CSO busy with McCartney tribute and Fleming gala
LISA DENTON: Barry, I have to think you crossed a line item off your bucket list recently when you interviewed Eve Plumb. The actress forever known as Jan Brady — no matter how many other roles she plays — will be in Chattanooga on Thursday to open an exhibition of her art at Gallery 1401. You had
the scoop in Sunday’s paper.
I suspect from your excitement that she might be on another one of your lists, like actor James Gandolfini was on one of mine, but that’s a story for another day.
BARRY COURTER: Absolutely. And I got through the whole interview without once calling her Jan or saying “Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!” I think she appreciated that. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have people expect you to act like you did 45 years ago when you were 12. Wait a minute, that’s exactly what I do pretty much all the time.
LISA: So true. It reminds me of one of the jokes in Laugh Lines last week: “My wife accused me of being immature. I told her to get out of my fort.”
BARRY: This week also has something that always seems to
happen with me — two events I really want to attend are at the same time. We are going to Wine Over Water on Saturday, but that’s the same night the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera is paying tribute to Paul McCartney. A four-piece rock band will join the musicians as they perform hits from McCartney’s days with both the Beatles and Wings and from his solo work.
Maestro Bob Bernhardt is conducting, and he told me most of the songs were selected because of the symphonic elements.
LISA: For all his pop success, McCartney does have a lot of music that lends itself to the lush, full arrangements an orchestra can add. Songs like “Hey Jude” and “Yesterday” and “Live and Let Die,” which happens to be the title of the program.
BARRY: And “Band on the Run,” “Jet,” “Long and Winding Road,” “Eleanor Rigby” and “Hello Goodbye,” all of which the symphony will be doing. As Bernhardt told me, the CSO could do six shows of his music and never repeat anything, but these are the songs that work best.
LISA: And not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but the CSO will welcome opera superstar Renee Fleming four days later. She’ll be here Oct. 7 for a “gala event.” I happen to have my own gala event planned that day — my birthday.
BARRY: Two divas competing for attention.
LISA: Fleming has been praised for her “luscious tone” and “flexible voice,” so I bow to her superior musical talents. But I bet I could out-yodel her. Just saying.
BARRY: Speaking of divas — or maybe just girls who put on a great show — Alanna Royale, Hank & Cupcakes and our own Smooth Dialects are at the Revelry Room on Friday for a show billed as Girls Rule.
No argument here about the sentiment in general or as a title for that lineup.
Get event details every Thursday in ChattanoogaNow or online anytime at www.ChattanoogaNow.com.
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281. Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.
Alanna Royale, Hank & Cupcakes and our own Smooth Dialects are at the Revelry Room on Friday for a show billed as Girls Rule.