Weekly Update

mpPIANIST MENAHEM PRESSLER

LEGENDARY FOUNDER of the fabled Beaux Arts Trio, now 91, appears in Carmel this coming Sunday. Click the ad, left, for details. Pressler recently had major surgery to treat a dangerous aortic aneurysm.

WHY IS THE GERSHWIN PRIZE ONLY FOR POP ARTISTS?

GADFLY NORMAN LEBRECHT rightly demands to know. Click HERE

MJF NEW JAZZ IN SCHOOLS PROGRAM

MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL has created a new free concert series for Monterey County school students, grades 3 through 12, called What is Jazz? MJF traveling clinicians, plus dancer Micha Scott, will appear with members of the MJF High School All-Stars. The one-hour program will be performed twice at Pacific Grove Middle School on Nov. 4, Sherwood Hall Salinas on Nov. 5, Robert Stanton Theater King City on Nov. 6 and with a single performance at Breadbox Theater in Salinas on Nov. 7. More information at 373-8843.

LAST SUNDAY’S JAZZ JAM

IN MEMORY OF JAN DENEAU, it drew a large complement of Monterey Bay jazz artists of every instrumental and vocal discipline. Lee Durley was MC and welcomed Scotty Wright, Dave Morwood, Bob Blankenship, Kenny Stahl, Biff Smith, Eddie Mendenhall, Thelma Howard, John Dryden, Jim Vanderswaan and many more. The Embassy Suites lounge was packed to overflowing.

IS ‘EQUITY’ IN THEATER REAL?

AND DOES IT extend to women actors? Click HERE

PHILIP PEARCE REPORTS ON PRIVATE LIVES

YET ANOTHER VICTIM of the recent Monterey-area power outage was the Listening Place readers’ theater October 18th performance of Private Lives. Like a lot of other prospective patrons I showed up to face a notice on the museum’s front door. Closed. No Listening Place show. But a week later I became part of a full house of fans who enjoyed a lively, well-acted version of the 1930 Noel Coward comedy. Private Lives was an assigned script analyzed in a play writing class I took many years ago and I thought then, as I still do, that on the page this is a tiresome exercise in comedic triviality. But since that classroom work I’ve seen the play five times and have always had to admit I was charmed and entertained. Last Sunday’s Listening Place version, though it necessarily omitted some of the fisticuffs and horseplay, was, again, charming!

FOREST THEATER GUILD SETS AUDITIONS

WALT DEFARIA has announced auditions for The Borrowers-The Musical, with music by Stephen Tosh, when the Guild returns to the Forest Theater after its renovation is completed next year. Auditions are by appointment only and will be held at the Carmel Youth Center, corner of 4th & Torres, Saturday Nov. 7 from 9:30 to noon and from 1pm to 3pm, and on Sunday, Nov. 8 from 1pm to 4pm. Appointments may be made by calling Stacy Meheen at (831)760-0127 or email [email protected]. Singing and acting roles range from 16 years to all adult ages. For more information call deFaria at 624-4345.

PERFORMING ARTS PEOPLE

WELL-KNOWN Monterey Peninsula pianists and keyboard teachers Renée and Lyn Bronson have richer backgrounds than many know about. Click HERE

FRESH REVIEW

PHILIP PEARCE mentions Private Lives (above) and covers Tortilla Curtain. Click HERE

Scott MacClelland, editor