{"id":9291,"date":"2014-01-03T10:54:07","date_gmt":"2014-01-03T18:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=9291"},"modified":"2014-01-03T10:54:07","modified_gmt":"2014-01-03T18:54:07","slug":"peter-and-the-wolf-again-enchants-kids-and-grown-ups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/peter-and-the-wolf-again-enchants-kids-and-grown-ups\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Peter and the Wolf’ again enchants kids \u2014 and grown-ups"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Woody’s [rating:4.5]<\/span><\/p>\n

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John Lithgow narrated \u201cPeter and the Wolf\u201d with aplomb and humor. Photo: Courtesy, S.F. Symphony.<\/p>\n

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Donato Cabrera, S.F. Symphony Youth Orchestra conductor, led \u201cPeter and the Wolf.\u201d Photo: Kristen Loken.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n

The decibel count in Davies Symphony Hall grew as fast as a Miley Cyrus stunt going viral on the Net.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of kids squealed in unison \u2014 and glee \u2014 as actor John Lithgow interactively drew big pictures of animals and narrated Prokofiev\u2019s \u201cPeter and the Wolf\u201d and a musical composition he co-wrote, \u201cThe Bandshell Right Next to the Zoo.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former piece rewove the original tale into a politically correct saga: The hunters don\u2019t shoot the wolf dead but participate, instead, in a buoyant procession to the zoo.<\/p>\n

And the duck that the wolf swallowed lives \u201crent-free\u201d and warm in its belly, with plenty to eat.<\/p>\n

Not quite what I experienced.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeter,\u201d my introduction to symphonic music as a four-year-old, scared me.<\/p>\n

But the narration was softened years later when I took my son and daughter. And this go-round of an event that pops up annually \u2014 with my six-year-old granddaughter in tow \u2014 was by far the easiest for innocent children to handle.<\/p>\n

\u201cBandshell, \u201d which references (besides the usual monkeys, tigers and such) the likes of yaks, jackals and ferrets, is an especially interesting piece for kids \u2014 because it features a healthy but brief dose of dissonance, which Lithgow described as what might happen if \u201ca bunch of animals [tried] to play music.\u201d<\/p>\n

The musicians seemed to enjoy thoroughly the musical ruckus they were creating. Many of them smiled broadly.<\/p>\n

They also appeared to relish \u2014 along with a matinee crowd that collectively copied his rhythmic clapping \u2014 the headliner\u2019s remaining on stage during Johann Strauss\u2019 \u201cRadetzky\u201d march.<\/p>\n

Kids and adults alike consistently focused their attention on Lithgow, who besides being a living clich\u00e9 (\u201cstar of stage, screen and television\u201d) is an award-winning author of nine children\u2019s picture books and a memoir.<\/p>\n

San Francisco\u2019s Davies Hall was jam-packed for the event, with at least half the attendees well under four feet tall.<\/p>\n

A bunch, indeed, may not have reached their third birthday.<\/p>\n

Most youngsters remained motionless, their eyes and ears glued to every note by \u2014 and every musician in \u2014 the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra.<\/p>\n

More than a few, possibly fledgling music students, were fingering air-horns, air-clarinets or air-flutes.<\/p>\n

A handful, not spellbound by the proceedings on the stage, were staring at the ultra-high ceiling, jabbering, fidgeting, curling up in a ball or climbing over the backs of their seats.<\/p>\n

Nobody wrestled a sibling, though.<\/p>\n

The 75-minute performance began with five excerpts from Tchaikovsky\u2019s classic ballet, \u201cThe Nutcracker Suite\u201d (with Donato Cabrera, who\u2019s been the youth orchestra\u2019s music director since 2009, pointing out passages underscored by celesta, harp and flute).<\/p>\n

And the show ended with three sing-along chestnuts including \u201cJingle Bells\u201d and \u201cRudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 108-piece orchestra, which began three decades ago, currently features well-rehearsed musicians between the ages of 12 and 21 \u2014 every one excellent (if any of them flubbed anything during the holiday concert, I missed it).<\/p>\n

Parents and grandparents of the young concertgoers, as well as the numerous relatives of instrumentalists, delighted in the presentation.<\/p>\n

And in their charges\u2019 delight.<\/p>\n

Looking for other family-oriented events? Cabrera will lead the adult symphony in 2 p.m., 90-minute concerts (including intermission) on Jan. 25 (\u201cMusic Here, There, Everywhere!\u201d) and May 3 (\u201cMusical Postcards!\u201d). Both are intended for youngsters seven or older.For families wanting to learn about music, the symphony also provides a website \u2014 SFSKids.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a cool way to encourage navigating the learning curve.<\/p>\n

Most San Francisco Symphony concerts take place at Davies Hall, Grove Street (between Van Ness and Franklin), San Francisco. Information: (415) 864-6400 or www.sfsymphony.org.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Woody’s [rating:4.5] The decibel count in Davies Symphony Hall grew as fast as a Miley Cyrus stunt going viral on the Net. Hundreds of kids squealed in unison \u2014 and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-9291","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-woody-weingarten"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"