Villa Montalvo announces its performing arts season

For its 44th season, Villa Montalvo's Performing Arts Series offers a full slate of singers and bands in all musical genres, including orchestras, comedians and children's performers in more than 180 performances beginning in early May and running through April 2000.

The venues are also varied, and include the 300-seat Carriage House Theatre, the 1,150-seat Garden Theatre, the 2,000-seat front lawn and the 1,750-seat Historic Mountain Winery, located off Pierce Road.

In addition to some old favorites--Buckwheat Zydeco (May 20), the Doobie Brothers (June 4-6), Mary Chapin Carpenter (June 9-10), Willie Nelson (June 20), the Rippingtons (July 29-30), Kenny Rogers (July 30-31), Boz Scaggs (Aug. 7-8) and Huey Lewis and the News (Aug. 27-29)--this year's roster includes a jazz night with Dianne Reeves and Joshua Redman (June 13), comic Carrot Top (June 17), rising blues star Keb' Mo' (June 24), rock crooner Chris Isaak (July 8-10), Celtic songstress Mary Black (Aug. 1), pop wonders the B-52s (Aug. 1-2), rock legend Steve Winwood (Aug. 30-31) and a red-hot evening of Cuban rhythm with Los Van Van and Cucho Valdez (Sept. 16). Also on the Latin music front is the Afro Cuban Allstars (June 11).

In an intriguing pairing, the Neville Brothers of New Orleans share a bill with Little Feat (Aug. 12-13). Just as promising is the triple-threat concert with Dr. John, Rod Piazza (of Mighty Flyers fame) and stripper-turned-blues-diva Candye Kane (Sept. 25). On the comedy front, Bill Cosby appears for two shows (3 and 8pm on Sept. 19). The blues comes in with Buddy Guy (June 11), John Lee Hooker (Sept. 26), Etta James with Tommy Castro (Aug. 22) and Jimmie Vaughan and Ruth Brown (Sept. 17). And swing dancers will love Swing Fever (Oct. 14).

The classical lineup is highlighted by the St. Petersburg String Quartet (July 21), Midsummer Mozart with pianist Claude Frank (Aug. 5), the Russian National Orchestra (Aug. 19), violinist Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg (Oct. 10), the Guarnieri String Quartet (Oct. 22) and the L.A. Guitar Quartet (Dec. 1). In a collaboration with the Bay Shore Lyric Opera of Capitola, the series will host La Bohème at the Mountain Winery (Aug. 21-22).

In another collaboration, Montalvo joins forces with the American Musical Theater of San Jose to present A Chorus Line (July 20-25). Family-oriented shows run the gamut from the innovative puppet show set to classical music, Mozart, Monsters & Matisse (Oct. 3), by Theatre/Works, to the perennially popular Missoula Children's Theater, which makes its eighth annual appearance. Also on tap are performances of Hansel and Gretel (Nov. 14) and Charlotte's Web (Nov. 21).

Ticket sales support Montalvo's internationally recognized Artist Residency Program, the Gallery at Montalvo and the Education Outreach Program. Among Montalvo's community outreach activities are children's matinees, performing arts lectures and demos, school assemblies and open studio days with resident artists.

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Tickets go on sale through the Montalvo Box Office April 18. Tickets will be available by mail before public sale for individuals on the Villa Montalvo mailing list. To be included on the list, send a postcard to Villa Montalvo, P.O. Box 158, Saratoga, 95071. For more information, call 961-5858 or visit the Montalvo website at www.villamontalvo.org.

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