Bobby McFerrin
I actually saw Bobby over two months ago, with
I knew that Bobby had a phenomenal voice, but I hadn't realized how interactive his concerts were. After a couple of opening numbers, he hummed a tone and gestured for the audience to join in. He then began singing over that tone, which we kept going throughout the entire piece. It was a moving experience. But that was only the beginning! He also:
- Had the audience (those who knew it, anyway) sing "Ave Maria" while he sang the Bach prelude that traditionally accompanies that piece
- Called for an audience member to come up and do a modern dance on stage while he sang
- Called for twelve singers to come to the stage to sing with him (about 40 people ended up there)
- Went out into the audience and improvised duets with several people
This concert, which I almost didn't attend due to concerns about how much I was spending on season tickets, reminded me why I continue to attend Cal Performances year after year. I don't mind the expense and the inconvenience of going to Berkeley, even on weeknights, if it means seeing fantastic performers like this.
Le Grand Macabre

Well, despite my limited experience I could tell that this was certainly not your typical opera. The overture started with a chorus of car horns honking. The opera had a futuristic apocalyptic setting, with amazing sets portraying collapsed buildings and even a huge telescope in an observatory for one scene. The first scene portrayed two characters crawling across the stage looking for a place to have sex with each other. Comic-strip style thought balloons would sometimes lower over characters' heads to illustrate what they thought of what another character was singing. The words were in English, but supertitles were still used, which was helpful as it was difficult to understand what some of the characters (especially the sopranos) were singing.
Laurie Anderson - The End of the Moon
While listening to her music I immediately thought how much
Celebrate the Maestro
Last night was the fiftieth birthday of San Francisco Opera maestro Donald Runnicles. I had never seen him conduct (a guest conductor from Europe conducted Le Grande Macabre), but
The latter part of the concert featured some hilarious moments, including a soprano pulling out a huge toy snake during a Mozart aria while singing about being tormented by serpents, and a mezzo singing an Offenbach aria to the conductor saying "when it comes to talent, you don't have much, and yet, I adore you" and then changing the lyrics of the second verse to a "happy birthday" refrain. Then a representative from the British consulate presented Runnicles with an order that was just below knighthood in status. And to top it off, a giant birthday cake prop was wheeled onto the stage, it split open and a Marilyn Monroe lookalike came out and sang Happy Birthday (with the audience later joining in).
Definitely a fun evening. We even scored extra-good seats at the last minute, second row of the Grand Tier. I'm afraid these comps are making me quite spoiled, but then I have been spending several hundred dollars a year to see Cal Performances shows across the bay, so I don't feel too guilty.
Next performance I see will probably be Josh Kornbluth again (I missed his post-show talk due to getting another cold last weekend, damnit damnit damnit) - not really a performance but a benefit conversation with San Francisco theater critic Robert Hurwitt, November 30. Then, the incomparable Yo-Yo Ma with Emanuel Ax in Berkeley, December 9.
I need to see about getting sing-along Messiah tix too - benefits the Young Musicians Program at UC Berkeley. It will be Friday December 3, 7 p.m. if anyone's interested in joining me. (I sing tenor.)