The highly-anticipated 2012 Cal Phil Festival on the Green concert series, presented by Westfield Santa Anita, is gaining momentum and nearing the homestretch of its official start at its new summer home Santa Anita Race Track.
Gates open to the spectacular new season on June 30, 2012, with a phenomenal concert experience taking place every other Saturday evening throughout the summer at what is destined to become Southern California’s premiere outdoor concert venue.

To purchase tickets for Festival on the Green at Santa Anita Race Track, call 626.300.8200 or visit www.calphil.org.

Table and lawn seating is on the plush green grass of the renovated infield (not in the grandstands) with the area’s best unobstructed view of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains, making Santa Anita Race Track the perfect backdrop to the one-of-a-kind concerts performed by Cal Phil.
Among Santa Anita Race Track’s many amenities that will enhance the Festival on the Green experience are ample and convenient onsite parking adjacent to the infield, plentiful permanent restrooms, jumbo video screens, full bars offering not only beer and wine but premium spirits, numerous gourmet food options and corporate BBQ pits for pre-party festivities.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for pre-concert family-friendly activities and live jazz. The concert begins at 8 p.m.

Cal Phil Sunday matinee performances will continue at the incomparable Walt Disney Concert Hall, known for its acoustic superiority. Performances begin at 2 p.m. with a complimentary with ticket price pre-concert Talk with The Maestro at 1 p.m.

The 2012 Cal Phil Festival on the Green at Santa Anita Race Track and Cal Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall schedules are as follows:

Let The Festival Begin!
Saturday – June 30, 2012
Sunday – July 1, 2012

Kicking off the first concert of its 16th season with a bang, the world class orchestra is joined by the platinum selling USC Trojan Marching Band, The Spirit of Troy. But that’s only the beginning…because it’s an extra-Ordinary Day when A Thousand Miles pop sensation and three time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Vanessa Carlton also performs alongside the orchestra. Cal Phil will also captivate the audience with such classical masterpieces as Copland’s Rodeo and Respighi’s Pines of Rome.

The Association
Saturday –July 14, 2012
Sunday – July 15, 2012

The Association, the original world renowned band that brought us such classic hits as “Cherish,” “Windy,” and “Never My Love,” joins Cal Phil and its esteemed Maestro Victor Vener for the second concert of the summer season. Audiences of all ages will revel in this rare opportunity to rock with one of the greatest bands to come out of the ‘60’s along with one of the Southland’s most acclaimed orchestra’s of today. This one-of-a-kind concert also the features the heralded orchestra performing such revolutionary classical masterpieces as Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz and Don Juan by Strauss.

Center Stage
Saturday – July 28, 2012
Sunday – July 29, 2012

Joining Cal Phil and Maestro Victor Vener center stage during the third concert of the 2012 season are the multi-talented Kristi Holden from Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular and David Burnham who recently starred in Wicked on Broadway. Cal Phil concert goers will be transported by beautiful voices backed by beloved music from such renowned musicals as Phantom of the Opera, King & I, Carousel and Sweeny Todd. Also on the bill, world renowned touring piano virtuoso Gayle Martin Henry, the sole American laureate of the sixth International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow, performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

Carmen on Broadway
Saturday – August 11, 2012
Sunday – August 12, 2012

Carmen on Broadway is Cal Phil’s effusive nod to some of the greatest musicals in history including Carmen, West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, Beauty & The Beast, Lion King and Les Miz. Hitting every note during this thrilling and entertaining concert are world renowned powerful featured guests including Bass Baritone Cedric Berry and opera stars Sandra Rubalcava and Christopher Bengochea. Also performing during this fourth concert of the season is 2010 Cal Phil Young Artist Award Winner Emily Dyer and the phenomenal Cal Phil Chorale under the direction Maestra Marya Basaraba.

Beethoven and John Williams
Saturday –August 25, 2012
Sunday – August 26, 2012

The Cal Phil season finale features music from two legendary composers who have left their undeniable stamp on the world of music, Beethoven, arguably the greatest classical composer of all time and John Williams, revered composer of more than 100 feature films. Spectacular music on the bill includes Beethoven: Ode to Joy from Symphony No. 9 and popular scores from Star Wars, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saving Private Ryan and Amistad. The world class orchestra and Cal Phil Chorale are joined by a highly talented quartet of up and coming young talent Emily Dyer, Danielle Bond, Ashley Faatoalia and Ben Lowe, this year’s Cal Phil Young Artist Award recipients.

