The Santa Barbara Symphony’s programming agenda this weekend leans left, away from standard European fare and embracing an American lens. The musical menu boasts works of important Black composers of past and present, between late composer William Grant Still (From the Black Belt: Seven Little Pieces) and young composer Jesse Montgomery (Strum).
But the real centerpiece is the German-born but strongly American-themed masterpiece from the classic creative team of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, in the form of their mythic masterwork The Seven Deadly Sins. Here, the dynamic duo brings a Biblical framework to the American experiment, well-salted with their Weimar Republic angular beauty.
Speaking of which, the challenging central role of Anna will be played by none other than Storm Large, a larger-than-life serious/punk/kitsch artist who has become a go-to star of this salty show around the world. Also in the Portland-based singer’s bio are adventures in theater, punk, and work with popular kitsch-meister’s Pink Martini.