UCLA Live stays eclectic
Celebrations to include McCabe's, moon landing
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Org also will present its seventh annual Intl. Theater Festival, which will include the U.S. debut of Australian-born writer-director Barrie Kosky with his adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" (Oct. 1-4); the exclusive U.S. presentation of a new work from choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, "Myth" (Oct. 17-18); and Berlin's Volksbuhne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in its second-ever visit to the U.S. with Anton Chekhov's "Ivanov" (Dec. 3-7).
English director-performer Andrew Dawson will perform "Space Panorama," a solo re-creation of the Apollo 11 moon landing using only hands, accompanied by Shostakovich's 10th symphony; and "Quatre Mains," a wordless dance for four hands set against a soundtrack that ranges from Britten to the Jazz Passengers (Dec. 17-21). Ireland's Druid Theater Company will perform a double bill of John Millington Synge's masterpieces, "Playboy of the Western World" and "The Shadow of the Glen," from Oct. 14-18; and Robert Lepage and his Ex Machina company return to UCLA Live for the North American premiere of "The Blue Dragon," Nov. 12-22.
"I would be amazed if somebody liked everything we booked, and frankly, I see it as a mark of success when opinions vary," David Sefton, UCLA Live's executive and artistic director, told Daily Variety. "We're trying to push things out. It's very consciously done -- I never want someone to attend all six (productions) and like them all."
McCabe's 50th Anniversary: A Living History of Music will be staged Oct. 2 with a collection of artists who have appeared on the stage of the Santa Monica guitar shop's intimate back room.
Hal Willner's "Stay Awake: the Official 20th Anniversary Concert" will take place Oct. 30. Concert versions have been staged in London and New York over the last year; for its outing, UCLA Live will attempt to bring in as many of the record's artists as possible. Marshall Allen, who leads the Sun Ra Arkestra, and Terry Allen of NRBQ have already confirmed.
"Yes, we will invite Ringo (Starr)," Sefton said of the former Beatle who performed "When You Wish Upon a Star" on the A&M album. "My greatest ambition is to bring out (jazz poet) Ken Nordine. I'll stretch the budget to make that happen."
UCLA Live, which has series devoted to jazz, dance, world music and family shows, will be one of only three venues in the States to present Edward Albee in a spoken-word appearance. Albee will speak Feb. 7. The spoken-word series also will feature a Feb. 20 appearance by director Werner Herzog; he will speak during the first half of the show, while the second half will feature a live performance of music from his films.
Two groundbreaking krautrock pioneers also will appear at UCLA: Tangerine Dream will perform music from its more than 50 television and movie soundtracks in a 40th anniversary concert Nov. 7; and Ash Ra Tempel guitarist Manuel Gottsching will perform his 1975 space guitar tour-de-force "Inventions for Electric Guitar" and his 1984 album "E2-E4" on March 7.
