove & RH Factor, Christian Sands (the 2020 and 2021 Monterey Jazz Festival Artist-in-Residence), Terri Lyne Carrington – Mosaic Project, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra Directed by Gerald Clayton, Christian McBride & Inside Straight, Jamie Cullum and Herbie Hancock.</p> <p><em>Saturday, September 26th</em>: Regina Carter, Next Generation Women in Jazz Combo Directed by Katie Thiroux, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra Directed by Gerald Clayton, Davina and the Vagabonds, Clint Eastwood in conversation with Tim Jackson, Eastwood at Monterey with Diana Krall & Kenny Barron Trio, Berklee Institute of Jazz & Gender Justice Quintet, Our Native Daughters featuring Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla and Allison Russell and a Tribute to Dave Brubeck with Cannery Row Suite featuring Kurt Elling & Roberta Gambarini.</p> <p><em>Sunday, September 27th</em>: Sonny Rollins Tribute featuring Jimmy Heath, Joe Lovano, Branford Marsalis, and Joshua Redman, Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Anat Cohen Tentet, Angela Davis in conversation with Terri Lyne Carrington, Gerald Clayton Quartet, Cooking Demonstration with Lila Downs from her home in Oaxaca, 2012 Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour with musical director Christian McBride and Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals, 2018 Monterey Jazz Festival On Tour with musical director Christian Sands and Cécile McLorin Salvant on vocals and a Tribute to Quincy Jones, “The A&M Years”, featuring Hubert Laws and Valerie Simpson.</p> <p>There is no charge to watch these programs. Donations are encouraged and will go to the artists performing, the <a href="https://www.tmcf.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thurgood Marshall College Fund</a> and the <a href="https://www.naacpldf.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund</a></p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10790" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Karen-Zacarias-Courtesy-her-website.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Playwright Karen Zacarías (Courtesy her website)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><span><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://thelatc.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Just </a></i><span style="font-weight: 600;"><a href="http://thelatc.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><i>Like</i></a></span><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://thelatc.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> </a></i></span><strong><em><a href="http://thelatc.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Us</a></em></strong> – Latino Theater Company – September 25th – October 4th</p> <p>Los Angeles-based Latino Theater Company continues presenting both archived films of previous productions and readings of new works with a sneak peek of Karen Zacarías’s <em>Just Like Us</em>. </p> <p>The play depicts the lives for four teenage Latinas. Two girls are undocumented and two are not. As the realities of their separate immigration situations begin to reflect what each girl may or may not be able to accomplish, their friendships get tested.</p> <p>Zacarías based her play on Helen Thorpe’s best-selling book of the same name. Zacarías (<em>Native Gardens</em>) uses a documentary-style approach to this play. </p> <p>The cast includes Richard Azurdia, Natalie Camunas, Michelle Castillo, Alicia Coca, Peter Mendoza, Elyse Mirto, Lys Perez, Geoffrey Rivas, Lucy Rodriguez, Kenia Romero and Alexis Santiago. <em>Just Like Us</em> is directed by Fidel Gomez.</p> <p>While you are at the LATC website (where you can access <em>Just Like Us</em>), you might also notice that Nancy Ma’s <em>Home</em> will be available for viewing. Ma performed her one-person show at LATC last year. The play illuminates Ma’s struggle to accept her own identity when she finds herself torn between her immigrant family’s Chinese Toisan background and her new-found American home.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10799" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Miranda-Poster-Art.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>The poster art for “Miranda: A Steampunk VR Experience”</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em>Miranda: A Steampunk VR Experience</em></strong> – Now – September 26th</p> <p>In 2013 the first production of Kamala Sankaram’s <em>steampunk opera</em> took place. Seven years later, a new version that takes the work and brings it into the virtual reality world, co-created by Tri-Cities Opera and co-presented by Opera Omaha, is available for free (with advance registration).</p> <p><em>Miranda</em> tells the story of three suspects who are on trial for the murder of a wealthy woman. Each of the three defendants will have to testify in order to exonerate themselves. You, the audience, will serve as judge and jury. The entire story takes place in a dystopian feature that appears to be a radical version of our present-day world with steampunk influences.</p> <p>The performance happens live in real time. Each performer is kept separated in their own motion capture cubicles. Utilizing motion capture gear (think Andy Serkis in<em> </em>the <em>Planet of the Apes</em> remakes) their movement and performances are captured a brought into the 3D virtual environment.</p> <p>There are three performances each day. The website lays out the various ways you can experience <em>Miranda</em> (you don’t have to have VR gear to do so.) </p> <p>I honestly don’t know how good this will be, but it is certainly a unique way to bring the performing arts to audiences during the pandemic. The sheer bravado of doing a project this way makes it worthy of inclusion. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10796" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marianela-Nunez-and-Alexander-Campbell-in-22Dances-at-a-Gathering22-Photo-©2020-ROH-Photo-by-Bill-Cooper.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Marianela Nuñez and Alexander Campbell in “Dances at a Gathering” (Photo ©2020 ROH/Photo by Bill Cooper) </figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em>Dances at a Gathering</em></strong> – The Royal Ballet – September 25th – October 24th</p> <p>Jerome Robbins’s <em>Dances at a Gathering</em> was first performed in 1969 by the New York City Ballet. The hour-long work is set to the music of composer Frédéric Chopin.</p> <p>The Royal Ballet brought the ballet back onto their stages during the 2019-2020 season. It marked the return of this particular Robbins work after an absence of eleven years.</p> <p><em>Dances at a Gathering</em> features five couples. The company for this performance includes Luca Acri, Federico Bonelli, William Bracewell, Alexander Campbell, Francesca Hayward, Fumi Kaneko, Laura Morera, Yasmine Naghdi, Marianela Nuñez and Valentino Zucchetti.</p> <p>Robbins was a five-time Tony Award winner and a two-time Academy Award winner. He’s best known for <em>West Side Story</em>.</p> <p>The Royal Ballet is charging £3 to view the ballet. That’s just under $4.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10792" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Marc-Antolin-Carly-Bawden-and-company-in-22Romantics-Anonymous22-Photo-by-Steve-Tanner-Courtesy-The-Wallis.