Rockers Rule May Lineup of Shows
Show Buzz by NANCY HERMANN
ALICE COOPER: The Shock Rock pioneer comes to the Brady Theater May 4.
Looking over the roster of acts coming up at venues across our area, I am marveling at the staying power of some musicians. It’s a miracle that Alice Cooper and Brian Wilson survived the ‘60s and 1970s, and now here they are, playing within a week of each other at the Brady!
The Brady isn’t the only venue hosting musicians who have developed a following over a few decades.
Daryl Hall and John Oates appear at the Center on May 4. This songwriting duo from Philadelphia has sold more than 40 million records and is known for songs like “Sara Smile,” “Maneater” and “Rich Girl.” Hall and Oates are joined by the band Tears for Fears.
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill perform together at the Center May 11. They’ve been married since the 1990s and have three kids. They also have a pact not to be apart from each other for more than three days, max. She’s won five Grammys, and he’s won three. That is one powerhouse partnership.
I have wanted to see The Chainsmokers since I fell in love with their song “Closer.” It’s the ringtone on my phone! Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall, who comprise the group, are rooted in electronic dance music. I saw them on “Saturday Night Live” recently and enjoyed their new music also. They perform at the Center May 16.
Rascal Flatts drops by the River Spirit Casino Resort on May 12. The band that brought us “Life is a Highway,” “Prayin’ for Daylight,” and the single “Yours If You Want It” in early 2017, is releasing a new album in May called Back to Us, which no doubt they will pull from for their Tulsa sShow.
One more Center event to mention is New Kids on the Block with Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men, May 24. I know I would enjoy this music, and I imagine there will be some super dancing. If only En Vogue could be part of this show! I have been waiting for them to tour. They often join Boyz II Men on the road. Next time.
The Joint at the Hard Rock brings its own lineup of nostalgia bands to the May party. Barenaked Ladies, the all-male Canadian alternative rock band, is known for entertaining concerts that incorporate comedy. They will be in town May 4, followed by the rock band Boston on May 11 and “The Power of Love” group, Huey Lewis and the News, May 18.
Back to Alice Cooper and Brian Wilson — they hung out together during the early drug-infused decades of their careers and survived. Cooper found a way of setting himself apart in the crowded “peace and love” era of music. Wilson is an undisputed genius! It’s difficult to appreciate now how innovative “Good Vibrations” was in 1966. Cooper was the originator of shock rock, when “all you need is love” was the going groove, and now we see him playing celebrity golf with the pros and looking quite normal. Watch for their concerts at the Brady, May 4 (Cooper) and May 16 (Wilson).
My favorite opera is Puccini’s “Tosca,” coming to the Tulsa May 5 and 7. I’m sentimental about this opera in particular because I got to know and love opera from being a supernumerary, a nun, in “Tosca.” My husband and I were dating, and both of us had parts. I guess if people had asked, I could have said I was dating a secret agent/monk (his roles), and he could have claimed he was dating a nun. “Tosca” is a good starter piece for people who aren’t already big opera fans. The story takes place in Rome, and if you are visiting that city, you will want to drop by the Castel Sant’Angelo, not far from the Vatican, where some of the opera’s story takes place. Tulsa Opera’s production features Russian soprano Evelina Dobraceva and Finnish tenor Christian Juslin.
I also wanted to mention two other shows, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” staged by Theatre Tulsa, which runs May 12-20, as does the lesser-known “In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)” presented by Theatre Pops. Both will be worth your time, as always.
The fabulous Kristin Chenoweth returns home to the Broken Arrow Performing Arts Center May 6 with “My Love Letter to Broadway,” and at the University of Tulsa’s Lorton Performance Center Theatre, Tulsa Ballet wraps its 60th anniversary season, May 11-14. That program will feature a selection of pieces that are among Artistic Director Marcello Angelini’s favorites: the lighthearted “Cacti” by Alexander Ekman, the exuberant “A Million Kisses to my Skin” by David Dawson, and a piece that was created for Tulsa Ballet’s “Creations in Studio K” series, “Cripple and the Starfish” by Adam Houghland. Congrats on another excellent season, Tulsa Ballet. Rock on!
Updated 04-24-2017
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