What better time to have a play by the daughter of an immigrant—coincidental though the timing may be—on one of So Cal’s top stages, especially when it’s a compelling, heartfelt drama about lives of five women? When taken as a subtle protest against the misogynistic, anti-immigrant rhetoric of the new administration, the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
Of course, Pulitzer Prize-winning Orange County native Sanaz Toossi’s “Wish You Were Here” (continuing in its West Coast premiere at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through Feb. 2) is about so much more.
This intimate personal piece about a group of friends, a “love letter” from the playwright to her Iranian immigrant mother, is a potent, expertly-crafted blend of conflicts and emotions, from light-hearted and fun to dark and complex.
The focus is on the women and their relationships over a 13-year period, set against Iran’s political repression and unrest in the late 1970s, the revolution, and the tumultuous decade that followed. Context is provided by a helpful timeline of the 10 scenes in the program.
Mina Morita directs a gifted ensemble of actresses. Most impressive is Awni Abdi-Bahri, who stepped into the leading role of Nazanin with a week and a half’s rehearsal (granted, she had played the part before, at Yale Repertory). Shahrzad Mazaheri’s dazzling costume designs turn the play into something of a fashion show.
The history of American music, especially the 20th century, would be very short without the contributions of African Americans. Pacific Symphony is presenting an inspiring multi-media tribute to black artists who have influenced American music with “Symphonic Soul: A Celebration of African American Artistry” on Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.
The program features classical works by Duke Ellington (“Night Creature”), Margaret Bonds (“Montgomery Variations),” and Coleride-Taylor Perkinson (“Rondo from Sinfonietta No. 1 for Strings”), plus a special tribute to Marian Anderson for contralto singer and orchestra. Following intermission, the focus shifts to spiritual and gospel with pieces by Abel Meeropol (“Strange Fruit,” made famous by Billie Holiday), Sam Cooke (“A Change is Gonna Come”) and others.
“We’ve designed the performance from a historical perspective using spoken word to bring the audience in to authentically connect with and understand the paths of each musician’s journey. By sharing their stories, family roots, career paths and everything in between, the audience will leave feeling inspired, as if they now know each of them personally,” said producer Debora Wondercheck, founder of Arts & Learning Conservatory.
The concert will be conducted in part by Pacific Symphony’s Maestro, Carl St.Clair. The Singers of Soul, an award-winning vocal ensemble, will be featured. The program will combine orchestral performance, live narration, dancers and actors bringing the musicians’ stories to life. “Symphonic Soul” is timed to coincide with the approach of Black History Month.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts kicked off the new year in grand style with “GRAHAM100,” part of a world-wide celebration of modern dance pioneer Martha Graham on the occasion of her company’s 100th anniversary. The program was something of a revelation, presenting not only the expected archival pieces but two new ones.
Graham’s highly stylized “Appalachian Spring,” arguably the company’s best known work, fittingly led off the proceedings. It was followed by “We the People,” a new work choreographed by Jamar Roberts to the music of Rhiannon Giddens. This protest piece, reflecting 21st century Americana, proves the troupe isn’t rooted in the past.
“Immediate Tragedy,” a forgotten solo work from 1937, was created by Graham to respond to the Spanish Civil War. The energetic choreography of Hofesh Shechter’s recent “CAVE,” the most modern of the four pieces, proves the company is still a force to be reckoned with in contemporary dance.
Mitra Jouhari and Awni Abdi-Bahri in “Wish You Were Here.” Photo by Robert Huskey/SCR.
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