The Fresno State School of Music will present ‘The Wild Called Maxx” concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Fresno State Music Building Concert Hall. Tickets are free for Fresno State students; $15 for other students; $20 for military, veterans, seniors (60+) and employees; and $25 for general admission. Parking is $5 in lot P1 or P4 (after 6 p.m.).
Inspired by Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” assistant professor of trombone Dr. Russ Zokaites reimagines and modernizes the classic story with a twist. The concert tells the tale of a young, progressive woman struggling to merge her creative identity with her lifestyle.
“I took ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and stripped out all the words. So, all the words are original. And it’s a nice parody, but we use the same meter as the original,” explains Zokaites. “I think this is a very relatable project that people will understand right away.”
The project combines classic pop tunes, jazz and original compositions, illustrations and narration to follow Maxx as she leaves her suburban life to navigate New York’s concrete jungle.
LISTEN: Artful Discourse interview with Dr. Russ Zokaites about “The Wild Called Maxx”
The ensemble includes Grammy Award-nominated Sara Gazarek (The Eastman School of Music), Fresno State faculty members Limor Toren-Immerman, Amelia Smith, Russ Zokaites, Richard Giddens and Mark Ferber with local cellist Nicholas Anton. The creators, composer Whitney George, illustrator Sammy Lopez and author Russ Zokaites, will give a short pre-concert lecture about the design process.
The Wild Called Maxx was premiered at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, NY, by the Curiosity Cabinet in 2016 and featured at the International Trombone Festival in Muncie, IN, in 2019.
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 