ANNUAL OPENING NIGHT TRIBUTE BENEFITS MUSIC MATTERS, THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC'S MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Friday, June 22, at 8:30 PM
Summer officially begins Friday, June 22 at 8:30 p.m. as the 2007 Hollywood Bowl summer season kicks off with Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl. The benefit concert for Music Matters, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's music education programs, features the Eighth Annual Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame induction ceremony. The Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame was established in 2000 to identify and pay tribute to artists whose unique achievements embody the spirit of the world-renowned Hollywood Bowl - this year's honorees, legendary tenor Plácido Domingo, and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Founding Director John Mauceri, receive the honor of being inducted into the prestigious venue's Hall of Fame.
Domingo and Mauceri are scheduled to appear to receive their tributes, and each performs briefly with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra after accepting their honors. Video montages of each honoree are shown on the venue's four large screens, showcasing the artists' professional and personal achievements. The special celebration concludes with a spectacular fireworks display. Additional guests and performers to be announced.
Stage and screen actor Jason Alexander, who worked with Mauceri several times during his tenure at the Hollywood Bowl, performs a medley of songs from the Broadway musicals that Mauceri led at the Bowl between 2000-2006. Saluting Mauceri's success, Alexander performs selections from Carousel, Show Boat, The Music Man, My Fair Lady, Mame, Camelot and The Sound of Music.
Actor/musician Jack Black makes a special appearance to spotlight 20 young musicians from eight Los Angeles youth orchestras, who perform sitting side-by-side with members of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. These performers and their respective youth orchestras are partnered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic through Music Matters, for a new initiative, launching in the fall, which supports and promotes young artists and youth orchestras in Los Angeles.
The "Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame" was conceived on behalf of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association by Wayne Baruch and Charles F. Gayton, Executive Producers, writer and director respectively of the June 22 concert.
The annual benefit includes a VIP pre-concert reception and gourmet dinner in the Bowl's iconic boxes and helps fund Music Matters, which serves more than 120,000 young people every year. Eva and Marc Stern and Anonymous are this year's Premier Patrons of Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl and Wells Fargo generously underwrites the pre-concert reception. The Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl Committee is chaired by Carla and Fred Sands. Tickets for the benefit and concert ($500 - $1,250), include a pre-concert reception and dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. Call 213.972.3051 for details.
Tickets for the concert only ($15 - $50), which begins at 8:30 p.m., are on sale online at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl box office, all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons-May, Tower Records, Ritmo Latino, and selected Wherehouse locations), and by credit card phone order at 323.850.2000.
Domingo and Mauceri join the distinguished company of past inductees John Williams, Garth Brooks, Marilyn Horne, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, John Raitt, Monty Python, Kathleen Battle, Randy Newman, Bernadette Peters, Leopold Stokowski, George Harrison, the Smothers Brothers, Roger Daltrey, Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Henry Mancini, Sarah Chang, Brian Wilson, Trisha Yearwood, Joshua Bell, Frank Sinatra, Carlos Santana and Andre Watts, who were previously inducted into the Hall of Fame. Drawn from the diverse arena of musical entertainment, including classical, pop, jazz, musical theatre, film composition, and dance, Hall of Fame honorees receive their tributes each summer as part of the Bowl's annual opening night celebration.
The Hollywood Bowl gratefully acknowledges the generous support of their Opening Night corporate sponsors: Wells Fargo; Goodyear Tire and Rubber; Patina Restaurant Group; Tiffany & Co.; Gallo Family Vineyards; Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl Committee Chairs Carla and Fred Sands, and our Premier Patrons, Eve and Marc Stern and Anonymous. Univision 34/TeleFutura 46 is the exclusive Spanish language media sponsor.
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Adam Crane, 213.972.3422, acrane@laphil.org; Rachelle Roe, 213.972.7310, rroe@laphil.org; Lisa White, 213.972.3408, lwhite@laphil.org; Photos: 213.972.3034