Review of the Disney Concert Hall

During the American Civil War the soldiers would write home to their families and tell them that they had seen "the great elephant".  It meant that the soldiers had been in combat, and they had been part of something so large and so frightening that the only way they had of describing it was to compare it to something nearly all of them had never seen - -  an elephant.

 

Sonny and I, in part her birthday gift, left home at 5:30 pm Tues. evening for a performance of Klesmer music at the Walt Disney Music Hall.  The only tickets I could get were for Klesmer music, and Sonny who has driven by the outside of the Hall was curious to see inside.

 

First, Frank Gehry should give back to whoever paid for this mostrosity at least half of his commission/salary/whatever he got paid.   The outside is a

tin can that has been beaten to death by a deranged kid with a baseball bat.

If it was meant to challenge the Sydney Opera House for Drama and Beauty it failed my test.

 

Traffic was heavy, but I am an old hand at getting downtown and it was slow going but I know where to turn etc.   Off the 10 Freeway at Grand Avenue then north on Olive past Pershing Square, up the hill to Temple.   At Temple there is a big old parking structure made of sticks and wires that jurors park in when court is in session.   We parked there ( entrance right on Olive ) for $6.00 and were directed to a gate which was as close to the corner of Grand and Temple as you could get.   Traffic a bitch but parking was OK.

 

We crossed the street and entered the efifice and were directed to the Music Hall Cafe which is on street level near the box office.  Here we saw there were many tables and chairs set out in a sort of courtyard under cover.   The food goodies were in a buffet style with two people to help serve the hot food and two people to take your money.    We selected sandwiches and accompaniments, such as cookies, coffee, an apple, chips and hot hot soup.

 

Food was OK, bit pricey, but what do you expect?  No problem.   After our short repast both of us used the rest rooms on that level.    Are you kidding me?   Dark as ditch water, one urinal for many and a line up of ancient gentlemen waiting patiently to use the undersized facility in the dark.  The ladies, said Sonny, had it equally as bad.   Will they never learn, how many toilets it takes to satisify crowds of the elderly who have come some distance.

 

Then a tour of the gift shop, nice w/ goodies for all ages.  Kids to antiques, looks just like any museum gift shop and just as crowded.  Then the elevator ride to our "terrace" door.     The door opens and the floor drops away sharply.  The terrace is steep, the floor is hard wood and one gent (not me thanks Gott) slipped and only just grabbed the hand rail before descending at great haste to the orchestra pit far far below.   

 

We slid across the row (way to narrow) to our seats which were narrowish.  Coupled with no knee room they would be uncomfortable for most Harris men, and for Steve Gabel most torturous.   Naturally we looked around at this interior freak of nature.   Curtains were hung from the ceiling to absorb sound and since they were hung at curious angles they were disorienting.   Behind the stage where the musicians perform more tiers of seats rise in every direction.  People are hung off the walls in a sort of 360 degree manner.

Again behind the "pit" which is not a pit but a stage, the house organ crouches surrounded by stacks of lumber which hide the pipes of this organ.

 

Klesmer music is fine, and since the audience was 99.9% pure friends of Jack Benny they loved it.  The audience stomped, clapped, sung along, and danced to the orchestra's invitation in what passes for aisles.

 

A good ol Jewish time was had by all Yiddish Speakers, Ashkenazi mavens and people who understand the madness of a Chabad Wedding Ceremony.

Being English, of course I sniffed.   Sonny wasn't convinced one way or the other.  She thanked me for the evening.

 

We left at Half Time so couldn't tell you the final score.  Probably was Hava Na Gila played long and loud.  We were on the Freeway going home to a nice cuppa by then.    Would we go back.  Not without a fight.   Did we enjoy, sure as much as being invited to a hanging.    Love to all, David and Sonny

 

Oh OY by the way  Happy Chanukah.