Busy Fall Features Performances Rich in Variety
Show Buzz by NANCY HERMANN
DRACULA: Performed by Tulsa Ballet, “Dracula” is a ghoulish and delightful Halloween outing Oct. 25-28 at the Tulsa PAC.
Courtesy photo
My children came back to Tulsa recently from their homes in New York City and San Francisco and marveled at the breadth and convenience of our entertainment options. Tulsa’s theaters, parks, sports complexes and casinos offer non-stop activity. What’s more, tickets are more plentiful here, often less expensive, and parking and traffic aren’t such ordeals. Our Tulsa renaissance is thrilling to observe and fun to share.
One performance venue that has stepped up is the Tulsa . In the next few weeks, there are more than a dozen different events scheduled at the , and many with multi-performances. The variety is impressive.
Slated for a return to the Tulsa is the progressive Tesla Quartet, presented by Chamber Music Tulsa. Lauded by major music reviewers for their ability “to find the inner heart of everything they play,” Tesla will perform music by composers from three continents, Sunday, Oct. 14. Preceding that is the debut of ’s new Friday Night Gallery Series, Oct. 12 at Renaissance Square Event Center on 11th Street.
Chamber Music Tulsa is looking ahead to the fabulous Brentano Quartet with violist Hsin-Yun Huang when the ensemble performs for the Friday Night Gallery Series audience at 108 Contemporary in the Tulsa Arts District, Nov. 9, and at the , Nov. 11. The Brentano Quartet is one of the most celebrated chamber groups in existence.
Tulsa Opera stages Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” at the on Oct. 19 and 21, starring Tulsa’s Sarah Coburn, an internationally known soprano, joined by American tenor Aaron Blake and lyric baritone Steven LaBrie. The opera is sung in Italian, with subtitles projected above the stage.
Among the many other events we can look forward to at the in the weeks ahead are two dance events. The contemporary all-male dance group 10 Hairy Legs was a big hit when Choregus Productions hosted the group last year. See them at the , Oct. 20.
“Dracula,” choreographed by Ben Stevenson, is visually stunning, not only for Tulsa Ballet’s dancing, which is always top-notch, but for the terrifying ghost horses, Dracula and his dramatic cape, and the flying zombie-ghosts. You can catch this spooky, delightful production Oct. 25-28.
Also at the are the children’s program, ArcAttack (science and rock music), Oct. 26, and jazz pianist Aaron Diehl, Oct. 27. The play “Sovereignty,” staged by Heller Theatre, Oct. 26-Nov. 4, was written by Oklahoma playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle. It’s about a female Cherokee lawyer trying to reclaim sovereignty and jurisdiction for the Cherokee nation.
Broadway’s “Love Never Dies,” presented by Celebrity Attractions, Oct. 30–Nov. 4 is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera.” The story takes place in 1907, 10 years after the Phantom disappears into the bowels of the Paris Opera House. He has fled to New York and joined the sideshows on Coney Island. His love, Christine, has married, had a child, and become an international opera star. The Phantom lures her to Coney Island, where the music of the night plays to her tender sensibility once again.
Theatre Tulsa presents the musical “Barnum,” Nov. 2-10, centering on showman P.T. Barnum. Combining circus acts and Broadway, the musical covers the life of Barnum from 1835 through 1880. Scott Black commands the title role.
The River Spirit Casino hosts Bob Dylan and his Band, Oct. 12, and the band Garbage, Oct. 13. Singer and choreographer Paula Abdul brings her Straight Up! tour, to the casino’s Paradise Cove, Oct. 18. Abdul was discovered by the Jacksons when she was a cheerleader and choreographer for the L.A. Lakers. She found success with a string of hits, beginning in 1989 and has stayed relevant through her appearances as a judge and performer on numerous TV shows. She’s earned two Emmys, two Grammys and three American Music Awards.
Other headliners coming our way at the River Spirit are actor and comic Dr. Ken Jeong, Oct. 25, American singer, songwriter and guitarist Boz Skaggs, Oct. 26; country singer Maren Morris, Oct. 27, and pop diva Christina Aguilera, Nov. 4.
Aguilera’s robust voice and exceptional showmanship have bolstered her staying power. This is the first time she has toured in a decade, having spent a few seasons anchored in a red chair on “The Voice.” If her show sells out, opt for Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons at the River Spirit, Nov. 10. “Jersey Boy” Valli has turned out his first new studio album in 15 years, “Romancing The ‘60s,” in which he sings songs he’s always wanted to record.
The Joint at the Hard Rock welcomes singer Bret Michaels, Oct. 27, and Stevie Wonder, Nov. 2-3. The winner of 25 Grammys, Stevie Wonder is the most awarded solo artist in history. A child prodigy, he signed on with Motown at the age 11. We are fortunate to see and hear him perform “The Stevie Wonder Song Party, a Celebration of Life, Love and Music” in a smaller venue like The Joint.
Back at The Brady, Fleetwood Mac guitarist and singer Lindsey Buckingham performs a show of his own, Nov. 8, and Tulsa-born singer Ben Rector plays the Brady, Nov. 10. The Broken Arrow presents “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” Nov. 6, and The Ten Tenors, Nov. 11. Finally, enjoy a spectacular Cirque Du Soleil Crystal at the Center, Nov. 7-11.
There can hardly be more to do, hear, explore and enjoy. Welcome to Tulsa.
Updated 10-16-2018
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