On the album, Porter does not offer traditional show tune performances of Rodgers’ songs from musicals like Oklahoma, The King and I, South Pacific and Pal Joey. Instead he has done the kind of album you can imagine Stevie Wonder would have done had he chosen to do one. And Porter has brought along some friends like Tony Award winners Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton), Patina Miller (Pippin) and Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple). And he has some other friends like India.Arie, Ledisi and Pentatonix along for the ride, too.

When I brought up the Rodgers quote to Porter during our phone conversation he was thrilled to hear it. “That’s a person who really understands the power of transcending their time,” he enthuses. “It’s like it really matters that we can recontextualize these great pieces of work and make them relevant. I think it’s a great thing he said that and I wish more people knew he said that. We get squashed a lot by the purist intention to sort of preserve. I get it, but I like to be expansive.”

Not that he was looking to satisfy Broadway purists nor convert non-fans of that music. “I set out to make a Broadway album that is authentic to myself,” he revealed. “I came into theatre via the Pentecostal church and gospel music. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard my version of ‘Sunday.’ The first time I heard Sunday in the Park with George, I heard in my ear what you heard on my album. I didn’t hear it the original way. It was going inside of me and resonating in me with a completely different sound in my brain. When I was in college and my voice was unique and different, I had to think outside the box. I was forced not to be traditional.”

Audiences, Porter says, have taken some time at his concerts to realize what he’s doing. “Most of my audience is going to know me from the theatre. We think the sound and the arrangements are challenging for some people from the Broadway audiences. Last summer I was able to go into many different venues and watch the transformation when they finally realized what I was singing. To see the light bulb go off. There was one person who was a little mad at me because my show is a little loud. That’s the authenticity of R&B and Soul. But the person was mad because I didn’t do any Broadway music. It’s a compliment and you’re an idiot. Literally 80% of my show is Broadway.”

I relayed to Porter a conversation that recently took place on RuPaul’s Drag Race where one of the African-American queens talked about how hard it was to be black, gay and a drag queen. No doubt Porter could relate given that his role in Kinky Boots was all those things.  It did and it also lead to his new television series, Pose.

“Yes, I’m gay, black and grew up in the church and ended up being a drag queen and it changed my life for a period of time. Now I’m on Pose and there are five transgender actors of color! In series regular roles in network television! The education I’m receiving you add to what you heard [on Drag Race] and add transgender woman of color to that. These people think they can just kill them because nobody will care or look for her. That’s what they live with. I had no idea. Imagine living with that reality every single day. Those of us who have the position must continue to fight for those who don’t.”

Like many who know Rodgers & Hammerstein’s song “Carefully Taught” from South Pacific, Porter does not believe the song will ever not be topical. “There’s always going to be stupid people in the world and art will have to check them.” Which lead me to ask him if he’s optimistic that politicians, usually the last people to catch on, will finally find closer parity with the culture of the country they govern.

“That’s what brings me so much joy as an artist. I get to be part of that catalyst that brings that type of change. That’s why we get attacked first. People who think slavery should have stayed and that kind of thing. As James Baldwin said, it’s an artist’s responsibility. I take that task very seriously.”

“The artist is distinguished from all other responsible actors in society — the politicians, legislators, educators, and scientists — by the fact that he is his own test tube, his own laboratory, working according to very rigorous rules, however unstated these may be, and cannot allow any consideration to supersede his responsibility to reveal all that he can possibly discover concerning the mystery of the human being.” – James Baldwin

Main Photo courtesy of Ron Cadiz for Sony Music Entertainment

The post The Soul of Billy Porter Meets The Soul of Richard Rodgers appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Dudamel Conducts Salonen & Shostakovich – Walt Disney Concert Hall

April 13-15

During this LA Philharmonic season we’ve had the pleasure of hearing former music director Esa-Pekka Salonen conduct, amongst other things, his three concerti: one for piano, one for violin and one for cello. Now it is Gustavo Dudamel’s chance to conduct Salonen and he has the privilege of introducing a world premiere composition to the world with Pollux, a piece written specifically for the LA Phil.  Also on the program is Varése’s Amériques. Closing out the program is Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony in D Minor. If this isn’t a perfect program for Dudamel, I don’t know what is. Also, Friday’s performance is a rare morning concert at 11 AM. The concerts on Saturday and Sunday are also matinees – they begin at 2 PM.

