Chopin for (Not) a Change 
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 21, 2025

Closing out a crowded week in classical music, Garrick Ohlsson returns to CAMA Masterseries at the Lobero in a full-circle concert. The highly praised pianist, whose early triumph at the 1970 Chopin Piano Competition launched his career, will play an all-Chopin program on January 23. Ohlsson, whose half-century-plus of performing has put him at the […]

Time Out of Mind
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 14, 2025

Lucinda Lane, Santa Barbara’s self-described “IndieBossaJazzTwang” band formed as a duo a dozen years ago by songwriter-guitarist-singer Josef Woodard and jazz-pop vocalist Nicole Lvoff, has finally released its long-awaited debut album. The title Summer is Over is indicative of the delays in completing the recording, which features guest shots from the likes of local heroes […]

 

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Go Fetch: ‘Mean Girls’ comes to the Granada
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 7, 2025

It’s been 20 years since Mean Girls gave us a telling and hilarious glimpse at social cliques in high schools, gave us The Plastics, and made Lindsay Lohan a star. The musical version of the madness, adapted by Tina Fey from her script for the film, was nominated for 12 Tony awards in 2018, including […]

Can Kirtan Cure Our Conflicted Culture?
By Steven Libowitz   |   January 7, 2025

The call-and-response singing of devotional music known as Kirtan can be a joyous experience, but it’s also a healing one that can break down barriers between people. So suggests Darren Marc, the devotional Kirtan artist and singer-songwriter whose eclectic musical career includes more than 30 original songs featured in film and television shows.  For Marc […]

Wines to Match Holiday Fare… and The Nutcracker
By Gabe Saglie   |   January 7, 2025

The ballet, The Nutcracker, is a perennial holiday favorite for its recognizable melodies and a touching storyline set during the Christmas season. This story is an introduction to a multisensory concept that I just put to the test, and with delicious results: Does pairing Tchaikovsky’s sweeping music with wine heighten your enjoyment of it? Or […]

Having a ‘Hall’ of a time with Revels
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 24, 2024

Starring as the Duchess in The Ghosts of Haddon Hall – the 2024 production of “The Christmas Revels: A Winter Solstice Celebration” this weekend – is a real full circle moment 11 years in the making for Gillian Conway. The Montecito native saw her first Santa Barbara Christmas Revels as a family outing back in […]

Going Greene with the Blue
By Steven Libowitz   |   December 24, 2024

If all you want for Christmas is some tasty blues rock with teeth, look no further than SOhO on Friday night, December 20. That’s when the veteran guitarist-singer-songwriter Alastair Greene will be throwing down at his old stomping grounds, taking to the stage in a reunion with his longtime SoCal based band mates Jim Rankin […]

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  • Ch-ch-ch-choices in Voices
    By Steven Libowitz   |   December 17, 2024

    If you want to take in all of the choral programs happening this weekend, you’d better figure out how to clone yourself quickly. By some quirk of fate, or quirky communication between them, seven different mostly choral concerts are taking place this week, including an astonishing five between Saturday and Sunday, four of them from […]

    ‘Miracle’ on Carpinteria Avenue
    By Steven Libowitz   |   December 10, 2024

    Back in the category of regular December doings, the Alcazar Ensemble once again holds forth for the holidays in presenting the beloved holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street remounted for a fourth year. The timeless tale follows the journey of an elderly gentleman, Kris Kringle, who claims to be the real Santa Claus, and the […]

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    Holiday Happenings: Granada Turns into Grace-land
    By Steven Libowitz   |   December 10, 2024

    Grace Fisher Foundation’s seventh annual Winter Music Showcase also marks the 10-year milestone since then-high school senior Fisher contracted a rare virus that suddenly spread to her spine, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. Confined to her wheelchair, Fisher quickly resumed her interest in art and music via specially-adapted devices, and less than three […]

    Christmas Concerts Comes to Town
    By Steven Libowitz   |   December 10, 2024

    The Lobero Theatre has two holiday concerts in the lineup for this week, including Johnnyswim, the American folk-pop duo of married singer-songwriters Amanda Sudano and Abner Ramirez, presenting their Johnnyswim Christmas show on December 10. Two days later, it’s the return of “Christmas with The Petersens,” the concert full of Christmas classics delivered the way […]

    Ari Takes Medieval Modern
    By Steven Libowitz   |   December 3, 2024

    Violinist Ari Streisfeld has garnered critical acclaim worldwide for his performances of diverse repertoire after originally establishing himself as one of the foremost interpreters of contemporary classical music. He’s also the co-founder of the world-renowned JACK Quartet, the fearless foursome that quickly became one of the experimental engines of new music after forming at Eastman […]

    Dorrance Turns ‘Cracker’ into a Downtown Dance Rave 
    By Steven Libowitz   |   December 3, 2024

    Does Santa Barbara really need another performance of The Nutcracker? What with the long-running productions from Festival Ballet (December 14-15 at the Arlington) and State Street Ballet (December 21-22 at the Granada) – both of which feature large casts, special guest stars and a live orchestra – plus myriad one-offs from several smaller dance schools […]

    Mr. Livingston, I presume 
    By Steven Libowitz   |   December 3, 2024

    Livingston Taylor is just two years younger than his famous rock star brother James, and two years behind him in launching his solo singer-songwriter career. Both have written truly memorable songs, including early efforts about growing up in North Carolina, although both returned to their native Boston area early in adulthood and still maintain homes […]

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