{"id":12899,"date":"2017-04-15T07:31:03","date_gmt":"2017-04-15T14:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/?p=12899"},"modified":"2017-04-15T07:31:03","modified_gmt":"2017-04-15T14:31:03","slug":"a-swinging-good-time-doc-severinsen-at-vpac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/?p=12899","title":{"rendered":"A Swinging Good Time | Doc Severinsen at VPAC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.valleyperformingartscenter.org\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-12900\" style=\"float: right; margin: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/docseverinsen.jpg\" alt=\"Doc Severinsen and his Big Band (VPAC)\" width=\"324\" height=\"684\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/docseverinsen.jpg 324w, https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/docseverinsen-142x300.jpg 142w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px\" \/><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5048\" style=\"float: right; margin: 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/userpicucla-csun.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"82\" height=\"80\" \/>If you haven&#8217;t figured it out by now, I like music and live performance. As I&#8217;ve gotten older, I find a read less, but treasure music and performance more. As for what type of music, the answer is simple: all. I can find performers in almost every musical genre that I love (yes, even rap). I go to theatre seasons and plays and musicals to fulfill my need as an audience member to see stories on stage. I go to venues such as the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.valleyperformingartscenter.org\/\">Valley Performing Arts Center<\/a> (VPAC) (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VPACatCSUN\">FB<\/a>),\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mccabes.com\/\">McCabes<\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/McCabes-Guitar-Shop\/85211777436\">FB<\/a>),\u00a0 and the Hollywood Bowl to satisfy my musical live performance needs.<\/p>\n<p>Thursday night saw us at VPAC for the penultimate show of our mini subscription: A celebration of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.docseverinsen.com\/\">Doc Severinsen and his Big Band<\/a> on the occasion of his upcoming 90th birthday. For the youngsters out there, Doc Severinson was the long time band leader on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.johnnycarson.com\/\">the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson<\/a>, from 1962 until the show ended in 1992. No, not the version with Jimmy Fallon. Not the version before that with Conan O&#8217;Brian. Not the version before that with Jay Leno. The long running version that actually had a big band.<\/p>\n<p>Doc actually opened VPAC in&#8230; well, whenever it opened. It was Doc that did the first show and helped them tune the hall.<\/p>\n<p>Thursday nights show was pure big band and swing. Doc was joined on a few songs by his vocalist, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.vanessasongbird.com\/bio\/\">Vanessa Thomas<\/a>. He was also joined, at times, by a violinist who was not listed in the program. His band consisted of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alto Sax:<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ericmarienthal.com\/\"> Eric Marienthal<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/eric.marienthal\">FB<\/a>), <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigphatband.com\/brian-scanlon\">Brian Scanlon<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/brianscanman\">FB<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Tenor Sax: <a href=\"http:\/\/bobsheppard.net\/\">Bob Sheppard<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bob.sheppard.104\">FB<\/a>), <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kevingarren.com\/\">Kevin Garren<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/kevin.garren.50\">FB<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Baritone Sax: <a href=\"http:\/\/greghuckins.blogspot.com\/\">Greg Huckins<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/greg.huckins\">FB<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Trumpet: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.waynebergeron.com\/\">Wayne Bergeron<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Wayne-Bergeron-35562162968\/\">FB<\/a>), <a href=\"http:\/\/www.danfornero.com\/\">Dan Fornero<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dan.fornero.1\">FB<\/a>), <a href=\"http:\/\/losangelesbrass.com\/biographies\/rob-schaer\/\">Rob Schaer<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/rob.schaer\">FB<\/a>), <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bobreeves.com\/blog\/trumpet-podcast-episode-14-larry-hall\/\">Larry Hall<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/larry.g.hall.5\">FB<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Trombone: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drewbone.com\/\">Andy Martin<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/andy.martin.73700136\">FB<\/a>), <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bigphatband.com\/francisco-torres\">Francisco Torres<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francisco.torres.5015\">FB<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Bass Trombone: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ben.devitt\">Ben Devitt\/FB<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Piano: <a href=\"http:\/\/billcunliffe.com\/\">BIll Cunliffe<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/billcunliffejazz\">FB<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Bass: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wilderjazz.com\/bio-trey.htm\">Trey Henry<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=1638283584\">FB<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Drums: Brian Miller<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I&#8217;ll note that a number of these musicians are also involved with Gordin Goodwin&#8217;s Big Phat Band (Goodwin is also a graduate of CSUN&#8217;s jazz program).<\/p>\n<p>The program was straightforward big band jazz:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Johnny Carson Theme<\/li>\n<li>I Want To Be Happy<\/li>\n<li>September Song<\/li>\n<li>Singing in the Rain<\/li>\n<li>When You&#8217;re Smiling<\/li>\n<li>Georgia on My Mind<\/li>\n<li>Isn&#8217;t She Lovely?<\/li>\n<li>Jumping at the Woodside<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">(Intermission)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>[Song I didn&#8217;t recognize]<\/li>\n<li>Things Aren&#8217;t The Way They Used To Be<\/li>\n<li>Happy Birthday Papa Doc<\/li>\n<li>Mood Indigo<\/li>\n<li>Secret Love<\/li>\n<li>Every Day I Have the Blues<\/li>\n<li>1 O&#8217;Clock Jump<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I&#8217;ll note this is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.docseverinsen.com\/2016\/11\/review-%e2%80%98doc-severinsen-friends-%e2%80%93-art-big-band%e2%80%99-strathmore\/\">very similar to their 2016 program on the website<\/a>. This means the song I didn&#8217;t recognize was likely Dizzy Gillespie\u2019s \u201cNight in Tunisia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This was truly an enjoyable program. It is also remarkable to see Severinsen still doing this &#8212; touring and blasting away with his trumpet &#8212; at age 90.