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Segerstrom Center for the Arts is hosting two very different musical events this weekend, both steeped in history yet timeless in their appeal: the Broadway musical “Hamilton” running through Sunday at Segerstrom Hall, and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony performed by Pacific Symphony Friday and Saturday in Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Hamilton
It’s not a rock concert, but the exuberant response from the audience after every musical number during the opening night of “Hamilton” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts might indicate otherwise.
At the 70th Tony Awards, “Hamilton” received a record-breaking 16 nominations and won 11 awards, including Best Musical, and the show received the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
“Hamilton” has gained a loyal following of devotees who appreciate how the story of Alexander Hamilton is told using rap, hip-hop, pop and even traditional musical theater stylings.
The show sprang from the fertile mind of gifted composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the book, music, and lyrics for “Hamilton” after reading a bio of the famous Founding Father who looms large in American history.
At the 70th Tony Awards, Hamilton received a record-breaking 16 nominations and won 11 awards, including Best Musical. It received the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. In 2020, a filmed version of the Broadway production was released on Disney+.
The musical debuted on Broadway 10 years ago and shows no sign of a decline in popularity. Touring productions consistently sell out wherever the show plays, and the “Hamilton” soundtrack won a Grammy award.
The touring production of “Hamilton” that leaves town after the Sunday, May 4 performances is wonderful, with a cast that delivers the goods and – to paraphrase the famous lyric – does not throw away its shot to engage and enthrall. Tickets are scarce, but worth seeking out. Visit www.SCFTA.org.
Pacific Symphony Plays Beethoven
Is there anyone who does not recognize the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (“dun dun dun DUN”)?
And how about Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”), another noted masterpiece.
Thise classic pieces are getting a new musical examination by Pacific Symphony’s next Artistic and Music Director, Alexander Shelley, as he takes the podium for concerts May 2 and 3.
According to information from Pacific Symphony, Shelley praises Beethoven’s music for its revolutionary character and contemporary relevance, saying, “Beethoven’s Fifth is like visiting the Sistine Chapel or reading Jane Austen or Shakespeare. It’s breathtaking whenever you do it. That’s why it’s an icon of human culture, one of the great works of humanity. But it’s also a great cultural pillar. It sustains different interpretations, and the differences are really varied, even within eras.”
Beethoven’s final piano concert – The Emperor – has a regal quality and spirited rhythms that require extreme virtuosity from the piano soloist. George Li, a 29-year-old American pianist of Chinese descent who has established a major international reputation and performs regularly with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, plays the piano concerto backed by Pacific Symphony.
The concert opens with Tan Dun’s “Jubilation” movement from his symphony Heaven Earth Mankind, featuring the Southern California Children’s Chorus led by Founding Director Lori Loftus and Pacific Symphony Principal Cellist Warren Hagerty. The work includes themes from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” (Symphony No. 9) and was composed to celebrate Hong Kong’s return to China. Tan Dun has emphasized that the piece is intended to unite people through universal art and tradition, beyond politics.
The second half opens with Jeder Baum spricht (“Every Tree Speaks”) by Iman Habibi, a contemporary commission honoring Beethoven’s 250th birthday. Scored for the same instrumentation as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the piece reflects on environmental challenges and the urgent need for change.
The concerts include a preview talk with KUSC midday host Alan Chapman at 7 p.m. This concert is part of the 2024-25 Classical Season and is sponsored by the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation. The 2024-25 season piano soloists are generously sponsored by The Michelle F. Rohé Fund.
Tickets are $30-$160. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 858-0945 or visit www.pacificsymphony.org.