Author: Charles Donelan

¡Muy Bien!

The rows of white votive candles that line the steps leading up to this show symbolize the care and passion with which it was assembled. The artists have made a shrine to the Mexico of their experience and imagination that is as sacred and secular as its subject.

Unlimited Potential

From the opening notes of the evening’s first piece, Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Op. 40, it was clear the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra has never been more healthy, vital, and spirited. Without the presence of a guest soloist, it was easier than ever to hear the individual musicians, and to understand why they take such pleasure in their programs.

Strong and Ready

The Ballad of Billy Lee. At Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort, Sunday, December 10.

As great American heroes go, George Washington enjoys a durable preeminence. He’s a double threat, as both a military commander and a statesman. The whole “first President,” “father of his country” mythology still packs a wallop. And even that wacky, apocryphal childhood story about the cherry tree has its charm. But the general has never been much of a buddy figure.

When Was My Savior Born?

The Blind Boys of Alabama Rock Around the Manger

Before funk, before rock, and even before rhythm and blues, there was gospel. Gospel revues packed into automobiles crisscrossed America throughout the 1940s and ’50s playing venues big and small, spreading the word about God with sweat-drenched, soul-shattering harmonies and rough-edged, powerful vocal solos.

Strong and Ready

The Ballad of Billy Lee helps the title character shine, even in George Washington’s considerable shadow.

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The Car Play Project. At Westmont College, Saturday, December 2.

Following a busy fall hosting the Lit Moon World Shakespeare Festival, Westmont College continues to explore innovative concepts in theater, most recently with last weekend’s The Car Play Project. The audience gathered at 7 p.m. at the edge of a parking lot where 16 automobiles were circled around a central pavilion structure lit with Christmas lights and stocked with cookies, hot coffee, and apple cider.