South Pacific – The Soraya (Valley Performing Arts Center)

April 13-15

It seems like Rodgers & Hammerstein are busting out all over. And as we discussed earlier this week with author Todd S. Purdum (Something Wonderful: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Broadway Revolution), the most famous Broadway composers of all time are enjoying a renaissance with new productions that mine the topicality that, sadly, still resonates today. No better example can be found than in their musical South Pacific. The show won the Pulitzer for Drama in 1950 and is based on James Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific. This production, from McCoy Rigby Entertainment, stars Stephane Renee Wall as Nellie Forbush, John Cudia as Emile de Becque and Jodi Kimura as Bloody Mary. The show is directed by Glenn Casale. Next week it will move to the La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts.

Glass & Shankar – Pacific Symphony at Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

April 13

The Pacific Symphony will be making its Carnegie Hall debut with this unique program of works by Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar. Before they travel to New York for that concert, local audiences will get a chance to hear them perform Glass’s Meeting along the Edge from Passages (based on a theme by Ravi Shankar), Shankar’s Sitar Concerto No. 3 (which will be performed by the legend’s daughter, Anoushka) and another work by Glass called The Passion of Ramakrishna. The latter piece involves vocal soloists, a chorus and a large orchestral configuration. None of these pieces are commonly played, so this is a great opportunity to hear work outside the usual programming. This is a must for fans of either Glass or Shankar.

Little Black Shadows – South Coast Rep

April 13-29

This is a world premiere production of a new play by Kemp Powers. Set in Georgia before the outbreak of the Civil War, two slaves (Toy & Collis) tend to a set of twins during the day. At night, they can live out their fantasies by sharing stories with one another (albeit from beneath their master’s beds and through a vent in the wall.) The twins’ father announces he has plans to move the family to Louisiana. How will Toy and Collis respond to this news and how will it change their lives? May Adrales directs. The cast features Giovanni Adams, Daniel Bellusci, Mark Doerr, Elyse Mirto, Chauntae Pink and Emily Yetter.

50th Anniversary Concert – Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra at The Mark Taper Forum

April 14th

To celebrate their golden anniversary, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is holding an intimate concert where it all began – at the Mark Taper Forum in 1968. On the program are Derek Bermel’s Tag Rag, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major (featuring soloist Andrew Marriner), songs from Hollywood’s Golden Age (featuring Rumer Willis) and Prokofiev’s Symphony #1. Black tie is encouraged for this concert. You can also purchase tickets for the gala cocktail party and dinner. For information on how LACO began, check out our interview with co-founder James Arkatov who, at 98, is thrilled to be attending this celebration. In his own words, “I wouldn’t miss it.”

The post The 5 Shows You Need to See: This Weekend in LA (4/13-4/15) appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

For this performance, which was highly acclaimed when she performed it at the Met in New York, Ms. Battle will be joined on piano by Joel A. Martin. She will also have the Albert McNeill Jubilee Singers backing her. And serving as narrator for the concert will be actress Angela Bassett.

These shows are deeply personal for Ms. Battle, as she explained in this 2014 interview for a performance in Philadelphia.

Amongst the songs listed on this program are: “Lord, How Come Me Here?,” “Roll, Jordan, Roll,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “I Don’t Feel No-Ways Tired,” “Farther Along,” “Fix Me, Jesus,” “Balm in Gilead,” “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn You Me Roun’,” “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand,” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Ms. Battle does not perform in Los Angeles very often. This is a rare opportunity to see a deeply passionate performance from one of the greats of opera.

