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Stage: Hot ticket
By JOHN FLEMING
© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 18, 2001
Sounds of America's past
Hesperus, founded in 1979 by Tina Chancey and Scott Reiss, pictured here, specializes in popular instrumental music from around the time of the Revolutionary War. The group plays a collection of early instruments, with Chancey on viola da gamba and fiddle and Reiss on recorder, flageolet (the wooden predecessor to the tin penny whistle) and hammered dulcimer. They're joined by Lee Santana on cittern and baroque guitar.
Hesperus presents two programs Friday in Tarpon Springs. The first is a lecture-demonstration, "The Celtic Connection," from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, with admission including a light lunch. Tickets: $5 and $7.
Friday night at 8, Hesperus plays selections from its album Early American Roots at Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center. Tickets: $13 and $15. (727) 942-5605.
A fresh insight into a biblical story
In the 1970s, cantor Shimon Gewirtz and his sister, composer Gladys Gewirtz-Hedaya, had the idea to turn the biblical story of the Book of Ruth into a musical, and they did just that with Your People Are Mine, which ran for 12 years in Jerusalem. Gewirtz also put together a New York company that played synagogues and schools.
Gewirtz, cantor of Congregation B'nai Israel in St. Petersburg, has now revived the musical for performances this weekend at the Palladium Theater. Three of the principal parts are played by cantorial soloists Sharon Reaboi as Ruth, Colman Reaboi as Boaz and Joy Katzen-Guthrie as Naomi. Gewirtz plays Elimelech in the concert-style production, which premiered last year at B'nai Israel.
"Your People Are Mine is more than just an entertaining musical," Gewirtz writes in a program note. "Through midrashic sources, poetic commentaries, feminist writings and our imagination, my sister and I have tried to provide fresh insights into the characters of Ruth, Naomi, Boaz and other historical figures. Hopefully, the songs and dialogue are able to transform the ancient biblical tale into a contemporary story of enduring love, faith and devotion."
Performances are at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Palladium. Tickets: $10-$15. (727) 822-3590.
Dynamic duo for cello concerto
It will be fascinating to hear Daniel Lee play Dvorak's Cello Concerto. Lee is a heralded young cellist, and Dvorak's concerto is perhaps the most popular one ever written for the instrument.
Lee is the soloist in the Dvorak with the Florida Orchestra this weekend when music director Jahja Ling makes his first appearance on the podium in the season's third masterworks program. The orchestra also plays Shostakovich's sensational Fifth Symphony and Liadov's symphonic scherzo Kikimora.
Concerts are at 8 p.m. Friday at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m. Saturday at Mahaffey Theater and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Tickets: $20-$38. (813) 286-2403.
Guitar quartet excels eclectically
Is the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet classical or pop? Any group whose repertoire ranges from Bach to de Falla to Count Basie to Led Zeppelin is tough to label.
The quartet originated in 1980 at the University of Southern California, where members studied with Pepe Romero, and it is well-known for its traditional repertoire. But especially since signing with the crossover-crazy Sony Classical label in 1997, the group -- John Dearman, Scott Tennant, Andrew York and William Kanengiser -- has delved into a dizzying variety of music.
"Much of its current world-music-inspired repertory is reminiscent of the work of John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucia in its sophisticated riff-driven permutations and intensely collaborative zest," writes Los Angeles music critic John Henken.
Sounds like an ideal season opener for Mahaffey Theater, where the programming is refreshingly offbeat.
LAGQ performs a typically eclectic program -- including Stravinsky's Pulcinella, Bizet's Carmen Suite and original works by quartet members -- at 8 p.m. Friday at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. Tickets: $23-$30. (727) 892-5767.
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