By Roger Bloom | NB Indy

It was a perfect night for the Pacific Symphony’s annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular, with clear skies and moderate temperatures at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

The full-house crowd was happily anticipating an evening of comfortable classical – the “Swan Lake” Suite – and, having filed past 19 cannons arrayed on the lawn on their way to their seats, the orgiastic bombast of the 1812 Overture.

Pianist Benjamin Pasternak and Maestro Carl St.Clair and the orchestra worked together as one on the Rchmaninoff Concerto No. 3.But Maestro Carl St.Clair and guest pianist Benjamin Pasternak conspired to pull a bait-and-switch. For on this night, the real fireworks were provided by their stunning collaboration on the Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 in D Minor that made up the bulk of the first half of the concert.

Challenging is hardly the word to describe Rachmaninoff’s epic concerto, which is so fiendishly complicated in some passages that the technical demands on the pianist can overwhelm any thought of interpretation or expression.

But not so with Pasternak. He was not only technically flawless, but he was soaring, intimate, lushly romantic or quietly contemplative in turns – the complete master of the music, bending it to his expressive will. It was a wonderful performance. Even, well, spectacular.

And the Pacific Symphony, perhaps sensing there was something special going on, seemed to rise to the occasion, providing spot-on support with energy and elan, especially among the winds, but extending across the whole ensemble – while St.Clair conducted as if transported.

The explosion of applause and cheering following the final note – coming from both the audience and on stage – was perhaps in its way more powerful than the much louder airbursts that closed the concert an hour or so later.

St.Clair, having served up a gourmet first course, then brought the orchestra back from the intermission to plunge into the meat and potatoes of the evening, delivering the Swan Lake suite with flair and good spirit, highlighted by the work of oboeist Jessica Pearlman and first violin and concertmaster Raymond Kobler.

Finally, then, came the 1812, to which St.Clair and the orchestra gave their all even as they appeared also to be having fun with it. The cannons boomed, the fireworks cascaded, everybody’s blood was up.

But it was a bit of an anti-climax, with the memory of the first half”s Rachmaninoff still in mind.

Rehearsing a scene are Johnnie Gillies(Sheriff on Nottingham), Adrianna Sanchez(Lady Merle, seated), Mark Phillips (Robin Hood) and Allison Sheppard (Maid Marion).By Jill Fales/NB Indy

Trade in your beach chair and flip flops for a theater seat and bow and arrow beginning Aug. 5 at the Newport Theatre Arts Center.  

“Hi Ho Robin,” a delightful musical adaptation of the timeless tale of Robin Hood opens next week. NTAC has a long tradition of producing a family-friendly show each summer and the audience is filled with not only parents and their children, but grandparents and their grandchildren. It’s a tradition many Newport Beach families look forward to each summer.

The summer productions also always includes children actors in the cast - something that is rare during the regular season at NTAC. Terri Miller Schmidt, director of “Hi Ho Robin,”  observes, “The adults working alongside the children, together as a team, is a wonder to see. Positive adult role models for the children to learn from and the ‘carefree-ness’ and simple joy of the children for the adults to see; [it is] a good mix.”

When asked why she chose Robin Hood for this summer’s production, Schmidt answered, “I always look for a play that may have a built-in history lesson and a good story line, and one whose main theme may also correspond with what may be going on in the world today. The Legend of Robin Hood and his Band of Merry Men struggling with high taxation, disillusionment and disappointment with the governing policies, could have easily been written today.”

To accompany the journey into Sherwood Forest, there will be live musicians on stage conducted by David Dilorio.

Allison Sheppard who will be a junior at Newport Harbor High School in the fall, will be playing the part of Maid Marian. This is Sheppard’s third summer production with NTAC. She appeared as Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin” and played the Fairy Godmother in “The Big Bad Musical.”  

Although being a part of the cast is fun, Sheppard has worked hard preparing for her role. 

“I have tried to see as many different versions of Robin Hood as I can and study the different character sides of Maid Marian,” she says. Sheppard’s favorite qualities in Maid Marian are the ones which she feels she shares with her: “strong yet graceful” and “not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.”

Susan Seely plays the part of one of Robin Hood’s Merry Men – Victoria.  Seely expresses her excitement about the upcoming show: “I'm really pleased to be able to participate in this year's summer family musical -- it's a great honor and a treat for me.  ‘Hi Ho, Robin’ will be a rollicking good time!”

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“Hi Ho, Robin”

Run: Aug. 5-15

Tickets: $12

Curtain Times: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings 7:30 p.m.;

Sundays 2 p.m.; Saturday Aug. 14 2 p.m.

