Pink Martini

Pink Martini and the Hollywood Bowl were made for each other and by the bandleader’s confession, the Bowl is the group’s favorite venue. No wonder; the setting is magical and the audience adores them. This group from Portland Oregon has shot up to world fame in a relatively short period of time.  Created in 1994 by Harvard grad and classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale to play at political fundraisers, the group, which plays a wide range of romantic multi lingual, is now an international sensation.  Their appearance this year was in celebration of the legendary Cocoanut Grove at the old Ambassador Hotel in Pasadena where the elite of Hollywood used to gather. The concert opened with “Carioca” by Youmans, “Carmen Miranda Fantasy” by Porter, and “Mambo from Estancia”, an exciting piece by Ginastra. Thomas Wilkins conducted the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra with great aplomb. The highlight of the evening came in the second half when we were treated to special guest appearances by the legendary Carol Channing and Henri Salvador. The evening ended with a fireworks display by Souza. I swear there were some displays I had never seen. An explosive evening all around, it was, as they say, “a good time had by all”.

HOLLYWOOD BOWL  Sept 14 through 16th