The post Kathleen Battle: Underground Railroad – A Spiritual Journey appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Tommy Tune Tonight! – Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

March 16th

Tommy Tune is a Broadway legend. He won 9 Tony Awards (including back-to-back wins as Best Director and Best Choreographer of a Musical) and because the Tony Committee didn’t feel nine (however appropriate that number might be for Tune) was a great number, they awarded him a 10th Tony for Lifetime Achievement. In this show he will tell stories about the many legends with whom he has worked and will also sing and dance. He’s 79 and was still rehearsing for this show when we spoke with him. You can see that interview here. And for those of you in San Francisco on Sunday, he’ll be doing two shows at Feinstein’s at the Hotel Nikko.

Lagrime di San Pietro – LA Master Chorale at Walt Disney Concert Hall

March 17 & March 18

The Los Angeles Master Chorale revisits Orlando di Lasso’s deeply emotional and musical complex work. They first performed Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of St. Peter) last year and are, in the words of director Peter Sellars, “taking another look at it.” These two concerts are in advance of a national and world tour of the work. Grant Gershon conducts the concerts. Sunday’s performance is also part of a gala event for the Los Angeles Master Chorale. For more information on Sellars thoughts on this work, please see our interview with him here.

The Magic City – Plaza del Sol Performance Hall at Valley Performing Arts Center

March 18

This shadow puppet experience from Chicago company Manual Cinema is inspired by a 1910 novel about a young girl whose life at home is made better through her own imagination. The novel is “The Magic City” referring to the world the young girl has created in her mind. The performer employs vintage projectors, multiple screens and a wild amount of creativity. This is the perfect option for families.

Neighborhood Concert  – First Congregational Church of Los Angeles

March 18

Members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles team up for this free concert on Sunday afternoon. The program feature Grieg’s From Holberg’s Time (Suite in Olden Style), Movements 1, 2, 5; Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in E minor, RV 484, Movement 1; Brahms’ String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Movements 1 and 4 and Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances. If single performance or season tickets with the Los Angeles Philharmonic are out of your price range, this is a great opportunity to hear a performance by members of one of the most highly-acclaimed orchestras in the world for free.

Jarrod Spector & Kelli Barrett: Funny How It Happens – Catalina Bar & Grill

March 18

Jarrod Spector won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Barry Mann in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He also played Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys. Kelli Barrett has appeared on Broadway Wicked (as Nessarose) and the musical adaptation of Dr. Zhivago. But I’m sure if you asked them what their favorite roles are they would say husband and wife.

In this cabaret show the couple will share stories and songs from their careers and stories not just about what it took to make it on stage, but also how they met and fell in love. Call it the cabaret version of When Jarrod Met Kelli.

For those of you in San Diego, they will be performing on St. Patrick’s Day at Martini’s Above Fourth.

Photos courtesy of Chris Isaacson Presents

The post The 5 Things You Should See: This Weekend in LA (March 16-18) appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Nico Muhly’s “Register” World Premiere – Walt Disney Concert Hall

February 23-25

36-year-old composer Nico Muhly was commissioned by the LA Philharmonic to write a concerto that takes full advantage of the mighty organ at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The result, Register, has its world premiere tonight with two additional performances on Saturday and Sunday. All three concerts will include Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Friday’s show, part of the “Casual Fridays” series does not include Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin. James Conlon conducts the three concerts. To learn more about Register, check out our interview with Muhly here.

For an example of Muhly’s work for the organ, here’s a video of The Revd Mustard his Installation Prelude:

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk – The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

February 23-March 11

England’s Kneehigh Theatre brings this highly theatrical portrayal of the life of painter Marc Chagall and his wife Bella. Through the use of color and imagery mirroring the master painter’s work and music from the Russian Jewish history, this show offers many of the same delights found in other Kneehigh projects such as their Brief Encounter and Tristan and Yseult. Marc Antolin plays Marc Chagall and Daisy Maywood plays Bella. The show was written by Daniel Jamieson and directed by Emma Rice.

