A unique show combining classic cartoons and live jazz music is coming to the Tri-Counties

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The Queen's Cartoonists are performing in Ventura County on March 22
Lauren Desberg

Imagine the golden age of cartoons, from Bugs Bunny to Popeye and beyond, being brought to life through the power of live music.

That’s what happens at a live show by the Queen’s Cartoonists.

"The concept comes from this place of thinking about the golden age of jazz and the golden age of animation and if those two things can co-exist and what crossover there was," explained Joel Pierson, the artistic director for The Queen’s Cartoonists.

"We play music from animated films in sync with a large movie screen, showing the films," said Pierson.

He says the show is inspired by finding a way for jazz and classical music to appeal to everyone.

"That's how the idea got going...and it's turned into less of a straight-ahead jazz concert and more of a multi-media jazz circus," said Pierson.

The Queen's Cartoonists are bringing their show to Thousand Oaks
The Queen's Cartoonists

Pierson says that many of us were introduced to jazz and classical music as children, through the soundtrack of cartoons.

With lashings of energy, oodles of comedy and multi-instrumental mayhem, Pierson told KCLU that the show has plenty of surprises.

"What we are presenting is supposed to keep you on the edge of your seat, you never know what's coming up next," he said.

The name has a bit less to do with royalty than it does with their east coast roots, admits Pierson.

"It's supposed to be ambiguous but it is a Queen's New York reference but I thought putting the apostrophe there would give it an illustrative quality like, 'you don't know, maybe we do work for the Queen.' "

The Queen’s Cartoonists are at the Scherr Forum at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on Wednesday March 22.

The troop play jazz and classical music live while showing some much-loved cartoons
The Queen's Cartoonists

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Caroline joined KCLU in October 2020. She won LA Press Club's Audio Journalist of the Year Award in 2022 and 2023.

Since joining the station she's won 7 Golden Mike Awards, 4 Los Angeles Press Club Awards and 2 National Arts & Entertainment Awards.

She started her broadcasting career in the UK, in both radio and television for BBC News, 95.8 Capital FM and Sky News and was awarded the Prince Philip Medal for her services to radio and journalism in 2007.

She has lived in California for ten years and is both an American and British citizen - and a very proud mom to her daughter, Elsie.