Santa Barbara, CA — Iconic
television star Carol Burnett once again lent her unique
gifts to the Music Academy of the West’s Cabaret gala,
serving as creative director of the annual fundraiser
which benefited the Music Academy’s full-scholarship
program. The beloved performer teamed up with legendary
mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne for coaching sessions on the
art of musical comedy with the young vocalists that
headlined this year’s Cabaret, which took place on
Thursday, August 7, in the Plaza del Sol rotunda of Fess
Parker’s DoubleTree Resort in Santa Barbara.
In addition to cocktails and a gourmet dinner, Cabaret
featured the Academy’s gifted Voice Fellows who
performed an entertaining array of popular music ranging
from classical and jazz to Broadway and pop. Gerald
Sternbach, whose extensive performance credits include
serving as an award-winning music director as well as an
accompanist for the likes of Ms. Burnett, Julie Andrews,
and Kelsey Grammer, once again oversaw the event’s
musical-revue-style production. Also featuring a
live auction, Cabaret
is an annual favorite among local philanthropists and
one of the most anticipated benefits of the year.
A resident of Montecito, Ms. Burnett is
widely known for her work on stage and screen, most
notably The
Carol Burnett Show,
which ran for 11 years and garnered 25 Emmy Awards. Her
numerous honors include 12 People’s Choice Awards – more
than any other actress – eight Golden Globes, six Emmy
Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She
was awarded the Kennedy Center’s prestigious Mark Twain
Prize for American Humor in October and
has been inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.Ms.
Burnett has penned two NewYork
Times bestsellers, This
TimeTogether: Laughter and Reflection and
her autobiography, One
More Time, as
well as a new memoir, Carrie
and Me: A Mother-Daughter Love Story, which
was released last year. She
received her first Grammy nomination in 2011 for the
audiobook version of This
Time Together,
and was nominated again for the audiobook
version of Carrie
and Me. She joined
Cabaret’s artistic team as creative contributor in 2012.
Ms. Horne, who has directed the Academy's renowned Voice
Program since 1997, has been called the “Star-Spangled
Singer” and “the Heifetz of singers.” In the words of
esteemed KUSC commentator and host Jim Svejda, she is
“America’s greatest living singer.” Ms. Horne’s
distinguished career has garnered her numerous honors,
including a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award and a
Lifetime Achievement Award from Gramophone magazine.
She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1995, received
the National Medal of Arts in 1992, and has been
inducted into the American Classical Music and Hollywood
Bowl halls of fame. She was named a National Endowment
for the Arts Opera Honors recipient in 2009. Ms. Horne
has performed in more than 1,300 recitals, made well
over 100 recordings, and received three Grammy Awards.
As resident music director of the company Reprise!
Broadway’s Best for six seasons, Mr. Sternbach earned
nine Ovation Award nominations (winning in 2006) in
addition to six Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle
nominations (the organization honored him in 2007, 2008,
and 2011) and three Garland Awards. His numerous credits
include serving as associate conductor for Seven
Brides for Seven Brothers, Merlin,
and The
Tap Dance Kid (all
on Broadway), and conducting the national tour of Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s Song
and Dance starring
Melissa Manchester. Mr. Sternbach also served as onstage
pianist for Carrie Fisher’s one-woman show, Wishful
Drinking, at the Geffen Playhouse, and has
participated in numerous star-studded benefit events.
This is his sixth summer as musical director for
Cabaret.
Leatrice Luria served as honorary chair
for this year’s Cabaret. A
longtime supporter of the Music Academy, Mrs. Luria has
been pivotal to the Academy’s development in recent
years. Her family has contributed significantly to the
Music Academy’s long-range capital improvement campaign,
including the lead gift to help fund construction of the
Luria Education Center, the Academy’s multifunction
educational facility named in honor of her and late
husband Eli. The
Music Academy conferred upon her the honorary title of
Emeritus Director in 2006. The title is the highest
honor bestowed upon former Music Academy Board
directors.
Merryl Brown Events produced this year’s
Cabaret gala. Early corporate sponsors include Bartlett,
Pringle & Wolf, Frank Schipper Construction Co.,
Montecito Bank & Trust, and PMSM Architects. Table
sponsorships are available starting at $5,000. Single
tickets cost $1,000, $500, and $300 each. For
ticket pricing, sponsorship opportunities, and related
information, call 695-7918.
The Music Academy’s 67th season
also included a new production of Georges Bizet’s
popular opera Carmen as
well as the Academy debut of New
York Philharmonic Music Director Alan
Gilbert. Mr. Gilbert’s 2014 residency under a new
multiyear partnership with the Philharmonic will
include conducting members of the Academy Festival
Orchestra at the Lobero Theatre on July 26. Additional
season highlights will include performances by cellist
Joshua Roman and pianist Stephen
Hough,
as well as conducting turns by Joshua Weilerstein, James
Gaffigan, and Thomas Adès. Featuring the Academy’s
exceptionally talented Fellows, together with
illustrious guest performers and faculty, the events
will be presented in venues throughout Santa Barbara.
Founded in 1947, the Music Academy of the
West is among the nation’s preeminent summer schools and
festivals for gifted young classical musicians. The
Academy provides these promising musicians with the
opportunity for advanced study and frequent performance
under the guidance of internationally renowned faculty
artists, guest conductors, and soloists. Admission to
the Academy is strictly merit based, and Fellows receive
full scholarships (tuition, room, and board). Academy
alumni are members of major symphony orchestras, chamber
orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, and university
and conservatory faculties throughout the world. Many
enjoy careers as prominent solo artists. Based in Santa
Barbara, the Music Academy of the West presents morethan
200 public events annually, including performances by
faculty, visiting artists, and Fellows; masterclasses;
orchestra and chamber music concerts; and fully staged
opera. The Music Academy began broadcasting live,
high-definition simulcasts by the world-renowned
Metropolitan Opera at Hahn Hall in October 2008. For
more information, visit
www.musicacademy.org