Few concert experiences are as moving as those for live classical music. An orchestra can fill even the largest venue with clear trebles and thundering bass.

The Sacramento Philharmonic is no exception.

Thanks in part to sponsorships by the National Endowment for the Arts, Target and the Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Sacramento Philharmonic is putting on a first-time venture of five nights in a row of free neighborhood concerts.

The first show in the series was Thursday night at the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center in Natomas. Though the venue could hold many more, about 75 children, parents and couples laughed at two playful introductory pieces before intermission, followed by the hourlong "The Soldier's Tale" by Igor Stravinsky.

The program began with Bohuslav Martinu's "La Revue de Cuisine," or "Kitchen Revue," a 1927 ballet in which kitchen utensils are the main characters.

Sacramento Philharmonic Director Michael Morgan explained the plot: Pot and Lid's marriage is threatened by Twirling Stick when Pot is wooed by Twirling Stick's sweet talk. In Pot's absence, Dishcloth tries to court Lid. After a duel with Broom, Pot and Lid return to one another, while Twirling Stick's affections move to Dishcloth.

Although the dancing portion of the piece was not performed, a sextet conjured up the story with a performance of the jazz-influenced suite.

A grand piano introduces the main theme, while a muted trumpet joins in with quick jazzy runs. A violin, bassoon, clarinet and cello join in the mix, slowing the tempo a bit while the bassoonist plays a warm, emotive solo.

It all ends after a Gershwin-esque ragtime extravaganza that evokes a lighthearted kitchen utensil fight, crescendoing to a halt.

A percussionist, oboist and baritone singer Brian Leerhuber join the sextet for the next piece, Francis Poulenc's 1932 cantata, "Le Bal Masqué," or "The Masked Ball." House lights brighten the room so the audience can read the translated lyrics, in which a man observes and mocks several strange characters at a masked ball.

Backed by an array of purposely chaotic music and unusual percussion (slapstick, castanets, triangle, whistle), Leerhuber steals the show with his powerful voice. He emits a wall of sound that hits even the back row, all while staging unusual impromptu hand gestures in charactgr as a Frenchman.

Leerhuber clenches his fists, shrugs and points his finger during the piece. He dances around his chair before an out-of-character falsetto soprano ending.

After intermission, piano, oboe and cello are replaced by bass, trombone and narrator Mitchell Agruss of the B Street Theatre Acting Company in a performance of "The Soldier's Tale," from 1918. Agruss has enjoyed a long acting career, sharing the stage with Thornton Wilder, Harpo Marx and Katharine Hepburn. He won an 2008 Elly Award for best supporting actor in "Endgame."

"The Soldier's Tale" features a call and response between narrator and band, with Morgan directing Agruss and the musicians. From the middle of the stage, Morgan queues the band to play and Agruss to narrate, sometimes doing both at the same time. It marked the first collaboration between B Street Theatre and the Sacramento Philharmonic.

"The Soldiers Tale" is a cautionary tale in which a soldier bargains with the devil over a violin, unlimited wealth, a magic kingdom and a princess. Agruss performs all the characters -- narrator, soldier, devil and princess -- seamlessly, changing his voice to have a dialogue with himself.

Meanwhile, violinist Igor Veligan and percussionist Amy Stubbs play lengthy and passionate solos to end an amazing evening of music.

Four nights of the concert series remain:

Friday, Dec. 4, 8 p.m. at Oak Park's Guild Theater, 2828 35th St.

Dec. 5, 5 p.m. at Del Paso's Artisan Gallery, 1901 Del Paso Blvd.

Dec. 6, 3 p.m. at Orangevale's Temple Or Rishon, 7755 Hazel Ave.

Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m. at B Street Theatre, 2711 B St.

Tickets are available at the door one hour prior to concert.