Donald’s weekend picks
1. CELEBRATE THE RAT PACK
The Fresno Philharmonic will have some fun Saturday night with its “Rat Pack: A Symphonic Celebration” at the Saroyan Theatre. Here’s my cover story in Friday’s 7 section. In it I highlight the contributions of Fresno City College to the local jazz scene, as well as check in the three Broadway veterans portraying Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. Pictured below: Mike Dana, Larry Honda and Craig Von Berg of City College. (Bee photo by Craig Kohlruss.) [Details]
2. WATCH THE OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS
Remember those days when a presenter at the Oscars would rattle off a list of films you’d never heard of — and likely would never have the chance to see — when announcing the winners of such categories as Best Live Action Short? You don’t have to claim such ignorance anymore. For the eighth year, Fresno Filmworks delivers a real treat for film fans: Five different programs over two days, giving you the chance to see the nominated live-action shorts, the animation shorts and documentary shorts. I previewed several of the shorts in the documentary category and really liked “Redemption,” pictured below. You can read my preview/review here. [Details]
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3. CONCERT IS A ‘LOVE’ CONNECTION
This is a solid pick for the weekend: Tenor Scott Piper returns to help the Youth Orchestras of Fresno stage the second annual “Love Conquers All” concert Sunday at the Shaghoian Hall. I write about the event in Friday’s 7 section. [Details]
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4. FALL IN LOVE AT GALLERY 25
In “26 Years of Valentines,” Karen LeCocq and David Medley share their sweet (and occasionally not-so-sweet!) show highlighting the handmade Valentines they’ve sent to each other over the years. Look for a big spread on the show in Sunday’s Spotlight section. [Details]
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5. BEATLES MANIA
Fresno Beatles fans will get a double dose of Beatlemania when two of the largest Beatles tribute shows take separate stages on back-to-back nights, Bee writer Angel Romero tells us. “Rain,” a Broadway in Fresno production, will be at the Saroyan Theatre on Friday. [Details] And the group Abbey Road returns to Fulton 55 on Saturday. [Details]
