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The
Hollywood Bowl celebrated its new season by inducting
Josh Groban and
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa into its Hall of Fame. Joining the evening were past inductees
Garth Brooks,
Trisha Yearwood,
Roger Daltrey and
John Williams as well as performers
Frederica Von Stade,
Angelique Kidjo and actors
Bill Paxton,
Jaime Pressly.
The
Hollywood Bowl is among the
most prestigious of Los Angeles landmarks. During the summer it’s the perfect spot. A short walk from
Hollywood and Highland and you can perch yourself atop the hill for an evening of good food, drink, company and of course some of the best talent in the world.
Drumroll Please
With moments to go and lights rotating into place, extraneous noise becomes evident. The waiters and serving staff from the Garden boxes are drawing attention. The poor kids rush around getting everything cleaned-up seconds before the show starts.
But then in a blink, several jump up to the white circle border circle separating the audience from the production. They use trays, garbage cans and silverware to transform themselves into a makeshift
“Blue Man Group”. Knocking, paddling and stomping their way into a fantastic opening number and reminds us we’re in for a magical evening.
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Dame Kanawa glows from the stage
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A video montage shows the glamorous history of this landmark.
Ray Charles.
The Beatles.
The Beach Boys. The best have performed here, tomorrow’s best aspire to be here and our favorites call it home.
The Originals Return
The Bowl’s original inductees
Garth Brooks and
John Williams take to the stage and welcome the crowd. Shortly after,
Grammy winner Trisha Yearwood strolls out to delight the fans with
“I’ll Be Seeing You”.
Conductor Thomas Wilkins set the evening’s tone with
Tchaikovsky’s "Coronation Festival March".
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Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
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Next up came
Big Love’s Bill Paxton with
“My Name is Earl” actress Jaime Pressly to discuss the evening’s charity
Music Matters.
Ain’t Nothin’ Like a Dame
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. The
New Zealander has enjoyed forty years as an operatic soprano. And this evening,
Hollywood basks in her aqua glow. As the lights catch Kanawa she fills the room with love. Her blonde coiff and cut figure create a shine from stage.
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Josh Groban
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And then it begins. Her voice. Angelic. Effervescent.
“O mio babbino caro”.
Frederica Von Stade joins the party and they duet for
“Ah guarda, sorella”.
Grobanite
Okay, I admit it. I have a bit of a man crush on
Josh Groban. Maybe it’s the hair, I dunno. But mostly it’s the voice. He has a clarity that transcends performance and delivers emotional truth. A truly startling and impressive feat.
But the room is filled with
Grobanites and they let loose every chance they get. Slim and dressed traditionally, he comes across as modest and grateful. Multi-talented, we witness his keyboard and percussion skills, each paired to his vocals. First
“February Song” and then the 18,000 fans raged for his rendition of
“Anthem” from the
rock musical “Chess.”
So Sad To Go
The inducted duo dueted for
Cole Porter’s delectable
“True Love”, a classic which their different styles made into an innovative hybrid.
Before the evening ended,
Comedienne Dame Edna came out to tease and heckle them both with an uncanny and surprisingly light touch.
But the real ending came courtesy of the Maestro:
John Williams. He returned with the
Star Wars theme as fireworks ignited the dark air. A masterful ending indeed!
The evening
raised nearly $1 million dollars for Music Matters and kicked off a not to be missed Summer Season at the
Hollywood Bowl. I can’t wait for more!
For information, calendar and ticketing visit:
www.HollywoodBowl.com To follow them on
Twitter: @HollywoodBowl.
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on Joe Wehinger . Former Freelancer
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