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Marc Antolin, Carly Bawden and the company of “Romantics Anonymous” (Photo by Steve Tanner/Courtesy The Wallis)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a href="https://thewallis.org/Romantics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Romantics Anonymous</a></em></strong> – The Wallis – September 26th – 4:00 PM EDT/1:00 PM PDT</p> <p>For the past few years Emma Rice and Kneehigh have brought their innovative productions of <em>The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk</em> and <em>Brief Encounter</em> to the stage at The Wallis in Beverly Hills. </p> <p>This year Rice was scheduled to return to the United States with a tour of The Wise Children, Bristol Old Vic and Plush Theatricals Production of the musical <em>Romantics Anonymous</em>, but that was not to be.</p> <p><em>Romantics Anonymous</em> is based on the 2010 film <em>Les Émotifs Anonymes</em>. It tells the story of two people who make chocolate and are navigating their way through the world in very different ways. Angélique, who pours her heart and soul into her chocolates, is part of a support group helping her get a better grip on her life. Jean-René listens to self-help tapes while trying to keep his floundering chocolate factory afloat. They are both very emotional people and, of course, fall in love.</p> <p>The musical was written by Michael Kooman (music) and Christopher Dimond (lyrics). Rice wrote the book.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Romantics Anonymous Trailer" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LXYPaRLJACA?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>Lyn Gardner, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/oct/31/romantics-anonymous-review-sam-wanamaker-playhouse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">writing for <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Guardian</span></a>, said of the show, “<em>Romantics Anonymous</em> is a multifaceted gem, chock-full of love, generosity and joy…”</p> <p>Ever resourceful, Rice and the entire team have taken a unique approach to making their show available. The entire cast and crew have been in quarantine and will be performing the show live at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre on Saturday. The Wallis is one of six companies to host the United States performance.</p> <p><em>Romantics Anonymous</em> stars <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2018/03/07/marc-antolin-paints-picture-marc-chagall/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marc Antolin</a>, Carly Bawden, Me’sha Bryan, Philip Cox, Omari Douglas, Harry Hepple, Sandra Marvin, Laura Jane Matthewson and Gareth Snook.</p> <p>The cost to watch the show is £21 which is just under $27 (as of the exchange rate on 9/24 when this was written). <em>Romantics Anonymous</em> will only be streamed live on this one date. There will be, however, an audio described version and a closed caption version available on Monday, September 28th at 11:00 AM and 11:30 AM respectively.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10793" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/The-Kennedy-Center-Opera-House-Courtesy-The-Kennedy-Center.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>The Kennedy Center Opera House (Photo courtesy The Kennedy Center)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a href="https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/on-stage/on-stage-a-time-to-sing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Time to Sing</a></em></strong><em><strong><a href="https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/on-stage/on-stage-a-time-to-sing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">: An Evening with Renée Fleming and Vanessa Williams</a></strong></em><strong><em> </em></strong> – The Kennedy Center – September 26th – 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT</p> <p>Opera singer Renée Fleming and Tony Award-nominated actress Vanessa Williams team up for this new concert filmed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.</p> <p>The women will share the stage and perform songs written by Harold Arlen, Benjamin Britten, Antonín Dvořák, Joni Mitchell, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Stephen Sondheim, Sting and more. There will also be the world premiere of <em>Diva</em> by Andrew Lippa.</p> <p>Tickets to watch the concert are $15 and will allow access to view <em>A Time to Sing</em> through the rest of 2020.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-10794" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Shoshana-Bean-Photo-by-Kevin-Thomas-Garcia-Courtesy-Open-Fist-Theatre.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Shoshana Bean (Photo by Kevin Thomas Garcia/Courtesy of Open Fist Theatre)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.openfist.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open Fist </a></em></strong><span style="font-weight: 600;"><i><a href="http://www.openfist.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Th</a></i></span><strong><em><a href="http://www.openfist.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eatre Company’s 30th Anniversary Virtual Gala</a></em></strong> – September 26th – 10:00 PM EDT/7:00 PM PDT</p> <p>For any theatre company to last thirty years is quite an accomplishment. Los Angeles-based Open Fist Theatre is celebrating that accomplishment with a virtual gala and online auction on Saturday night. </p> <p>Joining the company during this one-hour event will be <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2018/02/21/shoshana-bean-discovers-full-spectrum/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shoshana Bean</a> (Broadway’s <em>Waitress</em>), Jason Paige (<em>For the Record </em>shows) and Ty Taylor (lead singer of Vintage Trouble.)</p> <p>Since their inception in 1990, Open Fist Theatre Company has produced multiple award-winning productions including <em>Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage</em>, <em>The Cosmonaut’s Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved In The Former Soviet Union </em>and <em>DeLEARious</em>.</p> <p>There is no cost to watch the gala. Donations are, of course, encouraged. There are also VIP tickets for a virtual cocktail hour that runs in the 60 minutes prior to the gala’s start. Those tickets are $100.</p> <p>Those are my choices for your Best Bets at Home: September 25th – September 27th. As usual, I have some reminders for you.</p> <p>Los Angeles Philharmonic’s new series <em><a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/23/the-la-philharmonics-sound-stage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sound/Stage</a></em> launches today on their website. This week’s program is called <em>Love in the Time of Covid</em> and features performances by the orchestra with Gustavo Dudamel conducting. Guests include mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges and actress María Valverde. Works by Peter Liberson, George Walker and Gustav Mahler will be performed.</p> <p>This weekend’s <em><a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/16/table-top-shakespeare-at-home/">Table Top Shakespeare: At Home</a></em> will have performances of <em>King John</em> on Friday, <em>Titus Andronicus</em> on Saturday and <em>Much Ado About Nothing</em> on Sunday.