Scenes & Songs

ON THE WATERFRONT Film with Live Orchestra Score by Leonard Bernstein Richard Kaufman, Conductor New West Symphony

Sat Feb 24 | 8PM

Play Date

18111 NORDHOFF STREET

NORTHRIDGE, CA 91330-8448

VALLEYPERFORMINGARTSCENTER.ORG

YAMATO—THE DRUMMERS OF JAPANCHOUSENSHA—THE CHALLENGERSSun Mar 11 | 3PM

MUMMENSCHANZ YOU & ME Sun Feb 11 | 3PM

MANUAL CINEMA THE MAGIC CITY Sun Mar 18 | 3PM

Mummenschanz Manual Cinema

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S SOUTH PACIFIC McCoy Rigby Entertainment & La Mirada Theatre

Fri Apr 13 | 8PM Sat Apr 14 | 3PM & 8PM Sun Apr 15 | 3PM

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDCALIFORNIA STATE

UNIVERSITY NORTHRIDGE

SPRING 2018

Direct from

CUBAJUAN DE MARCOS AND THE AFRO-CUBAN ALL-STARS WITH HAROLD LÓPEZ-NUSSA TRIO

Fri Jan 19 | 8PM

¡LA NUEVA CUBA! THE NEXT GENERATIONROBERTO FONSECA DAYMÉ AROCENA PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROUP

Sat Apr 21 | 8PM

Music Knows No Borders supported by Neda Nobari Foundation

Daymé Arocena

Yamato

Pedrito Martinez Group

The Soraya

The Valley’s Center for the Performing Arts Executive Director, Thor Steingraber

YOUNES & SORAYA NAZARIAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Terence Blanchard

MILES ELECTRIC BAND ALL-STAR MILES DAVIS ALUMNI PERFORMING MILES DAVIS ELECTRIC YEARS

Thu Mar 1 | 8PM

THE CLAYTON-HAMILTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Thu Apr 5 | 8PM

CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT Onstage Sessions: Jazz

Wed Apr 18 | 8PM Thu Apr 19 | 8PM

TERENCE BLANCHARD BREATHLESS FEATURING THE E-COLLECTIVE Onstage Sessions: Jazz

Tue May 1 | 8PM Wed May 2 | 8PM

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Shape & Motion

Super StarsTHE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Charles Dutoit, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Gautier Capuçon, Cello Debussy, Haydn & Stravinsky

Fri Jan 26 | 8PM

ACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDS JOSHUA BELL, DIRECTOR & VIOLIN Meyer, Mozart & Beethoven

Thu Mar 15 | 8PM

KATHLEEN BATTLE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY Joel A. Martin, Piano Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers

Thu Mar 29 | 8PM

AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS

Sat May 12 | 8PM

BILLY PORTER THE SOUL OF RICHARD RODGERS

Sat June 2 | 8PMKathleen Battle

LEILAH BROUKHIM FLAMENCO DANCE DEJANDO HUELLAS (TRACES)

Sun Jan 21 | 7:30PM

STEP AFRIKA! MIGRATION: REFLECTIONS ON JACOB LAWRENCE

Fri Feb 9 | 8PM

DUBLIN IRISH DANCE STEPPING OUT Anthony Fallon, Choreographer

Sun Feb 25 | 3PM

ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET New Work by Jorma Elo Where We Left Off by Nicolo Fonte Return to a Strange Land by Jiří Kylián Joyce Yang, Piano

Sat Apr 7 | 8PM

Swinging

Joyce Yang Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

Billy PorterJoshua BellGautier Capuçon

SPRI

NG

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18 Fri 1/19 | 8PMJUAN DE MARCOS AND THE AFRO-CUBAN ALL-STARSWITH HAROLD LÓPEZ-NUSSA TRIO