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>\u00a0&#x1f3a9;<\/em> <em>&#x1f3a9;<\/em> <em>&#x1f3a9;<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ob. Disclaimer<\/strong>: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member. I\u2019ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I\u2019ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I\u2019m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted. I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at <a href=\"http:\/\/cabrillomusictheatre.com\/\">Cabrillo Music Theatre<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=265654954395&amp;fref=ts\">FB<\/a>), the\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/hollywoodpantages.com\/\">Hollywood Pantages<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PantagesTheatre\/?fref=ts\">FB<\/a>), <a href=\"http:\/\/actorsco-op.org\/wp3\/\">Actors Co-op<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ActorsCo.OpTheatreCompany\">FB<\/a>), the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.crtheatre.com\/\">Chromolume Theatre<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Chromolume-Theatre-136504912056\/?fref=ts\">FB<\/a>) in the West Adams district, and a mini-subscription at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.valleyperformingartscenter.org\/\">Valley Performing Arts Center<\/a> (VPAC) (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VPACatCSUN\">FB<\/a>). Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children\u2019s production, I focus on the positive \u2014 one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals).\u00a0 I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Upcoming Shows<\/strong>: Tonight brings <a href=\"http:\/\/lamiradatheatre.com\/current_events\/special-events\/animaniacs-live\/\"><em>Animaniacs Live <\/em><\/a>at <a href=\"http:\/\/lamiradatheatre.com\/\">the La Mirada Performing Arts Center<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LaMiradaTheatre\">FB<\/a>). That will be followed on the penultimate weekend of April with <em>Sister Act <\/em>at <a href=\"http:\/\/cabrillomusictheatre.com\/\">Cabrillo Music Theatre<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=265654954395&amp;fref=ts\">FB<\/a>). The last weekend of April brings the <a href=\"http:\/\/renfair.com\/socal\/\">Renaissance Pleasure Faire<\/a> on Saturday, and the new musical <em>The Theory of Relativity<\/em> at Harter Hall\/<a href=\"http:\/\/cshplayhouse.wixsite.com\/the-cshp\">Charles Stuart Howard Playhouse<\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/whctheatre\">FB<\/a>) on Sunday. Lastly, looking to May, the schedule shows that it starts with <em>My Bodyguard<\/em> at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hollywoodpantages.com\/\">the Hollywood Pantages<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PantagesTheatre\">FB<\/a>) the first weekend. It continues with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.valleyperformingartscenter.org\/calendar\/details\/martha-graham-and-american-music\"><em>Martha Graham Dance and American Music <\/em><\/a>at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.valleyperformingartscenter.org\/\">Valley Performing Arts Center<\/a> (VPAC) (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/VPACatCSUN\">FB<\/a>). The third weekend brings the last show of the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/actorsco-op.org\/wp3\/\">Actors Co-op<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ActorsCo.OpTheatreCompany\">FB<\/a>) season, <em>Lucky Stiff,\u00a0<\/em>at <a href=\"http:\/\/actorsco-op.org\/wp3\/\">Actors Co-op<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ActorsCo.OpTheatreCompany\">FB<\/a>). May concludes with <em>Hello Again<\/em> at the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.crtheatre.com\/\">Chromolume Theatre<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Chromolume-Theatre-136504912056\/?fref=ts\">FB<\/a>), and hopefully\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.broadwayworld.com\/los-angeles\/article\/Ebony-Repertory-Theatre-Presents-FIVE-GUYS-NAMED-MOE-20170206\"><em>Five Guys Named Moe<\/em><\/a> at <a href=\"http:\/\/ebonyrep.org\/\">Ebony Repertory Theatre<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ebonyrepertorytheatre\/?fref=ts\">FB<\/a>).\u00a0 As for June? Three words: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hollywoodfringe.org\/\">Hollywood Fringe Festival<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hollywoodfringe\">FB<\/a>). That, barring something spectacular cropping up, should be the first half of 2017.<\/p>\n<p>As always, I\u2019m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as <a href=\"http:\/\/better-lemons.com\/\">Better-Lemons<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicalsinla.blogspot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Musicals in LA<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/thisstage.la\/\">@ This Stage<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/footlights.click\/\">Footlights<\/a>, as well as productions I see on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goldstar.com\/los-angeles\" target=\"_blank\">Goldstar<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lastagealliance.com\/lastagetixdisplay.asp\" target=\"_blank\">LA Stage Tix<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.plays411.net\/newsite\/discount\/discounttix.asp\" target=\"_blank\">Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves<\/a>. Note: Lastly, want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on <a href=\"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/?p=11851\">How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you haven&#8217;t figured it out by now, I like music and live performance. As I&#8217;ve gotten older, I find a read less, but treasure music and performance more. As for what type of music, the answer is simple: all. I can find performers in almost every musical genre that I love (yes, even rap). <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/?p=12899\">Read More &#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[108,51],"tags":[494,354,491],"class_list":["post-12899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-concerts","category-reviews","tag-concerts-2017","tag-csun-vpac","tag-reviews-2017"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12899"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12901,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12899\/revisions\/12901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cahighways.org\/wordpress\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}