BOWL SALUTES RANGE OF MUSIC GREATS.Byline: Robert Lowman Entertainment Editor CHOOSING SOMETHING to single out of the Hollywood Bowl's third annual Hall of Fame induction concert on Friday night would depend on personal preference rather than logic. All of the short performances by the inductees themselves were quite wonderful - as you might expect. Singer-songwriter/film composer Randy Newman had the crowd loving L.A., while opera diva Kathleen Battle's soaring rendition of Gershwin's ``Summertime'' was spellbinding spell·bind tr.v. spell·bound , spell·bind·ing, spell·binds To hold under or as if under a spell; enchant or fascinate. [Back-formation from spellbound. . Billy Preston - who was there in tribute to inductee George Harrison, who died last year - gave a rousing gospel-tinged rendition of ``My Sweet Lord,'' and Broadway star Bernadette Peters showed us why ``There is Nothing Like a Dame.'' The evening began with conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic (LAP) is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California, United States. History Founded in 1919 by William Andrews Clark, Jr. in a movement from Prokovief's ``Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers die as teenagers. [Br. Lit.: Romeo and Juliet] See : Death, Premature Romeo and Juliet archetypal star-crossed lovers. [Br. Lit. ,'' a little something - as the maestro said tongue in cheek - to impress the staid audiences in Europe, which is where the Phil is headed for later in the summer. Sir Anthony Hopkins Noun 1. Sir Anthony Hopkins - Welsh film actor (born in 1937) Anthony Hopkins, Sir Anthony Philip Hopkins, Hopkins - the host for the evening - came out then and reminded us the Los Angeles truly had a world-class orchestra. It was a sentiment later echoed by Newman, who called the orchestra ``better than it'ss ever been,'' and the Phil proved it over and over again throughout the evening. Newman led them in a selection from his film score ``The Natural,'' with its majestic sounding Americana theme. Newman was introduced by John Lasseter of Pixar Studios, who directed the two ``Toy Story'' films, ``A Bug's Life'' and ``Monsters, Inc.'' all of which Newman scored. It was quite an amusing tribute to the composer, culminating in a short film shown on a screen above the stage with a number of the animated characters from the movies comically praising Newman, but the iconoclastic i·con·o·clast n. 1. One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions. 2. One who destroys sacred religious images. singer-songerwriter proved even funnier as he riffed on not drinking Nyquil in the morning and in general simply punctuating any pretension Pretension See also Hypocrisy. Prey (See QUARRY.) Pride (See BOASTFULNESS, EGOTISM, VANITY.) Absolon vain, officious parish clerk. [Br. Lit. the evening may have had. After taking up the baton for ``The Natural,'' Newman sat down at the piano to perform ``You Got a Friend in Me'' from ``Toy Story'' and the city's unofficial anthem, ``I Love L.A.,'' which the audience joined in on, shouting out the names of the streets in the song (``Victory Boulevard, we love it'') and enjoying the joke. Monty Python member Eric Idle's bouquet to the late George Harrison was appropriately ``posthumorous.'' ``When I heard they were going to induct in·duct v. To produce an electric current or a magnetic charge by induction. him into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, I thought: I bet he won't show up.'' Idle then mused about Harrison - who produced a number of the Python pictures - being up in heaven, thinking what's next, ``an afterlifetime achievement award?'' Amid all the jokes, Idle managed to make his tribute heartfelt while never letting us forget the cheekiness and quest for spirituality that marked the ex-Beatle's life. Peters was introduced by Great White Way great Joel Grey, who sang an a cappella version of ``Give My Regards to Broadway Give My Regards to Broadway singer sends well-wishes to home town. [Am. Pop. Music: Fordin, 531] See : Nostalgia .'' Upon accepting her award, Peters asked if this meant she was getting older, and then in her inimitable way answered her own question with ``na-a-ah.'' She then proved how timeless she is with some Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes - a lovely almost understated ``Some Enchanted en·chant tr.v. en·chant·ed, en·chant·ing, en·chants 1. To cast a spell over; bewitch. 2. To attract and delight; entrance. See Synonyms at charm. Evening'' and ``There Ain't Nothing Like a Dame.'' That song as she pointed out was sung in ``South Pacific'' by a bunch of sailors. Peters gave it a VA-VA-boom production suited for an old-time strip club, turning the song from a funny lamentation lamentation, n a prayer expressing affliction or sorrow and requesting defense, retribution, or comfort. to a rousing celebration. The evening was a benefit for Music Matters, the children's music education programs of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and Southland teachers, including Robert Eisenhart of Van Nuys High School Van Nuys High School (VNHS) established in 1914, is a high school in the Van Nuys area of Los Angeles, California, belonging to the Los Angeles Unified School District: District 2. , were honored because of essays written by their students. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) A screen above the orchestra shows composer Randy Newman conducting the L.A. Philharmonic. (2) Opera great Kathleen Battle appears at the Hollywood Bowl for her turn as one of the venue's Hall of Fame inductees Friday. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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