Bob Baker Day – Bob Baker Marionette Theatre

February 24

If you’ve never been to the Bob Baker Marionette Theatre then you are missing out on one of the jewels of Los Angeles. The master puppeteer passed away several years ago, but the legacy of his work is celebrated every day at the theatre that bears his name. This all-day festival will include presentations inside his magical theatre and also in and around the grounds nearby. The event begins at 10 AM with a puppet procession opening ceremony. The grand marshal is DJ Lance Rock of  Yo Gabba Gabba!  OK Go’s Tim Nordwind will be doing an DJ set. There are also plenty of games, displays and more available and it is all free. Regularly scheduled performances will take place in the theatre (those five shows are ticketed at $10; two of the performances are already sold out.)

For the Record Presents Shoshana Bean – The Theatre at the Ace Hotel

February 24

There are massive roles in musical theatre for women. Amongst them are “Elphaba” in Wicked and “Fanny Brice” in Funny Girl. Singer Shoshana Bean has performed both. Her massive voice with the ability to be as soft as a feather and as soulful as a woman in church served both projects well. Bean showcases the full range of her vocal abilities with her new CD, Spectrum. This is a different project for Bean and finds her backed by an 18-piece big band. On Saturday night she will be celebrating the release of Spectrum with a concert at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel. She will be joined by the 18-piece band and by special guest Amber Riley (Glee, Dreamgirls.) For Shoshana Bean’s thoughts on the project and this concert, check out our interview with her here.

And take a look at this cover Shoshana Bean and Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo did of Taylor Swift’s “I Did Something Bad” that Swift loved!

Stepping Out – The Soraya at Valley Performing Arts Center

February 25

The Dublin Irish Dance Company presents a story of immigrants through dance and music. In a time when the subject of immigration is one of the pressing issues of our day, this show reminds us that the American Dream has long held sway for countless generations. Through the music and dance of Ireland, Stepping Out tells the story of people leaving famine behind in their native land, crossing the Atlantic and going to a land of opportunity.

The post The 5 Things You Need to See: This Weekend in LA (Feb 23-25) appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

That experience and insight will come in handy on Friday night when Mauceri takes to the podium with the New West Symphony at the Valley Performing Arts Center in a program entitled Bernstein on Stage. The concert will focus on Bernstein’s music for such musicals as West Side Story, Wonderful Town, Candide, and On the Town. Mauceri, who was the Director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra from 1991-2006, spent 18 years working with the man his friends called “Lenny.”

“When you were with Leonard Bernstein,” Mauceri recalls, “that’s just where you wanted to be because he was a life force. He was fun and interesting and funny. He was one of the funniest people I ever knew. He would spend time as if you were equals. He made that clear when we first met in 1971-1972. He would ask my opinions as if we were equals. That unlocks your sense of security, that you are worthy of having those conversations.”

Much like his lyricist for West Side Story, Stephen Sondheim, Bernstein thrived on collaboration. “One of the reasons why Lenny generally enjoyed and flourished in musical theatre was because it was collaborative,” Mauceri says. “Most people don’t think about it but being a composer is a very solitary job. Lenny had a harder time being alone with himself and being alone from the very public world of conducting. When he wrote with Betty [Comden] & Adolph [Green] (Wonderful Town, On the Town) or with Jerry [Robbins], Arthur [Laurents] and Steve [Sondheim], this was a happy time.”

One show of Bernstein’s that failed spectacularly was the musical 1600 Pennyslvania Avenue. The show only ran for seven performances. Mauceri remembers a conversation just before Bernstein died about wanting to rework it. “He asked me to be the original music director and I was unable to do it. It was one of the rare times I had to say ‘no’ to him. The Thursday night before he passed away he talked about fixing 1600. I have a very personal commitment to it. It does contain some of the best music he ever wrote and some of the best and most interesting lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner.” [Music from this show will be performed at Friday’s concert.]

For all the positivity Mauceri referenced about his mentor, I had to ask about Hershey Felder’s depiction of Bernstein in Maestro as bitterly disappointed that he’d primarily be remembered for the melody to “Somewhere” in West Side Story.

