Exciting New Social Season

By Patt Diroll

Labor Day has come and gone. The white shoes should be stowed away; the social terriers have dug their bones out of the sand and another social whirl begins.

The opening of the L.A. Opera is the traditional benchmark for the see-and-be-seen crowd. It all starts Saturday at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with a “Gala Opening Weekend” featuring a new production of Puccini’s “Il Trittico.”

The first two of three one-act operas that make up the operatic trilogy, “Il Tabarro” and “Suor Angelica,” will be staged by William Friedkin. Woody Allen will make his operatic debut directing the third, the comic “Gianni Schicchi.”

On Sunday afternoon, Placido Domingo will conduct the U.S. premiere of the L.A. Opera-commissioned work based on the weird cult film, “The Fly.” The season will continue with a revival of three old crowd-pleasers, Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” Bizet’s “Carmen” and, my favorite, Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”.

Then comes the long-awaited first two installments of Wagner’s spectacular “Ring” cycle, “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walkure.” The U.S. premiere of Braunfels’ “The Birds,” as part of the company’s “Recovered Voices” project, will follow, and the season concludes with a revival of Verdi’s “La Traviata.”

With the seven new productions, including the launch of the “Ring,” this is the most ambitious, interesting – not to mention costly – agenda in L.A. Opera history. I can hardly wait.

Across the Music Center Plaza, Center Theatre Group’s newly renovated Mark Taper Forum kicks off its 41st season with a gala benefit opening Sept. 13. Dame Edna, the fearless frump-buster, will preside over the red-carpet arrivals preceding a special preview of John Guare’s heartbreaker, “The House of Blue Leaves.” Her Dameship has promised a naughty evening of singing, dancing, fireworks, tankards of scrumptious Gallo wine and best of all – apart from the valet parking – Herself!! All this arthritic abandon can be had for a mere $1,500 a pop, to help support CTG programs.

The Taper season continues with the U.S. premiere of Peter Whelan’s “The School of the Night,” a tale woven around the mysterious death of 16th century playwright Christopher Marlowe. It opens Oct. 30.

Next door, at the Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre, the 42nd season begins with the world premiere of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5: The Musical,” opening Sept. 20, followed in October by the bold rock musical “Spring Awakening,” winner of eight Tony Awards in 2007. Also in the works are new plays: A racy new show, “Minsky’s,” set in the Roaring ’20s, will debut in January 2009. Peter Morgan’s “Frost/ Nixon,” starring Stacy Keach as Richard Nixon, is set for March; the 30-year-old revue “Ain’t Misbehavin,” the Fats Waller Musical Show, will be reprised in April; and last, but certainly not least, the diva from Down Under, Dame Edna will appear in “My First Last Tour” in June.

The L.A. Philharmonic will open its 90th season Sept. 27. This season marks the fifth anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall and the last under departing Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. It’s hard to believe that it has been 17 years since we started with the Finnish wunderkind who, at the conclusion of the season May 31, 2009, will be the longest serving music director. Throughout the season, the repertoire will reflect Salonen’s affinity for composers from Beethoven to Stravinsky and beyond, including some of his own works. There will be seven world premieres and two West Coast premieres commissioned and performed by the L.A. Phil and Philharmonic New Music Group.

Featured in the L.A. Phil’s On Location program that brings artists to L.A. for extended stays are director Peter Sellars, composer John Adams, pianist Yefim Bronfman and soprano Dawn Upshaw – all frequent collaborators with Salonen. The glamorous L.A. Phil opening gala featuring selections from Stravinsky’s “The Firebird,” sopranos Upshaw and Barbara Hannigan, plus a lavish black-tie party under the stars, is scheduled for Oct. 2.

Founded in 1991 with only $3,000 and a performance of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” the marvelous classical repertory company A Noise Within will open its new season with a six-play slate that comes full circle with a reprise of “Hamlet” beginning Sept. 27 at the company’s present venue in Glendale. The occasion also marks the launch of its $16 million capital campaign to build a new home in Pasadena.

Spearheading the fundraising effort is Pasadena’s irrepressible Andrea Van de Kamp. Under her leadership $8 million has already been raised in gifts and pledges. The new Pasadena site, located in the former Stuart Pharmaceutical building designed by Edward Durell Stone, will accommodate a 350-seat theater and is projected to open in early 2010.

“Hamlet”, which runs through Dec. 7, is followed by Richard Nash’s “The Rainmaker,” Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew,” Henrik Ibsen’s “Ghosts,” and Jean Anouilh’s “The Rehearsal.”

Post Script: Doesn’t anyone consult “Masterplanner” anymore? There are four major philanthropic events vying for local support Sept. 13. Along with the reopening of the Taper, there is the posh annual ball to benefit San Marino’s Huntington Library; the fundraiser for Wellness Community Foothills; and The Orchestras of Pasadena’s tribute to composer John Williams. Competition is fierce for the charity dollar these days, dear hearts. In the future, can we get our acts together please?

pattdiroll@charter.net

Fax: (626) 696-3150

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