Sunday, August 5, 2012

IT’S TIME TO SIZZLE AT THE ARIZONA INN


IT’S TIME TO SIZZLE AT THE ARIZONA INN
It’s here! The Sizzling Summer Sounds gourmet cabaret presented by Invisible Theatre at the Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm St., June 13 to July  6.
Kicking up its heels to open this four-week event Wednesday and Thursday, June 13-14, 
is Invisible Theatre favorite, the desert diva Liz McMahon going “Crazy…About Patsy Cline!” accompanied by pianist Khris Dodge, with special guest the energetically fiddlin’  li’l mama Heather Hardy.
The weekend goes golden Friday and Saturday, June 15-16, with “From Ragtime to Romance” presented by the renowned interpreter of George Gershwin, that incurable romantic Richard Glazier, warmly remembered for his PBS specials “From Gershwin to Garland” and “From Ragtime to Reel Time.”
In coming weeks the sizzling lineup will include notable guest artists from out-of-town, Amanda McBroom with pianist Michele Brourman, Sharon McNight and Steve Ross...plus an array of Tucson favorites. All tickets are $35.
                                     *****
Richard Glazier remembers very clearly the day that changed his life. He was 12, sitting in Ira Gershwin’s Beverly Hills home, playing Ira Gershwin’s piano.
Glazier will tell you the whole story himself, during his performance of “From Ragtime to Romance” this weekend in the Sizzling Summer Sounds showcase.

“This music is immortal,” said Glazier, on the phone just hours after flying back home to Sacramento from his concert in Toronto. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a hard rocker, a contestant on “American Idol,” Lady Gaga or whatever.
“These songs make you feel good on the inside. That’s why I do what I do,” Glazier continued. His enthusiasm for this music comes at you in capital letters.
“The more you learn, the more you appreciate these songs,” he said. “Nobody should settle for mediocrity.”
This lifetime of dedication to the music of George and Ira Gershwin, along with colleagues such as Richard Rodgers, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin has also led Glazier to do more research into the lives of these composers as well as an intense study of their interpretations on early 78 rpm recordings.
“I’m not a jazz musician,” Glazier said firmly. “I’m a classically trained concert pianist. I learn the nuances of these songs. Every note I play is a conscious choice, with a purpose and meaning.
“It takes discipline and hard work, preparing these pieces as deliberately as a classical musician would prepare.”
Listening to the recorded excerpts posted on Glazier’s website – www.richardglazier.com – the music has a strong period feel, with all the mannerisms of a 1930s recording, as well as the clear and bright quality of modern technology.
“Being able to perform is a special gift for me. It’s when I am the happiest,” Glazier explained. “I give everything I have every time.
“What I want to create onstage is the intimate feeling that this audience is in my living room, being taken on a magic carpet ride of music that makes people feel good about themselves.”
Not just the people who remember these songs from their youth, but today’s youth, as well. The ones who hear today’s rock and pop stars singing this music as if it was brand new.
Richard Glazier will perform “From Ragtime to Romance” Friday and Saturday, June 15-16, at 8 p.m. at the Arizona Inn. Tickets are $35. For details and reservations, 882-9721,www.invisibletheatre.com
Dinner and show packages are offered by the Arizona Inn, 325-1541, www.arizonainn.com


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