$33–$68Afro-Cuban All-Stars speak to the hearts of the downtrodden, with an exuberant and upbeat spirit. Many of these veteran Cuban musicians have careers dating back to the 1950s Havana scene. The big band performs all styles of Cuban music and features rhythms from African traditions.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Sun 1/21 | 7:30PMLEILAH BROUKHIM, FLAMENCO DANCEDejando Huellas (Traces)

$33–$78Flamenco powerhouse Leilah Broukhim returns to The Soraya after her wildly popular performance in 2015, this time with Dejando Huellas (Traces), a personal story about her own Jewish and Persian heritage. Broukhim’s furious flamenco footwork exalts the Spanish art form, while her emotional expression tells the tale of a woman searching for meaning and identity. Dejando Huellas makes its LA debut after performances in Paris, New York, Madrid, and Copenhagen.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Fri 1/26 | 8PMTHE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRACharles Dutoit, Artistic Director and Principal ConductorGautier Capuçon, CelloDebussy Petite SuiteHaydn Cello Concerto No. 1 in C MajorStravinsky The Firebird

$43–$85The entire score of Stravinsky’s The Firebird caps a performance led by Charles Dutoit. With six decades on the podium and more than 200 recordings to his credit, the acclaimed conductor makes a farewell tour with one of the world’s most revered ensembles.

SPONSORED BY Colburn Foundation

MEDIA SPONSOR

Sat 2/3 | 8PMKEIGWIN + COMPANY CELEBRATES BERNSTEIN

$33–$73In 2012 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., choreogra-pher Larry Keigwin premiered two original pieces performed to Bernstein’s lush orchestral suites from On the Town and On the Waterfront. Keigwin and his company bring these two pieces to The Soraya, along with two world premieres danced to Bernstein’s Piano Trio and Sonata for Clarinet and Piano.

Fri 2/9 | 8PMSTEP AFRIKA! Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence

$33–$78Step Afrika! is rooted in the African tradition of Gumboot, bringing the tradition into the 21st century with an American blend of percussive movement and electrifying rhythms. Set against a backdrop of 60 colorful panels by famed painter Jacob Lawrence, Migration tells the story of African-American families in the early 1900s who migrate to the urban North to escape sharecropping and poverty in the rural South.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Sun 2/11 | 3PMMUMMENSCHANZ you & me

$23–$63The theater troupe Mummenschanz uses masks, props, choreography, light, and shadow to create dreamlike performances without uttering a word. Their new family-friendly show you & me brings grace and whimsy to the present day, to our relationship with technology and with each other. The performers transform into fanciful beings plucked from the far reaches of imagination.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Wed 2/21 | 8PMDANISH STRING QUARTET Bartok String Quartet No. 1DSQ Nordic Folk Music SelectionsBeethoven String Quartet No. 7 and No. 1

$53 Onstage Sessions: Chamber MusicThey call themselves “modern Vikings.” Everywhere they go, these four young firebrands are igniting the musical landscape. The Soraya is proud to present a program that adds Nordic traditional music to Beethoven and Bartok.

SPONSORED BY Colburn Foundation; Kathleen P. Martin

Sat 2/24 | 8PMON THE WATERFRONTFilm with Live OrchestraScore by Leonard BernsteinRichard Kaufman, ConductorNew West Symphony

$33–$68 The Soraya partners with New West Symphony in celebrating the centenary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth. Bernstein made one foray into Hollywood with an original film score. On the Waterfront is ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best films of all time, and Marlon Brando’s performance is unforgettable. The Soraya presents the 1954 film and Bernstein’s original orchestral composition, performed live by New West Symphony.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Sun 2/25 | 3PMDUBLIN IRISH DANCE Stepping OutAnthony Fallon, Choreographer

$33–$73This company of high-steppers has toured the world, many appearing in the original Riverdance and Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance. Stepping Out tells the story of a bygone generation that crossed the Atlantic to escape famine in Ireland, lured by the promise of the American Dream.

