By The Carpenter Performing Arts Center is home to the creative and entertaining displays per music, theater and legendary speakers. Cal State Long Beach students and local residents can find convenience in being close to the arts with many performances for the 2012 spring semester.
The season continues from January until May, with a variety of performances categorized by series: music and stage; Sunday afternoon concerts; wit and wisdom; spectacle; dance; and cabaret.
Music and Stage Events
At the end of the month, the Carpenter Center will host legendary musician Lou Reed (Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer and Velvet Underground) and Bob Ezrin (producer for Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd) for a night of conversation about the music industry and musical experience.
“[Reed and Ezrin] have had their hand is so many artists’ sound. [They] are best equipped to have an organic conversation on a [subject] like this,” said Michael Field, director of marketing for the Carpenter Center. “It will be very exciting and provocative.”
The event is on Jan. 27 at 8 p.m., in conjunction with the installation “Metal Machine Trio” — opening on the same day in the University Art Museum.
The art show will be a “3D sound scape of [Reed’s] perspective and the way he heard it [as] he performed it,” Field said.
An Evening with Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books is another in-conversation event on March 3 at 8 p.m., speaking out for social injustice.
Other music events include jazz musician T.S. Monk Sextet on March 16 at 8 p.m.
An Evening with Solas, an Irish-folk band, will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day March 17 at 8 p.m.
Sunday Afternoon Concerts
Still in its first year, the Sunday Afternoon Concert Series — formerly the Long Beach Community Concert Association — provides general admission performances with an emphasis in the eclectic music. On Jan. 29, Swinging with the Big Band will begin at 2 p.m., performing the most popular hits of the era.
Returning Broadway star Susan Egan will perform on May 6 at 2 p.m. with memorable songs. Egan is best known for her Broadway role in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and her portrayal of Sally Bowled in “Cabaret.”
Wit and Wisdom
The Aquila Theatre Company presents “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde in a theater performance on March 31 at 8 p.m.
“The [Aquila Theatre Company] is known for their masterful use of the language and the text,” Field said. “The emphasis is [in] the script; the comic timing is the real treat.”
Field suggests that the audience will truly appreciate the fresh and quick refinement of language.
Spectacle
MarchFourth Marching Band is an original and energetic band that consists of a 12-piece horn section, 10-piece drum and percussion, and an electric bass. They will perform on Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. MarchFourth has also been featured on “America’s Got Talent.”
In another spectacular performance, Jack Hanna returns to the stage with dozens of animals on May 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“[The Carpenter Center] won’t even know what animals [Hanna] will bring until the day of,” Field said.
In addition to the live animals, Hanna is also known to also share his photos and highlights of his trips around the world. This performance is the most accessible in audience range.
Dance
Doug Varone and Dancers is a dance company known for their kinetic performances revealing beauty in everyday moments, performing on Feb. 4 at 8 p.m.
Ballet Memphis will perform its Southern California premiere of “S’epanouir” on May 12 at 8 p.m.
“‘S’epanouir’ is a piece that builds momentum; to blossom and open up emotionally and intellectually,” Field said.
According to Field, the performance will follow a woman in a spiritual crisis that builds toward her transformation. The piece will be accompanied with music by Roy Orbison.
“It takes the singer’s emotion and plays it out,” Field describes.
Cabaret
Acclaimed Broadway star Rachel York will perform on Feb. 29 and March 1 at 7 p.m. York is best known for her Broadway roles in “Les Miserables” and “Victor/Victoria,” among others.
Hot Club of Detroit with Cyrille Aimee is a Gypsy jazz band joined by Cyrille and his unique vocals.
“Placing Hot Club of Detroit in the [cabaret series] makes it a hidden treat in the intimate environment,” Field said. “The sound is really going to fill up that space [while] the artists talk about their story and their history.”
The Carpenter Performing Arts Center is located at 6200 Atherton St. There is a general $5 discount for CSU students. More information and ticket prices can be found on Carpenterarts.org. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
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