SoCal music & dance, Oct. 21-28: Pasadena Symphony, War with Thee Midniters, Dance Theatre of Harlem and more
Classical, opera, jazz, folk, pop, rock, ballet, tap, flamenco, contemporary dance and more for LA & OC
Welcome to the latest TV or Not TV newsletter spotlighting music and dance performances all around Southern California this coming week. I’m Matt Cooper, former listings coordinator for the LA Times’ Calendar section.
Classical & opera
‘Charles Ives @ 150’ Acclaimed pianist Stephen Drury performs the American composer’s complete piano sonatas in this sesquicentennial celebration. Colburn School’s Thayer Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22. $15-$25. pianospheres.org
‘Colburn Presents: William Hagen, Violin, and Albert Cano Smit, Piano’ The two Colburn alums play pieces by Dvořák, Schumann, Bartók, and Ravel. Colburn School's Thayer Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23. $17.25, $34.50. colburnschool.edu
Esmé Quartet The ensemble plays pieces by Mendelssohn, Schumann, Kui Dong and Juri Seo. Segerstrom Center's Samueli Theater, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24. $44 and up. (714) 556-2787. scfta.org
Camerata Pacifica The chamber music ensemble offers works by Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Schoenberg and Fukushima. Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Rd., Santa Barbara. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. Also at Scherr Forum, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27; the Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall, 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29; and the Colburn School’s Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. $75 ($91 at Scherr Forum). (805) 884-8410. cameratapacifica.org
‘From Mexico to Hollywood: Golden Age Cinema’ Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic play clip-enhanced score selections from films from both sides of the border in a program co-curated by Dudamel and composer-conductor John Williams. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25-27. $64-$264. (323) 850-2000. laphil.com
Modigliani Quartet & Fabio Bidini The string quartet and the pianist team up for a program that includes Brahms’ Piano Quintet. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine. 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. $36-$80. philharmonicsociety.org
‘The Menotti Radio Hour’ Lyric Opera OC presents fully-staged productions of two of the Italian American composer’s classic made-for-radio one-act musical dramas. Sung in English with English & Spanish supertitles. 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25-27. $40, $45. lyricoperaoc.org
‘Spanish Dracula’ Lina González-Granados and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra perform composer Gustavo Santaolalla’s new score live-to-picture to accompany a screening of the Spanish-language version of the 1931 vampire thriller. The United Theater on Broadway, 929 S. Broadway, downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25-27. $45-$141. (213) 972-8001. laopera.org
Angela Gheorghiu & Freddie De Tommaso The superstar soprano and the rising tenor share the stage. The Broad Stage, 1310 11th St., Santa Monica. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $105 and up. (310) 434-3200. broadstage.org
‘Cold Sassy Tree’ Mission Opera opens its seventh season with composer Carlisle Floyd's adaptation of the 1989 Olive Ann Burns novel about life in a rural Southern town at the turn of the last century. Canyon High School Performing Arts Center, 19300 W. Nadal St., Santa Clarita. 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 26-27. $30-$65. missionopera.com
Edgar Meyer, Tessa Lark and Joshua Roman The bassist-composer, the violinist and the cellist play pieces by Meyer and Bach. Soka Performing Arts Center, 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $48-$98; discounts available. soka.edu
‘Happy Hour No. 126: The Life and Music of Walter Arlen’ Flutist Benjamin Smolen and company celebrate the Austrian-born, gay Jewish composer who died last year. The Village Studios, Moroccan Room, 1616 Butler Ave., West L.A. 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $10, $25. salastina.org
‘Mahler Symphony No. 1’ Conductor Brett Mitchell makes his debut as Pasadena Symphony’s newly minted music director with a program that includes Mahler’s “Titan” Symphony plus Korngold’s Violin Concerto featuring award-winning violinist Akiko Suwanai and former composer-in-residence Peter Boyer’s “New Beginnings.” Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $49-$142. (626) 793-7172. pasadenasymphony-pops.org
‘Songs of the Soul’ Pacific Chorale is joined by organist Jung-A Lee for works by Jennifer Higdon, Nico Muhly, Arvo Pärt, et al. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $32 and up. (714) 662-2345. pacificchorale.org