Thu 3/1 | 8PMMILES ELECTRIC BANDAll-Star Miles Davis Alumni performing Miles Davis Electric Years

$33–$78Jazz is in his DNA—drummer Vince Wilburn Jr. is the nephew of the legendary Miles Davis, the trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who rewrote the course of music forever. As the official caretaker of Davis’ music, Wilburn perpetuates his uncle’s legacy, leading a posse of jazz artists that includes Darryl Jones, John Beasley, and Robert Irving III. This is the quintessential Miles experience.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Sat 3/3 | 8PMTHE TEN TENORSWish You Were Here

$38–$98The TEN Tenors are one of Australia’s greatest entertainment success stories, with more than 90 million people worldwide witnessing their charm, camaraderie, and vocal power. Following 16 years of sell-out performances across the globe, The TEN Tenors have cemented their place as the world’s premier classical crossover group.

Sun 3/11 | 3PMYAMATO—THE DRUMMERS OF JAPANChousensha—The Challengers

$23–$63Your chest will pound and the walls will shake with wadaiko drumming. The Yamato Drummers’ technique combines pinpoint precision with jaw-dropping power and athleticism, as they concentrate every ounce of their strength into their tremendous drum blows. Yamato creates each element of their performance themselves, including the music, lighting design, choreography, costumes, and props.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Thu 3/15 | 8PMACADEMY OF ST MARTIN IN THE FIELDSJOSHUA BELL, DIRECTOR & VIOLINMeyer Overture for Violin and OrchestraMozart Violin Concerto No. 4Beethoven Symphony No. 6

$43–$85For the fourth time, violin virtuoso Joshua Bell returns to The Soraya, leading the ensemble and performing at the same time. The remarkable symbiosis, musician to musician, is unparalleled. In addition to Beethoven and Mozart, Bell will perform a new violin concerto by American composer Edgar Meyer.

SPONSORED BY Colburn Foundation

Sun 3/18 | 3PM Plaza del Sol Performance HallMANUAL CINEMA The Magic City

$33Immersive, innovative, ingenius—Manual Cinema’s The Magic City combines the old and the new, from shadows created on vintage projectors to innovative multi-media storytelling with multiple screens and live cameras. There’s no age limit on imagination in this striking new shadow puppet performance about a young girl’s imaginative world in a secluded attic. Ben Brantley describes their work in the New York Times as “...a spectral parade of fantastical images.”

MEDIA SPONSOR

Thu 3/29 | 8PMKATHLEEN BATTLEUnderground Railroad: A Spiritual JourneyJoel A. Martin, PianoAlbert McNeil Jubilee Singers

$43–$103The prima donna made a triumphant return to the Metropolitan Opera last year, capped by five encores. Kathleen Battle’s Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey chronicles the courageous quest for freedom by America’s slaves. Battle draws from her own musical roots with this collection of spirituals, performed with a gospel choir. Following her sold-out appearance at the Met, Battle reprises the program in Los Angeles, choosing The Soraya for its renowned acoustics.

