Live at the Lounge Goes Classy With Classical

All the candles were glowing. Large screens lined the walls with images of the stage and piano. As the lights dimmed and the performer sat down, a rare night was about to take place--one filled with the obscure and welcome tones of classical music. 

 Comedy & Magic Club owner Mike Lacey is taking the dinner lounge next door in a bold new direction: He's introduced classical music of the type more commonly heard at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The venue on Hermosa Avenue is now called Live at the Lounge. It used to be known as Lounge at the Beach, a martini bar that featured contemporary jazz artists. Live at the Lounge's new Saturday-night series, Classical Music L.A., started in February and has welcomed some of the best classical musicians one is likely to hear anywhere. 

"Mike's always had a passion for classical music," said Brian Irwin, a manager at the lounge. "We're always going to have world-class musicians here. It's the best that Southern California has to offer." 

The venue's most recent show took place on April 24. It featured world-renowned pianist Rufus Choi; mezzo soprano Iris Malkin; Ben Lulich, principal clarinet for Orange County's Pacific Symphony; and pianist Yana Reznik, who also does the booking for the club.

Some of the music featured included the Funeral March and Two Scherzos by Frederick Chopin, variations of famous melodies of Giuseppe Verdi, and a vocal performance of composer Eduard Toldra's Seis Canciones. 

The concert was the first sold-out show of the weekly event since it began. Unlike its loud and comedic counterpart next door, the lounge features gourmet food (overseen by various chef consultants), a top-quality sound system (put together with the help of Jay Leno and his Tonight Show band leader Kevin Eubanks) and a relaxed, living room-like atmosphere. 

The venue seats about 90 people and is filled with a mostly 40-and-up crowd. 

"I just wanted to have a place where artists could play the kinds of works that they wanted to play," Lacey said. "When they play what they're passionate about, the performance really goes up another level."

As a boy, Lacey was taken to the Hollywood Bowl by his aunt and uncle and introduced to the classical musician who performed that night, pianist Leonard Pennario. After the concert, Pennario mentioned his wish to be able to perform his own avant-garde, abstract compositions--pieces he wasn't allowed to play for most audiences.

This wish led to him giving Lacey and several others a private concert in a living room. This event became Lacey's inspiration for the lounge. 

"Concert halls tend to play it safe," Lacey said. "This room looks like a living room, mahogany walls and such. I really like stuff that's a little further out there, not just the traditional stuff."

In searching for his acts, Lacey met up with local engineer Jim Eninger, who writes a weekly newsletter about upcoming classical performances. Eninger brought Lacey together with his current artistic adviser, Yana Reznik. 

Performers at the lounge have included members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and students of the Colburn School, who come from around the globe to study and perform classical music. 

In its short run, the lounge has already caught the attention of renowned jazz pianist and composer David Benoit, a friend of Lacey's who said that the musicians at the lounge have "blown him away." In addition, a surprise performer, said to be "very famous," will give perform at the lounge Saturday.

Tickets cost $12 each, with a two-drink minimum. Dinner is optional, ranging from $12-$25 per plate. Performances occur every Saturday night. For tickets and other information, visit http://liveatthelounge.com.