Michael Berkowitz Conducts Broadway Tribute with David Burnham/LC Powell

The conductor and drummer extraordinaire, Michael Berkowitz conducted the Santa Rosa's Pop Orchestra in a tribute to Broadway tunes featuring Broadway alums David Burnham and LC Powell at the Luther Burbank Theater.  Berkowitz has been conducting the Pop Orchestra for fifteen years and this performance was his swan song with the Orchestra.  He's conducted numerous other orchestras including the Boston Pops and London Symphony and conducted for Sarah Brightman and Marvin Hamlisch.  As a drummer, he's performed for Liza Minnelli, Elton John and Henri Mancini.  The performance got an off kilter start with the orchestra's off-key overture from "Oklahoma".   David Burnham's first number "Something Coming" also had a rocky start with missed lyrics.  The wobbly start was short lived and followed-up with a program packed with great highlights.   Burnham's crooning of "Luck Be a Lady" was better than Sinatra.  It was obvious to see why he's been cast in numerous Broadway musicals.    LC Powell's lovely voice was more appealing when sung in duet with Burnham.   Their voices blended beautifully and they made magic happen with "They Can't Take That Away from Me" and "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning."  Ironically, Burnham joked boasted his nephews consider him cool because he's been portrayed as an animated character in, and when LC Powell appeared, she personified Jessica Rabbit.  The other three outstanding numbers were the one's where Berkowitz put his baton down and picked up his drum sticks.  His playing was incredible and a concert featuring on drums would be something I wouldn't miss "Come Rain or Come Shine."  Berkowitz closed the show on the drums with "Sing, Sing, Sing".  He told us that Hamlisch was bent out of shape by the favorable attention grabbing press he received for his performing the number on his show.  Berkowitz hadn't performed the number since and since he was stepping down, he was going to step out, strike up the band and play, play, play!  It was almost like being in love.    

Zodiac Trio-Clarinet, Violin, Piano Perform Contemporary American Music at 222

The internationally performing Zodiac Trio performed a contemporary American program at the 222 in Healdsburg.  Founded in 2006 at the Manhattan School of Music featuring Kliment Krylovskiy on clarinet, Vanessa Mollard on violin and Rico Higuma who did much of the arranging, on piano.  The first composition by Peter Shickele, "Serenade for Three" in three movements.  "Dances" the first movement was an uplifting, lively allegro.  "Songs" the second movement was andante and sombre.   And, "Variations" the third movement picked up into a vivace tempo, but the three movements felt discombobulated.  Stravinsky's "Suite from "L'Histoire du Soldat".  Krylovsky gave a short synopsis prior to each movement for this Faustian, foreboding tale. Andrew List's composition "The Devil's Final Challenge," written for the Zodiac Trio, was also given a narrative by Krylovsky.  In this demonic tale, the hero outwits the devil.  However, part of the violin playing is intentionally off-key as the devil struggles to play and repetitive.  The friendly banter and theatric would have lent themselves to a family friendly program.   I preferred the compositions by Benny Goodman and George Gershwin's "An American in Paris," which was arranged by Riko.   Riko jokingly informed us that Krylovsky and Mollard are married and that she arranges equally melodic melodies for both.  I felt the music highlighted Krylovskiy's clarinet allowing the instrument to shine in its rich vibrato tenor range.  The piano and violin played off the clarinet's sured sounds.   The musicians all possessed a gifted musicality but the best display of their talents came through in Gershwin's and Goodman's compositions which gave a lift to the strength of the clarinet.    