</p> <p>Here are this weekend’s listings from this week’s <em><a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/21/jazz-stream-september-22nd-september-27th/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jazz Stream</a></em>:</p> <p>The Nicole Glover Quartet performs live from Smalls on September 25th.</p> <p><em>Fridays at Five</em> from SFJAZZ streams at 2014 concert: <em>John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme 50th Anniversary Celebration</em> on September 25th.</p> <p>The Kenny Barron Trio live at the Village Vanguard streams on September 25th and September 26th.</p> <p>Ramsey Lewis performs live on September 26th.</p> <p>The Marcus Strickland Trio live at Blue Note streams on September 26th.</p> <p>Charles Lloyd, Zakir Hussain and Julian Lage perform live from Healdsburg Jazz Festival on September 26th.</p> <p>This weekend’s operas from the <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/21/week-28-at-the-met/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Metropolitan Opera’s <em>Puccini Week</em></a> are <em>Tosca</em> on Friday, <em>Turandot</em> on Saturday and <em>La Bohème</em> on Sunday.</p> <p>That is a lot of options for this weekend’s Best Bets at Home: September 25th – September 27th. Continue to check back at Cultural Attaché for our weekly suggestions to satisfy your desires to see the performing arts. </p> <p>Main photo: The company of <em>Romantics Anonymous</em> (Photo by Steve Tanner/Courtesy The Wallis)</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/25/best-bets-at-home-september-25th-september-27th/">Best Bets at Home: September 25th – September 27th</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2020/09/25/best-bets-at-home-september-25th-september-27th/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Culture Best Bets at Home: June 12th – June 14th</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2020/06/11/culture-best-bets-at-home-june-12th-june-14th/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2020/06/11/culture-best-bets-at-home-june-12th-june-14th/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2020 21:56:55 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Classical: Metronome]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Come to the Cabaret]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dance: At the Barre]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opera: Bravo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Play's The Thing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[92 Street Y]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Adam Penford]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Alan Bennett]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Allegiance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Antoni Cimolino]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Arthur Mitchell]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Arthur Pita]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Björk]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Björk Ballet]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Carnegie Hall Fridays]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Creole Giselle]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Dance Theatre of Harlem]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Debra Gillett]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Frederick Ashton]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fridays at Five]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gerald Finley]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Giacomo Puccini]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Glyndebourne]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hamlet]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Hector Berlioz]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Il trittico]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jeremy Jordan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jonathan Goad]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Julia Wolfe]]></category> <category><![CDATA[La Fille mal gardee]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Live from Covent Garden]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Louise Alder]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mark Gatiss]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Medici.tv]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Metropolitan Opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michael Tilson Thomas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[National Theatre Live]]></category> <category><![CDATA[New World Symphony]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Norman Lear]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nottingham Playhouse]]></category> <category><![CDATA[One Day at a Time]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Patricia Racette]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Richard Wagner]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rita Moreno]]></category> <category><![CDATA[RuPaul]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Samuel Barber]]></category> <category><![CDATA[San Francisco Ballet]]></category> <category><![CDATA[San Francisco Opera]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Sergei Prokofiev]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Seth Rudetsky]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SFJazz]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Stratford Festival]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Madness of King George]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Royal Ballet]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Toby Spence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Vanessa]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Wayne McGregor]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Yuja Wang]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=9266</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Eleven options for culture for this second weekend in June</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/06/11/culture-best-bets-at-home-june-12th-june-14th/">Culture Best Bets at Home: June 12th – June 14th</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>When there are ten great options for culture this weekend, it is tempting to call this the Top 10 events you can watch. The only problem is we have eleven. (Sounds very <em>Spinal Tap</em> doesn’t it?) So when a weekend offers a diverse line-up including Björk, Rita Moreno, Yuja Wang, Jeremy Jordan and a Samuel Barber opera, I think it’s safe to say these are your Best Bets at Home: June 12th – June 14th.</p> <p>Most of the events listed are free. When they are not, they are noted. Links to each event can be found in the individual names of the events.