Laurie Anderson Will Be Part of Eclectic Arts Lineup at UCLA

UCLA Performing Arts has announced its 1999-2000 season, once again featuring an eclectic mix of music, dance, film and live performance.

The season kicks off on Sept. 16 with Grammy Award-winning singer Bobby McFerrin. Among the highlights of the rest of the year: the West Coast premiere of Laurie Anderson’s multimedia opera “Songs and Stories From Moby Dick,” co-commissioned by UCLA; Universal Pictures’ 1931 film classic “Dracula” set to an original score composed by Philip Glass, who will perform it with the Kronos Quartet; the West Coast premiere of the darkly erotic “Nelken” by German choreographer Pina Bausch and her Tanztheater Wuppertal; and dancer-choreographer Bill T. Jones performing an evening of solos for the first time since forming his own company.

Other dance programs include the latest full-evening work from the idiosyncratic Montreal-based La La La Human Steps and Japanese Butoh dancers Sankai Juku performing the West Coast premiere of “Hiyomeki.”

In its second season at UCLA, the Word of Mouth Series will serve up satirists Fran Lebowitz and David Sedaris, L.A.’s own Harry Shearer, Pulitzer Prize-winning “Maus” creator Art Spiegelman and Frances Mayes, author of the best-selling “Under the Tuscan Sun.” Among the family offerings are John Lithgow performing favorite childhood songs from his recent CD, “Singin’ in the Bathtub,” joined by a vocal quartet and the 32-piece Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra.

Noteworthy jazz programs feature saxophonist Branford Marsalis, guitarist Lee Ritenour and pianist-vocalist Diana Krall, who is returning for the third consecutive year. Pianist Chick Corea will perform with vibraphonist Gary Burton. The legendary Bobby Short will headline a cabaret series. And jazz and cabaret artists including Maureen McGovern, Terence Blanchard, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral will also participate in a world premiere celebration of the music of Stephen Sondheim.

On the classical side: Violinist Hilary Hahn and baritone Thomas Quasthoff will make L.A. recital debuts. Steve Mackey’s experimental opera “Ravenshead,” with Rinde Eckert, will have its L.A. premiere, and fiddler Mark O’Connor joins Yo-Yo Ma and bassist Edgar Meyer in the Southern California premiere of his “Appalachian Waltz II.” Musica Antiqua Koln opens a strong early music series.

World music will be represented by Brazilian vocalist Virginia Rodrigues; the Grammy-nominated Cesaria Evora; and “English Patient” soundtrack standout Marta Sebestyen, who will join the Eastern European folk group Muzsikas. Celtic favorites the Chieftains and pop diva Mary Black will appear, as will Ruben Gonzalez joined by singer Ibrahim Ferrer and members of the Buena Vista Social Club.

For schedule information, call the UCLA box office at (310) 825-2101.