At the First United Methodist Church, Tuesday, May 2.
Egle Januleviciute lived up to all the enthusiasm I poured out in these pages in advance of this concert-and in the event, it was my powers of description that fell short, not her playing.
Personally, I think having a healthy fear of wildlife is, well, healthy. Filmmakers think exploiting my healthy fears is profitable. To explore the age-old Humans vs. Nature struggle, moviemakers have used large beasts and ungodly monsters to thrill audiences since the beginning of film. To extract facts from that fiction-while having a little fun, of course-is the goal of this year’s new Monster vs. Myth film series at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
At the Arlington Theatre, Wednesday, May 3.
From the moment Maya Angelou walked onto the stage of the Arlington Theatre last Wednesday night, she held the audience in the palm of her hand. The production began with a medley from the Inner Light Community Church’s choir, Mama’s Voices, which featured “This Little Light of Mine,” whose message became the theme of the evening.
Getting a bunch of drinkers to agree on anything-much less give their whole-hearted applause-is impossible, so it was with wondrous surprise this past weekend as two jam-packed bars raised their glasses and clapped their hands in unison for two very different occasions.
Santa Barbara Symphony, conducted by Gisle Ben-Dor, with Elissa Johnson, soprano; Catherine Stolz, mezzo-soprano; Jonathan Mack, tenor; Nmon Ford, baritone, and the Santa Barbara Choral Society (Jo Anne Wasserman, music director), with Nathaniel Hodson and Michael Sikich, boy sopranos. At the Arlington Theatre, Sunday, May 7.
However troubled Gisle Ben-Dor’s relations are with the Santa Barbara Symphony board, she has retained a solid hold on the affections of South Coast music lovers, who turned out in force to bid her farewell. The concert sold out, which made a strong statement, if only of solidarity.
THE VIEW FROM EIGHTY-SOMETHING: In the space of a single month, the Arlington Theatre will have hosted two octogenarian musical legends, great musicians with staying power and vast cultural influence. You might not find Ravi Shankar (86) and B.B. King (80) within easy jamming or riff-swapping proximity, but they share some common traits.
2nd District supervisor candidate Janet Wolf got a major shot in the arm this week, securing the plum endorsements of five public safety unions: city police, county sheriffs, deputy district attorneys, and the county and city fire departments.
Sunday: the day of rest. Or, more accurately, the day reserved for all those crappy chores you can’t find the time for during the crazy workweek.
Looking to situate annual Mother’s Day celebrations in their original antiwar context, several Santa Barbaran women and mothers formed the MotherHearts organization about six months ago.
Last week’s ruling in the lawsuits resulting from La Conchita’s fatal mudslide in January 2005 did not bode well for La Conchita residents.
