Interlude - November 19
November 19, 2020
Feinstein holiday livestream, exploring the Tarkington, arts collaborations and more
Welcome back to Interlude, your weekly update on opportunities for entertainment and enlightenment emanating primarily from the Center for the Performing Arts.
FRIDAY: Don’t miss Home for the Holidays
Folks seem to be excited about tomorrow’s free livestream, Home for the Holidays: An Evening with Michael Feinstein and Special Guest Sandi Patty. How excited? The event already has drawn registrations from well over 3,000 households – enough potential viewers to fill multiple Palladiums – and those folks are checking in from coast to coast and as far away as Europe, South America and even Australia. Some will have to get up early, or stay up late, or something, but in the Eastern Time Zone, the parade of seasonal tunes and Songbook classics starts at 8 p.m.
If you’re still on the fence, watch this WXIN-Fox59 interview with Mr. Feinstein, or read this interview with our local Current newspapers, then register on our site for more details and viewing options. The event is made possible by season sponsor Allied Solutions, performance sponsor Marquis Commercial Solutions and media sponsor Current Publishing.
And again, it’s free – our holiday kickoff gift to friends of the Center and music fans everywhere.
Take a harrowing trip to "the pit"
Though it lives in the shadow of the stately Palladium, the Center’s Tarkington theater is a pretty special place all by itself. And it has something the Palladium doesn’t – a deep, dark secret we reveal to you now.
Actually, the Tark’s orchestra pit, the subterranean lair where musicians can perform without blocking the audience’s view, is not secret or even slightly scary. But it has some interesting features, and you’ve probably never seen it, so let VP of Operations Jeff Steeg take you on a little tour. Watch the latest installment of our Places, Please! video series, sponsored by Telamon.
A soundtrack for your family gatherings
You can almost smell the home cooking already, as families prepare to safely gather or Zoom in for the holidays! November is the perfect month to celebrate coming together through music.
Our friends at the Great American Songbook Foundation are observing Alzheimer’s Awareness Month with a new set of virtual Perfect Harmony resources created to help care partners use music to engage individuals living with dementia. That said, music is beneficial for everyone, and we encourage you to get creative in sharing this month’s family-themed resources with loved ones of all ages.
Featured songs include “We Are Family,” “Sisters” (from White Christmas), “Together (Wherever We Go)” (from Gypsy), “Over the River and Through the Wood” and more. View the video resources.
Jenn Cristy headlines next Live at the Center
The Center’s new Live at the Center livestream series – free online performances by top Indiana artists – continues Friday, Dec. 4, with a set from Bloomington-based singer-songwriter-pianist Jenn Cristy. Once a champion IU swimmer, Cristy launched a music career after being spotted and hired by none other than John Mellencamp.
Live at the Center puts you virtually on stage with great local talent. See all the angles and bask in the luxurious stereo sound from your Smart TV or favorite Internet device.
Luminaries to learn about the art of collaboration
The Center’s Luminaries speaker series kicks off next Tuesday, Nov. 24, with Cross-Pollination in the Arts featuring Jingo M. de la Rosa. The Indianapolis-based commercial illustrator, known for his community involvement and education work, will discuss how music and other art forms have influenced and enhanced his creative work and career.
This particular Luminaries gathering is online-only, and tickets are just $10. Get your tickets here.
This week in performing arts history
November 16: On this date in 1959, The Sound of Music by Rodgers and Hammerstein opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway. With classic songs like "Do-Re-Mi," "My Favorite Things" and "Edelweiss,” the production starred Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel and ran for a whopping 1443 performances, In 1965, Julie Andrews starred in a film adaptation that won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Also, on this date in 2012, the Great American Songbook Foundation presented the movie as a part of its Film Festival.
November 16: On this date in 1964, Canadian jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia. One of the best-selling jazz artists of all time, Krall received her first Grammy Awards with the 1999 album When I Look in Your Eyes. She has also won three JUNO awards. Krall performed to full house at the Palladium in June 2018.
November 17: On this date in 2018, Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson brought his solo tour to the Palladium. Beginning in the early ’60s, the group released nine consecutive gold albums featuring such hits as "Surfer Girl,” “In My Room,” “I Get Around,” “Don’t Worry Baby” and “California Girls.” Rumor has it Wilson’s mother once told him that dogs could pick up “bad vibrations” from people, sparking the creation of the song “Good Vibrations.”
November 20: On this date in 1941, R&B pianist, guitarist and singer-songwriter Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., aka Dr. John, was born in New Orleans. Active as a session musician from the late 1950s, he gained his own following in the late 1960s after the release of his album Gris-Gris. The six-time Grammy winner had hits including "Right Place Wrong Time,” “Such A Night,” “Makin' Whoopee” and “'I Walk On Guilded Splinters.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who passed away in 2019, performed at the Palladium twice: with Cyndi Lauper in 2011 (pictured above) and with trumpeter Nicholas Payton in 2016.