MEDIA SPONSOR PHOTO CREDITS: Outside-Back Cover Panel: Yamato Courtesy of Yamato; MUMMENSCHANZ Courtesy MUMMENSCHANZ courtesy of Columbia Artists Music LLC (CAMI Music); Manual Cinema Courtesy of Manual Cinema. Out-side-Top Cover Panel: Daymé Arocena by Casey Moore; Pedrito Martinez Group by Danielle Moir. Outside-Bottom Panel: Left: On The Waterfront © 1954, renewed 1982 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. Right: South Pacific courtesy of La Mirada Theatre. Inside-Top Panel: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, “Return to a Strange Land” by Michele Cardamone. Inside-Middle Panel: Terence Blanchard by Henry Adebonojo; Cécile McLorin Salvant courtesy of Kurland Agency. Inside-Bottom Panel: Gautier Capuçon by Gregory Batardon; Joshua Bell by Chris Christodoulou; Kathleen Battle by Ken Howard; Billy Porter by Tina Fineberg/New York Times. Calendar (in Performance order): Juan de Marcos by Aaron Wagner; Leilah Broukhim by Martin Guerrero; Gautier Capuçon by Gregory Batardon; Keigwin + Company by Cole Witter; Step Afrika! by William Perrigen; MUMMENSCHANZ courtesy of Columbia Artists Music LLC (CAMI Music); Danish String Quartet by Caroline Bittencourt; On The Waterfront © 1954, renewed 1982 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.; Dublin Irish Dance by Keith Dixon; Miles Electric Band by In-grid C. Hertfelder; The Ten Tenors courtesy of The TEN Tenors; Yamato – Drummers of Japan courtesy of IMG Artists; Joshua Bell with Academy of St Martin in the Fields by Ian Douglas; Manual Cinema by Chuck Osgood; Kathleen Battle by Ken Howard; John Clayton Courtesy of John Clayton; Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, “Return to a Strange Land” by Sharon Bradford; South Pacific courtesy of La Mirada Theatre; Cécile McLorin Salvant courtesy of Kurland Agency; Daymé Arocena by Casey Moore; Amir ElSaffar by Michael Crommett; Terence Blanchard by Henry Adebonojo; Quetzal Courtesy of Riot Artists; David Sedaris by Christie Ingrid; Billy Porter by Tina Fineberg/New York Times.

Thu 4/5 | 8PMTHE CLAYTON-HAMILTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA

$33–$78The Grammy-nominated Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra captures the infectious fun of big band music from the Swing Era. Jazz Times called the Los Angeles band “one of current jazz’s most vital large ensembles.” Co-founder and bassist John Clayton is a CSUN alumnus who went on to play with superstars such as Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle, and Madonna.

MEDIA SPONSOR

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY the Horace Heidt Big Band Foundation; Linda and Judd Swarzman

Sat 4/7 | 8PMASPEN SANTA FE BALLET New Work by Jorma Elo Where We Left Off by Nicolo Fonte Return to a Strange Land by Jiří Kylián Joyce Yang, Piano

$33–$73This extraordinary ensemble returns for its third consecutive year at The Soraya with an entire program accompanied by pianist and Van Cliburn Silver medalist Joyce Yang. The perfor- mance will feature a newly choreographed piece by Jorma Elo, dubbed the most in-demand choreographer in dance today.

Fri 4/13 | 8PM Sat 4/14 | 3PM & 8PM Sun 4/15 | 3PMRODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’SSouth PacificDirector Glenn CasaleMcCoy Rigby Entertainment & La Mirada Theatre

$43–$85In their third year at The Soraya, McCoy Rigby Entertainment brings another classic to life. Based on the wartime novel by James Michener, South Pacific won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950. But it is the infectious songs that endure, from the romantic “Some Enchanted Evening” to the rollicking “There is Nothing Like a Dame.”

OPENING NIGHT SPONSORED BY The St. Nicholas Foundation

MEDIA SPONSOR

Wed 4/18 | 8PM Thu 4/19 | 8PMCÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT

$28–$65 Onstage Sessions: JazzGrammy Award-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant has unmatched range that soars to the rafters and dives to earthly depths. She carries on the legacies of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday, and tackles racial stereotypes by performing forgotten numbers from the vaudeville and minstrel eras stretching back more than a century.

SPONSORED BY Carolyn C. Powers

MEDIA SPONSOR

Sat 4/21 | 8PM¡LA NUEVA CUBA! THE NEXT GENERATIONRoberto Fonseca Daymé Arocena Pedrito Martinez Group

$33–$53The island nation’s musical traditions explode as three next- gen jazz artists converge for the first time on the The Soraya stage. Afro-Latin percussionist-singer Pedrito Martinez brings his lightning-fast drumming skills, vocalist Daymé Arocena lets loose a powerful voice that breaks free like a cry from Havana, and Roberto Fonseca demonstrates why the New York Times called him “a charismatic spark plug of a pianist.”

