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Life Arts the
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Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com
F R I DAY, A P R I L 14 , 2 0 2 3
‘Beethoven Dreams’ By DAVE MASON
NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
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he Santa Barbara Symphony is taking a creative approach to one of classical music’s greatest stars: Ludwig van Beethoven. This weekend’s Beethoven concert at The Granada will include a collaboration with the Ensemble Theatre Company’s artistic director, Jonathan Fox. Mr. Fox will direct the West Coast premiere of Ella Milch-Sheriff’s staged monodrama,
“The Eternal Stranger,” based on one of Beethoven’s dreams. Set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, the “Beethoven Dreams” concert will also feature the symphony playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, featuring piano soloist and Ukrainian native Inna Faliks, and Symphony No. 4. For “The Eternal Stranger,” the symphony will play Ms. Milch-Sheriff’s music while Ensemble Theatre Company actors John Connolly and Nitya Vidyasagar portray a composer and refugee
Santa Barbara Symphony, Ensemble Theatre Company collaborate on special concert
respectively. They will recite the poem “The Eternal Stranger” as those characters while sharing the stage with the Santa Barbara Symphony. “They will act and move around the musicians,” Nir Kabaretti, the symphony’s music and artistic director, told the NewsPress. “We also have visual art so there will be a screen (behind the orchestra). “It’s really a fascinating project,” the symphony’s conductor said. “It’s by an Israeli composer I really like. She (Ms. Milch-Sheriff) was inspired by a letter
Beethoven wrote to a friend where he shared a dream.” That letter was Beethoven’s letter to his publisher, Tobias Haslinger, in which the composer described a dream he had about a journey to Syria, India, Arabia and finally Jerusalem. “It’s something that resonates with a lot of people,” Maestro Kabaretti said about Beethoven’s imaginary journey. “It’s finding yourself in a new place with new people.” Mr. Fox talked to the News-Press about Please see SYMPHONY on B2
COURTESY PHOTOS
Ensemble Theatre Company actress Nitya Vidyasagar will portray a refugee during the Santa Barbara Symphony’s performance of “The Eternal Stranger.” The music and poetry are inspired by one of Beethoven’s dreams. John Connolly will play a composer feeling a sense of alienation during the same performance.
‘Once’ brings Guy and Girl together through music Based on the 2007 movie of the same name and featuring the film’s folk-indie-rock songs, “Once” uy meets Girl, and they follows Guy, an Irish musician played by Ojai singer-guitarist make beautiful music Sam Kulchin, as he meets another together in “Once.” musician, Girl, a Czech immigrant The musical, in portrayed by Mica Basilici. which a dozen or so “I like the choice to call them actors/musicians will portray characters and play instruments, is Guy and Girl because they represent archetypes,” Ms. Eve being performed by Out of the Box said. “They both represent people Theatre Company. On stage with who are lost, stuck in their own them at Center Stage Theater will lives and uncertain how to move be some of the audience members forward. Within (who won’t be a course of called on to act a week, they but will get to meet each other watch the play Out of the Box Theatre Company and push each from there). will perform “Once” today through other to create “We have never April 23 at Center Stage Theater, something new.” done a show quite upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in downtown She said Guy like this before,” Santa Barbara. Curtain rises at 8 p.m. and Girl are said Samantha Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. each other’s Eve, the theater Sundays. muses in company’s There is limited on-stage seating, the creative founder and for ages 12 and older, and that process. artistic director. costs $40. Other tickets cost $35 for “They “We have 13 general admission and $20 for college accomplish actors who students and seniors. To purchase, go more together play different to centerstagetheater.org. Those 17 than they can musicians and younger get free admission but alone,” Ms. Eve singing and doing must show their ID at will call. (A presaid. dialects. We have show concert starts at 7:30 p.m., and “Once” a really great the bar will be open during the prefeatures the group.” show.) Oscar-winning Out of the song “Falling Box Theatre Slowly” from the Company will 2007 film. It’s a duet between Guy perform “Once” today through and Girl. April 23 at Center Stage Theater, “It’s really lovely and a really upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in simple song,” Ms. Eve said. “The downtown Santa Barbara. Curtain harmony has a really nice feel to it. rises at 8 p.m. Fridays and It’s piano and guitar, then the other Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. instruments come in. “Once” is set in Dublin. Guy — “The chemistry (between Guy that’s the character’s name — is a street musician “who’s at the end of and Girl) can be witnessed in that song,” she said. his ropes,” Ms. Eve told the NewsMs. Eve praised the actors Press. “Nobody wants to hear what he has to share. He’s feeling rejected and lost because of that.” Please see ONCE on B2 By DAVE MASON
NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR
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FYI
COURTESY OUT OF THE BOX THEATRE COMPANY
Guy (Sam Kulchin) and Girl (Mica Basilici) meet in “Once,” a musical that the Out of the Box Theatre is performing at Center Stage Theater.
