Sinatra “On Tour” for 2015 Centennial
{Los Angeles} Grammy Museum
Premiering October 21
Bob Santelli has a special connection to the man alternately known as “Ol’ Blue Eyes” or simply “The Voice.” Santelli grew up just two miles from Frank Sinatra’s birthplace in Hoboken, New Jersey. “I’m Italian American, and my earliest musical memories in my house are of Frank Sinatra records,” says the former music journalist and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame director of education, who now serves as president at the Grammy Museum. “Both my mother and father had seen him in his earliest days, so we in our family had a lifelong connection to Sinatra. For me, to be able to work with the Sinatra family and create this exhibit is something that is far more meaningful than most people realize.”
Santelli has been at the helm of the Grammy Museum since its inception in 2008, noting that he was the organization’s first employee. “What we do at the Grammy Museum is unravel the mysteries of the making of great music, explore the creative process, inform and inspire people about music, and interpret some of the complex issues concerning music business and culture.” As with popular music, the subject it covers, Santelli says the museum’s primary focus is keeping the content current; over the course of the year, 60 percent of the exhibits are updated or changed. Visitors are able to experience an interactive component, whether listening to the latest tracks with the benefit added historical context or exploring the musical composition process.
However, as the complexion of popular music continues to evolve, one musical artist will always hold an important value, according to Santelli. “One hundred years ago, Frank Sinatra was born, and that day marked the day perhaps that the greatest pop music voice of the century was born. He was such a charismatic person and dynamic performer, but he had a gift, which was the tone and sheer beauty of his voice, and that of course lead him onto the world stage.”
“Sinatra: An American Icon” is presented in cooperation with the Sinatra Family, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Universal Music Group, the Frank Sinatra Collection, and USC School of Cinematic Arts. The exhibit features many artifacts from the Sinatra Family’s personal collection, including rare correspondence, personal items, artwork, and original artifacts from Capitol Studios, where Sinatra recorded many of his most beloved songs. On display at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, until Sept. 4, the exhibit will make its way to Miami after its Los Angeles engagement.
/ grammymuseum.org
Pageant of the Masters
{Laguna Beach} Irvine Bowl
July 8–August 31
The first public museums—where citizens would converge to view collected works of art— are a relatively recent cultural phenomenon. Having famous pieces re-created with living, breathing models is a vividly captivating twist. This, in essence, defines the Pageant of the Masters. Returning to the Irvine Bowl at Laguna’s Festival of Arts for its 82nd year, the theme for this year is “The Pursuit of Happiness.” Director Diane Challis Davy, who is now in her 20th year as pageant director, hopes to explore the many facets of happiness through the live narration of the pieces. Challis aims to focus on the meanings of this sundry topic and how the quest for happiness is differentiated across contrasting cultures and eras. The pageant will feature international pieces, taking viewers to a place where the elements of joy will play out in real time through a theatrical perspective.
/ foapom.com
A Little Bit of (Rock, Country, &) Soul
{Santa Barbara} Santa Barbara Bowl
July 7, July 22, August 6
The $40mm renovation of the famed county bowl from its 1936 beginnings was completed in 2014, and the refurbished venue continues to host a full schedule of local events, such the Santa Barbara community’s Fiesta pageant, as well as attracting legendary talent. This summer’s concert series highlights include Aerosmith (signed by Clive Davis in 1973; four-time Grammy winners) on July 7, Willie Nelson (active since 1962; 11-time Grammy winner) on July 22, and Aretha Franklin (active since 1956; 18-time Grammy winner) on August 6. You might as well show some R-E-S-P-E-C-T and catch one of these icons while they’re “on the road again.”
/ sbbowl.com
Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition
{Los Angeles} California Science Center
Through September 7th
One of the most significant archeological finds of the past century, the Dead Sea Scrolls are on display at the California Science Center, in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities authority. The exhibit, making its first ever appearance in Los Angeles, features the largest collection of its type outside of Israel, highlighting more than 600 ancient artifacts. These displays explore elements including the significance of the scrolls, ancient manuscripts not discovered until the 1940s, and even scrolls featuring some of the earliest writings from the Hebrew Bible. Guests will be able to use digital technology and interactive programming to explore the history of the scrolls and understand the deciphering process in order for them to be appreciated in the present day.
/ californiasciencecenter.org
Silver Screen Screams
{Catalina} Catalina Film Festival
September 24–27
Now in its fifth year, the Catalina Film Festival (CFF) will boast 75 feature and short-length domestic and international films. Benefitting the Catalina Island Conservancy, an organization founded in 1972 by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr., CFF was founded by Ron Truppa as a way to acknowledge the rich history that the island enjoys. Past attendees of the festival include Nicolas Cage, William H. Macy, Andy Garcia, and Emmy Rossum. An annual highlight of the festival has filmmaker Wes Craven selecting the winner of the Craven Award for excellence in horror filmmaking. Other details to be divulged over the summer.
/ catalinafilm.org
From the Page to the Stage
{Solvang} Solvang Festival Theater
Through September 13
The Solvang Summer Musical schedule offers a trifecta of productions that should pique the interest of old-school and newbie musical enthusiasts alike. Since 1974, the Solvang Theatre has logged more than 200 PCPA performances, along with other live events and concerts. This season, patrons will be treated to two multiple Tony Award–winning musicals, followed by a prequel to a classic children’s tale. All three works are based on famous literature: George Bernard Shaw’s 1913 play “Pygmalion” was the source material for My Fair Lady (playing through July 12) and Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote inspired Man of La Mancha (July 17–Aug. 16), while the summer’s third offering, Rick Elice’s Peter and the Starcatcher (Aug. 21–Sept. 13), is a grown-up’s prequel to the J.M. Barrie classic Peter Pan. Sounds like a date with magic under the stars.
/ solvangfestivaltheater.org