“It’s just part of historical fiction,” Mauceri says. “I didn’t see the show. I never heard Leonard Bernstein say anything like that. I don’t think he was disappointed. He made choices that eliminated other aspects of his time. When he decided to become the New York Philharmonic Music Director just as West Side Story was opening, he made a decision that he would otherwise give to time writing his own music. He became committed to championing other people’s music. For a conductor it is our fundamental job. Part of our service as conductors is to support and perform music of other composers. His influence was a great, if not greater, because of his years with the NY Phil. I don’t think he was bitter about any of them.”

Bernstein once said “The key to the mystery of a great artist is that for reasons unknown, he will give away his energies and his life just to make sure that one note follows another…and leaves us with the feeling that something is right in the world.” What feeling does Bernstein’s music leave Mauceri with after all these years of up close and intimate contact and familiarity with it?

“The underlying goal that Leonard Bernstein had was uplift. It was very much inspired by his love for Beethoven whom he considered the greatest composer of all time. Every work ultimately is about that. Whether it is joyful and simple or complex, its goal is to unite the audience to make a better place. In any piece he may be arguing with God or politics, but all those arguments are lovers’ quarrels. They are not negativity for negativity’s sake. They are about ultimately uplifting an audience.”

Photo Courtesy of Columbia Artists Management Inc. (CAMI)

UPDATE:  Hershey Felder responded to my question about his depiction of Leonard Bernstein in “Maestro.” Here is the response he e-mailed:

My office has the habit of sending me articles that pop up on google alert that could be interesting to me, and I just received your article. Most wonderfully, I had the opportunity to see and then read many more of your wonderful articles, that are beautifully and thoughtfully written. Of course I write because of your mention of MAESTRO in which I suggest, not exactly that Bernstein was disappointed by people only remembering him for “Somewhere,” but really suggesting that he was extremely bitter  that he believed he would only be remembered for West Side Story, with “Somewhere” as an example. As Mr. Mauceri says, there is great importance in recognizing the “uplift” of Maestro Bernstein because of what you write about – what he stood for, and what he instigated and made possible for American musicians, music, and all musicians in general. I must say, I don’t know if the stories I was told about the Maestro’s bitterness at the end were fictional or not, despite having come from sources who claimed to have witnessed such outbursts. I was not present myself, and cannot confirm myself. But I can safely say this idea is not “historical fiction,” but in fact the way a good number of people close to the Maestro report how it was. It may not have been Mr. Mauceri’s experience, but that does not make it a “cultural historical fiction.” – Hershey Felder – November 15, 2017

The post John Mauceri Celebrates Leonard Bernstein’s Centenary appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Diavolo will be performing a marathon day of events and activities at the Valley Performing Arts Center. The day culminates in a 7 PM performance of the innovative dance company’s quarter century of innovative choreography. Over the course of the full day, Diavolo will be performing 10 complete works.

No doubt the exposure they received from AGT (which includes over 9 million hits for the video above) has put a lot of momentum to founder Jacques Heim’s company. So while they celebrate the first quarter century, the question is what will the next 25 years look like?

The post Diavolo: 25th Anniversary appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

The post Moscow State Symphony Orchestra appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

The post Maceo Parker – To Ray With Love appeared first on Cultural Attaché.

Friday:

Brad Mehldau and Chris Tile at The Theatre at the Ace Hotel (Season opening event for CAP UCLA). Check out my interview with Brad about collaboration elsewhere on these pages)

Avishai Cohen Quartet at the bluewhale (also Saturday night) Check out my interview with Avishai elsewhere on these pages.

Saturday:

Big Night at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (Opening night) a new comedy by Paul Rudnick (“In and Out”)

Amadeus Live at the Valley Performing Arts Center (live accompaniment of Mozart’s beautiful music performed here by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra)

Coco Peru’s Taming of the Tension at the Renberg Theater (Saturday and Sunday)

All weekend:

Of course, you can always try to go see a little musical called Hamilton at the Pantages Theatre…if you can get tickets. (If you can, you should. It really is that good.)

The post This Weekend in Los Angeles appeared first on Cultural Attaché.