‘Soprano Roulette’ Soprano Katherine Powers and pianist Victoria Kirsch perform in this entry in Pacific Opera Project’s Artist Recital Series. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Rehearsal Room 4, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Reception, 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 26; performance, noon. Free. RSVP at pacificoperaproject.com
‘Twenty Fingers’ Benefit Concert Pasadena Chorale presents celebrated pianists Jeffrey Kahane and Tali Tadmor in a program of piano music for four hands by Schubert, Barber, Poulenc and Piazzolla. San Marino Community Church, 1750 Virginia Rd., San Marino. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $50 and up. givebutter.com
‘Dynamic Contrasts’ Pianist Orli Shaham leads an all-Brahms program of chamber music. Segerstrom Center’s Samueli Theater, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. (714) 755-5799. $87-$109. pacificsymphony.org
‘A Prelude to Winter’ La Mirada Symphony opens its season with Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 plus works by Fauré and Vaughan Williams. La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. Free. lamiradasymphony.com
Ray Chen The acclaimed violinist, accompanied by pianist Julio Elizalde, plays pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Dvořák, et al. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. $28 and up. philharmonicsociety.org
Jazz, blues, rock, folk, pop, world music & more
Angel City Jazz Festival This two-week city-wide showcase winds down. Various days, dates, times and prices, thru Sunday, Oct. 27. angelcityjazz.com
Jazz at LACMA Singer Rose Colella performs. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. Free. (323) 857-6010. lacma.org
War The iconic hometown R&B group shares the stage with fellow travelers Ozomatli, El Chicano, Tierra Legacy, Thee Midniters, et al. The Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Griffith Park, L.A. 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. $31-$154. (800) 653-8000. lagreektheatre.com
Alphabet Rockers The Bay Area-based hip-hop duo presents a kid-friendly interactive show. The Wallis, Bram Goldsmith Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $20. (310) 746-4000. thewallis.org
‘Chester Gregory’s Motown Revue’ The Broadway veteran sings classics by Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson, James Brown, the Temptations, et al. Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 W. Washington Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $43-$48. (323) 964-9766. ebonyrep.org
‘Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour’ A.J. Croce salutes his late father, beloved 1970s singer-songwriter Jim Croce. Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $69-$125. laorpheum.com
Also at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. $50 and up. (562) 916-8500. ccpa.cerritosca.gov
‘Nicole Zuraitis – How Love Begins’ The Grammy-winning jazz singer-songwriter-pianist performs. Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26. $54 and up. (562) 916-8500. ccpa.cerritosca.gov
‘Día de los Muertos: Ofrendas de Amor’ El Catrin Chafa, La Catrina Chana, La Catrina Chela and La Catrina Xochi mark the holiday with an afternoon of music, movement and altar-building. Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica. 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27. $20, $25. highwaysperformance.org
Dance
Dance Theatre of Harlem The company performs works by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Robert Garland, et al. Musco Center, 415 N. Glassell St., Orange. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24. $27. (714) 997-6812. muscocenter.org
‘Inferno, The Rite & Burlesque’ American Contemporary Ballet reprises this trio of sexy and spooky company favorites (“Burlesque” will be performed at each show, paired with either “Inferno” or “The Rite” on alternating evenings). Television City, 200 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays thru Oct. 31. $60-$140. acbdances.com
‘Launch:LA’ The L.A.-based duos of Charissa Kroeger & Evan Sagadencky and Kevin Zambrano & Julia Eichten present works created as part of Los Angeles Dance Project’s residency program. 2245, 2245 E. Washington Blvd., downtown L.A. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday, October. 25-27. $15-$25. ladanceproject.org
‘Dia de Los Muertos’ Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno performs. La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27. $17-$64; discounts available; children under 3 not admitted. (562) 944-9801, (714) 994-6310. lamiradatheatre.com
Thanks so much for spotlighting Piano Spheres! #longliveCharlesIves