JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE PIANO HAD BEEN PERFECTED…

DANIEL BARENBOIM unveiled a ground-breaking new piano at a special event at London’s Royal Festival Hall last Tuesday, in advance of his Schubert recital series there. Conceived and commissioned by Barenboim himself, the Barenboim-Maene Concert Grand piano was developed and built by esteemed Belgian instrument maker Chris Maene, with support from Steinway & Sons. Click HERE

PERFORMING ARTS PEOPLE

ACTRESS ROSEMARY LUKE opens Tom Parks’ new, Zelda, Save Me the Waltz, in Carmel. Click HERE

FRESH REVIEWS

MUSIC IN MAY in Santa Cruz, and award-winning harpist Noël Wan in Carmel. Click HERE

WESTERN STAGE, You Can’t Take It With You. Click HERE

OPERA: THE LITTLE PRINCE

By Philip Pearce

PERFORMED at UC Santa Cruz last weekend only, this adaptation from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s internationally popular 1943 novella put a libretto by Nicholas Wright together with pleasant and accessible music by Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman (left). It was a daunting challenge featuring roles as varied as a chorus of giant singing baobab trees to skies full of singing stars, the twinkly variety, and a gigantic human waterfall. Exciting performance from conductor Nicole Paiement and the UCSC Orchestra, plus amazing interplanetary costumes and scenic effects designed by David Murakami, Dave Dunning and Christine Crook. There were effective acting performances from a busy cast of 25 directed by Brian Staufenbiel. People stood up and cheered.

Scott MacClelland, editor