To purchase tickets for Festival on the Green at Santa Anita Race Track, call 626.300.8200 or visit www.calphil.org.

Tickets for Walt Disney Concert Hall are available for purchase through Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Thanks to a renewal of a partnership between the City of Arcadia’s Recreation and Community Services Department with Target, the City has scheduled another line-up of summer concerts every Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. on the lawn between City Hall and the Police Station, 240 West Huntington Drive:

The 1st Marine Division Band (Patriotic) – July 5, 2012
The 1st Marine Division Band, based out of Camp Pendleton, California, consists of 50 Marine musicians. While the primary mission of the 1st Marine Division Band is to provide musical support for military parades and ceremonies, they remain versatile to accommodate other needs. In addition to the Ceremonial Band and Concert Band, the band forms smaller ensembles such as Big Band, Jazz Combo, Brass Quintet, and Party Band. They perform at over 300 commitments a year, with highlights including the State Funeral of President Ford, the Tournament of Roses Parades, Disneyland’s Independence Day Concerts, and annual concerts at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. In 2007, the 1st Marine Division Band was awarded the “Colonel George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence for Military Concert Bands” administered by the John Philip Sousa Foundation.

All Marine Corps Bands fulfill the objective of preserving the values that comprise the unique and fundamental national strength and character of the United States. Whether performing music or serving in a combat zone, the 1st Marine Division Band carries on this esteemed tradition and remains the Pride of the Division.

Brian Lynn Jones and the Misfit Cowboys (Country) – July 12, 2012
Brian Lynn Jones and the Misfit Cowboys are a tight, high-energy Rock-N-Tonk band. They move effortlessly and convincingly through all forms of American roots music and deliver country, rock-n-roll, blues and classic rock just to name a few. Rock-n-Tonk is a term coined by the band that sums up their sound: Roots Country with the gritty edge of Rock-n-Roll. The only way to truly grasp the vibe is to come see a live show!

Gregg Young & the 2nd Street Band (Blues & Jazz) – July 19, 2012
The 2nd Street Band is a pool of 40 world-class musicians and vocalists led by Gregg Young, singer, guitarist, ASCAP songwriter/publisher & NARAS Member. Gregg, originally from San Francisco, was signed to a major label recording contract when in his teens and had an “NFL or NBA” musical experience while touring and recording. Gregg has been in shows that included such acts as Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Steve Miller, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Linda Ronstadt, Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, Eric Burden, War, Jose Feliciano and others. Gregg had the privilege of guitar great Carlos Santana as a friend and mentor, and learned a great deal while playing with Bo Diddley and Sly Stone. The band is currently playing gigs that encompass a variety of music styles including Jazz, Blues, R & B, Reggae, Rock-n-Roll and Latin Jazz.

The Groove Classic Oldies Show (Classic Oldies) – July 26, 2012
Sit back, relax and prepare for a nostalgic journey of memories. Established in 2004, The Groove Oldies Show is a family friendly band that performs a wide variety of classic oldies that appeal to audiences of all ages. The Groove Oldies Show is a local band (Pasadena area) and has performed all over Southern California as well as Las Vegas, and for many car shows, special events, casinos, and park concerts. The Groove features Dean Simone, Ben Rushing, Steve La Corte and Tom Osuna. Come join us Arcadia and prepare to have a great time down memory lane!

Cold Duck (70’s top 40) – August 2, 2012
Back by popular demand! Join us once again for this special celebration….National Night Out & Arcadia’s 109th Birthday! National Night Out promotes crime prevention and awareness through police-community partnerships. Arcadia’s Police and Fire Department will be joining us for this very special occasion. Free fingerprinting for the kids, crime prevention materials and other information will be available. Stop by and show your support to Arcadia’s finest.

Since its inception over two decades ago, Cold Duck’s philosophy has been directly responsible for their continued success: “Give the people what they want to hear and have a good time delivering it!” With this solid experienced musicianship, it should come as no surprise that Cold Duck is renowned for being one of the most versatile bands in existence. Cold Duck continues its tradition of excellent musicianship and groovin’ rhythms. So let’s have a good time dancing the night away!

The Answer (Classic Rock) – August 9, 2012
Since 1964 The Answer has been supplying its renditions of top 40 hits, back then popular rock and today now classified as classic rock. The Answer’s uncanny reproduction of all that’s good in classic rock today sets them far above their competition. With stage energy, witty antics, and FREE giveaways, The Answer delivers a knock out show which is enjoyed by all ages! This band is one of Arcadia’s favorites – this is a must see show!

The Journey Experience (Tribute to Journey) – August 16, 2012
Go back in time, return to your days of yesteryear and experience the ultimate sights and music of Journey in your life! The Journey Experience is a number one top premier Journey Tribute Band composed of well established world class professional touring state musicians who love to play Journey music. The Journey Experience performs a 90 to 100 minute powerful, rockin’ Journey Tribute Concert. They headline on the House of Blues circuit as well as the Tropicana Palms in Laughlin, Nevada. Come out and enjoy the classic tunes of Journey as our Summer Concert Series concludes.

Info: Recreation Department at 626.574.5113.

Two $10,000 first prize winners were announced Sunday at Santa Anita in HRTV and Santa Anita’s inaugural “A Day at the Races” Film Festival, which required both aspiring and established film makers to produce short subject films of under five minutes that were shot entirely at The Great Race Place.

Tristan de Burgh and Cassandra Brooksbank, both students at the USC Film School, took the $10,000 Judges’ Prize Award with a film entitled “Call to Arms.” Miguel Mouchess of Downey, Ca., won the $10,000 Fans Favorite Award with his submission, “A Day at the Races with The Paddock Tree Gang.”

In all, there were 25 film submissions which generated more than 77,000 on-line votes in the Fan Favorite Award category.
There were a total of three Judges’ Awards given, with a second-place prize of $5,000 going to Christopher Riehn, who submitted “Today.” Riehn lives in Alta Loma, Ca., and is a student at Cal Poly Pomona.
A third-place Judges’ Award of $3,000 went to Mouchess’s “A Day at the Races With The Paddock Gang.”

“We’d like to thank and congratulate all of those who participated in the Film Festival,” said Santa Anita Vice President of Sales and Marketing Chris Quinn. “All of these submissions represented a tremendous amount of hard work and creativity and all of them represent Santa Anita well. This project brought together a large group of incredibly talented people and we look forward to doing it again next year.”

All submissions can be viewed at www.hrtv.com.

The Cherry Blossom Festival SoCal (CBFSoCal) will present “Camp Stories Awards Show and Fundraiser – Do the Dream,” from 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Saturday, June 2.

In a rare situation, the awards show and fundraiser is being held separately from the the festival, which draws 60,000 to Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles for the past five years.
CBFSoCal celebrates the history and culture of Americans of Japanese descent and the culture of Japan through the beauty of the Cherry Blossoms.

Entertainment:

• “Do The Dream” & “I Am An American” – Kathy Bee will perform her original songs
• Jive to the music of the 1940’s with the Grateful Crane Ensembles’ Scott Nagatani & Keiko Kawashima
• Multimedia presentations and the stories of “The Wedding Dress” & Photo Display

Reserved seats are $60.
For VIP Tickets, sponsorships and group tickets, please contact Wendy at wowproductions2@earthlink.net or or 626-683-8243.

The schedule:

• 8:30 am: – Breakfast Reception & Auction in the Turf Club (Seating outside or inside)
• 10:00 am – Awards Program in the Chandelier Room
• 11:30 am – Walking tour of Santa Anita for those interested in this historical site

About 70 years ago Santa Anita Park was shut down and the park’s extensive grounds provided the massive space needed by the War Department to temporarily house thousands of people of Japanese decent. This venue was the nation’s largest assembly center, housing almost 19,000 Japanese Americans before they were relocated to camps. A plaque near the entrance is the sole reminder of the track’s place in World War II history as the nation’s largest assembly center for Japanese Americans on their way to internment camps.

