2013 OCR Art Archive Stories

The Swiss-born American composer and saxophone player Daniel Schnyder lives around the corner from Duke Ellington's New York residence in Harlem. He first heard Ellington, who died in 1974, when he was 11, listening to the big-band leader and composer on the radio in Switzerland. Although classically trained – he played the cello a

Long Beach Opera was at it again, this time presenting a double bill of chamber operas by living composers, both in gritty stage settings. The venue itself was rather gritty, too. The Expo Art Center in the Bixby Knolls area of Long Beach (a converted furniture warehouse, I believe), was dark, crammed with uncomfortable portable chairs, its wall

The people who live at Seth Holly's Pittsburgh boarding house in the summer of 1911 are a microcosm of African-American humanity a century ago: a deacon who has lost his faith, a young man supremely confident in his charms and skills, an old man with haunting visions, two single women of contrasting temperaments aiming to better their lot.

Conductor Richard Kaufman and the Pacific Symphony gave the North American premiere of "Singin' in the Rain" in concert on Thursday night in Segerstrom Concert Hall. The musical soundtrack, through a painstaking digital process, had been removed from the film, leaving the dialogue, sound effects and singing, the instrumental parts reconstructed

At first glance, Gary Kutscher's painting appears to be a work in the realism style of items found on a desk – a banker's lamp, a family portrait, a bottle of wine and a Bible. The rich colors and attention to detail draw viewers in and make them question if they're staring at a photograph, As they look closer, the items be

Having performed in three concerts with the Pacific Symphony last week, organist Paul Jacobs stayed on to present a solo recital Sunday night in Segerstrom Concert Hall. The Grammy-winning Jacobs is one of this country's foremost exponents of music for his instrument. Chairman of the organ department at Juilliard, he is noted for his mar

The work that Russian choreographer Boris Eifman has been producing for the last four decades is easy for certain critics and audiences to dismiss. Hyper-expressive, prone to spectacle and filled with grand theatrical gestures, it will never appeal to those who like their ballet abstract and traditional or their dancers to be models of B

The sun has set on the 2013 Newport Beach Film Festival. The 14th annual gathering concluded Thursday night with record-matching attendance, the West Coast premiere of "The Way, Way Back," and a festive closing-night party. Award winners chosen by a jury and audience members were announced Friday. "Fly Me to the Moon (Un Plan Par

I liked the kid. The one with the floppy hair and swiveling hips. He had style. He had taste. He had smarts. But most of all he had enthusiasm, the youthful kind, the hard-to-resist kind. The Pacific Symphony couldn't, Thursday night in Segerstrom Concert Hall. The audience couldn't. I couldn't. His name is – take a breath –

The Pacific Symphony will give the U.S. premiere this week of the full score to "Singin' in the Rain" performed live with a screening of the landmark MGM musical. The performances in Segerstrom Concert Hall are part of a trend in the world of symphony orchestras, as more and more of them present full-length films with live accompaniment. Audienc

Who would "The Cat in the Hat" be without his hat? Such quirky accessories defined many of Dr. Seuss' whimsical, colorful children's book characters.However, few know that late author Theodor Seuss Geisel had a personal love of hats – hiding away more than 150 in a concealed room in his La Jolla estate.Many of the hats and a

Standing in the middle of a darkened stage with a pair of horns sticking out of his wig-covered head, a prosthetic nose protruding from his panted face and claws for hands, Ryan Melosini is playing this off like he's been acting for years. It's opening night of Santa Margarita Catholic High School's production of "Disney's Beauty

Five San Clemente street corners have a fresh splash of color, thanks to the city's 2013 public-art program. On Sunday, artists selected by a jury from the city and the San Clemente Art Association put finishing touches on traffic-signal controller boxes. The public artworks are in addition to five boxes dressed up a year ago in the city

When Russian choreographer Boris Eifman looked at the work of French sculptor Auguste Rodin, he recognized someone familiar in its curves and contours: himself. "To be honest, Auguste as a sculptor and Boris as a choreographer, we have something in common," said Eifman, whose company, St. Petersburg's Eifman Ballet, brings his "Rodin" to

During the Belle Epoque ("the beautiful era"), French playwright Georges Feydeau became famous in the genre of the farce. While his many plays were later hailed as key precursors to the surrealist and absurdist movements, his typical farce is as light as a soufflé and nowhere as portentous as the works of his successors. Of his 60

The Pacific Chorale, Orange County's premier choral organization and one of the top ten budgeted in the nation, announced its 2013-2014 season schedule this week, John Alexander's 42nd year as conductor and artistic director of the group. The season will open on Nov. 3 in Segerstrom Concert Hall with a performance of Verdi's Requiem, com

The second annual Art for Kids' Sake auction Sunday at Casino San Clemente featured 20 area artists and their works, three vocalists providing music, plus wine and appetizers. The event, presented by the Exchange Club of San Clemente, was a fundraiser for the San Clemente-based Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area.

Conductor John Alexander and the Pacific Chorale gave a stunning performance of a program devoted to the music of Benjamin Britten on Sunday afternoon at Meng Concert Hall on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. The concert was part of "Britten 100/LA," a festival spearheaded by L.A. Opera that celebrates the composer's centenary with dozens of ev

After more than 30 years of serving the theater program, Capistrano Valley High School's original stage will retire as the school wraps up construction of its new state-of-the-art theater. Capo's musical production of "Guys and Dolls," to be performed April 24-27, will be the last theatrical production be performed on the old stage. The

Clara Mason, a dancer from Southland Ballet Academy in Fountain Valley, playfully peeked out from the curtain as her music began. In her portrayal of a playful character, she moved through the classical choreography from the 18th century ballet "Harlequinade." A year's worth of training all led up to less than three minutes onstag

JiÅ™í Kylián's 'Petite Mort' highlights a strong program for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. JiÅ™í Kylián's 'Petite Mort' highlights a strong program for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Southern California's long love affair with Alvin Ailey shows no sign of fading. At the Los Angeles M

Jeremy Denk gave a deeply communicative and satisfying piano recital Sunday afternoon at the Soka Performing Arts Center. He matched a stunning virtuosity with a minute understanding of the music at hand. He never went for the cheap thrill, and yet the entire recital was entertaining (in the best sense) because he did not get in the way of the m

In the span of two weeks this spring, a pair of women conductors took to the podiums of our big local orchestras. Mei-Ann Chen made a vital impression with the Pacific Symphony earlier this month in Chinese music and Beethoven. Saturday night, at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Susanna Mälkki led the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a more formidable

If I had become a professional trombonist, you wouldn't be reading this. Actually, I was one, for a time, until a series of events, at least one of them disastrous, led me to become a music critic (Berlioz called it a "calamity" when he became one). I still pick up the instrument every once in a while, though. But not without a certain uneasy fe

Fourteen-year-old Madeline Woo gets to take Sundays off. On her day of rest she and her family go to church and visit her grandparents, then maybe she'll hang out with a friend.She has to be en pointe the rest of the week, because Woo's got a world of young ballerinas to beat.The Dwyer Middle School student headed to New Y