By: Skip Sheffield
BOCA RATON — The glamorous Cole twins, Casey and Timolin will host a “Generations” benefit for their Boca Raton-based Nat King Cole Generation Hope at 8 p.m. tonight (Thursday, March 8 ) at B.B. King’s Blues Club at CityPlace, West Palm Beach.
The headliner is Mary Wilson of the Supremes, with singer Brett Lowenstern of Boca Raton; 10-year-old violin prodigy Brianna Kahane and DJ Fono of Roundabout Records.
“We think bringing together musical generations is one of the best ways to preserve our father’s legacy,” said Timolin of her father, Nat King Cole. “The Nat King Cole Generation Hope is dedicated to providing musical education to student who might not otherwise experience the gift of music. Just this week we presented 25 violins to underprivileged children.”
Nat King Cole died when his youngest daughters were only 4, but his rich musical legacy is carried on by surviving contemporaries, such as Tony Bennett, and younger artists who are discovering his music.
“Tony Bennett will be just one of the artists featured in a PBS documentary on our father, which is now in the planning stages,” reports Casey. “We thought having our second major benefit in Palm Beach County will extend the reach of Nat King Cole Generation Hope.”
There will be a live auction featuring rare and valuable items donated by personal friends of Nat King Cole. Tickets are $100. Call 561-213-8209 or go to
www.natkingcolefoundation.org/concert.
Atlantic Classical Orchestra Records Live with Elmar Oliveira at Lynn University
Elmar Oliveira has been artist-in-residence for five years at Lynn University Conservatory of Music. This past Monday was the world world-renowned violinist’s time to shine. The concert marked the local debut of the Atlantic Classical Orchestra which for the first time at Lynn was recording the concert live for the international Artek Record label. On the program was the rarely-heard Schumann Violin concerto. Oliveira’s rendition of the 1853 work is likely to become the definitive version for modern audiences.
“The piece was buried for almost 100 years,” revealed Oliveira. “It was finally discovered at the home of a grand niece in Germany. She said it came to her in a séance. It is an extremely difficult piece to play. The last movement is a monster. Maybe that is why it is not played more often.”
Robert Schumann was a troubled musical genius who attempted suicide several times and spent the last two years of his life in a mental institution. His Violin Concerto was supposed to debut in London in 1937, but Hitler insisted it debut in Germany, which was then in control of Austria. The work was not played well in its debut, and as a result it got “bad press” from musical critics and was put on the shelf, so to speak.
“I don’t even know if there is a recording available,” admitted Oliveira. “I know it is taking a chance playing a concerto that hardly anyone knows, but we will be playing it exactly as Schumann wrote it, which has not been done before. Lynn is a spectacular school and it has only gotten better since Jon Robertson joined the faculty. This will make us proud.’
“Working” now open At Caldwell Theatre
Friday is opening night for a new musical version of Studs Terkel’s “Working” at Caldwell Theatre, running through April 1.
This is only the second production of this revamped, updated version since its debut in Chicago. It features music by Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell”) who co-wrote the book; Lin Manuel Miranda (“In the Heights”) and James Taylor. Director Clive Cholerton describes it as a kind of “Chorus Line” format of monologue and songs.
Tickets are $27-$50. Call 561-241-7432 or go to www.caldwelltheatre.com.