A Grand Finale, indeed
It’s always a grand night for singing when the Merola Grand Finale rolls around.
This weekend, the Bay Area’s premier opera institute caps its 12-week training program for singers, apprentice coaches and stage directors with the annual concert at the War Memorial Opera House, where this year’s “Merolini” will present a fully staged program of arias, duets and ensembles from some of the world’s best-loved operas.
The evening is both a tour of opera’s greatest hits and an introduction to the up-and-coming artists who will be singing them well into the future.
Now in its 61st season, the Merola Opera Program has established a phenomenal track record. Named for San Francisco Opera founder Gaetano Merola, it offers training and master classes in voice, repertory, language, acting and stage movement. The program has launched the careers of such starry divas and divos as sopranos Anna Netrebko and Deborah Voigt, mezzo-sopranos Joyce DiDonato and Susan Graham, tenor Rolando Villazon, baritone Thomas Hampson and conductor Patrick Summers.
The Grand Finale, conducted by Dean Williamson and directed by 2018 Merola apprentice stage director Marcus Shields, includes selections from Bernstein’s “Trouble in Tahiti,” Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” Puccini’s “La Rondine,” Massenet’s “Thaïs,” Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and more.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco; concert $25-$50; separate post-show reception tickets $75; 415-864-3330, www. merola.org.
Marina Crouse in the house
Growing up in the early 1970s on a diverse diet of soul, big band swing, mariachi and rock ’n’ roll oldies, Marina Crouse loved to sing and spent several years studying classical voice. But by her early 20s, she’d filed her love of music away to focus on supporting herself, eventually earning a Ph.D. in Spanish from UC Berkeley.
But after taking a singing class taught by veteran blues artist Pamela Rose at Berkeley’s Jazzschool five years ago, Crouse eventually began performing at venues around the region, developing a repertoire of rarely covered songs, honing her bandleading skills and developing a passionate following.
On Aug. 1, Little Village Foundation released her stellar debut album, “Never Too Soon,” a highly personal album reflecting her Chicana heritage. And this weekend, she has two shows with a top-notch band led by Berkeley guitarist Garth Webber. (She also performs as a guest vocalist with Chris Cain’s Bay City Blues showcase at Biscuits & Blues on Aug. 29.)
Details: 8 p.m. Friday at Armando’s, Martinez; $15; 925-228-6985, www.armandosmartinez.com; 5 p.m. Sunday at Half Moon Bay Brewery; no cover; 650-7282739, www.hmbbrewingco.com.
— Andrew Gilbert, Correspondent
He’s an ace on the bass
Victor Wooten never really decided to become a musician. As the youngest of five exceptionally talented brothers, he was drafted into a family band shortly after he learned to walk. By the time Wooten was 6, the Sacramento siblings were opening for major acts coming through town, including Curtis Mayfield and War.
Wooten first gained widespread attention as a founding member of banjo star Bela Fleck’s Flecktones, a relationship that continues some 30 years and five Grammy Awards later. He’s also built a formidable track record as a bandleader and recording artist under his own name. His latest album, “Trypnotyx” (Vix Records), features turbocharged drummer Dennis Chambers and commanding tenor saxophonist Bob Franceschini. The trio lands in the Bay Area next week for three nights of shows.
Details: 7 and 9 p.m. Tuesday at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz; $31.50-$47.25; 831-427-2227, www. kuumbwajazz.org; 8 and 10 p.m. Wednesday and Aug. 23 at Yoshi’s, Oakland; $34-$79; 510-238-9200, www. yoshis.com.
— Andrew Gilbert, Correspondent