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9356" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-company-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlems-22Creole-Giselle22-Courtesy-of-Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>The company of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s “Creole Giselle” (Courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><em><strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Creole Giselle (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.dancetheatreofharlem.org/dthondemand-creolegiselle/" target="_blank">Creole Giselle</a></strong> </em>– Dance Theatre of Harlem – Now – June 19th</p> <p>The classic ballet <em>Giselle</em> was reconceived by Arthur Mitchell in the early 1980s. In 1984, Dance Theatre of Harlem premiered <em>Creole Giselle</em> at the London Coliseum in England.</p> <p>The original <em>Giselle</em> choreography was by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The production was staged by Frederic Franklin.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Dance Theatre of Harlem - Creole Giselle" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iXH5u7xB_TY?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p><em>Creole Giselle</em> garnered rave reviews in both London and New York. For some background on the creation of this work, I suggest reading <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/14/arts/how-the-creole-giselle-took-form.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="this 1984 column (opens in a new tab)">this 1984 column</a> from Burton Taylor writing for the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">New York Times</span>.</p> <p>Dance Theatre of Harlem is making the full ballet available for free viewing through June 19th. The film they are showing of <em>Creole Giselle</em> aired on television in Denmark in 1987.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9357" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jonathan-Goad-in-22Hamlet22-Photo-by-David-Hou-Courtesy-Stratford-Festival.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Joanthan Goad in “Hamlet” (Photo by David Hou/Courtesy of Straford Festival)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Hamlet (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/AtHome" target="_blank">Hamlet</a></em></strong><em> </em>– Stratford Festival – Now – June 25th</p> <p>Stratford Festival’s ongoing series of Shakespeare’s plays continues with this 2015 production of <em>Hamlet</em>. </p> <p>Jonathan Goad stars as “Hamlet” with Seana McKenna as “”Gertrude; Geraint Wyn Davies as “Claudius/The Ghost”; Tim Campbell as “Horatio”; Adrienne Gould as “Ophelia;” Tom Rooney as “Polonius;” and Mike Shara as “Laertes.” The production is directed by Stratford Festival Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino.</p> <p>Stratford’s streaming productions of Shakespeare’s <em>Timon of Athens</em> and <em>Love’s Labour’s Lost</em> are also still available this weekend.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9358" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-cast-of-22The-Madness-of-King-George22-©-Nottingham-Playhouse.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>The company of “The Madness of King George” (© Nottingham Playhouse/Courtesy of National Theatre Live)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Madness of King George (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fofiKCV9wGc" target="_blank">The Madness of King George</a></em></strong> – National Theatre Live – Now – June 18th</p> <p>Many of us first became aware of this Alan Bennett play by seeing the 1994 Nicholas Hytner film starring Nigel Hawthorne and Helen Mirren.</p> <p>This 2018 Nottingham Playhouse production stars Mark Gatiss as King George and Debra Gillett as Queen Charlotte. It was directed by Adam Penford.</p> <p>Bennett’s play depicts a king whose relationship with what is real seems to change on a dime. He’s both a very powerful man and a wildly erratic leader whose delusions call into question his ability to lead. This prompts others to do whatever they can to undermine the King and take control of the Crown. </p> <p>This production sold out and earned rave reviews. Bennett wrote staggeringly complicated roles for the two leads. It should be pure theater joy watching Gatiss and Gillett in this production.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9366" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Michael-Tilson-Thomas-and-the-New-World-Symphony-Photo-by-Richard-Termine-Courtesy-SF-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony at Carnegie Hall (Photo by Richard Termine/Courtesy of Carnegie Hall) </figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Michael Tilson Thomas and Yuja Wang at Carnegie Hall (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.medici.tv/en/concerts/michael-tilson-thomas-conducts-wolfe-prokofiev-berlioz-with-yuja-wang/" target="_blank"><em>Michael Tilson Thomas and Yuja Wang at Carnegie Hall</em></a> </strong>– MediciTv – June 12th – June 14th</p> <p>The collaboration between Carnegie Hall and Medici.Tv continues this weekend with a concert from May of 2019. Michael Tilson Thomas leads the New World Symphony and America’s Orchestral Academy. They are joined by pianist Yuja Wang.</p> <p>The program features Julia Wolfe’s <em>Fountain of Youth</em> (in its New York premiere); Prokofiev’s <em>Piano Concerto No. 5</em> and Berlioz’s <em>Symphonie Fantastique</em>. The encores find the conductor taking to the piano for a solo performance of his composition <em>You Come Here Often?<strong> </strong></em>The concert concludes with Wagner’s <em>Prelude to Act III </em>of <em>Lohengrin</em>.</p> <p>There is no charge to watch this program. </p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9360" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/San-Francisco-Ballet-in-Pita’s-Björk-Ballet-©Erik-Toson-Courtesy-SF-Ballet.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>San Francisco Ballet in “Björk Ballet” (Photo © Erik Tomasson/Courtesy of SF Ballet)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Björk Ballet (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.sfballet.org/sf-ballet-home/" target="_blank">Björk Ballet</a></em></strong> – San Francisco Ballet – June 12th – June 19th</p> <p>San Francisco Ballet’s <em>Unbound Festival</em> in 2019 featured this ballet by Arthur Pita centered on the songs by best-selling singer/songwriter Björk. </p> <p>Pita used a wide range of her music: from her first album in 1993, <em>Debut</em>, through 2017’s <em>Utopia</em>. </p> <p>A playlist on SF Ballet’s website for <em>Björk Ballet</em> indicates that the songs used are “Overture” from <em>Selmasongs</em>; “All Is Full of Love” and “Bachelorette – Family Tree Version” from <em>Homogenic</em>; “Vokuro” from <em>Medulla</em>; “Frosti” from <em>Vespertine</em>; “The Gate” from <em>Utopia</em>; “Hyperballad” from <em>Post</em> and “The Anchor Song” from <em>Debut</em>.</p> <p>Pita says that the duality he finds in Björk as an artist inspired the story he created for this ballet. “She’s this very playful, naughty fairy, dancing nymph, otherworldly creature, full of light and love. And then you’ve got this very deep, mournful, sorrowful, almost tragedy in some of her songs. So it’s like the theater masks.” </p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9367" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Ballet-company-in-22La-Fille-Mal-Gardee22-Photo-by-Tristram-Kenton-©ROH.