ave you shaken off the last, dandruff-like flakes of holiday lethargy? Are you ready to charge into the new cultural year?
The good news is that I’m here to keep you informed with previews, features and reviews. The even better news is that I am giving tickets away for a bunch of great stuff in January. You could go for free to:
[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]Pictured above: The national tour of ‘Finding Neverland.’ Photo: Broadway in Fresno[/perfectpullquote]
• A Keyboard Concerts performance featuring powerhouse pianist Claire Hunagci.
• Opening night of the national tour of “Finding Neverland” (plus dinner for two and parking at Cosmopolitan tavern and Grill).
• A lecture from Gen. John F. Kelly, former presidential chief of staff.
• An opening-weekend performance of the Good Company Players production of “Something Rotten!”
• The next Fresno Philharmonic Masterworks concert, this one celebrating Beethoven.
And I’m putting all these giveaways into one post to make it easier for busy arts lovers to enter.
This also coincides with my new-year membership drive, in which I hope to add FIFTEEN new monthly members/donors to my already faithful roll-call of supporters who make this ongoing experiment in non-profit professional arts journalism possible.
Here are the ground rules:
Ticket giveaways are open only to members, donors and individual sponsors of The Munro Review. A free basic membership is available, and paid memberships start at $5 a month. (You can always opt for a one-time donation of as little as $3.) I love signing up new free members, but even better is adding members who are willing to financially support local arts journalism. It’s the only way this site can continue to stay alive. Memberships and donations are tax-deductible; this is a non-profit site under the fiscal sponsorship of the Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC). To become a member, click here.
To enter, follow the directions for each giveaway (and be sure to tell me which production you’re hoping for). Note the deadlines; they differ for each event. You’re welcome to enter for multiple events, but please leave a separate comment for each entry. You’ll find the comment field near the bottom of the page (just past my bio).
OK, let’s dive in to what’s available. Productions and concerts are listed by opening date:
Keyboard Concerts presents Claire Huangci
Presenter: Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concert Series.
Venue: Fresno State Concert Hall.
Performance: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10.
What to expect: Claire Huangci is another in the long line of world-class pianists to drop by the renowned Keyboard Concerts series at Fresno State. The American-born pianist has ties to China through her immigrant parents. In 2018 she won first prize at the prestigious Géza Anda International Piano Competition in Zürich, Switzerland. Her program includes Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp minor and Schubert’s Sonata in A major.
The giveaway: a pair of tickets to the concert.
How to enter: Leave a comment on this post answering this question: Have you ever been to China? (Or, if you’re too shy to share, just tell me you want to attend the performance.)
Deadline to enter: 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9.
‘Finding Neverland’ (plus dinner for two at Cosmo)
Presenter: Broadway in Fresno.
Venue: Saroyan Theatre.
Opening: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Runs through: Wednesday, Jan. 15.
What to expect: Amazing food at Cosmo, of course. As far as the production goes, “Finding Neverland” follows the relationship between playwright J.M. Barrie and the family that inspired “Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up.” This musical recreates the Broadway production’s original choreography by Diane Paulus.
The giveaway: In addition to a pair of tickets to opening night, the winner will receive dinner for two from the wonderful folks at Cosmopolitan Tavern and Italian Grill, conveniently located in the corner of the Fresno Convention Center complex. Plus, you’ll get free parking for the evening as well. .
How to enter: Leave a comment on this post answering this question: If you could fly, would you consider delivering packages for Amazon? (Or, if you’re too shy to share, just tell me you want to see the show.)
Deadline to enter: 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10.
Gen. John F. Kelly
Presenter: San Joaquin Valley Town Hall Lecture Series.
Venue: Saroyan Theatre.
Lecture: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15.
What to expect: Gen John F. Kelly, a former chief of staff to President Donald Trump, will discuss “Geopolitics: Our Future on the Global Stage.” (“He will not bash nor discuss Trump by name, only how he worked
within the system,” says Lynn Baldwin, president of Town Hall.
The giveaway: a pair of tickets to the lecture.
How to enter: Leave a comment on this post answering this question: Would you want to be the White House chief of staff? (Or, if you’re too shy to share, just tell me you want to attend the lecture.)
Deadline to enter: 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10.
‘Something Rotten!’
Presenter: Good Company Players.
Venue: Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater.
Opening: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16.
Runs through: March 15.
What to expect: A wacky, big-hearted musical comedy set in Shakespeare’s era. In this version, the Bard is a swaggering celebrity who is treated like a rock star. To compete, two brothers try to write the world’s first musical, with predictably disastrous results. This mash-up of musical-theater and Shakespearean tropes gets its local premiere after a visit from the national Broadway tour in 2019. Here is a video interview and musical performance with “Rotten” stars Jacob Phelen and Shawn Williams. Coverage starts at the 20:40 mark:
The giveaway: a pair of show-only tickets to any performance opening weekend.
How to enter: Leave a comment on this post answering this question: If you were buying tickets to a show on title alone, would you choose “Hamlet” or “Omelette”? (Or, if you’re too shy to share, just tell me you want to see the show.)
Deadline to enter: 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13.
Beethoven and Rei
Presenter: Fresno Philharmonic.
Venue: Saroyan Theatre.
Performance: 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19.
What to expect: The orchestra celebrates the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth with a “triple threat” program. Beethoven was both a political and aesthetic revolutionary. These two aspects of the composer are captured in the overture to his only opera Fidelio and his monumental Eroica Symphony, which was originally dedicated to Napoleon. Plus: Music Director Rei Hotoda and Concertmaster Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio are joined by Julie Albers (Principal Cellist, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra) for Beethoven’s delightful Triple Concerto.
The giveaway: I’m giving away two pairs of tickets to the concert.
How to enter: Leave a comment on this post answering this question: If you could take Beethoven out for one evening, would you take him to a performance of his 9th Symphony or a Rihanna concert? (Or, if you’re too shy to share, just tell me you want to attend the performance.)
Deadline to enter: 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14.