The Tucson Symphony Orchestra closes out its Family Series on Saturday, April 29, with a show that features music composed by one of its own.
TSO violist Ilona Vukovic-Gay penned the score for “Dusty Locks and the Three Bears,” a funny Southwest recasting of the famed fairy tale. The piece is based on the story of the same name by Tucson children’s author Susan Lowell.
Here’s the story: That family of very tidy bears lives out West in a pristine little cabin in the woods. They like to take long walks, especially when their breakfast sits on the table too steamy to eat. And while they are out on one of those sojourns, a dusty gal parched and, well, dusty, comes upon the cottage. Of course, Dusty Locks, who hasn’t bathed in a month of Sundays, is not one to keep a place nice and tidy.
You know the rest of the story: family comes home. “Who’s been sitting my chair?” “Someone’s been sleeping in my bed and they’re still there.” Screaming and shrieking ensue and the all live happily ever after.
This is the eighth collaboration between Vukovic-Gay and Lowell, who met years ago on their daughters’ preschool playground. That’s when they first came up with the idea of setting Lowell’s stories to music as part of the TSO’s series of children’s concerts.
Lowell, a Tucson native, has been writing fairy tales centered on Tucson and the Southwest since the early 1990s. Vukovic-Gay studied composition at the Manhattan School of Music and Yale University and has had her works premiered in Tucson; New Haven, Connecticut; and London’s Wigmore Hall.
The composer, who leads the TSO’s groundbreaking Young Composers Project, said she based the theme of “Dusty Locks” on “Tancuj, Tancuj, Vykrúcaj” (Dance, Dance, Twist), a Slovakian children’s folk song and dance that she said musically describes Dusty Locks’ character.
The 50-minute program opens with John Williams’ “Throne Room” and “Finale” from “Star Wars.” Also on the program: “Swan” from Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals”; music from Leonard Bernstein’s musical “On the Town”; a movement from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1; and a chance to sing along with “This Old Man.”
TSO violinist Joseph Rousos-Hammond, cellist Robert Chamberlain and violinist Wynne Wong-Rife will portray Dusty Locks and the bears.
The TSO, under the baton of guest conductor Michael Hall, will perform “Dusty Locks and the Three Bears” at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets are $18 for adults, $12 for children under 18 through tucsonsymphony.org or at the door. The performance lasts about 50 minutes.
Also on Saturday, the Civic Orchestra of Tucson will bring its popular instrument petting zoo to the plaza outside Leo Rich from 2:30 to 4 p.m. It’s free.
