Your weekend arts forecast: Pink Martini? Yes, please
It’s no wonder that Pink Martini, the cool, swinging “mini-orchestra” from Portland, Oregon, has sold millions of albums, or CDs, or streams or whatever people are into at any given time, all over the planet.
Vocalist China Forbes sings in 15 different languages, which means the Martini’s crazy cool-whip compound of jazz, swing, pop and classy bossa nova reaches just about everyone. Their albums have gone gold in Greece, Turkey, Canada and France.
The group made one (1969) with Japanese singer Saori Yuki, and a multi-lingual set (Je dis oui!) with guests including Rufus Wainwright and journalist Ari Shapiro. Comedian Phyllis Diller once collaborated with Pink Martini, at the age of 94.
Pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader Thomas Lauderdale and his 17-piece Americana lounge orchestra return to the Mahaffey Theater, where they’ve made annual appearances for several years running, Friday.
In a long-time-ago interview with this writer, Lauderdale went to some lengths to explain his fascination with music topped by singing in other languages.
“I felt like English wasn’t enough. The original Greek lyrics to ‘Never on Sunday’ are actually much better, and sound much better, in Greek than the English lyrics. Which are sort of insidious, and dizzying, and not so significant.”
This was one of his favorite subjects. “I’ve been always boggled, for example, by the lyrics to ‘Fernando’ by ABBA,” he continued.
“It doesn’t make any sense. It’s a song about the Spanish–American War, which is bizarre. But going back to the original Swedish, it’s this beautiful love story. I think there’s a certain kind of depth that one gets by going back to the original language, and by having the option of singing in the original languages.
“Part of it has to do with the fact that I just feel like the English language doesn’t sound beautiful enough, and that things almost always sound better in French and Italian.”
Besides that, he added, “It’s hard to write a song, especially in English, that doesn’t sound ridiculous.”
Find tickets here.
Hello Netflix
The time has arrived for comedian Jim Gaffigan’s four performances (one tonight, one Friday, two on Saturday), which are to be videotaped for his next Netflix special. Gaffigan – as did Clarissa before him – explains it all in this Catalyst Interview, which includes a link for tickets.
More concerts
Comedians Kevin Jackson, Tim Wilkins and Brad Stine join forces for “Unapologetically American Comedy” at the Palladium. Read all about it and find tickets here.
There’s an honest-to-goodness rock ‘n’ roll legend in our midst. Roger Daltrey, the Who’s lead singer since the dawn of time, is on a rare solo tour. He’ll play Ruth Eckerd Hall Saturday (tickets are here), with an opening set from Dan Bern.
At Ruth Eckerd Friday night is the explosive blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Sharing the bill is blues axewoman/singer Samantha Fish, always a favorite for bay area audiences. Tickets.
Speaking of the blues, roots artist Keb’ Mo’ is at the Capitol Theatre tonight. Tickets.
Opera & the classics
Soprano Rochelle Bard.
Opera Tampa is back in Ferguson Hall (inside the David A. Straz Center) with Norma, Vincento Bellini’s bel canto opera with what’s considered one of the most demanding soprano roles in the repertoire. This production features Rochelle Bard, who first performed the role of Norma in 2014. Tickets are here.
Friday brings the return of the Florida Orchestra’s chamber concert series. At the Church of the Ascension in Clearwater, Chelsea Gallo conducts Julian Yu’s chamber arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, along with Beethoven’s Septet for Winds and Strings in E-flat major (at 8 p.m.) The program repeats Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Palladium Theater’s Hough Hall. Find out more here.
Theater
Gulfport’s Ghostlight Young Company, which employs both adult and child actors, is performing Moises Kaufman’s The Laramie Project this weekend at the Catherine Hickman Theatre, 5501 27th Ave S. This is the well-known “verbatim theatre” piece about about the reaction to the 1998 hate crime murder of a gay University of Wyoming student. Showtimes and tickets are here.
Stageworks is opening the “revenge comedy” The Smell of the Kill Friday. We’ll go close-up on the show Friday in the Catalyst.
Good stuff on our stages this weekend, including This is Our Youth at The Off-Central and the Tampa Repertory Theatre production of The Elephant Man.
Your weekend arts forecast appears every Thursday in the Catalyst.
Please add us to your mailing list – send all press releases and event info to bill@stpetecatalyst.com.
You can also submit your events to the Catalyst calendar, by clicking here.
