Haute Highlights


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The Mahler Project: Mahler 4

Friday-Sunday, Jan. 13-15

Gustavo Dudamel, the acclaimed, illustrious conductor and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, loves Mahler.  So you can bet that the Mahler Project, Dudamel’s epic quest to perform the full symphonic cycle of the late-Romantic-era Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, will be worth seeing.

Mahler 4 will feature, logically enough, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4. Mahler’s first four works, nicknamed the “Wunderhorn suite,” are noted for being musical derivations of the classic German folk poetry collection Des Knaben Wunderhorn, or “The Youth’s Magic Horn.” Symphony No. 4 is particularly heralded for its thematic complexity, as it brings together spirituality and humor in a poignant, pensive search for the meaning of life.

Maybe more significantly, the opening program this weekend will feature two breathtaking vocal soloists: acclaimed Swedish soprano Miah Persson will perform in Symphony No. 4, and equally talented American baritone Thomas Hampson will be highlighted in Mahler’s “Songs of a Wayfarer.”

Oh, and did we mention that Dudamel will be conducting?

 

Milk Carton Kids

Thursday, Jan. 12

Got milk? Lactose intolerant or not, it’s time to indulge in the gloriousness of The Milk Carton Kids.

Most notable for harmonic hits like “New York” and “Undress the World,” The Milk Carton Kids find the perfect balance between heartfelt lyrics and delicate acoustic guitar sets.

In their top iTunes hit “Michigan,” for instance, the folk fantasy duo, consisting of Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, croon “Michigan’s in the rearview now/keep your hands where I can see em/you took the words right out of my mouth/when you knew that I would need em/what am I supposed to do now without you?” — a set of perfectly plain lyrics and yet they speak to listeners with their unabashed honesty.

The Milk Carton Kids are set to perform at Largo at the Coronet, located on La Cienaga Boulevard near the Beverly Center. Doors will open at 6 p.m., the show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets can be purchased on the Largo website.

If you don’t know them yet, act now. Guaranteed, they will become a folk force to be reckoned with.

FELA!

Now-Sunday, Jan. 22

If you have rhythm in your soul, if you can’t help but dance the night away, if singing is second nature then FELA! is the show for you.

Using original music from the dynamic afrobeat music legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti himself, FELA! follows Kuti’s life and the creation of a new energized music sensation and genre.  The musical, however, is more than a mere superficial gaze at afrobeat — it also delves into the deeply rooted issue of the political corruptness of the military dictatorship of Nigeria and other African countries.

Accordingly, FELA! is both thought-provoking as well as fun and exuberant — the perfect theatrical hybrid.

Tickets can be purchased through the Center Theatre Group website, but you’ll have to act now, given that the show will be closing at the Ahmanson Theatre in a mere couple weeks.

With the new year comes new theatrical opportunities.

Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk:

Thursday, Jan 12.

It’s back! The Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk, held every second Thursday of each month, will continue on Jan. 12. The self-guided Art Walk features a venerable smorgasbord of exhibits at Downtown Los Angeles’ most notable galleries including Crewest, the REDCAT and even Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s fashion museum.

The Art Walk also highlights many treasured establishments — such as Cole’s French Dip — and will play host to numerous street vendors and food trucks. On top of all that, MCs Ninjasonik and Nat Bouknight will perform at the Art Walk lounge, where attendees will be able to relax and sample products while sipping on samples of coconut water.

It all adds up to a long evening of intriguing activities — a perfect respite from what was undoubtedly a cruel and grueling first week of classes. For more information, check out DowntownArtWalk.org, where you can look at all the participating establishments and even make a map of your personal trek through downtown’s streets.