MEDIA SPONSOR

CRUZAR LA CARA DE LA LUNA (To Cross the Face of the Moon)

Music by José “Pepe” Martínez Lyrics by José “Pepe” Martínez & Leonard Foglia Book by Leonard Foglia with English Subtitles

An original Los Angeles production

Directed by Dan Guerrero Music Director, José “Pepe” Martínez Jr.

Starring Suzanna Guzmán and Daniel Rodriguez

FEB 16, 17 | 8PM FEB 18 | 3PM$43–$85

Commissioned by and Premiered at Houston Grand Opera

A mariachi opera about three generations of two families with one border that divides them

MEDIA SPONSOR

Thu 4/26 | 8PMAMIR ELSAFFAR’S TWO RIVERS ENSEMBLE

$28–$65 Onstage Sessions: JazzJazz trumpeter Amir ElSaffar was born to an American mother and an Iraqi father. After studying classical music in the U.S. and Iraqi maqam music in Baghdad, he forged his own path by mixing ornaments and microtones from Arab music with melodies and harmonies from the West. His unique fusion has won him accolades from DownBeat magazine and rowdy ovations at the Newport Jazz Festival.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Tue May 1 | 8PM Wed May 2 | 8PMTERENCE BLANCHARD BREATHLESSFEATURING THE E-COLLECTIVE

$28–$65 Onstage Sessions: JazzBlanchard layers funky grooves and R&B to send a powerful political message. Committed to healing through music, Blanchard and The E-Collective created Breathless, an album tragically inspired by the last words of Eric Garner, the Staten Island man suffocated in an altercation with police.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Sat 5/5 | 8PMQUETZAL WITH MARIACHI FLOR DE TOLOACHE

$33–$53The bilingual Chicano band Quetzal has been mixing jazz, R&B, and rock for more than 20 years, using their art to spread positive social change and awareness. Their danceable rhythms come with compelling lyrics and stories about overcoming struggles, inspired by the people and neighborhoods of the band’s native East LA. Mariachi band Flor de Toloache breaks the gender barrier as an all-female band. The soulful band sings in Spanish and English while transcending culture and gender.

MEDIA SPONSOR

Sat 5/12 | 8PMAN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS

$38–$98With only a podium, a mic, and a wicked sense of humor, Sedaris turns over-sharing into a fine art that leaves audiences breathless from laughter. His painfully wise insights into human nature have made him America’s favorite raconteur for more than two decades. With two books under his belt since his last appearance in Northridge in 2015, you won’t want to miss his new material.

Sat 6/2 | 8PMBILLY PORTER: THE SOUL OF RICHARD RODGERS

$38–$98Billy Porter does not hold back. The powerhouse performer earned a 2013 Tony Award for his performance as the drag queen Lola in Kinky Boots. The busy actor, composer, and director has also put out four solo albums. The most recent, Billy Porter Presents: The Soul of Richard Rodgers, features Porter’s fresh take on the composer’s classics, from “My Funny Valentine” to “Edelweiss.”

SPONSORED BY the Owen W. and Christine H. Smith Endowment for the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts

MARIACHI VARGASDE TECALITLÁN

On The Waterfront © 1954, renewed 1982 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved.

Directed by Elia Kazan Screenplay by Budd Schulberg

YOUNES & SORAYA NAZARIAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Save 20% when you purchase any combination of 3 shows.

Call our Ticket Office for details (818) 677-3000

TICKET OFFICE HOURSTue–Sat 11am–4PM ValleyPerformingArtsCenter.org

CHOOSE 3SAVE 20%

FREE PERFORMANCE(Tickets Required)

Sat 4/28 | 3PMLA OPERA PRESENTSGreat Opera ChorusesConducted by Grant Gershon

A free concert, featuring the renowned LA Opera Chorus conducted by Grant Gershon, spotlights famous choruses from a number of popular works. Best of all, audience members of all ages—and of any musical ability—will have the exciting opportunity to join in the fun for a few pieces, by singing along with the pros!

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán