WSO's Hot, Hot, Hot! really not, not, not

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra got its groove on Friday night as its latest pops concert, Hot, Hot, Hot! A Night at the Copa, promised to put the sizzle in symphony.

The booty-shaking concert featured husband-and-wife team of Andrzej and Jennifer Przybyl with the orchestra led by Grammy-winning conductor/pianist/composer/arranger Victor Vanacore. The 14-number program showcased Vanacore's orchestral arrangements of Latin hits such as Malaguena as well as twists on more classic fare like Over the Rainbow and a nifty take on Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Samba in Blue.

After a brief orchestral opener, Hot Hot Hot, the mostly older crowd had their first taste of the long-limbed dancers in Oye Como Van/Patricia as they spun and twisted their way through the Cuban-inspired medley. The Polish-born Andrzej Przybyl has won international competitions including the Rising Star Latin Dancing Championships, before teaming with his wife, Jennifer, whom he met after coming to the U.S. in 2002. The two are now based in Detroit, Mich., where they continue to tour and teach.

The show featured a unique instrumental arrangement of Jarabe Tapatio (Mexican Hat Dance) including muted horns, textural pizzicato and unusual harmonization. La diferencia que hace un dia!(What a Difference a Day Makes!) also showcased Vanacore's gifted son, Victor III on cajon (who also plays a mean drum kit) before the dancers took the stage for a meringue.

Hearing the city's premiere jazz trumpeter, Dave Lawton, blow a solo as he did in salsa piece South Beach Soul is always a treat. Not to be outdone, WSO principal trumpet Brian Sykora also showed us how it's done with a gutsy solo in Malaguena and later, going for the money note in Spanish-flavoured Granada.

The evening also included Spain Meets Birdland, sultry Tango in D Major (Albeniz) before closing with mambo Viva El Mambo.

A show that promises Latin flair should be teeming with red-hot energy. Vanacore is undeniably a natural raconteur with many historical anecdotes and fascinating trivia to share. But his setting up every selection only worked against itself, risking becoming overly didactic while stalling the overall thrust of the show.

The gifted dancers were only on stage for about one-half of the show, and their blink-and you-miss-it performances were all too fleeting and brief. The crowd was left wanting much, much more.

A show that promised to take us to the heart of Cuban salsa -- especially at this time of year for winter-weary Winnipeggers -- did not exactly feel hot, hot, hot, but rather, not, not, not.

CONCERT REVIEW

Hot, Hot, Hot! A Night at the Copa

Friday, January 15

Centennial Concert Hall

Attendance: 1,241

(Three stars out of five)

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 21, 2012 B2