Serving Up a Summerful of Bowl Music

The Hollywood Bowl announced its 76th summer season Tuesday with the news that the three-phase renovation of the Bowl begun in 1994 will be complete this summer (look for a new entrance plaza and box office, additional picnic areas and a new Bowl store), and it highlighted a summerful of music beginning in mid-June (the Playboy Jazz Festival) and stretching to the end of September (Fourth Annual Salsa and Latin Jazz Festival).

The wide-ranging summer season presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn. features the mainstays of the Bowl, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, presenting classical music, pops, jazz, rock, opera, and movie and Broadway music.

The gala this season pays tribute to Ella Fitzgerald on June 29, the Fourth of July celebration (July 3-5) stars country diva Trisha Yearwood, John Williams conducts a special Philharmonic “Star Wars” 20th anniversary show Aug. 29-30, and Broadway comes to the Bowl with two August Bowl debuts, Nathan Lane (in a joint concert with Marvin Hamlisch) and Jonathan Pryce as Henry Higgins in a concert version of “My Fair Lady.”

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts four of 20 appearances by the Los Angeles Philharmonic during its 10-week subscription season at the Bowl. Salonen, with soloist Maxim Vengerov playing the Brahms Violin Concerto, opens the Phil’s summer season July 8 and closes it on Sept. 9 and 11. Guest Philharmonic conductors include Simon Rattle with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Kent Nagano conducting Berlioz’s “Damnation of Faust,” Leif Segerstam making his Philharmonic debut, and Bowl debuts for Mark Wigglesworth and Marin Alsop. Adding to the Bowl’s tradition of discovering young talent, the Phil’s programs will showcase young artists including pianist Yuki Takao, Finnish pianist Laura Mikkola and Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto.

The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, with conductor John Mauceri in his seventh season, commands most weekends at the Bowl and most of the summer’s fireworks extravaganzas, this year including a special Brazil program, with Sergio Mendes Brasil 99; the return to the Bowl of the San Francisco Ballet, dancing Act 2 of “Swan Lake” in a “Tchaikovsky Spectacular”; as well as concert versions of “Oklahoma!” (starring country singer Pam Tillis in her Bowl debut) and “Carmen” (with mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore in the title role and emerging star Inessa Galanti, as Micaela, in her American debut).

Other Hollywood Bowl Orchestra events include a July 2 special event called “Bravo China!” featuring Chinese and Chinese American musicians in a program of traditional and classical music that will be broadcast via satellite in China. The orchestra will also appear in concert with R&B; star Patti LaBelle (Aug. 15-17), offer a salute to 20th Century Fox with Mauceri leading the ensemble in accompaniment to film clips from “Cleopatra” to “Independence Day” (Sept. 19) and a celebration of the centenary of composer Erich Korngold, with Gil Shaham playing his Violin Concerto (July 17).

Highlights of the Bowl’s jazz series include an opening evening of piano greats with Dave Brubeck, McCoy Tyner and Ramsey Lewis on July 23; a 90th birthday party for living legend Benny Carter; a blues night with the Neville Brothers, Dr. John and Buddy Guy; and Tony Bennett, in his only summer L.A. appearance. The Bowl’s Virtuoso recital series features Maxim Vengerov, soprano Kathleen Battle and pianist Robert Levin. Additionally, “Shine” pianist David Helfgott will play Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Aug. 25.

New this season at the Bowl are free chamber concerts on Saturday afternoons (starting July 26) at the Hollywood Bowl Museum on Saturday afternoons, and continuing are six weeks of daily Open House programs for children, including workshops and performances. Information: (213) 850-2000.