THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER
The hills will be alive with the sound of music as the Hollywood Bowl kicks off its summer season. It all begins on June 17 when smooth crooner Harry Connick Jr. and legendary Miami Sound Machine singer Gloria Estefan are inducted into the Hall of Fame. The special evening under the stars benefits the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its Music Matters education program, which serves 120,000 children and teachers.
This year’s season is a delightful mixed bag. Fans of local songbird Olivia Newton-John will get in on the act when the snappy “Grease Sing-A-Long” returns. Then, it’s holiday time and it wouldn’t be the Fourth of July without the annual Bowl fireworks spectacular. This year’s extravaganza won’t just be a blast, it’ll be a blast to the past with ‘80s icons Daryl Hall and John Oates belting out their favorite tunes.
Phil fans can get their fix when Music Director Gustavo Dudamel picks up his baton. “The Dude’s” summer plans include a performance with pianist Lang Lang as well as an all-Mozart program with “Violin Concerto No. 5” and “The Jupiter Symphony.” The Phil, meantime, puts in a full slate of performances with Copeland’s dramatic “Appalachian Spring,” Dvorak’s “New World Symphony,” the ever-popular “Four Seasons” by Vivaldi and Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” complete with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Malibu’s Dick Van Dyke is scheduled to join song and dance man Michael Feinstein along with TV mom Florence Henderson and Vanessa Williams.
It’ll be totally ‘80s and awesome as the Human League, The B52s, The Fixx and Berlin take the stage. You can stroll down memory lane with classic hits like “Don’t You Want Me,” “Love Shack,” “One Thing Leads to Another” and “Take My Breath Away.”
There are big names on board with five-time Oscar winner John Williams, famed violinist Itzhak Perlman and the legendary Stevie Wonder. Ziggy Marley brings a bit of Jamaica to the summer and it’s the best of Broadway with “Hairspray” and “West Side Story.”
The season goes out with a bang and an adventure through the City of Light. “A Night at the Moulin Rouge” features cabaret sounds, cancan dancers and a fabulous fireworks display.
So don’t miss out. From rock to reggae to Rachmaninoff, the Bowl has something for every musical taste.
ACCOLADES FOR ELI
Malibu’s Ed Harris was among 250 gala goers at this year’s REDCAT bash at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater. The four-time Oscar nominee was the evening’s emcee, which honored local philanthropists Edythe and Eli Broad and filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The theater was transformed into a chic party palace thanks to artist Choi Jeong Hwa who had the space done up with 10 impressive chandeliers casting their reflection on elegant mirrored tables.
The Broads were thanked for their lifelong commitment to supporting the arts. The couple has also been instrumental in bringing a new art museum downtown. Artist Ed Ruscha presented the REDCAT award and said the new cultural center will be “the hot spot we dreamed of.” The museum will be located near Walt Disney Concert Hall, MOCA and The Colburn School. The glitzy gala raised more than half a million bucks for REDCAT.