Five-Spot: What caught my eye on July 7, 2011

By Robert D. Thomas

Music Critic

Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily
News

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With summer now in
full swing. I’ll resume my Five Spot postings. Each Thursday morning, I list
five upcoming events that peak my interest. Here’s today’s grouping:

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Tomorrow and
Saturday at 8 p.m. at Hollywood Bowl

West Side Story. Los Angeles Philharmonic; David Newman, conductor

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the movie
version of this iconic Broadway musical. In this unusual presentation, the Phil
will play Bernstein’s great score while a digitally remastered version of the
vocals, dialogue and everything else are shown on a screen above the stage.
Click HERE for more on this program. Info:
www.hollywoodbowl.com

 

Saturday at 5 and 8
p.m.; Sunday at 3 and 7 p.m. at The Avalon Hollywood

“Totally! Our 80s
Show.” Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles; Andres Cladera, conductor

The Gay Men’s Chorus reaches back to its roots with a show
featuring music from the 1980s and choreography from Ray Leeper. All of this
takes place in an historic nightclub that was the site of The Beatles first
West Coast appearance in 1964. Info: www.gmcla.org

 

Saturday and Sunday
at 7:30 p.m. at The Huntington Library, San Marino

Southwest Chamber
Music’s Summer Music Festival

The Pasadena-based group opens its 18th season at
The Huntington with the first two String Quintets by Mozart and Alexandra du
Bois’ Chanson d’orange for Two Violins. You
can pack a picnic or pre-order from The Huntington’s dining room. Info: www.swmusic.org

 

Saturday at 7:30
p.m. at the Los Angeles County Arboretum

Andrew Lloyd Webber Meets Puccini. California Philharmonic; Victor
Vener, conductor

Vener and his orchestra are joined by vocalists James
Barbour, Christopher Bengochea and Sandra Rubalcava and the Cal Phil chorus in
music from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, La
Boheme, Tosca, Gianni Schicchi
and Turandot
and Webber’s Phantom of the Opera,
Sunset Boulevard, Evita, Aspects of Love, Cats
and Jesus Christ Superstar. Info:
www.caphil.org

 

Tuesday and
Thursday at 8 p.m. at Hollywood Bowl

Los Angeles
Philharmonic; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor; Lang Lang, pianist

The Phil opens the 90th classical season at the
Bowl with duplicate concerts on Tuesday and Thursday. The program is Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances, the Mussorgsky-Ravel
edition of Pictures at an Exhibition,
and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Lang Lang as soloist. Dudamel and
Lang Lang on the same program? The mind boggles at the possibilities. Info: www.hollywoodbowl.com

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(c) Copyright 2011, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Portions may be quoted with attribution.

 

 

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