Premiere Events in Santa Barbara

The very best in cultural and entertainment activities.
 
THROUGH VINCENT'S EYES: VAN GOGH AND HIS SOURCES

This exhibition seeks to immerse viewers in the visual imagination of one of the most beloved artists in the world. Presenting 20 works of art by Van Gogh alongside some 75 objects selected to reflect the surprisingly varied art that he most admired, the show firmly reconnects Vincent to his late 19th-century context. Over 60 artists are represented in the exhibition, including Jules Breton, Anton Mauve, Adolphe Monticelli, Leon-Augustin Lhermitte, Jean-Francois Raffaelli and a host of other names less familiar to most American audiences, as well as the better known Romantic master Eugene Delacroix, the artists of the Barbizon school and the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, including Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin. By juxtaposing celebrated artworks by Van Gogh with works by the many artists he admired, the show seeks to foreground both Vincent's indebtedness to and radical departure from the art world of his day. The exhibition also taps into Van Gogh's literary imagination by displaying first-editions of novels by Charles Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Leo Tolstoy and Edgar Allan Poe to conjure up the fictional worlds that enflamed Vincent's inner eye.

- SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART - RECURRING WEEKLY ON SUNDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY through May 22nd
 

MET LIVE CINDERELLA

In this New Year's Day performance, Laurent Pelly's storybook staging of Massenet's Cendrillon, a hit of the 2017-18 season, is presented with an all-new English translation in an abridged 90-minute adaptation, starring Music Academy alumna mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as its rags-to-riches princess. Maestro Emmanuel Villaume leads a delightful cast, which includes mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo as Cinderella's Prince Charming, soprano Jessica Pratt as her Fairy Godmother, and mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe and bass-baritone Laurent Naouri as her feuding guardians.

- Music Academy of the West May 7th, 2PM -
 

MET LIVE IN HD HAMLET

When Australian composer Brett Dean's Hamlet had its world premiere at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2017, The Guardian declared, "New opera doesn't often get to sound this good .. Shakespeare offers a gauntlet to composers that shouldn't always be picked up, but Dean's Hamlet rises to the challenge." On June 4, this riveting contemporary masterpiece appears live in cinemas, with Neil Armfield, who directed the work's premiere, bringing his acclaimed staging to the Met stage. Many of the original cast members have followed, including tenor Allan Clayton in the title role. Nicholas Carter makes his Met debut conducting a remarkable ensemble, which also features Music Academy alumna soprano Brenda Rae as Ophelia, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly as Gertrude, Music Academy alumnus baritone Rod Gilfry as Claudius, and legendary bass John Tomlinson as the ghost of Hamlet's father.

- Music Academy of the West June 13th, 6PM -
 

SUNDAY POLO

Plan a visit to the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club for a Sunday match, where ladies don their finest hats and gentlemen dress to the nines to watch the thrilling equine sport. Revel in the speed and agility of both the jockeys and horses, and graze on a tasty charcuterie platter under shaded awnings. The pristine grass and stunning mountain views make an unforgettable backdrop to gaze at while sipping champagne and cheering on the players.

-Santa Barbara Polo Club - MAY 1, 2022 - OCTOBER 30, 2022 RECURRING WEEKLY ON SUNDAY 4:00PM