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>The Royal Ballet company in “La Fille mal <em>gardée</em>” (Photo by Tristram Kenton/©ROH)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><em><strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="La Fille mal gardée (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.roh.org.uk/tickets-and-events/la-fille-mal-gardee-stream-details" target="_blank">La Fille mal gardée</a></strong></em> – Royal Ballet – June 12th – June 26th</p> <p>A love story between Lise and a young farmer, Colas, is the centerpiece of this ballet choreographed by Frederick Ashton. This ballet had its world premiere in 1960.</p> <p>The translation of the title is <em>The Wayward Daughter</em>. Clearly her parents aren’t too keen on her taste in men. Or in this case, her widowed mother.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="La fille mal gardée - Pas de ruban from Act I (The Royal Ballet)" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H50e7FgcsQE?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>Ashton based this work on a 1789 ballet by Jean Dauberval. The music was adapted by John Lanchberry from an 1828 score by Ferdinand Hérold.</p> <p>Marianela Nuñez dances the role of Lise. Carlos Acosta dances the role of Colas. The role of Lise’s mother is danced by William Tuckett.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9365" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/SF-Operas-22Il-Trittico22-Photo-by-Cory-Weaver-Courtesy-of-SF-Opera.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>San Francisco Opera’s “Il Trittico” (Photo by Cory Weaver/Courtesy of SF Opera)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Il Trittico (opens in a new tab)" href="https://sfopera.com/opera-is-on/streaming/" target="_blank">Il Trittico</a></em></strong> – San Francisco Opera – June 13th – June 14th</p> <p>Puccini’s trilogy of operas seems popular this month. Last week the Royal Opera in London made their 2012 production available. This weekend San Francisco Opera makes their 2009 production available for viewing.</p> <p>The three operas are <em>Il </em><i>Tabarr</i><em>o</em>, <em>Suor Angelica</em> and <em>Gianni Schicchi</em>. For details on these three operas, check out our Royal Opera House preview <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/06/05/culture-best-bets-at-home-june-5th-june-7th/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="here (opens in a new tab)">here</a>.</p> <p>Cast in this trilogy are soprano Patricia Racette (who performs in all three pieces), contralto Ewa Podles, tenor Brandon Jovanovich and baritone Paolo Gavanelli. Patrick Summers conducts this James Robinson production.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Il Trittico preview from San Francisco Opera" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JFrns0ROAr8?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>San Francisco Opera’s production received glowing reviews.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9364" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Royal-Opera-House-London-Courtesy-of-Royal-Opera-Facebook-Page.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>The Royal Opera House (Courtesy of their Facebook Page)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em>Live from Covent Garden</em></strong> – June 13th – 2:30 PM EDT/11:30 AM PDT</p> <p>This is the first of three live performances from Covent Garden since it had to temporarily close. It takes place on Saturday evening in London. </p> <p>The event is being streamed live and has an impressive line-up.</p> <p>Benjamin Britten: <em>On this Island</em> op.11 (1937, to five poems by W.H. Auden), performed by soprano Louise Alder</p> <p>George Butterworth: <em>Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad</em> (1911, to poems by A.E. Housman), performed by tenor Toby Spence</p> <p>Ballet Interlude: <em>New pas de deux</em>, choreographed by Wayne McGregor to Richard Strauss <em>Morgen! </em>op.27 no.4 (1894, to the poem by John Henry Mackay). Louise Alder (soprano) and violinist (tbc). Performed by Francesca Hayward and Cesar Corrales</p> <p>Mark-Anthony Turnage: <em>Three Songs</em> (2000, to texts by Stevie Smith, Thomas Hardy and Walt Whitman), performed by baritone Gerald Finley</p> <p>arr. Benjamin Britten: <em>The Crocodile</em> (1941, to a traditional text and melody), performed by Gerald Finley</p> <p>Gerald Finzi: <em>Fear No More the Heat o’ the Sun</em> op.18 no.3 (1929, to a text by William Shakespeare), performed by Gerald Finley</p> <p>George Frideric Handel: ‘Tornami a vagheggiar’ (from the opera <em>Alcina</em>, 1735, after a story from <em>Orlando furioso</em>), performed by Louise Alder</p> <p>Georges Bizet: ‘Au fond du temple saint’ (from the opera <em>Les Pêcheurs de perles</em>, 1863, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré), performed by Toby Spence and Gerald Finley</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd.-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9361" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd.-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd.-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd.-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd.-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd.-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd.-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd.-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Glyndebourne-Production-of-22Vanessa22-Photo-by-Richard-Hubert-Smith-©Glyndebourne-Productions-Ltd..jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>A scene from “Vanessa” @ Glyndebourne. (Photo by Richard Hubert Smith/© Glyndebourne Productions Ltd.)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Vanessa (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcxF15BsOWY" target="_blank">Vanessa</a></em></strong> – Glyndebourne – June 14th – June 21st</p> <p>Composer Samuel Barber won the Pulitzer Prize for his 1958 opera that features a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti. The world premiere was at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.</p> <p>This Glyndebourne production took place in 2018. Keith Warner directed and the orchestra is conducted by Jakub Hrůša.</p> <p>Barber’s opera is a psychological drama about family relationships. The title character (sung by Emma Bell) finds herself alone after her boyfriend, Anatol, has left her. She pulls away from the world leaving her with only her mother (Rosalind Plowright) and her niece (Virginie Verrez) for company. Their world gets upended when Anatol’s son (Edgaras Montvidas) shows up twenty years later.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9362" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Jeremy-Jordan-Courtesy-of-his-Facebook-page.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Jeremy Jordan (Courtesy of his Facebook Page)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Jeremy Jordan (opens in a new tab)" href="https://thesethconcertseries.com" target="_blank"><em>Jeremy Jordan</em></a> </strong> – Seth Rudetsky Concert Series – June 14th – 8 PM EDT/5 PM PDT</p> <p>Seth Rudetsky travels across the country with Broadway stars for evenings of conversation and songs. Unable to take his shows on the road, he’s bringing them to our homes.