Condit: Provocative Pink Martini Mixes with Young Professionals

Friday, April 24, 2015
Lisa Condit, GoLocal Worcester MINDSETTER™

I admit there are times when I’ve never heard of some of the acts that will be performing at The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts. Pink Martini is one of those groups. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE theatre, I LOVE music, I LOVE dance, and I LOVE sharing the experience of ALMOST all live entertainment, especially when it involves discovering something new.

So when I started researching Pink Martini (performing at The Hanover Theatre on Wednesday, May 6) I was at intrigued by what I found. First of all, it’s important to know that Fred Taylor, who is widely known as the jazz impresario who leads Scullers Jazz Club in Cambridge (one of the top 10 jazz clubs in the country) and is one of the best presenters of major jazz talents in the industry, is responsible for bringing this world-class group to Worcester. You should also know that Fred Taylor is also the person responsible for booking BB King, along with many of the other high profile jazz artists that perform at The Hanover Theatre and he obviously knows his jazz! (For more information about Fred Taylor, read about his special lifelong commitment award from the Jazz Journalists Association.)

Pink Martini is an intriguing mix of elegance, style, and musical genius with a dash of edgy. The Telegraph describes their worldly, multi-lingual performance of songs as “swooshing past like fabulous gowns in a vintage fashion parade.” Wow, right? But then we learn that this band is anything but stuffy, as “Pink Martini delivers a knowing sophistication back by skillful arrangements…Ms. Forbes is an unpretentious, pitch-perfect chanteuse who can be breathy and girlish or sultry…she tempers heartbreak with savoir-faire.” If you watch their video of “Tuca Tuca” you learn that the song originally debuted in 1970 on Italian television and was accompanied by an amorous and provocative dance which involved touching at least one other person. When Pink Martini recorded the song, they also learned the dance and travelled across Europe with the song that “allowed everyone to get to know their neighbor a little better.” Oh my!

As if their provocative music, skillful artistry and stage presence isn’t motivation enough to catch Pink Martini’s May 6 performance, generously sponsored by Reliant Medical Group and Julio’s Liquors, there’s even some extra appeal for the younger jazz enthusiasts here in downtown Worcester. The Hanover Theatre has a fun evening specifically designed for young professionals to mingle and network during a pre-show reception, featuring SKYY Vodka samples courtesy of Julio’s Liquors and mouthwatering appetizers from Struck Catering. Use YOUNG20 as the promotional code when ordering tickets, and you’ll save $20 on tickets as well as entry to our special event on the elegant promenade. Talk about a great combination to bring younger jazz enthusiasts together to enjoy one of the hottest musical sensations around. Let’s just say I’m looking forward to becoming much more familiar with this world-class band and I look forward to seeing you at the theatre on May 6!