Ravinia 2019, Issue 4, Week 8

8:30 PM SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2019 PAVILION STRINGS ATTACHED TOUR “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC † RAVINIA FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA ERIC ROTH, conductor † Ravinia debut “WEIRD AL” YANKOVIC Few would have guessed that “Weird Al” Yan- kovic—who as a shy, accordion-playing teenag- er got his start sending in homemade tapes to the Dr. Demento Radio Show —would become a pop culture icon and the biggest-selling come- dy recording artist of all time, with classic song and music video parodies such as “Eat It,” “Like a Surgeon,” “Smells Like Nirvana,” “Amish Par- adise,” “White & Nerdy,” and “Word Crimes.” Now in his fourth decade as America’s foremost song parodist, he has earned five Grammys (out of 16 total nominations) from his string of gold and platinum albums, all of which were featured in his 2019 Grammy-winning career antholo- gy, Squeeze Box . Yankovic’s most recent studio album, the Grammy-winning Mandatory Fun (2014), became the first comedy recording in history to debut at number one on Billboard ’s top 200 albums chart as well as the first to even reach the top of the chart since 1963. In addition, the single “Word Crimes” debuted in Billboard ’s top 40, making him one of only four artists to have had top- 40 singles in each of the last four decades (the others being Michael Jackson, Madonna, and U2). Following his Mandatory world tour, Yankovic and his bandmates of over 35 years embarked on the “Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity” Tour, with a setlist comprised almost entirely of his original, non-parody songs and without their costumes, props, or other production. Yankovic’s re- cording and performing projects have also recently included the theme song for Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017), “The North Korea Polka (Please Don’t Nuke Us)” for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver , and “The Hamilton Polka,” a frantic mashup of 14 songs from the Broadway hit, com- missioned by Lin-Manuel Miranda for his “Hamildrops” series. Beyond his cult-hit feature film UHF (1989) and late-’90s CBS Saturday morning series, Yankovic has remained active in TV and film, from appearances on The Simpsons, 30 Rock , The Goldbergs , and How I Met Your Mother to concert specials for Disney, VH1, and Comedy Central, and last year he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Weird Al” Yankovic is making his Ravinia debut. SIMONE DINNERSTEIN, piano A former student of Peter Serkin at The Juil- liard School, Solomon Mikowsky at the Man- hattan School of Music, and Maria Curcio in London, pianist Simone Dinnerstein quickly attracted worldwide attention in 2007 with her self-produced recording of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” The disc not only topped Billboard ’s classical chart when it was released, but also was named to many “best of the year” lists—includ- ing those of the New York Times , Los Angeles Times , and the New Yorker —and was award- ed the Diapason d’Or in France. She has since made another eight albums, with repertoire ranging from Beethoven to Ravel, all of which have also been chart-toppers. Known for her highly personal recital programs, Dinnerstein regularly branches out into novel collaborations as well. Upcoming projects include conducting and leading from the keyboard with her newly formed string ensemble Baroklyn, duo recitals with cellist Matt Haimovitz, and Portals: Travels Through Time, a performance piece with violinist Tim Fain. Last season, Dinnerstein became the first artist in residence with Music Worcester in Massachusetts, presenting performances, school outreach, master classes, and lectures; gave a highly lauded recital at the Kennedy Center; and toured Philip Glass’s Piano Concerto No. 3, which was written for her on a co-commission from 12 orchestras. She also made her London Symphony Orchestra debut and performed a re- cital live on BBC Radio Three. Future highlights include a European tour with Kristjan Järvi and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and a residency in San Francisco with the New Century Chamber Orchestra, including a performance of Beetho- ven’s “Triple” Concerto with Daniel Hope and Lynn Harrell. In 2017, Dinnerstein not only released Mozart in Havana , recorded with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, but she brought that ensemble to the United States for its first-ever American tour, which was featured in PBS and NPR specials. Simone Dinnerstein made her Ravinia debut in 2001 and returns tonight for her fourth performance at the festival. RAVINIA MAGAZINE | JULY 22 – JULY 28, 2019 118