</p> <p>This week’s performance features <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2015/09/02/supergirls-jeremy-jordan-sings-oscar-winning-songs-with-the-pasadena-pops/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Jeremy Jordan (opens in a new tab)">Jeremy Jordan</a> who starred in the musicals <em>Bonnie and Clyde</em> and <em>Newsies</em> (for which he received both Drama Desk and Tony Award nominations). He was also featured in the television series <em>Smash</em>.</p> <p>The live performance takes place as listed above. If you cannot watch that performance, there is an encore presentation on June 15th at 3 PM EDT/12 PM PDT. These are not free events. Tickets are $25 not including service fees.</p> <p>Upcoming concerts will feature Seth with Jessie Mueller (<em>Beautiful</em>), Lea Salonga (<em>Miss Saigon</em>), Melissa Errico (<em>Passion</em>) and Audra McDonald (<em>Porgy and Bess</em>).</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-9363" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Rita-Moreno-Norman-Lear-and-the-cast-of-22One-Day-at-a-Time22-Courtesy-of-Rita-Morenos-Facebook-Page.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Rita Moreno, Norman Lear and the cast of “One Day at a Time” (Courtesy of Ms. Moreno’s Facebook Page)</figcaption></figure></div> <p><strong><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Life in a Pandemic: "One Day At a Time:" Norman Lear and Rita Moreno in Conversation with RuPaul (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.92y.org/event/lear-moreno-rupaul" target="_blank"><em>Life in a Pandemic: “One Day At a Time</em>:” <em>Norman Lear and Rita Moreno in Conversation with RuPaul</em></a> </strong>– 92Y – June 14th – 7:00 PM EDT/4:00 PM PDT</p> <p>Legendary television producer Norman Lear and living legend Rita Moreno will discuss the many lives of the reboot of <em>One Day at a Time</em> with RuPaul. This is a live-streaming event presented by the 92Y in New York.</p> <p>I find it unlikely that any of these three need introduction, but here goes. Norman Lear is the five-time Emmy Award winning creator of such shows as <em>All in the Family</em> and <em>Maude</em>. He has also won a Peabody Award and has been awarded a Kennedy Center Honor.</p> <p>Rita Moreno is an EGOT. She won two Emmy Awards, one Grammy Award, an Oscar for <em>West Side Story</em> and a Tony Award for <em>The Ritz</em>. She also happens to have a Presidential Medal of Freedom, a National Medal of Arts, a SAG Lifetime Achievement Award and is also the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor.</p> <p>RuPaul is the six-time Emmy Award winning host and producer of <em>RuPaul’s Drag Race</em>.</p> <p>Tickets are required for this event which is not free. The price of each ticket is $20. You must be registered in advance in order to get access to the event.</p> <p>Before we close out our Best Bets at Home: June 12th – June 14th, here are a few reminders:</p> <p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Friday's at Five (opens in a new tab)" href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/21/fridays-at-five/" target="_blank">Friday’s at Five</a> from SF Jazz features Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi. This takes place at 8 PM EDT/5 PM PDT on June 12th.</p> <p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Metropolitan Opera (opens in a new tab)" href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/06/07/week-13-at-the-met/" target="_blank">The Metropolitan Opera</a> programming this weekend features their April 2020 At-Home Gala on Friday and Saturday. Sunday is the 2011-2012 production of Handel’s <em>Rodelinda</em> with Renée Fleming.</p> <p>The musical <em>Allegiance</em> streaming on Broadway on Demand has been extended through June 23rd. You can get details at our preview <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="here (opens in a new tab)" href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/29/culture-best-bets-at-home-may-29th-may-31st/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p>Here ends our list of your Best Bets at Home: June 12th – June 14th. Enjoy your weekend. Stay safe and healthy!</p> <p>Main Photo: Elizabeth Powell and Ulrik Birkkjaer in <em>Björk Ballet</em> at San Francisco Ballet (Photo ©Erik Tomasson/Courtesy of SF Ballet)</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/06/11/culture-best-bets-at-home-june-12th-june-14th/">Culture Best Bets at Home: June 12th – June 14th</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2020/06/11/culture-best-bets-at-home-june-12th-june-14th/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Fridays at Five</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/21/fridays-at-five/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/21/fridays-at-five/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2020 16:51:25 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jazz in 5/4 Time]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Now Playing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Angela Davis]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bessie Smith]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Billie Holiday]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Brian Blade]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Chuco Valdés]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Danilo Perez]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fridays at Five]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Herbie Hancock]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Irakere 45]]></category> <category><![CDATA[John Patitucci]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kamasi Washington]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ma Rainey]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Marcus Shelby]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Paris Combo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SFJazz]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tammy Hall]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Terence Blanchard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Terrace Martin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Terri-Lyne Carrington]]></category> <category><![CDATA[There Is No Other]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tia Fuller]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Wayne Shorter]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=9129</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>SFJazz Website<br /> <br /> Fridays </p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/21/fridays-at-five/">Fridays at Five</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>If you’re anything like me, you miss the joy of live jazz performance. Let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like the spontaneity of jazz music and improvisation at its finest. Thankfully SFJazz (from San Francisco, of course) has us covered. They launched a series called <em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Fridays at Five (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.sfjazz.org/fridaysatfive/" target="_blank">Fridays at Five</a></em> and it’s a great way to fill in the gap until live performances resume. Of course, they take place at 5 PM PDT/8 PM EDT on Fridays!