MUSIC Temps.com CURRENT EVENTS AREA
FORD AMPHITHEATRE SUMMER SEASON OPENS JUNE 4 WITH WORLD PREMIERE PLAY
The historic open air Ford Amphitheatre, operated by the Arts Commission, hosts an impressive range of premier local and international performing arts, film and family events this summer. The season opens Saturday, June 4 with the world premiere of James Still's A Long Bridge Over Deep Waters produced by Cornerstone Theater Company. (See below for more detail on this extraordinary production.) The season continues through October 22 and encompasses 78 performances of 62 events in all.
Ford complete information and tickets, log on to the bilingual (English/Spanish) Ford web site, www.FordAmphitheatre.org or call the Ford box office, 323 GO 1-FORD (461-3673). Highlights of the Ford Amphitheatre 2005 Summer Season programming include:
Exploring the spiritual
The season opens with a world premiere production by Cornerstone Theater Company of the play A Long Bridge Over Deep Waters by James Still (June 4-12); the work traces a chain of encounters between people of different faiths in contemporary Los Angeles and features a cast of 60. The Ford is also a key venue in this fall's citywide World Festival of Sacred Music, hosting four performances. Viver Brasil Dance Company performs choreographies based on Brazilian ritual (Sept. 23). Levantine Cultural Center's Levantine Festival 2 features Suzanne Teng and Mystic Journey in a program with a Middle East meets West theme (Sept. 24). The 50-voice chorus Cantori Domino and the Southern California Panharmonic Orchestra share an evening including Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms and steel drum music (Sept. 25). Brazilian Nites Productions presents an homage to Tom Jobim, the father of the bossa nova, featuring Brazilian musicians Armandinho, Yamandu Costa, Paulo Moura and Marcos Suzano (Sept. 30).
Expanded film and multimedia offerings
For several seasons, OUTFEST, the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, (July 13-17) and the IFP Los Angeles Film Festival (June 17-19, 22-23) have included screenings at the Ford. The latter expanded from 3 nights in 2004 to 5 nights this season. In 2005, the two festivals will be joined by Latin American Cinemateca presenting a film tribute to the Mexican comedian Tin Tan (July 12), and Visual Communications, producers of the VC Film Festival, which marks its 35th anniversary with an Asian-Pacific film-live performance evening (Sept. 29). Vox Lumiere combines live music and theatre and silent film in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (October 14-15).
Strong jazz lineup
In 2005 the Ford has the strongest jazz lineup since the inception of the amphitheatre summer season in 1993. The Jazz Bakery's songfest features Mississippi jazzman Mose Allison, Brazilian songstress Luciana Souza in duet with guitarist Romero Lubambo, guitarist-vocalist Kenny Rankin, and pianist-singer Andy Bey (Sept. 18). Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra kicks off their 20th anniversary international tour (Sept. 11), Hollywood Arts Council's Jazz Pilgrimage honors percussionist Pete Escovedo in a concert also featuring Louis Cruz Beltran and his Latin jazz band (August 20), and Instrumental Women's Lady Jazz Orchestra led by violinist Lesa Terry plays "Jazz on a String" (July 2). People Informing People presents two Soulful Sundays concerts (July 3 and October 9); the July 3 concert features Katia Moraes & Sambaguru and L.A. Mambo Combo.
New direction in chamber music
Instrumental combinations beyond the string quartets that have dominated the past few seasons characterize the 2005 Chamber Music Under the Stars series, presented by the Ford Theater Foundation. An ensemble of four guitars - the Brazilian Guitar Quartet, known as "The Dream Team" in their native country - opens the series (June 24) and a group of 8 cellos - Conjunto Ibérico - closes it (October 8) by kicking off their first major U.S. tour. In between, renowned cellist Lynn Harrell is joined by a group of valued colleagues for an evening of duos and trios (August 23) in a program crafted exclusively for the Ford.
