Culture Picks: December 9

ABC presents Something’s Coming: West Side Story
A Special Edition of 20/20, celebrating the upcoming release of Steven Spielberg’s new version of West Side Story. Streaming now on-demand
In the hour-long broadcast that aired on December 5, director Spielberg reflected on his fascination with the original cast recording of the 1957 Broadway musical and how it inspired his Oscar-winning career. The director also shared his hesitancy to direct a film musical and how he has adapted the Arthur-Laurents-Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim-Jerome Robbins classic for a new generation. The broadcast also included interviews with the film’s leads, including Rachel Zegler, Ansel Elgort, and Ariana DeBose, who play, respectively, Maria, Tony, and Anita; Tony-winner Rita Moreno, who discusses her Oscar-winning role as Anita in the 1961 film and her role in the new movie that was written especially for her; Tony winner Chita Rivera, who created the role of Anita on Broadway; Tony-winning playwright Tony Kushner, who penned the new film’s screenplay; casting director Cindy Tolan; and Puerto Rican historians who consulted on the film. Also featured: Tony-and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Sondheim, who wrote West Side Story‘s lyrics and passed away November 26 at the age of 91. This was one of his final interviews.
Watch “Something’s Coming: West Side Story – A Special Edition of 20/20” on ABC.com
West Side Story l PART 1 – YouTube
West Side Story l PART 2 – YouTube
West Side Story l PART 3 – YouTube

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in performance at Lincoln Center
Now streaming on-demand
This program includes Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, Ronald K. Brown’s Grace, Robert Battle’s Takademe, and Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is celebrating six decades of Revelations, a choreographic masterpiece that has become a lasting cultural treasure beloved by generations. Watch the company’s full performance from the 2015 Lincoln Center at the Movies production! Watch on Ailey All Access

Celebrity Series of Boston presents
Albino Mbie Quartet in Digital Concert: Mozambican Voices and Culture
Premiering on Thursday, December 9, 8pm
Available on demand for three months following the initial stream.
Guitarist and vocalist Albino Mbie returns to the Series with his Quartet for a performance featuring Mozambican jazz and original songs done in his signature global, feel-good style.
Digital Concert: Albino Mbie Quartet | Celebrity Series of Boston

Orchestra of St. Luke’s presents
Brandenburg Concertos 2, 3, 4 & 5
Free concert on Thursday, December 9, at 6:30pm at The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in New York City
Considered one of the greatest works of the Baroque era, Bach’s exuberant Brandenburg Concertos are a marvel of innovative scoring, with each movement showcasing the virtuosity and distinct sonority of a different instrument.
Visit the Orchestra of St Luke’s website for details

The Purchase PAC presents Gibney Company Live at The Joyce
What’s Next. Now. New Works by Sonya Tayeh, Alan Lucien Øyen, and Rena Butler
Friday, December 10, 7pm
Experience an evening of new contemporary dance from Gibney Company. Recorded live during their debut at The Joyce Theatre in NYC this November, this groundbreaking program features three world premieres commissioned by Gibney Company from Tony Award-nominated choreographer and director Sonya Tayeh; Norwegian writer, director, and choreographer Alan Lucien Øyen; and Gibney Company Choreographic Associate and Purchase Conservatory of Dance alum Rena Butler. We are so thrilled to be able to offer you the opportunity to enjoy this extraordinary performance on our PAC-TV YouTube channel free of charge for one night only.
Click here to register for Gibney Company Live at The Joyce and access the event link.

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem presents Christmas Oratorio Parts 1, 2 & 3
December 12, 4pm
The Christmas Oratorio tells the story of the Nativity with some of Bach’s most evocative music. In addition to the performance in front of our audience, the Bethlehem Christmas Concert will be live-streamed.
Christmas Oratorio Parts 1, 2 & 3 (Virtual Concert) – The Bach Choir of Bethlehem

Downtown Music at Grace presents Angelica Women’s Chamber Choir
Wednesday, December 15, 12:10pm at Grace Church, White Plains, NY
Angelica Women’s Chamber Choir, directed by Marie Caruso, presents a concert celebrating their 25th season. Highlights include the 16th-century Catalan villancicos E la don don, Verges Maria, Fum fum fum, and Riu riu, chiu; traditional Christmas carols Gaudete and Patapan; Poulenc’s Ave Maria; Ešenvalds’s Lux Aeterna; and a premiere of composer Julie Dolphin’s HineMa Tov/Sim Shalom, Hebrew hymns of unity and peace. Joining Angelica is percussionist Rex Benincasa.
Angelica Women’s Chamber Choir — Downtown Music at Grace (dtmusic.org)

Celebrity Series of Boston presents Digital Concert: Jason Palmer Quintet
Premiering on Thursday, December 16, 8pm
Available on demand for three months following the initial stream.
Trumpeter Jason Palmer returns to Boston to lead his Quintet in a joyous, festive concert of holiday favorites! Taking inspiration from Thad Jones and Duke Ellington’s magical arrangements of classics, Palmer puts his own twist on Christmas and holiday favorites. This show will be a can’t-miss holiday event for the whole family!
Digital Concert: Jason Palmer Quintet | Celebrity Series of Boston

—

Culture Picks is a weekly feature celebrating the performing arts. The arts are back and there is so much to take in, both live and virtual. Cultural connoisseur and PAC staff member Coni Guhl is here to help you sort through it all. Each week we will post her curated selection of events featuring the artists you know and love from The PAC Center Series, plus a sampling of stellar local experiences. Enjoy!

All times are EDT unless otherwise noted.