The Best of Both Worlds

It's here! It's back! It's the latest and greatest in interpretations of Shakespeare plays--Shakespeare Santa Cruz!!

Okay, so it hasn't exactly just arrived. The festival commenced its 2008 season July 15, almost two weeks ago...but to me, this summer's season won't begin until my two favorite things in arts and entertainment intersect: my love of classical music and of all things Santa Cruz. Now technically "Bach at Leipzig," one of the four plays at SSC, illustrates said intersection--and it opened July 18. In my mind, however, the intersection won't be complete until Aug. 6, when a group of true Bach experts precedes the performance concerning the composer.

A little Bach-ground: "Bach at Leipzig" is a farce concerning a bunch of German organists who all have one thing in common: they desperately want to become organmaster at Thomaskirche in Leipzig, an esteemed position that could catapult any musician's career. They're willing to pull out all the stops--er, no pun intended--to get the gig. The play is set in 1722, during Bach's lifetime.

So what's different about the Aug. 6 show? It is preceded by a concert of pieces composed by the play's namesake. I think it was a fantastic idea to get the Palo Alto Players over the hill for this pre-show concert, because it will remain short (one can only listen to so much Bach before requiring some Romantic-era music to balance it out) and it will also give perspective to some of the struggles the characters face: the discord between religion and music (should composers sacrifice their potential for the money they make writing commissioned pieces for the Church?) and the question of how low one should stoop for a respected position before it isn't worth the antics anymore.

So. August 6, 6:30 p.m., mainstage theatre lobby. The concert is free; play tickets range from $12 to $40. Go to www.shakespearesantacruz.org.