The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC presents the Vancouver premiere of Germany’s iconic vocalist Max Raabe and his brilliant, 12-piece Palast Orchester on Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 7pm in the Chan Shun Concert Hall. Evoking a bygone age, Raabe and his band will treat audiences to a romantic evening with their inimitable renditions of celebrated classics.
Born into a modest, rural family, Raabe’s early musical tastes were formed by his discovery of 1920s music on German radio, his parents’ collection of comedy and big band records, as well as old Hollywood musicals. As a young man, Raabe discovered a love for Wagner that took him to Berlin to study opera. After graduating, Raabe dabbled in the professional opera world, with an appearance in Carmina Burana at the Berlin Philharmonie, but quickly discovered his real passion for songs of the Golden Twenties. Surprised to find no other ensembles around performing such repertoire, Raabe connected with some like-minded, talented musicians to form the Palast Orchester.
Since their North American debut in 2004, Max Raabe and Palast Orchester have sold out concert venues all over the world: across Europe, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and at Carnegie Hall in New York. All members of the orchestra are established musicians in their own right, and treat the music with the utmost reverence.
The orchestra lovingly covers Irving Berlin and Cole Porter masterpieces, as well as German standards from Kurt Weil, and other composers of the Weimar Republic. To add a modern edge, the program is often interspersed with a few stylized rentitions of pop hits by artists from Prince to Tom Jones, along with original songs written by Raabe himself.
Chan Centre Connects Events (chancentre.com/connects)
A series of ancillary events programmed in conjunction with Chan Centre performances, exploring the role of arts and artists in society.
• Film Screening: Cabaret – Thursday, April 6, 2017, 7pm @ The Cinematheque, 1131 Howe Street. This 1972 American musical drama film featuring Liza Minnelli depicts Berlin during the 1931 Weimar Republic, an era of music that inspired Max Raabe and Palast Orchester. In addition to its eight Academy Awards, it won Best Picture citations from the National Board of Review.
• Pre-Show Talk – Sunday, April 9, 2017, 6:15pm @ Royal Bank Cinema, The Chan Centre. Join Dr. Kyle Frackman and Dr. Ilinca Iurascu from UBC’s Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies for a fascinating look at the Weimar republic.
Chan Centre presents: Max Raabe & Palast Orchester
Date: Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 7pm
Ticket prices: From $46
Address: Chan Centre for the Performing Arts University of British Columbia 6265 Crescent Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Box Office: 604-822-2697/ chancentre.com
In person at the Chan Centre ticket office
Open Tue-Sat, 12pm-5pm
Website: chancentre.com