Ted Lasso's Season 3 Leaves A Little Something to Cheer

Ted Lasso's first season was a champion surprise hit that took both sides of the pond by storm.  An American kid's football coach, Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis)  hired for the head coaching job of a London Soccer Club with the intent to fail, similar to the ploy in "Producers," but,  against all odds succeeds.  The components of the show that made it such a hit with a large fan base, was the sharp writing and dialogue and a cast of characters that were all extremely likable and a combined camaraderie that scored.  For anyone who has not had the pleasure of watching the first season, I urge you to and perhaps, watch for a second time.  The second series of "Ted Lasso" was an inimitable disaster.  Being such an unmitigated hit with fans and critics alike, the writers may have felt every character deserved more playing time.  As professional coaches will tell you, you don't put in players to give them all an equal shot.  This is not how you obtain a winning team, rather a recipe for disaster.  While I urge coaches of youth sports team to engage all their players, the business of a pro team is to win.  Skip season two.  This brings us to the current, and last season of "Ted Lasso."  The formula for what worked best has gone back to the playbook: characters that are agreeable and with whom we'd want to grab a beer.  The show at its core is about kindness and friendship.  In today's world this is something to be applauded.  Even if "Ted Lasso" season three doesn't muster the greatness of its original show, there's a warmth that provides a pleasant glow to make it worthwhile.   

Chris O'Dowd's Comedy/Drama The BIG DOOR PRIZE May Surprise

The new comedy/drama series on Apple TV, "The Big Door Prize" stars Chris O'Dowd as Dusty, a happily married man and father of a teenage daughter.  Dusty teaches history at the local high school where his daughter, Trina (DjoulletAmara) attends.  The charming small town is one where everyone knows one another and gets along famously.  The town's overall acceptance of differences in race and sexual identification is admirable but  from reality.  But, the enticing premise of the show stems from a mystical machine, the Morph, magically appears in the local general store without any explanation which offers to foretell one's future potential.  This becomes an alluring, addictive and somewhat divisive issue for the locals.  At first, Dusty is reluctant to buy into predicting into the future, but as he observes his neighbors and friends embrace their predictions with enthusiastic change in their lives, his curiosity gets the better of him and other skeptics.  The Morph machine is a catalysis for transformation and a vehicle for examining one's contentment with their life. The charm of the series is carried by numerous appealing characters including Dusty's teen daughter, Trina and classmate Jacob, the local priest and bartender.   These characters add intelligence, sensitivity and compassion.  The show brings in too many zany characters that are supersilious to a fault and derail the series from a being totally engaging and thought provoking.  The show shoots to please by throwing out a smorgasbord of surprises.  While attempting to have something to please everyone behind every door, less would be more. 

BEEF-Rage Retribution Reckoning in Netflix's Dark Comedy

BEEF, Netflix's new series is a dark comedy of unrepressed rage that dissects the adage of whether to best to bury the hatchet or ratchet up the revenge.  Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer or launch slings and arrows on those we loathe.  Who hasn't harbored resentment towards an in-law's meddling, a manipulative boss or an annoying spouse?  Often, for the sake of harmony, civility or our self-interests, one's true sentiments stew behind the veneer of polite acceptance.  For some, the perceived safety and anonymity inside our cars, allots an outlet to vent our rage and frustrations.  Two drivers, Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and Amy Lan (Ali Wong) become entangled in a road rage incident that turns into a madcap chase that boils over into an ongoing escalation of retaliations.  At first, there's a vicarious adrenaline rush in  watching two adults behaving badly with calculating viciousness aimed to inflict the most pain possible.   We're alarmed and disgusted when Danny finagles his way inside Amy's home under false pretensions and then urinates on the floors of her bathroom and hallway.  Amy is not taking this sitting down.  A quid pro row of retribution grows, entangling these two dynamic characters into each other's live with drastic consequences. There's more to savor in BEEF.  The sharp insight into what drives these two explosive characters. We witness the abject fawning Amy and Dave feign to achieve their end while simmering in resentment.  Added into this sumptuous stew an excellent cast of supporting actors in juicy roles.  Maria Bello is deliciously manipulative as Jordan, an eccentric business owner who dangles a carrot in front of Amy.  Danny's brother Paul (Young Mazino) with disdain for his big brother's drive while freeloading on him and his likable but nefarious cousin Isaac (David  Choe) who has just got out of prison and is running several questionable rackets.  BEEF's satirical look at how much a person can stomach before repulsion leads to projectile vomiting has a delicious appeal that is cathartic.  BEEF is a show best served up cold so as to savor all the layers of discontent.