Lea Salonga, Mummenschanz, Tharp, Emanuel Axe, Chuco Valdès, Jazz at the Naz, Holiday Shows, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Israel Phil, and More
Sept. 15, 2024 | By Bruce R. Feldman
The handsome Soraya performing arts center on the Cal State Northridge campus kicks off its 2024-25 in a few weeks with one of the more intriguing events to play Southern California this fall, the Randy Newman musical Faust.
The play is a modern-day version of Goethe’s Faust. In this retelling, God and the Devil fight for the soul of Henry Faust, a college student.
The show had a limited run in 1995 at the La Jolla Playhouse. The next year Newman released an album of the score with an all-star cast that included Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Elton John, Don Henley, and Bonnie Raitt.
Among the Soraya's many holiday shows is the Michelle Dorrance - Duke Ellington "Nutcracker"
And while we won’t see the likes of the original stars on stage, Thor Steingraber, the Soraya's perspicacious artistic director, has assembled a top-notch cast of artists headed by Broadway veterans Reeve Carney – he originated the role of Orpheus in Hadestown – and Javier Muñoz, who played Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton on Broadway for two years.
Randy Newman’s Faust will have just two performances, Saturday, Sept. 28 at 8PM and Sunday, Sept. 29 at 2PM. Get your tickets now, as it likely will sell out.
Kurt Elling and The Yellow Jackets, just one of the Soraya's '24-'25 jazz offerings
The Soraya presents a number of other tasty offerings this season, including the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra performing “Rhapsody in Blue,” Twyla Tharp’s 60th anniversary tour featuring a new work set to music by Philip Glass, and Terence Blanchard and guest vocalists presenting selections from his two operas, Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion.
Among the arts center’s always popular holiday shows are tap master Michelle Dorrance and her company in Duke Ellington’s wonderful riff on “The Nutcracker Suite” and a year-end concert from Lea Salonga.
Also, Sweet Honey in the Rock brings a gospel celebration of the “HolyDays” and Ballet Folklórico de Los Angeles returns for the eighth year with its colorful Christmas Spectacular of mariachi and dance.
Details for these and much more at www.thesoraya.org
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