</p> <p>These events are not free, but they are not expensive at all. For a mere five dollars, you can get an entire month’s worth of Friday performances. In other words, for approximately the same price as your daily coffee, you can get a month of jazz. That’s a bargain in my book!</p> <p>When you see the line-up announced so far for <em>Fridays at Five</em>, you’ll realize exactly how great this offer is.</p> <p><strong>May 22nd</strong> is the first of three celebrations of saxophonist Wayne Shorter.</p> <p>Shorter, who spent time as part of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet before fully launching his solo career, has been battling serious health issues and medical bills since early 2019. When he was unable to perform at SFJazz, a series of celebrations of him were put together. These concerts are from January 2019.</p> <p>The first of those celebrations features Los Angeles-based musicians Kamasi Washington (saxophone), Terrace Martin (saxophone/keyboards) and Shorter’s touring musicians Danilo Pérez (piano), John Patitucci (bass) and Brian Blade (drums).</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Wayne Shorter Celebration Pt. 1 (ft. Kamasi Washington & Terrace Martin) [Excerpt]" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tymi_yYUyj8?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p><strong>May 29th</strong> features Afro-Cuban jazz pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés with his backing band Irakere 45. This performance took place in February of 2019. Valdés has six Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="SFJAZZ Elevator Music: Chucho Valdés & Irakere 45" width="696" height="522" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jAMGVB8A0Hk?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p><strong>June 5th</strong> finds the Marcus Shelby Quintet teaming up with Angela Davis in a program centered on her book <em>Blues Legacies and Black Feminism</em>. The book puts three jazz and blues legends front and center: “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.</p> <p>This clip is from a different concert, but will give you an idea of the musicianship involved.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Marcus Shelby Quintet - Jitterbug Waltz (Live at SFJAZZ)" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HIJ_eJTzvX8?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>Shelby, a bass-player, is joined by saxophonist Tia Fuller, pianist Tammy Hall and drummer Terri-Lyne Carrington. There are also special guests vocalists at this concert which took place May 24, 2019.</p> <p><strong>June 12th</strong>‘s concert features Rhiannon Giddens in one of the final series of concerts before SFJazz had to suspend performances earlier this year.</p> <p>Giddens is the Grammy-wining singer/composer/violinist and banjo player whose most recent release was <em>There Is No Other</em> on Nonesuch Records.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Rhiannon Giddens - there is no Other (Official Audio)" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KBIQ_tjBt0M?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>Joining her for this concert were pianist/instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi and bassist Jason Sypher.</p> <p><strong>June 19th</strong> finds Gypsy swing taking center stage with the ensemble Paris Combo. The ensemble features Belle du Berry on vocals, David Lewis (trumpet/keyboards), Benoît Dunoyer de Segonzac (bass), François Jeannin (drums), Rémy Kaprielan (percussion) and Potzi (guitar.)</p> <p>Paris Combo performs a hybrid version of Gypsy swing all its own by added Spanish, French and German elements to their arrangements.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe loading="lazy" title="Paris Combo - Je Rêve Encore (Live at SFJAZZ)" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3apjtFZPT6w?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p><strong>June 26th</strong> will be the Wayne Shorter Celebration Pt. 2. Joining his band for this performance are the legendary <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2019/08/17/exploring-the-next-generation-of-jazz-with-herbie-hancock/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Herbie Hancock (opens in a new tab)">Herbie Hancock</a>, composer/musician <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2019/06/05/terence-blanchard-from-jazz-to-opera-in-one-week/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Terence Blanchard (opens in a new tab)">Terence Blanchard</a> and Terrace Martin.</p> <p>Additional performances will be announced, but we do know that Part 3 of the Wayne Shorter Celebration is scheduled for July 31st and will feature Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard.</p> <p>To help support the musicians, there is a virtual tip jar you can use just as you might in a club. In the case of the Shorter Celebrations, 100% of those tips will go to his ongoing medical bills.</p> <p>As more <em>Fridays at Five</em> performances get announced, we’ll keep you updated!</p> <p>Photo of Wayne Shorter courtesy of his Facebook Page.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong><br></strong></p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/21/fridays-at-five/">Fridays at Five</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/21/fridays-at-five/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>“For Lenny” From Pianist Lara Downes</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2018/03/22/lenny-pianist-lara-downes/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2018/03/22/lenny-pianist-lara-downes/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2018 18:29:54 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Classical: Metronome]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Jazz in 5/4 Time]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Aaron Copland]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Craig Urquhart]]></category> <category><![CDATA[For Lenny]]></category> <category><![CDATA[John Corigliano]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kevin "K.O." Olusola]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lara Downes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Leonard Bernstein]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lukas Foss]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Rhiannon Giddens]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ricky Ian Gordon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Stephen Schwartz]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Stephen Sondheim]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Thomas Hampson]]></category> <category><![CDATA[West Side Story]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://culturalattache.co/?p=2327</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>"He was so fluid in his music making long before anyone else was. He laid a lot of groundwork for any of us playing with that fluidity."</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2018/03/22/lenny-pianist-lara-downes/">“For Lenny” From Pianist Lara Downes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>“This sounds naive and dumb,” says pianist Lara Downes about Leonard Bernstein’s 100th anniversary, “but I don’t even know that was part of my process. What I wanted to do originally is I love his <em>Anniversaries for Piano</em>. I’d been wanting to do a recording project that would pull them all together, but there weren’t enough to make a full CD. I was in bed with the flu and I had this idea to commission new pieces to fill out the cycle and give people a chance to respond to this milestone.”