Honorees:

• Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Nisei Poet, Playwright & Actor – Detained at Tule Lake Segregation Center during WWII for refusing to answer registration questions he determined a violation of his civil rights as an American citizen.
• Esther Takei Nishio -Test case in 1944 when she was taken out of camp to attend Pasadena City College where she faced extreme prejudice and hatred while her family was still incarcerated.
• Patty & Emily (7 yr old) Kinaga – Thousand Hearts Benefit Concert for Japan. Emily, seeing the images of Japan with the Tsunami/Earthquake, wanted to help the children and asked her mother “what can they do?” What happened – a celebrity studded Thousand Hearts Benefit Concert sending funds and paper hearts to the children of Japan.
• US-Japan Council, TOMODACHI INITIATIVE forged after the Japan Tsunami/Earthquake to invest in Japan’s next generation and deepen U.S.-Japan ties.
• Manzanar Fishing Club – Documentary about internees at Manzanar who slipped away under the cover of night to find freedom and adventure, matching wits with the prized trout of the Sierra Nevada to bring fresh fish to internees.
• Toyo Miyatake Studio – Founded in 1923 by famed photographer Toyo Miyatake best known for his collection of Manzanar Relocation Center image. Eventually his son Archie took over and today his grandson, photographer Alan Miyatake, runs the Studio.
• American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization opened an office in Pasadena during WWII to aid Japanese Americans internees– reached out to colleges and hostels willing to receive evacuees and other essentials to aid the devastated Japanese American community. In 1947, AFSC was co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
• Special Guest Presenter-Los Angeles City Councilmember Jan Perry. Presenters include: Rose Ochi JD – Lane Hirabayashi Ph.D. – Rodney Kageyama – Mas Okui – Terry Hara – Lisa Sugimoto Ed.D.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is a project of the Pasadena Arts Council’s EMERGE Fiscal Sponsorship Program 501 (c) (3) charitable organization – EIN# 95-2540759

– By Scott Hettrick

TROTT USA’s annual Kentucky Derby viewing party will be held from 12 noon – 4 p.m. this Saturday, May 5, at Santa Anita Park.

Information is on the flier below (video and auction items follow)…

Last year actor Luke Perry was host and celebrity auctioneer described his lifelong love of horses in the following video in which actor Nick Nolte also described his character in the recent HBO series “Luck.”
<Auction items listed below following video…>

Sample Live Auction Items
* Beautiful, framed, signed pen and ink, by Guillaume Azoulay. Guillaume hangs in many
prestigious museums, including the Louvre, as well as in the private collections of Ronald
Reagan, Francois Mitterand, Anwar Sadat, King Hassan II of Morocco, Prince Ranier, and
Nelson Rockefeller.
* Gorgeous, framed painting, by renowned equine artist, Fred Stone.
* Beautiful, Secretariat print by famed equine photographer Tony Leonard. Signed and
numbered limited edition print, framed with museum quality materials. Photo was taken at
Belmont Park, just before Secretariat wont the Triple Crown.
* Zenyatta collectibles, including a signed WIN ticket from her 19th win. Beautiful display box.
* Signed, limited edition Zenyatta art print by famous artist, PEB
* 2011 Kentucky Derby saddle towel given to Animal Kingdom, and signed by his owner,
in beautiful display box, with certificate of authenticity
* Framed and signed Pat Day poster commemorating his 1998 Breederʼs Cup Classic win on
Awesome Again. Donated by Pat Day
* Beautiful, heavy halters, with lots of wear and patina– In beautiful display boxes, with
certificates of authenticity, from:
* Holy Bull, Unbridledʼs Song, Giacomo, Twirling Candy, Blind Luck, Einstein, and Drosselmeyer
* 2005 Official Mint Julep glass, signed by John Shirreffs and Mike Smith for Giacomo
* 2002 Official Mint Julep glass, signed by Bob Baffert and Victor Espinoza, for War Emblem.
* Fred Stone book autographed by Fred, and many of the jockeys in the book

– By Scott Hettrick