Grammy Award winner Ben Harper to perform at Bridges Auditorium

Two-time Grammy Award-winning blues, gospel, roots and R&B musician Ben Harper will perform an acoustic concert at Pomona College on Wednesday, November 6 at 8 p.m. at Bridges Auditorium.

The critically-acclaimed artist and his trademark Weissenborn guitar have toured the globe since his 1994 debut Welcome to the Cruel World, which was certified gold in sales in Australia and Canada and platinum in France. In 2003, French Rolling Stone magazine named him artist of the year.

Earlier this year, Mr. Harper and harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite released Get Up!, Mr. Harper’s 12th studio album, which features 10 vivid musical character studies, all written or co-written by Mr. Harper. In a recent review, USA Today said of Get Up!, “Harper gets the essence of the blues when he laments, ‘You found another lover, I lost another friend’ against Musselwhite’s harmonica. It strikes a chord that’s tense, urgent and weary.” People magazine writes, “Harper and the harmonicist make a righteously bluesy twosome, digging into rootsy originals that feel gritted up from decades of dirt and dust.”

A Pomona native and grandson of Folk Music Center Founder Charles and Dorothy Chase, Mr. Harper won Grammys for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album in 2005.

In April, Mr. Harper and Mr. Musselwhite performed for President Obama and the First Lady as part of the “In Performance at the White House” series. Mr. Harper’s upcoming November concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall is sold out.

Bridges Auditorium is located at 450 N. College Way, Claremont. Tickets range from $30-$65 and are available for purchase at www.pomona.edu/bridges or at 607-1139, or at the Bridges Box Office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact: kathleen.etter@pomona.edu.

BALCH AUDITORIUM: 1030 Columbia Ave., Claremont. 607-2671.

—Friday, November 8: Friday, Noon Concert featuring Jonathan Wright (violin), Roger Lebow (cello) and Stephan Moss (piano). Music by Beethoven and Fauré. Free admission. 12:15 p.m.

BRIDGES AUDITORIUM: 450 N. College Way, Pomona College. Box-office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 607-1139. Tickets may be purchased online; you can easily choose seats at www.pomona.edu/bridges.

—Thursday, October 31: Screening of the psychological horror film The Shining, produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. Not recommended for children or the faint of heart. $10. 10 p.m.

—Wednesday, November 6: An Acoustic Evening with Ben Harper. Ben Harper is a musician, artist and activist. Whether it’s through the soul of Southern gospel, ‘70s funk, blues, reggae or straightforward rock and roll, Mr. Harper and his trademark Weissenborn guitar have been stunning audiences with incendiary live performances and timeless songwriting for years. Tickets are $30 and $49.50. 8 p.m.

—Saturday, November 16: OLIVER! Music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Tickets will be available soon. 2 p.m.

—Friday, November 22: SCAMFest—The annual Southern California A Capella Music Festival. Tickets will be available soon. 7:30 p.m.

—December 7 through 15: Inland Pacific Ballet presents The Nutcracker. Shows on December 7 and 8 include a live orchestra. Show times are December 7 and 14 at 1 and 7 p.m., and December 8 and 15 at 1 p.m.

—Sunday, December 22: Christmas in Ireland, one special performance this holiday season. $25. Discounts available for children, seniors and military. 2 p.m.

—Sunday, January 19: New Shanghai Circus. Fearless performers with boundless energy bring you more than two thousand years of Chinese circus traditions. $25. Discounts available for children, seniors and military. 2 p.m.

BRIDGES HALL OF MUSIC: Pomona College, 150 E. Fourth St., Claremont. 607-2671.

—Sunday, October 20: Opening its 61st season, the Claremont Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the centennial birthdays of three well-known composers. Music director Robert Sage will lead the orchestra in Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony” as well as pieces by Giussepe Verdi and Richard Wagner. Free admission. 3:30 p.m.

—Friday, October 25: “Baroque Masters” featuring JungHae Kim on harpsichord and Josh Lee on viola da gamba. Music by Boismortier, Marais, D’Anglebert, Corrette, Telemann and Bach. Free admission. 8 p.m.

—Sunday, October 27: “Songs of Celebration” featuring Millennium Consort Singers and conducted by Martin Neary. Music by Tom Flaherty accompanied by the Pomona College Choir. Free admission. 8 p.m.

­

CANDLELIGHT PAVILION: 455 W. Foothill Blvd., Claremont. Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening shows: dinner at 6 p.m., performance at 8:15 p.m.; Sunday evening shows: dinner at 5 p.m., performance at 7:15 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday matinees: lunch at 11 a.m., performance at 12:45 p.m. 626-1254, ext.1 or www.candlelightpavilion.com.

—October 18 through November 24: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

—November 30 through December 28: Because it’s Christmas.

LYMAN HALL: Thatcher Music Building, 340 N. College Ave., Claremont.

—Wednesday, October 30: Student recital. Free admission. 8:15 p.m.

Movie Listings:

LAEMMLE’S CLAREMONT 5 THEATRE: 450 W. Second St., Claremont. 621-5500 or visit www.laemmle.com for movie listings. General admission $11; students with ID $8.50; children under 12 $8; seniors 62+ $8; bargain price $8 on Monday through Friday for all shows prior to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday and holidays prior to 2 p.m.

—Now playing: Inequality for All [PG], Captain Phillips [PG13], Enough Said [PG13], Gravity [PB13], The Fifth Estate [R].

—Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19 morning screenings: After Tiller [PG13], A Touch of Sin (subtitles) [NR], Bridegroom [NR].

Jenelle Rensch covers the calendar, arts and entertainment. Deadline: Thursday at 5 p.m., one week before publication. Include date, time, address, a contact phone number and fee for admission (if applicable). Email: calendar@claremont-courier.com. Fax: 621-4072. Address: 1420 N. Claremont Blvd., Suite 205-B, Claremont, 91711. There is NO guarantee that items submitted will be published.