ENTERTAINMENT

Mayo PAC celebrates 20 years of performing arts

BILL NUTT
CORRESPONDENT

No one can accuse Valery Gergiev of being taken in by appearances.

In the winter of 1994, Gergiev — at the time, conductor of the Kirov Orchestra of Saint Petersburg — walked into a shuttered theater at 100 South St. in Morristown.

He had heard of the building from classical pianist Alexander Slobodyanik, who lived in Morristown at the time. “My dear friend convinced me that there was something potentially interesting here, a destination for the arts,” Gergiev says.

With understated humor, however, Gergiev recalls, “The building was not in perfect shape.”

The once-proud Community Theatre had opened in 1937 as a grand movie palace but was falling into decay. It had been years since it had hosted a concert or screened a film. A wrecking ball seemed the kindest fate for the structure.

Gergiev stood on the run-down stage and snapped his fingers to test the acoustics. What he heard satisfied him, and he declared that the Orchestra would play there.

A team of volunteers began the massive tasking of cleaning up the dilapidated building. Despite the odds, Gergiev’s promised concert took place in the refurbished theater on Sept. 29, 1994, with Slobodyanik as featured soloist.

“It was emotional for the public,” says Gergiev. “This was their achievement.”

In the two decades since then, the building — officially rechristened the Mayo Performing Arts Center in 2011 — has hosted dance programs, theatrical productions, concerts of every musical genre, and (in a nod to its past) even a few movie screenings.

To celebrate those 20 years, Gergiev is returning to 100 South St. tonight. He will conduct the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre (the same ensemble that was known as the Kirov during the era of the Soviet Union).

Gergiev anticipates another emotional performance, but for a different reason: Slobodyanik died in 2008 at age 65. “He is not with us anymore, and I will be doing this concert in his memory,” Gergiev says.

The 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert could also be titled “From Russia, With Love.” The program features works by three composers, spanning more than 140 years of Russian music.

The evening will begin with Concerto for Orchestra No. 1 by the contemporary composer Rodion Shchedrin. “He is a brilliant composer,” says Gergiev.

This 1963 work’s subtitle is usually translated as “Naughty Little Limericks” or “Mischievous Folk Ditties,” a reference to a Russian tradition of satirical folk songs.

The second piece on the program is Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major, with Denis Matsuev as featured soloist. “He is a fantastic pianist, a giant who can play anything,” Gergiev says.

Gergiev acknowledges that Tchaikovsky’s first piano concerto may be better known, but he feels that Matsuev’s performance will still captivate the audience. “He will certainly defend the reputation of this piece,” he says.

The concluding work will be Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” in the classic arrangement for piano and orchestra by Maurice Ravel. This suite will also showcase Matsuev. “It will be spectacular to the ears,” Gergiev says.

Gergiev says that he is proud to return to Morristown for the 20th anniversary of the building he helped open. But he feels the excitement he feels being a Russian conductor receiving a positive reception in America sends a powerful message.

He cites the turmoil over the past year in the Crimean Peninsula and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He finds this situation especially heartbreaking given his affection for his late friend Slobodyanik, who was born in Ukraine.

“I’m very lucky to have a great many friends in America and Canada (and other countries),” Gergiev says. “Relationships are not always easy between friends, but I hope that there will be a way to end these problems.”

20th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CONCERT

WHAT: In September 1994, Valery Gergiev conducted the Kirov Orchestra at the re-opening of what is now the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the theatre, Maestro Gergiev returns to lead the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre with featured pianist Denis Matsuev in a program that includes Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major.

WHEN: 8 tonight

WHERE: Mayo Performing Arts Center, 100 South St., Morristown

TICKETS: $69 to $105

INFORMATION: 973-539-8008 or www.mayoarts.org