Broadway smash hit, Mama Mia! Is coming to the Performing Arts Center, and while the show is pretty much sold out, Cal Poly Arts says they may release some tickets before the 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 6 show. Tickets range from $60-$90 and whatever’s available can be purchased at the PAC Box Office from noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Call 756-4849 or online at: www.calpoly.arts.org (probably the best way). Sponsored by Lucia Cleveland and Paul Vanderheyden, KSBY TV, Matrix Mobile Television and Radiology Associates. Mamma Mia! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found, inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA’s songs — from “Dancing Queen” and “S.O.S.” to “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me.”
The Cal Poly Music Department will present a free, “Open House Student Recital,” at 2:10 p.m. Saturday, April 18, in the Davidson Music Center (Bldg. 45, Rm. 218), on campus, one of several programs slated for Cal Poly’s 22nd Annual Open House celebration. Student performers include Mario Ojeda on violin; Shaina Levin, Leah Ginsky and Alexis Rubell, singing; Andrew Arensman, French horn; Kelsey Beisecker, flute; and Danial Diaz, marimba. For more information, call the Music Department at 756-2406 for more information. Sponsored by Cal Poly’s College of Liberal Arts and the music department.
Instrumental duo Patsy Shields and Julie Overholtzer will perform as “Tumbleweed” at the next Downtown Brown Bag Concert series at noon Friday, April 3 at the SLO Presbyterian Church corner of Marsh and Morro streets. Free. The duo will play music suitable for weddings, barn raisings, and hoe-downs. Fair Trade coffee and chocolate available. Call 543-5451.
Cal Poly Student Opera Theatre and Opera San Luis Obispo are presenting Franz Lehar’s romantic operetta, “The Merry Widow” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, in the Spanos Theatre at Cal Poly. Tickets are $18 for the public, $16 for seniors, and $9 for students. Prices include all fees and parking. Get tickets at the PAC Box Office from noon-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Order by phone at 756-4849. The opera will be conducted by music professor, David Arrivée. Bay Area opera performer and director Ross Halper, opera’s mad genius, will provide a new, rollicking translation of The Merry Widow.
SLOFolks is bringing “Dirty Cello,” to town Friday-Saturday, April 3-4 for performances at 7 p.m. April 3 at Coalesce Bookstore Chapel, 845 Main St., Morro Bay (call 772-2880) and 7:30 p.m. April 4 at Castoro Cellars Winery. Tickets for each show are $20 a person and available at Coalesce, 845 Main St., and Castoro, 315 North Bethel Rd., corner of Hwy 46 in rural Templeton. Call 238-0725, online at: www.castorocellars.com/events. Or at Boo Boo Records in SLO, 978 Monterey St. Call 541-0657. Dirty Cello features the virtuosic cello stylings of Rebecca Roudman, one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most exciting cross-over cellists. Dirty Cello takes you on a wild tour of up-tempo music featuring down home blues, Eastern- European dance music, a bit of bluegrass, and some classic rock. See: www.dirtycello.com for more on the band.
The St. Lawrence String Quartet, one of the world-class chamber ensembles of its generation, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 9 at the Spanos Theater at Cal Poly. Student and adult tickets are $36 and $45 respectively, and available at the PAC Box Office noon-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, by phone at 756-4849, or online at: www.calpolyarts.org. The quartet will perform their innovative, “Haydn Discovery Session,” an in-depth exploration of the famed composer’s extraordinary string quartets. The group built its reputation with imaginative and spontaneous music making, performs over 120 concerts a year worldwide, and is “Ensemble in Residence” at Stanford University.
The Cal Poly Music Department will host the “Cal Poly All-State Festival Concert,” featuring some of the state’s best high school musicians, at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at the Performing Arts Center on campus. Tickets are $12 and $14 for the public and $9 and $12 for seniors and students. Pricing includes all PAC fees, and parking. Tickets are sold at the PAC Box Office from noon-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Call 756-4849. Festival Jazz Band director is Dave Eshelman, trombonist, composer, big band leader, recording artist, and jazz educator. The Festival Wind Orchestra will be conducted by husband-and-wife team Heidi Johanna Miller and James Patrick Miller. Heidi Miller is an adjunct assistant professor of music at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., and James Miller is the Douglas Nimmo endowed chair in music at Gustavus Adolphus. The concert will also feature the winner of the festival’s solo competition, accompanied by pianist and Cal Poly music Prof. Susan Azaret Davies.
Mexican-American singer, Lila Downs will play the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. Student and general tickets range from $24-$56 a person and available at the PAC Box Office on campus, from noon-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, call 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts.org. Born in Oaxaca and raised in Minnesota, Downs plays several genres of music including Pan-Latin, American folk, jazz, blues, and rock. As a result, Downs has become one of the most innovative exponents of Mesoamerican music. There’s a pre-show lecture with KCBX DJ, Pedro Arroyo at 6:30 p.m. in the PAC Pavilion. Sponsored by Jodi Mello and Barry Goyette, KCBX 90.1 FM, and Popolo Caterin.
Cuban musician Adonis Puentes, will play the Spanos Theater at Cal Poly at 8 p.m. Friday, April 17. Student and general tickets are $30.40 and $38, respectively and available at the PAC Box Office on campus, from noon-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, call 756-4849 or order online at: www.calpolyarts.org. Puentes’ deep rich vocals are backed by the Voice of Cuba Orchestra playing syncopated Cuban rhythms, deep bass lines, jazzy horn arrangements, and melodic piano and guitar. Puentes has been nominated for a Juno Award (Canada’s Grammy) and garnered a Grammy Award nomination for lead vocals with the 9-piece, L.A.-based Mongorama. Sponsored by Ken and Tricia Volk
Santa Barbara based singer-songwriter, Valarie Mulberry, will perform at Boo Boo Records on Saturday, April 11. The show starts at 5 p.m. KCBX DJ and musician Little Robbie Kimball will also play. Boo Boo Records is located at 978 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo. Free. Mulberry has seen some success since the release of her CD “The Simple Things,” which features her sunshine rhythm and blues style.
Ynana Rose will play a Songwriters at Play show from 6:30-9 p.m. Monday, April 6 at Bang the Drum Brewery in SLO. A veteran performer, Ynana draws inspiration from Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Sarah Jarosz, Corinne West and more. Rose blends elements of folk, bluegrass, country, blues and jazz, sung in a truly soulful voice that crosses genres with ease. Her debut CD Ynana Rose, recorded and co-produced with Damon Castillo, was released last year. Rose will be accompanied by Kenny Blackwell on mandolin and Dylan Johnson on bass. No cover change.
The Pewter Plough Playhouse presents, “Butterflies are Free,” Leonard Gershe’s comedy about love, determination and overcoming some of life’s hurdles, weekends, now through Sunday, April 26. Tickets are $22 general admission and $17 for students with school ID. Call the PPP Box Office for reservations at 927-3877 or see: www.pewterploughplayhouse.org. Run times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. The play follows Don Baker, a young man, blind since birth, who has recently broken the apron strings of his very-controlling mother and set up a new life in New York City with a free-spirited neighbor, Jill. The play is directed by Kelli Howard and stars Joseph Whittington as Don and featuring Libby Parker, Janice Peters and Jonathon Weise. The Pewter Plough Playhouse is located at 824 Main St., corner of Sheffield in Cambria’s West Village. Photo by Iain Macadam