CALENDAR The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Please email them a full week before the event to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@newspress.com. TODAY 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Storytelling: Native People Through the Lens of Edward S. Curtis” is on display through April 30 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. For more information, visit sbnature.org. 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “SURREAL WOMEN: Surrealist Art by American Women” is on display through April 24 at Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery, 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information, www.sullivangoss. com. By appointment on weekdays: “Holly Hungett: Natural Interpretations” is on view through May 20 at the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara’s gallery, 229 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. The gallery is open 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and weekdays by appointment. For more information, call the foundation at 805-965-6307 or go to www.afsb.org. Noon to 5 p.m. “Clarence Mattei: Portrait of a Community” is on view now through May at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which is located in downtown Santa Barbara at 136 E. De la Guerra St. Admission is free. Hours are currently from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and from noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, visit www.sbhistorical. org. to etcsb.org or call 805-9655400. 7:30 p.m. Nic & Joe — the musical duo of Nicole Lvoff and Joe Woodard — will perform at Roy Restaurant, 7 W. Carrillo Street in Santa Barbara. The two-hour concert will feature music by the Beatles and Joni Mitchell, as well as jazz standards. 8 p.m. Out of the Box Theatre Company will perform “Once” a musical about Guy and Girl, who meet on the streets of Dublin at Center Stage Theater, upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. Curtain rises at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 23. There is limited on-stage seating, for ages 12 and older, and that costs $40. Other tickets cost $35 for general admission and $20 for college students and seniors. To purchase, go to centerstagetheater.org. Those 17 and younger get free admission but must show their ID at will call. (A pre-show concert starts at 7:30 p.m., and the bar will be open during the pre-show.) For more details, see the story that will appear in Friday’s News-Press or visit www. outoftheboxtheatre.org. APRIL 15 7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform “Beethoven Dreams” at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. The allBeethoven program will include a collaboration with the Ensemble Theatre Company’s artistic director, Jonathan Fox. Mr. Fox will direct the West Coast premiere of Ella MilchSheriff’s staged monodrama, “The Eternal Stranger,” based on one of Beethoven’s dreams. The concert will also feature the symphony playing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 4. The concert’s piano soloist is Inna Faliks. Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org. 8 p.m. Out of the Box Theatre Company will perform “Once” a musical about Guy and Girl, who meet on the streets of Dublin at Center Stage Theater, upstairs at Paseo Nuevo in Santa Barbara. Curtain rises at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through April 23. There is limited on-stage seating, for ages 12 and older, and that costs $40. Other tickets cost $35 for general admission and $20 for college students and seniors. To purchase, go to centerstagetheater.org. Those 17 and younger get free admission but must show their ID at will call. (A pre-show concert starts at 7:30 p.m. April 15, and the bar will be open during the pre-show.) For more details, see the story that will appear in Friday’s News-Press or visit www.outoftheboxtheatre.org. Please see CALENDAR on B2