Music

P!NK

• By RICH ANDREW
• Photo Courtesy of AMAZON

For an album that clocked the Billboard charts at number one, it’s no wonder that Pink’s Beautiful Trauma World Tour would make history as the second highest grossing tour of all time for a female solo artist. After 159 exceptional shows with every moment chock full of stunning pyrotechnics and breathtaking acrobatics, that tour has now been documented by director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) to show us exactly how that kind of impossible magic is made.

The film is called P!NK: All I Know So Far, and it tracks Pink’s demanding journey on the road and on stage as she juggles being a parent and a pop star. The concert boasts the perfect setlist of radio hit after radio hit and delivers a two-hour spectacle of intricate dance sequences and signature aerialist stunts with behind-the-scene interviews and candid family moments that offer a thorough introspection into the psyche of an artist. In partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, the Hollywood Bowl is presenting a free screening of this documentary for the thousands of first responders and frontline workers as a token of gratitude and appreciation for their heroic efforts across Los Angeles during the pandemic. This event is set for May 17th, and as a special treat, Pink will grace the stage and introduce the film herself.

“P!NK: All I Know So Far” premieres May 21st.

Anna and Sergei

• By Arlene Winnick

Hershey Felder is an international treasure and a master of the theater with millions of devoted fans worldwide.  He excels as an actor, composer, playwright, director and producer with more than 6,000 performances of his self-created solo productions including Chopin; Beethoven; Gershwin, Franz List and Irving Berlin.  His latest one man show – a world premier live streamed musical event benefiting The Wallis – celebrates the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff in ANNA & SERGEI – Live from Florence. The show will debut on Sunday, May 16, 5 pm Pacific and will be available for on-demand streaming through Sunday May 23.

Directed by Hershey Felder and Stefano de Carli (with a book by Felder), ANNA & SERGEI relates a very strange meeting between composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and Anna Anderson who claimed to be the Princess Anastasia, the sole surviving member of the Romanov Dynasty.  This ‘memory’ play features Rachmaninoff’s most celebrated music and, ironically, takes place in the house in which he died located in Beverly Hills. Starring Felder as Rachmaninoff, the play’s special guests include Russian soprano Ekaterina Siurina as Natalia Alexandrovna Rachmaninoff and Igor Polesitsky as Dr. Golitzin.

Tickets are $55 per household.  A special VIP Package includes the livestream of ANNA & SERGEI plus an additional week to view the recording; a Zoom Q&A with Hershey Felder; and access to a Russian Cooking feature with Felder – all for $110 per household.

For tickets and more details, click here.

Beethoven Triple

• By Arlene Winnick
• Photo By Pasadena Symphony and Pops

The Pasadena Symphony and Pops has been my go to place for classical music concerts during the past year and May features a rare gem on the program – Beethoven’s Triple Concerto. The Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano was composed in 1803 and was the only concerto he ever completed for more than one solo instrument. Music aficionados note the distinct difficulty of balancing three different timbres on the solo instruments make this an especially challenging piece of music.   It was first performed in Los Angeles in l937 when Otto Klemperer conducted the LA Philharmonic. In keeping with their philosophy of showcasing stars of tomorrow, soloists for the Triple Concerto are Ray Ushik on violin, James Baik on cello and HyeJin Kim on the piano, all standouts from the Colburn Conservatory of Music. Baik won the 2020 Colburn Concerto Competition; HyeJin is South Korea’s most thrilling young artist; and Ushik has already appeared with the LA Philharmonic. Also, on the program led by Musical Director David Lockington:  Poulenc Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano; Lockington Offering; and Mark Saltzman’s Meditation for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano. The concert is performed in the Ambassador Auditorium.

The Concert premieres on May 22 at 4:00 pm and will stream free to the general public for 48 hours. Pasadena Symphony members have unlimited access to all streaming concerts with bonus interviews and performances. Click here.

Jazz Brunch

• By Ken Werther

Looking for something unique and special to do with your mom on Mother’s Day? The MOMentum Place event at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum might be just the ticket. Every year on Mother’s Day, Theatricum presents this fantastical world of aerial and circus performers, dancers, and musicians in its rustic outdoor amphitheater in Topanga. Due to COVID-19 protocols, Theatricum Botanicum’s grounds are not currently open to the public. So this year, audiences in Los Angeles, across the country, and around the world can be transported to this magical spectacular via Zoom on Sunday, May 9, at 2pm PDT. The lineup of performers includes aerialist/dancer Lexi Pearl, circus artist Elena Brocade, contortionist/acrobat George Bryan, stilt dancer Jena Carpenter of Dream WorldCirque, hand balancer Tyler Jacobson, stilt walker/acrobat Aaron Lyon, aerialist Kate Minwegen, cyr wheeler Sarah Moser, Cirque du Soleil alum Eric Newton, and ventriloquist Karl Herlinger, plus Dance Dimensions Kids and Focus Fish Kids. Admission is $35 per household so gather up a large group! Then, on Sunday, May 22, get ready for Theatricum Jazz Brunch. Enjoy an afternoon of improvisational jazz music featuring an impressive lineup of world-renowned musicians on Zoom live from the theater. Whip up your own brunch and settle in with friends and family for a relaxing meal and concert! The show begins at 11am and continues through 2pm PDT.

Admission is free but reservations are required, click here.