By Diane Marlin-Dirx
“The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings,” wrote English poet Robert Louis Stevenson in a “Child’s Garden of Verses.” Well we’re not kings, nor queens (perhaps we’ll cop to Divas), emperors, nor empresses, nor children anymore, but after all the happy and not-so-much winter goings-on, from the Super Bowl which was such an unexpected rout (who’da guessed it?), to our frozen America with hourly snow-dumps, to slushy Sochi where the Russians packed snow in warehouses among the tropical palm trees (who knew?) for grumbling competitors, to The Real TV hits, including Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, Duck Dynasty and Honey Boo Boo, well it’s too much happy reality. Let’s tap into our inner fantasy life. This week’s calendar is full of happy endings!
Thursday, March 6, 7pm. Tonight! Charming, inspirational and family –friendly! “The Story of Babar,” authored by Jean de Brunhoff and published in 1931, will be performed by international pianist, composer, and doctor of musical arts Giorgi Latso with the music of Francis Poulenc as the story of the little elephant is narrated by local/national print/TV journalist Gloria Greer. Presented by Stewart Gordon and Joe Giarrusso, this unique concert will benefit The Well in the Desert and The Virginia Waring International Piano Competition (VWIPC). Latso will also perform music by Claude Debussy, Frederic Chopin and local composer Giarrusso, VWIPC board member. The event will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 43775 Deep Canyon Rd, Palm Desert. For info, or advanced ticket sales, call 760-327-8477, or 760-323-8353. Tickets for this special concert are $25 for adults and $15 for children under 17. Tickets will be available at the door.
Saturday, March 8, 6pm. And The “Broken Glass Award” goes to only the most extraordinary women who have shattered the glass ceiling in their professions and paved the way for others in the industry. So say the Palm Springs Women in Film and Television (PSWIFT) announcing the line-up for the event in its 6th ground-breaking celebration of the names before the title on marquees on global screens and in our community. This year’s honorees are Actor/author/fashion designer Shari Belafonte, actor Elinor Donahue, child-singing sensation /philanthropist Peggy Cravens, and Canadian actor Deborah Kara Unger with impeccable creds. Tickets, including dinner and awards show, are $175 for nonmembers; $100 for members; and $25, for show-only seating that includes a glass of wine. For more information, contact PSWIFT, 760-238-0306, or go to Broken Glass Awards page on Facebook. Event is at The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage.
Sunday, March 9, 11am-1pm. Ooh, la, la! It’s time to “Party in Paris” and you’re invited to a fundraiser for the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Artists Council to an exhibit and Sale and Artists’ Demonstrations just as if you were on a Sunday stroll among the artists in the Place du Tertre in the City of Lights. (Sigh.) Enjoy hors d’oeuvre and champagne served with a French flair by Zin American Bistro. (Double sigh.) This Artists’ Council event and 50% of sales benefit the educational programs of the Palm Springs Art Museum. Limited tickets, $75. For tickets and info, call 760-322-4850, or email rwidner@psmuseum.org The event address is Villa Fontana, 1020 East Via Colusa, Palm Springs.
Sundays, March 9 and 16, Recitals 12Noon and 6pm. The 2014 Steinway Piano Competition presented proudly by The Steinway Society with juniors, age 7 to 14 performing on March 9, and Seniors, age 14 to 18 performing on March 16. There’s more! Master classes may be observed on both dates for age groups, at 8am and 10am, 2pm and 4pm. What a unique opportunity to witness and enjoy some of the finest musical talent that our Coachella Valley has to offer as performed on a Steinway grand piano, acknowledged as one of the world’s finest musical instruments since1853. For more information, go to www.SteinwaRiverside.org. Free and open to the public with open seating. The event is being held at Rancho Mirage High School, 31001 Rattler Rd, in the Helene Galen Performing Arts Center.
Monday, March 10, 8:00pm. The McCallum Theatre presents the Canadian Brass, who in legend (and Hollywood) has been on earth heralding every triumphant occasion since joyous, chest-beating triumphs began, putting resounding brass music on the map, echoing off the scenery in robust, loud celebration. Today’s version, pulled together by friends Chuck Dellenbach and Gene Watts revived the quintet orchestration in 1970 with their unbeatable, contagious blend of virtuosity, spontaneity and humor and now they brighten the rosters of concert halls, international festivals and orchestra series throughout the world. Is that glass shattering enough noise for you? It’s loud and it’s proud from the best of composers Gabrielli to Gershwin, you’re going to love this group, just as their global audience packs the halls from America to Australia to Russia, China to Canada. Tickets are $25 to $75, available at www.mccallumtheatre.com, 73000 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert, or call 760-340-ARTS.
Tuesday, March 11, 7pm. Gail Sheehy Speaks! Do we need a “spoiler alert?” So many women tried to re-set their biological clocks after reading “Passages” by Gail Sheehy, published in 1984, it’s no wonder the book was called revolutionary and groundbreaking for them, as well as for the men in their lives. And it was all predictable decade to decade in age demarcation from The Trying 20s to The Refreshed (or Resigned) 50s. The Wellness Matters Speaker Series will feature the bestselling author of 15 books who will reveal her dynamic insights based on observations of men and women within different phases of life and advise on how to enjoy them to the fullest. The series will be held in the Helene Galen Auditorium at the Annenberg Center on the Eisenhower Medical Center campus, 39000 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage. Tickets, per person, $85. For more info, visit emc.org/wellness.
“Don’t Be Clueless” wants to remind you that press releases for inclusion should be in to the Coachella Valley Weekly at least two weeks ahead of the scheduled event! Thanks!
