Celebrate
Published by The Center for the Performing Arts at The Woodlands
the Arts
April - May 2012
Volume 13, Issue 1
The Music of Queen Merges Classic Rock with Orchestral Fireworks April 20 • 8 p.m. cian, capable of playing several instruments, with a particular knack for capturing the voices and mannerisms of classic characters from music, TV and movies. With a longing to perform the music of the many rock bands that inspired him, Dolyniuk assembled Yellow Brick Road, unquestionably Las Vegas’ most successful classic rock band. Since 1997, YBR has been reshaping the casino entertainment scene by bringing a rock concert atmosphere to showrooms previously reserved for Top 40-style lounge acts. In 2007, he lent his vocal talents by singing several tracks on the mega-hit video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and has already done several more for the new Konami game Rock Revolution. As a devout classic rock/Queen fan, Dolyniuk’s enthusiasm, vocal ability and on-stage energy were the perfect fit for The Music of Queen.
Breaking down boundaries between classic rock and classical music, conductor and arranger Brent Havens takes to the podium to present The Music of Queen: A Rock Symphony featuring the Houston Symphony April 20. Tickets are $20 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of Devon Energy and Insperity. Tickets are not required for free seating. Gates open at 7 p.m. Expanding the listening experience of Queen’s exceptional anthems, Havens combines Queen’s distinct yet familiar sound with the new musical colors of a live symphony. Amplified with stage lighting and a full rock band, Havens and his Windborne ensemble deliver both the classics, including “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions” and “Another One Bites the Dust,” and the essential rarities. “We’ve successfully merged four different groups with the orchestra and it seemed to me the next logical step in selecting a group was Queen. As always, we wanted to keep the foundation of the music as close to the originals as we could and then add additional colors to enhance what Queen had done,” said Havens. “The wonderful thing with
an orchestra is that you have an entire palette of sounds to call upon.” Delivering a fabulous rendition of Freddie Mercury’s vocals is Las Vegas star Brody Dolyniuk. He is a gifted, self-taught musi-
Arrive early for pre-concert activities in the Fidelity Investments Plaza beginning at 7 p.m. with The Pavilion Partners Arts & Crafts booth and Instrument Petting Zoo. This event is sponsored in part by Rico’s Restaurants.
The Art of Baseball Celebrates Visual Arts & America’s Favorite Pastime
Love, Betrayal, Redemption…Giselle
April 25 • 7:30 p.m.
Houston Ballet brings Giselle, one of the most widely performed works of the Romantic era, to The Pavilion’s stage May 4. Giselle is a journey into a beautiful world of love, ghosts and mystery. Tickets are $20 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of George P. Mitchell and The Wortham Foundation. Tickets are not required for free seating. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
Take me out to the symphony for The Art of Baseball featuring the Houston Symphony April 25 at The Pavilion. Tickets are $15 for orchestra seating. Mezzanine and lawn seating are free courtesy of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Woodforest National Bank. Tickets are not required for free seating. Gates open 5:30 p.m. for the Hats Off to Reading event (details below) and at 6 p.m. for other pre-concert activities. This major league event features the best music from the ballpark including “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “National Game March.” To keep the baseball theme going, the program also includes Main Theme from “Batman,” referring to a person who steps up to the plate to hit a grand slam, “Across the Stars: Attack of the Clones,” referring to the famous Houston Astrodome, “Orange Blossom Special” and “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” relating to Minute Maid Park, and Borodin’s Symphony No. 2, Finale, referring to teamwork. The “Voice of the Houston Astros” and Hall of Famer Milo Hamilton joins the symphony to narrate “Casey at the Bat.” During the concert, a special live art performance takes place with CISD art students and ORWALL baseball players creating a one-of-a-kind painting relating to the evening’s program. This art performance is in conjunction with BAM! (Because Art Matters!) and The Woodlands Waterway Arts Council. Starting at 5:30 p.m., kids are invited to join the fun at the Hats Off to Reading Celebration in The Pavilion’s House of Blues Hospitality Tent. Hats Off to Reading is a free event sponsored by the Reading Odyssey Committee, a community coalition that encourages students to develop a lifelong love of reading. Children can take home a free book courtesy of CISD and Scholastic Books, and participate in activities kids love such as a book walk, hat-making, face painting, fishing for prizes and a coloring contest with prizes provided by Chick-fil-A and Scholastic. Other pre-concert activities in the Fidelity Investments Plaza begin at 6 p.m. with The Pavilion Partners Arts & Crafts booth and Instrument Petting Zoo, Fidelity Investments, Radio Disney and Houston Family Magazine. This event is sponsored in part by Rico’s Restaurants.
May 4 • 7:30 p.m.
Giselle, a moving new staging by celebrated Russian ballerina Ai-Gul Gaisina and artistic director Stanton Welch, was choreographed by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli to a commissioned score by Adolphe Adam. The work originally premiered in Paris on June 28, 1841. The story is about a peasant girl deceived by Count Albrecht, her transformation into a Wili (the ghosts of women betrayed on their wedding day) and her forgiveness of her errant lover which results in his salvation. This new staging by Gaisina harkens back to the Russian productions of her childhood. Before the full-length performance of Giselle with live orchestra accompaniment, enjoy a presentation of the famous lakeside scene from “Swan Lake,” one of the most beautiful passages in all of classical ballet, and the spectacular classical showpiece, “Le Corsaire” (“The Pirate”). “I hope that the lyrical, delicate, and grave beauty of Giselle will stir the emotions of audiences of all ages,” said Gaisina. “If there is one story ballet that will be a benchmark for ballet lover’s knowledge, it will always be Giselle. I hope my contribution to this important piece of art will be a meaningful one.” Come early and enjoy free pre-performance activities in the Fidelity Investments Plaza beginning at 6:30 p.m. with The Pavilion Partners Arts & Crafts booth. Don’t miss Pavilion Talk, a free pre-performance discussion led by noted music scholar Ira J. Black that provides insight into the evening’s program. Pavilion Talk takes place from 6:45-7:15 p.m. This event is sponsored in part by Rico’s Restaurants. Pre-performance activities sponsored by Linn Energy.
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion’s 2012 Performing Arts Season Presented by The Woodlands Development Company and sponsored by Audi of America, official automobile of The Pavilion, The Pavilion Partners, The Wortham Foundation, and United Airlines, official airline of The Pavilion. The North Plaza is sponsored by Fidelity Investments.