</p> <p>And with that concept born out of illness, Lara Downes started phase 2 of her new recording entitled <em>For Lenny</em>. The third phase involved getting artists like opera singer Thomas Hampson, American roots artist Rhiannon Giddens and beatboxer Kevin “K.O.” Olusola to join in unique interpretations of Bernstein’s songs.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ya8hKRiTPYc?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Downes will be in Los Angeles this weekend for three different events. On Saturday morning she will be part of the <a href="https://marchforourlives.com/donate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March for Our Lives</a>. She will be performing Bernstein’s “Somewhere” from <em>West Side Story </em>on the steps of City Hall with students from the Los Angeles County High School For the Arts and the Colburn School. Saturday night she is part of <em>Do You Hear Her: Music for the Voices of Silenced Women </em>at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral. On Sunday she will be performing with Giddens (who performs “So Pretty” on <em>For Lenny</em>) at the <a href="https://womeninmusicfestival.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Women in Music Festival</em></a> at Mount Saint Mary’s University.</p> <p>But back to Lenny….whose music allows Downes to do what she’s always done, straddle the line between popular music and classical music. She’s recorded such diverse music as the songs of Billie Holiday and Stravinsky’s <em>The Rite of Spring</em>. “That’s one of the things that draws me to him as an artist,” she says of Bernstein. “He was so fluid in his music making long before anyone else was. He laid a lot of groundwork for any of us playing with that fluidity. It’s also a personal choice, what I love to do and an important message. It will ensure the survival of this art form and broaden audiences. I think it has the potential to reach a new generation in a more positive way.”</p> <p><figure id="attachment_2330" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2330" style="width: 169px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-2330" src="http://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lara-Downes-C-16x9-169x300.jpg" alt=""For Lenny" celebrates Leonard Bernstein" width="169" height="300" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lara-Downes-C-16x9-169x300.jpg 169w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lara-Downes-C-16x9-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lara-Downes-C-16x9-576x1024.jpg 576w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lara-Downes-C-16x9-696x1237.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lara-Downes-C-16x9-236x420.jpg 236w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lara-Downes-C-16x9.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2330" class="wp-caption-text">Lara Downes (Photo Credit: Rik Keller)</figcaption></figure></p> <p>As a teenager, Downes had the opportunity to meet Bernstein. “My sisters and I were studying in Vienna and somehow my mom talked her way backstage. I was maybe 14 and my sisters were younger, these three little American kids. We sat there on the couches and he hung out and he was asking about our studies. He really spent some time with us. He was so generous. It’s something that really made a tremendous impression.”</p> <p>One of the most intriguing aspects of this album is the concept of having other composers write “Anniversaries” in response to Lenny and the ones he wrote. Bernstein wrote pieces for Aaron Copland, Stephen Sondheim, Lukas Foss and others.</p> <p>“What I find special about them is they are so personal. They really teach us a lot about who he was in his private moments. I think that there aren’t very many people who have had to live such a public life, but his family and friends were so important to him. These were musical moments of release to express totally personal and intimate thoughts to tell the story of his family.”</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x1wqEK0DWTI?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>The new “Anniversaries” that Downes commissioned include new compositions from composers Stephen Schwartz (<em>Wicked</em>), John Corigliano (<em>The Ghosts of Versailles</em>), Ricky Ian Gordon (<em>The Grapes of Wrath</em>) and Craig Urquhart.</p> <p>“Craig is the only person on the album for whom one is dedicated [by Bernstein] and he wrote one back. Craig was his assistant for years. He has the sketch on his wall. When he played it through, it’s really busy, it’s always jumping around, but there’s this tender section. For him that showed him Lenny appreciated his doing the busy work, but there was this caring underneath that made his work meaningful.”</p> <p>In an e-mail confirming the details of her participation in the March for Our Lives event, she said her new motto is WWLD (What Would Lenny Do?) That mantra resonates with something we discussed in our conversation – the idea that Leonard Bernstein called his contact with music “a total embrace.” Does Downes feel the same way?</p> <p><figure id="attachment_2331" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2331" style="width: 275px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-2331" src="http://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Lara-Downes-B-16x9-300x169.jpg" alt="The pianist's newest recording is "For Lenny"" width="275" height="155" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-2331" class="wp-caption-text">Lara Downes (Photo Credit: Christine DiPasquale)</figcaption></figure></p> <p>“My mom always told me when I was little, and then not so little, any bump along the way she’d say, ‘do you need to do this. Or is there something else you need to do?’ No, this is what I need and I still feel that every day. It has to be the air you breathe and the thing that makes you happy. I think that any distance makes it impossible to do this job well. It makes it impossible to make the music sound the way you want it to and to resonate in the world that way you hope it will.”</p> <p>Now that she’s grown up and carved out a career for herself as a musician, what would she ask Leonard Bernstein if she had another chance to talk to him? “Oh gosh, no one has asked me that before. I don’t know if it would be about music. I would want to just sit down and talk about American life and American culture. Whether where we are now is really just another part of the cycle or if we’ve lost some things. We’re living through this moment that is so godawful. So did he and the reason he stepped up is he felt compelled to use his platform to talk about bigger things. I feel that, too. I would love to know how he saw the times since he’s been gone and where we are going. What do we do now?”</p> <p>In other words, WWLD.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2018/03/22/lenny-pianist-lara-downes/">“For Lenny” From Pianist Lara Downes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2018/03/22/lenny-pianist-lara-downes/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>