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A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Tuesday 14 February 2023
At 82, Dionne Warwick staying busy with youth musical, more

By CURT ANDERSON “Hits!” show. “But when it in-
Associated Press volves kids, as long as they
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — are truly up to par and they
With a stunning musical work hard and bring that
career already spanning energy, I’ll be behind it.”
decades, Dionne Warwick Another executive produc-
couldn’t be blamed for er is Thaddeus M. Bullard, a
slowing down a bit at age former college and profes-
82. That is nowhere near sional football player best
happening. known as WWE wrestling
The Grammy-winning, mul- star Titus O’Neil, and show
timillion-selling singer has a CEO Bob Gries, a Tampa
soon-to-be released duet financier who formerly
with Dolly Parton and a owned two Florida Arena
new biographical docu- League football teams.
mentary now streaming on Warwick’s rehearsal show
HBO Max. That’s not all. Wednesday capped a
Her latest project with mu- week in which she attend-
sic producer son Damon ed the Grammy Awards,
Elliott and others is an up- performed at a MusiCares
coming 50-city live touring dinner honoring Motown
show called “Hits! The Mu- greats Berry Gordy and
sical” with performers rang- Singer and executive producer Dionne Warwick appears during a rehearsal for the touring show Smokey Robinson and then
“Hits! The Musical” Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, in Clearwater, Fla.
ing in age from 10 to 22. Associated Press flew to Nashville, Tennessee
This week at a rehearsal to shoot a video with Par-
space in Clearwater, Flori- yes for me,” Warwick said. by Bruno Mars. One of the brings people together.” ton for their new tune.
da, it was time to hear the “These babies are amaz- youthful 29-member cast, Much credit goes to War- That song, “Peace Like A
kids sing and dance, the ing. They’ve proven what 15-year-old Matthew Jost, wick’s son, Damon Elliott, River,” is set for release Feb.
first chance for Warwick to music can do, bring joy, said he’s thrilled to be part who was nominated this 24. Warwick said she has
see the “Hits!” revue in per- happiness, inspiration, abil- of the show even after play- year for an Academy known Parton for years but
son. It’s set to begin perfor- ity just life, you know?” ing guitarist Zack in “School Award along with song- they’ve never recorded to-
mances Feb. 23 in Asheville, Warwick said she had “an of Rock” on Broadway. The writer Diane Warren for the gether.
North Carolina, and end amazing experience” af- show runs through key eras song “Applause” from the “She sent me a song and
May 8 in San Francisco. ter watching the group of music over three acts, film “Tell It Like A Woman.” decided she wanted me
In an interview with The run through high-energy from rock to pop to hip- The pair also teamed up to sing with her,” Warwick
Associated Press, War- medleys of everything hop. “It’s just music that on a song called “Gonna said, noting she plans to re-
wick said she did not hesi- from Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ means a lot to me. For this Be You” in the new “80 For cord a gospel/inspirational
tate when the opportunity La Vida Loca” to “Where year, we’re all over the Brady” movie. “Mom and I, album herself in the com-
arose to be an executive Is The Love?” by the Black- place,” Jost said, adding we don’t take on anything, ing months. “It’s so timely.
producer of the show. Eyed Peas to a mashup that he hopes the audi- we don’t endorse pretty This song fits completely in-
“Anything that deals with of Adele’s “Rolling In The ence “just gets that we’re much anything,” Elliott said side what I’m getting ready
children is an automatic Deep” and “Uptown Funk” kids, we’re here, and music in an interview about the to do.” q

Review: Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau

and Beatles come together

By STEVEN WINE Beatles.” The album pairs Everywhere” twinkles with
Associated Press jazz’s most lyrical living pia- discordant splashes and
Brad Mehldau and the nist with songwriting mas- hints of Thelonious Monk,
Beatles make a captivat- ters of melody, and Mehl- while “I Saw Her Standing
ing jazz combo. dau finds fresh radiance in There” is rollicking boogie-
It helps that Mehldau’s pi- the familiar tunes by explor- woogie that would be at
ano stylings have a range ing their elasticity, which is home in the French Quar-
worthy of the Fab Four. considerable. ter.
He bridges the divides be- These performances show Mehldau has long excelled
tween Debussy and Pro- how Beatles songs invite as an interpreter of rock,
fessor Longhair, between improvisation thanks to the Beatles included, and
rock and Rachmaninoff, his their lilt, sturdy construction to show the breadth of
rhythms tipsy at times as he and sophisticated chord their influence, he clos-
evokes saloon music and changes. Plus, as Mehldau es the album with David
comic opera. observes in his liner notes, Bowie’s “Life on Mars?”
And that’s just on a 6½-min- they swing. Mehldau’s version seesaws
ute rendition of “Maxwell’s He plays “Your Mother from Broadway buildups
Silver Hammer,” one of the Should Know” as jaunty, to blues reflections before
This cover image released by Nonesuch Records shows “Your 11 tunes on his new live solo sunny ragtime, and “She a closing symphonic flour-
Mother Should Know: Brad Mehldau Plays The Beatles,” by Brad album, Said She Said” calls to mind ish, which provides the ex-
Mehldau. “Your Mother Should Know: film noir. A slow, gentle ac- clamation mark the album
Associated Press Brad Mehldau Plays The count of “Here, There and deserves.q