Order tickets by calling the NTAC box office (949) 631-0288

www.ntaconline.com

Newport Theatre Arts Center

2501 Cliff Drive

Newport Beach 

Fireworks accompany the climax of the 1812 Overture as performed by the Pacific Symphony outdoors at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.There are some annual events that have risen to the level of tradition in Orange County: “A Christmas Carol” at South Coast Repertory, the Pageant of the Masters, the Fourth of July Parade in Huntington Beach.

It’s about time to add the Pacific Symphony’s annual “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” to that list. It’s got the 19^th century roots of “A Christmas Carol.” It basks in the high-art luster of the Pageant of the Masters. And it has the fireworks of the Fourth of July, with an added bonus: cannons.

The “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” is a little earlier this year—on Saturday, Aug. 7, at 8 p.m., at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, the orchestra will spotlight music by great Russian masters, capped by Tchaikovsky’s “1812” Overture in all its dramatic splendor, complete with booming cannons and dazzling fireworks punctuating the night sky.

The program also will feature the return of a Pacific Symphony favorite, acclaimed pianist Benjamin Pasternack, playing one of the classical repertoire’s most powerful, most demanding and most popular works—Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, featured in the 1996 hit movie “Shine.” Additionally, the evening includes Glinka’s Overture to “Russlan and Ludmilla” and Tchaikovsky’s charming Suite from “Swan Lake.”

Pasternack made his last appearance with Pacific Symphony just months ago in the 2009-10 season, performing Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy” and Bernstein’s “On the Town” for St.Clair’s 20th Anniversary concert.

Among the most experienced and versatile musicians today, he has performed worldwide as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. A native of Philadelphia, Pasternack entered the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of 13, studying with Mieczyslaw Horszowski and Rudolf Serkin.

He was the grand-prize winner of the inaugural World Music Masters Piano Competition held in Paris and Nice in July 1989. Bestowed by the unanimous vote of a distinguished panel of judges, the honor carried with it a $30,000 award and engagements in Portugal, France, Canada, Switzerland and the United States.

An earlier competition victory came in August 1988 when he won the highest prize awarded at the 40th Busoni International Piano Competition.

Individual tickets are $25 (lawn) to $105 (orchestra); kids under 14 are half price in most sections. Guests are welcome to picnic on the grounds of the amphitheater starting at 6 p.m.

For more information on the series or purchasing tickets or picnic dinners, call the Symphony ticket office at (714) 755-5799, or visit the website at www.pacificsymphony.org.            

Karon Thomas paints a landscape of Upper Newport Bay during the "Paint Back Bay" show and sale at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center.Story and Photos by Sara Hall/NB Indy

Art and nature came together over the weekend at the “Paint Back Bay” event at the Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center in Upper Newport Bay.

The Southern California Plein Air Painters Association and the Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends held the sixth biennial “Paint Back Bay” event over the weekend featuring more than 60 local artists from Newport Beach and other Southern California cities. The event was held in collaboration with both the Newport Beach Arts Foundation and Orange County Parks.

The naturalists received 35 percent of the receipts of the artwork sold at the show.

The Interpretive Center also unveiled a new mural and three exhibits during the event. The mural was a recreation of a plein air painting by Greg LaRock that won a contest during the 2008 “Paint Back Bay” event.

Ron Hall, one of the artists displaying their work at the show, said sales seemed to be going well.

Hall said there had been at least a dozen paintings sold that he knew of within the first hour of the show. Hall had sold three small paintings.

“It has been better than I expected,” said Hall, who lives on the other side of the Back Bay in Newport Beach. “This is always a good venue… (I‘m feeling) very positive.”

Roger Coe and Esther Williams discuss some of the paintings.Delta Francis (right), one of the painters whose work was displayed, talks with Ellen Mansour about her painting methods. Hall, whose winning painting made the 2006 poster for the event, had his daughter and son-in-law, Jessica and Crawford Del Prete, visiting from Boston. The couple ran the four miles from Hall’s house to enjoy the art show early Saturday morning. Both agreed that there were some very beautiful paintings on display.

Current treasurer and former president of plein air association, Joann Royal, said the show has been very successful so far this year and that there was a good turnout.

Many visitors to the event commented on the high quality of the art at the show.

“The paintings are better (than ever) this year,” said Lynn Scribner of Corona del Mar. “I’m very impressed.”

Scribner said she is a member of the Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends group and she attends the show every year it’s held. This year she came with her grand-niece, Lindsay Pierce of San Diego. Both women said they love to paint and agreed that there were some fabulous artists at the show.

Royal said that the associaton is very thankful to the Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends for helping make the event such a success and for all the work the group does to keep Newport Back Bay protected.

Paintings were displayed for visitors to view and purchase on patio space overlooking the Back Bay.

Julie Smith admires paintings by Toni Danchick. Her husband, Andy Smith, said the show was a good fit for the center. The couple hadn’t bought a painting yet, but said they were certainly willing if they found just the right one.Lorraine Steen of New Jersey said she was visiting her daughter and son-in-law who live in Newport Beach.