@caption:Mezzo-soprano Judith Malafronte performs with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra on Saturday.
San Francisco's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra celebrates the Easter season with Johann Sebastian Bach's choral masterwork, the "St. Matthew Passion," at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto.
"St. Matthew Passion" is a musical enactment of the story of Christ's betrayal and crucifixion. Bach has interwoven text from the Book of Matthew in the New Testament with chorales, choruses and arias that comment and meditate on the action. Bach completed "St. Matthew Passion" in 1727.
For the concert, maestro Nicholas McGegan has assembled an impressive cast of soloists, including soprano Dana Hanchard, mezzo-soprano Judith Malafronte, tenors Benjamin Butterfield and Gregory Cross, baritone Nathaniel Watson and bass-baritone James Weaver. They will be joined by the Philharmonia Chorale under John Butt's direction. Tickets are $25-$35. For more information, call 392-4400.
@caption:Cellist Emil Miland is the featured soloist in Friday's New Century Chamber Orchestra performance. World premiere
At 8 p.m. Friday, March 21, the New Century Chamber Orchestra will perform the world premiere of David Carlson's "Cello Concerto No. 2" at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Castro and Mercy streets.
Bay Area composer Carlson has written works in many genres, including several orchestral pieces, concertos for violin and cello, chamber music and opera. His orchestral works have been performed throughout the United States and Europe by such groups as the Philadelphia Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. Carlson wrote "Cello Concerto No. 2" especially for New Century Chamber Orchestra principal cellist Emil Miland, who will be featured in the Mountain View concert.
The concert will also include Igor Stravinsky's "Apollon Musagete" and Peter Tchaikovsky's "Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70." Tickets are $22 adults; $10 youth (17 and under). For more information, call 903-6000.
@caption:Cheap Trick Live at The Edge
The 1970s are still famous as the heyday of live concert recordings. Rock fans just ate the stuff up. Live albums like Peter Frampton's "Frampton Comes Alive," Kiss "Alive (I and II)" and Bob Seger's "Live Bullet" sold tons of copies and had industry folk lining up their bands to release in-concert albums.
Perhaps the live album that best symbolizes these long-gone times is Cheap Trick's "At Budokan." That commercial breakthrough album catapulted the band--and, really, power-pop rock--to a new level with songs such as "Surrender," "I Want You to Want Me" and an over-the-top cover of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame." All those screaming Japanese fans (Budokan is located in Japan) just couldn't be wrong, and the rest of the world jumped on the Cheap Trick bandwagon.
Cheap Trick is nowhere near the mega-selling band it once was, but it's got a new, self-titled album out. And it's coming to The Edge, 260 California Ave., Palo Alto, for an early, 7 p.m. show on Friday, March 28. Tickets are $16 advance and Silverjet opens the show. For more information, call 324-EDGE.
Dust off that old vinyl "Budokan" record and get ready to rock with the Tricksters. You do remember what vinyl is, don't you?
It's an Otto Preminger, Dana Andrews, David Raksin double bill this weekend at the Stanford Theatre, 221 University Ave., Palo Alto. Both Preminger-directed films, starring Andrews and featuring music by Raksin, are part of the theater's film noir series. "Laura" (1944) also stars Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price and Judith Anderson and deals with the alleged murder of a beautiful woman. "Fallen Angel" (1946) also stars Alice Faye, Linda Darnell, Charles Bickford, Anne Revere and John Carradine. In the film, Dana Andrews arrives in a small town, becomes interested in an attractive waitress, and cultivates a wealthy woman for her money. When the waitress is murdered, he is a prime suspect. Both films play Friday through Sunday, March 21-23. "Laura" shows at 7:30 p.m. and "Fallen Angel" starts at 5:35 and 9:10 p.m. For more information, call 324-3700.
The Park at 50
The Park Theatre in Menlo Park will celebrate its 50th birthday tonight, March 21. And the friendly folks at Landmark Theatres, which operates The Park, have something special in mind. Besides cake and party favors, the theater will also host a talent contest in which movie-goers will perform in front of the audience for two minutes each. The first 15 people who register to show off a talent will take the stage. Call 493-2615 to register. Prizes for winners include T-shirts, movie passes and compact discs.
@caption:Michael Zlotnick, Sarah Peck and Chris Siefert, from left, in "Androcles and the Lion."
Goodwill, laughter and fun prevail in the age-old story "Androcles and the Lion," in which a thorn is taken from the paw of a wild lion in a random act of kindness. The kindness is repaid when Androcles winds up being thrown to the lions in a Roman circus. The Palo Alto Children's Theatre production features all JLS Middle School cast. Show times are 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 21, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at the Palo Alto Children's Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road. Tickets are $4 adults; $2 children. For more information, call 329-2651.
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