EVERGREEN CONCERT

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(view concert photos here)

The second half of the program, Dvořák’s 8th, left even the musically sophisticated feeling as though they were in the presence of an original creation, rather than the replication of an admirable but standard treatment. It also had a strong effect on at least one hardcore Aerosmith fan, who had never before darkened the doorway of a classical concert hall: “That was amazing—I loved it!” he said after the concert, eager to find out more about the ESO.

Before the evening at the Warner Grand finally ended, Mr. Schmalfuss had played at least four encores to an enthusiastically noisy standing ovation.

Hours earlier, the event had begun with a reception at the Grand Vision Event Space at 434 W. 6th Street, a few doors away from the Warner Grand. Amid festive red and gold decorations and unique flower arrangements designed by Born to Party, also on 6th St, the crowd of nearly 100 enjoyed appetizers from local chef Olympia Harris and San Pedro restaurants the Whale and Ale, San Pedro Brewing Co., The Blue Crab and Ports O’Call. At the reception, representatives of the Evergreen Shipping Company, the Port of Los Angeles, and Grand Vision Foundation exchanged gifts and words of appreciation. The reception was hosted and co-sponsored by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce.

Both the reception and the concert were the result of about five months of planning, communicating and hard work. Volunteers and production assistants could have been overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of guests milling through the lobbies before and after the concert and during intermission. One in particular, perhaps recognizing the special achievement she was witnessing, expressed gratitude, with tears in her eyes, for just having been a part of it.

Back to the Future

In her introductory remarks at the concert, Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn noted the importance of the ESO’s U.S. premiere taking place not in downtown L.A. at the Music Center or the Disney Concert Hall, but in San Pedro, the Port Town of Los Angeles. For Hahn and for many in the audience, the choice reflected a San Pedro with a rich history that is poised to reemerge as a viable cultural and commercial center for the 21st century.

In the near-term, the ESO concert certainly showed the Warner Grand’s readiness to return to the vitality of its 1940s–50s heyday, with new possibilities—thanks to its improved comfort, expanded stage area and revamped sound and lighting systems—to serve as a venue for a much wider range of arts performances. We look forward to many more events of this caliber at our beloved Warner Grand Theatre.

—Sharon Creal & Taran Schindler

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