THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 25, 1996 TAG: 9604250023
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CRAIG SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
GREAT OVERTURES and the great outdoors do mix.
Classical music will have a prominent place on the schedule during the Virginia Beach Amphitheater's maiden season, with the Virginia Symphony confirmed for two dates, and possibly more in the offing.
Music Director JoAnn Falletta takes the baton for a Fourth of July blast capped off by Tchaikovsky's mighty ``1812'' Overture. On June 16, the symphony and arranger Brent Havens recast the music of Led Zeppelin. Sale dates and ticket prices have not been announced.
Some classical music enthusiasts cried foul when Cellar Door Productions, which will run the 20,000-seat venue, announced the lineup: pop tunesmith Bruce Hornsby, veteran rocker Rod Stewart and country perennials Vince Gill and Patty Loveless - in the first week alone.
Jimmy Buffett, the Dave Matthews Band, Steely Dan, the Eagles and Dwight Yoakam are among the other acts scheduled.
Cellar Door president Bill Reid hoped to have the orchestra play at an open- house prior to the May 15 grand opening featuring Hornsby. A hard winter that cost more than 30 days in building time has probably shelved that plan, he said, but the two dates in the books still serve the original purpose.
``It's been my goal since we started working with the symphony to broaden its appeal to the baby boomers.''
The Zeppelin program, which the symphony has presented before, is a good example, Reid said. The first half hour will be devoted to classical standards. ``Then, they'll hear Led Zeppelin in symphonic terms. It will take them to the next level by hearing it in a different context.
``I think it's really ironic,'' he added, laughing. ``We're catching a lot of grief from people who think Rod Stewart is for older people. He appeals to 40-to-50-year-olds. That begs the question, `How old is old?' ''
The Independence Day program is modeled after the outdoor extravaganza - a riot of cannon fire and fireworks - given by the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. Reid hopes the combination of popular music and reasonable prices will create the same family atmosphere.
He and symphony executive director Dan Hart said the concerts will also serve as a litmus test, telling whether the market will support an ongoing series.
``Nothing would please me more than to have the symphony call the amphitheater home,'' Reid said. ``But in order to have that happen, we have to walk before we run. If everything goes as expected, within a year or two we will have a full-blown symphony series.''
The symphony, in fact, is putting together a summer series that probably will be launched next season, Hart said. It would be premature, though, to name the amphitheater as the performing venue.
``It's hard to say because we haven't seen the facility,'' he said. ``It sounds like it would be the perfect thing, but in actuality, it may be too big.
``Right now, we have a presence out there, even if it's once or twice a year. JoAnn has made a commitment (for July 4) because she sees it as very important to the community, one that stands a chance of being one of the biggest events of the year.''
Whatever the number of performances, staffing will not be a problem, Hart said. While some musicians leave Hampton Roads in the summer, the symphony has a list of alternate players that it draws from even during the regular season.
``Bill and I want to go through this summer and see how things work. We're in total agreement on that,'' he said. ``This will be a learning experience for both of us.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color file photo
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by CNB