At the Santa Barbara Bowl, Saturday, October 7
With a career that spans more than 40 years, dozens of classic songs to his credit, and an enormous and loyal fan base worldwide, Paul Simon could afford to coast. But he’s not. He’s growing, and Surprise, his recent collaboration with “sonic landscaper” Brian Eno and producer Tchad Blake, has resulted not only in a fine album, but also in one of the most enjoyable and moving concerts of this season.
At the Rubicon Theatre, Sunday, October 8. Shows through November 12.
The Rubicon Theatre has a genuine hit on its hands with this revival of Dale Wasserman’s classic musical Man of La Mancha. Shoehorned onto the modest Rubicon stage was a terrific cast of 25, including George Ball, who was marvelous in the title role, and Jennifer Shelton, a gifted actress and singer who gave her all to the part of Aldonza.
Opera Santa Barbara has undertaken a unique service to the community with its new tradition of producing fall premieres in anticipation of its single-composer festivals in February. They are big, gorgeous, greatest-hits packages, and this one, a life of Giuseppe Verdi, was every bit as fascinating and satisfying as last year’s tribute to Puccini.
Entering the fifth century of his fame, Shakespeare enthralls and energizes like no other author. How many restless days and nights have been consumed in avid pursuit of his elusive meanings? How many readers and actors have yearned and strived to make Shakespeare’s words their own?
Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC), Santa Barbara’s oldest continuously operating Actors’ Equity Association theater, opens its new season this week with Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. ETC also has a new executive artistic director, Jonathan Fox, with whom I spoke last week. He’s an impressive guy-warm and intelligent, very business-like, and fun to talk to.
Following the pattern for its festival seasons established last year, Opera Santa Barbara will kick off its 2006-07 season with a production of Viva Verdi on Friday night at the Arlington. Viva Verdi is an original dramatic rendition of a crucial moment in Verdi’s life that will include both an actor playing Verdi and six singers, each offering a highlight from Verdi’s extraordinary body of work. Arias to be sung in Viva Verdi include the Triumphal Scene from Aida and the Quartet from Rigoletto.
One of the most absorbing and otherworldly day-trips in the Santa Barbara area-exploring the sea caves of Anacapa Island-is easy, fun, and guaranteed to be unlike anything you’ve done before. While the caves are relatively safe and accessible, unless you have extensive experience as both a kayaker and a traveler to the Channel Islands, you will need to hire a guide. Paddle Sports of Santa Barbara organized our tour, and our guide was the lively and informative Mark Olson.
At the Getty Villa’s Fleischman Theater, Saturday, September 16. Shows through September 30.
Nestled into the Malibu hillside, the elegant new Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa has the clean lines and pleasing symmetry of an ancient Greek outdoor theater. Yet the architecture was eclipsed by a startling, original, and highly accomplished production of Greek tragedy that promises wonderful things to come, both at the Fleischman (their Greek plays will continue on an annual basis) and from the talented director Stephen Sachs, who has achieved something truly brilliant with this Hippolytos.
At the Lobero Theatre, Friday, September 15.
Charles Lloyd gave his adopted hometown an insider’s preview of the main attraction at this year’s Monterey Jazz Festival. He performed at the Lobero last Friday with the same quartet he would use the next night in Monterey to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his classic live recording Forest Flower. Lloyd considers the Lobero his home these days-his most recent album with his other group, Sangam, was recorded live there just two years ago.
At Temple Beth Torah, Ventura, Sunday, September 17.
Few concerts of any kind achieve this level of interest and depth. The program followed a simple progression-a violin sonata followed by a cello sonata, capped by a trio for violin, cello, and piano. Yet nothing was obvious, or less than amazing, about either the music or its execution by violinist Catherine Leonard, cellist Ani Aznavoorian, and pianists Robert Thies and Warren Jones. Spanning the limits of the 19th century repertory from Beethoven and Schubert to Rachmaninoff, the concert brought listeners directly to a deeper understanding of the roots and sources of musical expression.
