Life of a blog

I was checking in with the blogs that I have selected to follow on my own blog's "dashboard" and was interested to note that while two of them have regular and recent postings, one is updated only every other month, and several have not had a new entry in five months or more.

It started me thinking about the life-span of a blog. While I don't believe the act of capturing one's thoughts or writing about a new hobby is a fad, I do think that in most cases blogs start out as outgrowth of someone's or some group's specific situation. When that situation changes, either the blog changes or disappears altogether.

That is certainly the case in my situation. I began my Year of Musical Thinking in June of 2008. Over the next twelve months I posted 250 entries, roughly five a week. For the next twelve months I only have 58 entries, which is slightly more than one a week. And since June of 2010, I only have six entries--covering a period of more than six months.

This reflects a lot of other things going on in my life. In 2008, I was under-employed, disenfranchised from my industry and feeling at a loss where to go next and what challenge could re-invigorate me. While that didn't change directly during the first 12 months of my Musical Thinking, it did give me something else to focus on when the realities of employment and personal satisfaction were at their lowest point. The twelve months from June 2009 through June 2010 didn't change much in regard to the job, either, but I did start to focus on making changes to that; I "got myself out there" more, networked, applied for more jobs outside my industry, went on many more interviews--all of which prevented me from listening or watching to musical theater for this project.

In November of 2010 I started a new full-time job--the first full-time position I have held since 2003. The process of securing this job started in July of 2010. Although it was hardly all-consuming during the four months from application through start date, I did channel some of my under-utilized energy to something I saw as potentially positive and long-term. I have gone from performing arts administration to museum administration--certainly related industries requiring similar skill sets, but very different environments.

Do I regret leaving the performing arts behind. Yes--and no. I think I will always consider myself an arts professional, even while sitting in an office in a Museum, or social service agency, or health care facility, or university, or wherever my career takes me.

I certainly don't regret the situation in which I find myself employed now. I have specific tasks in the cog of the Museum's machinery--which is supported by a lot of other systems in the institution, and completely within my ability to accomplish. It is also an institution that can provide its employees with a lot of perqs I haven't had in a long time--health insurance, paid leave time, a pension (who knew those still existed!), as well as feel-good benefits like discounts at the Museum store and cafe. In the end, the theater or classical music industries wouldn't or couldn't give me many of those items unless I worked at a large-scale performing arts organization--and judging by the couple of interviews I had with "the big boys", they weren't interested in me.

With this life change and focus shift, I think now is as good a time as any to say "good-bye" to writing about my Musical Thinking.

La Cage aux Folles Broadway revival cast album

I've gotten tired of being reminded that my former colleague was awarded the MacArthur Foundation Fellows grant (or whatever the program is called), so I thought I would comment on another cast album that has just entered my collection.

I don't get all the hoopla over Douglas Hodge (right). I'm sorry, but he is over-the-top too often for me. He seems the vocal heir to Anthony Newley--all affectation and no musicality. I'm sure there are many things that would be clearer if I saw him perform in person (or even on video) but I feel like Albin/Zsa Zsa needs some non-ridiculous moments to make the audience root for him.

On the positive side, I was glad to hear Kelsey Grammer's singing. He proves to have a real voice, with nice legato and a sizeable range. He even manages to reach into his upper register with attractive singing. His affable manner seems right for Georges the emcee of the club while being in the shadow of Albin, too.

A.J. Shively in his Broadway debut displays a nice tenor range in some lovely singing, also.

Jerry Herman again shows he is one of the few songwriters who is capable of handling both the music and lyrics. You not only can leave the theater humming, but will remember snatches of lyrics, since they are repeated so often. I only mean that as a slight slight.

This production has been open for almost nine months at this point, eclipsing a previous 2004 revival that lasted six months. The original Broadway production lasted more than four years. I recall seeing the tour in Detroit in 1985, I think it was with Keene Curtis and Peter Marshall.

La Cage aux Folles

Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman

Book by Harvey Fierstein

based on the play by Jean Poiret

Original production opened in 1983; this production opened in April 2010 and is still running.

Cast: Kelsey Grammer, Douglas Hodge, A.J. Shively.

My former assistant was just awarded a MacArthur "Genius" grant

Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration; David Cromer wasn't really my assistant. He and I were assistant co-producers for a show presented by the Museum of Science and Industry in 1999. The show was an original script developed through improv about the nature and properties of light. Cromer was in the cast as Sir Isaac Newton and was in charge of the cast of six after the show opened. I was the stage manager and in charge of keeping the technical side of things running.

The show called "See the Light" ran all summer long at MSI, six days a week, with two and three show days--kind of like a theme park. I can't quite recall, but I think we did something like 180 performances.

It was hell most of the time. It was an add-on ticket to museum admission, so very few people bought in. We had very small houses--often 10 or 12, which did nothing for cast morale. Neither Cromer nor I were very good at counter-acting that problem. We were both too cynical and smart-alecky to try and do anything about it. Fortunately, we had a smart, funny, talented, and professional cast, who kept their heads up no matter how deep the water got.

Obviously, David Cromer has gone on to much bigger and better projects and he deserves the recognition he is receiving. He is a very good director and works well with actors. While I did not see his production of OUR TOWN, I have only heard good things about it and his furthur stripping down of the stripped down play.

I'm resisting the urge to be cynical and smart-alecky.

Podcasts from The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume 1

I admit to being years behind the curve with this one, but after discovering the music of Jeff Blumenkrantz about four years ago, I have finally taken the time to download and listen to (most of) his collection of 20 recordings of the songs from The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume 1, along with about 18 recordings of songs not in the songbook. I have made it through probably half the collection so far, and I look forward to listening to the remainder and any future songs Mr. Blumenkrantz may add to the collection.

I first learned of Jeff's songwriting by falling in love with (have so many have) his "I Won't Mind" on Audra McDonald's album. It took me a long time to realize that this was the same Jeff Blumenkrantz I had done summer stock with in 1984 (like there could be more than one?). I had seen his name in performing credits from time to time, but hadn't realized he had added songwriter to his accomplishments. Well, not to dis Jeff's capable performance abilities, but I suspect that at the end of his career it will be as a songwriter that he is most warmly remembered--and rightfully so.

With a wide range of styles and themes, and a keen intellect for writing lyrics that often manage to be poetic and conversational at the same time, these are songs that performers clearly love to sing, as evinced by the stellar line-up of performers singing on his podcasts--Sutton Foster, Kelli O'Hara, Kate Shindle, Megan Mullally, Marin Mazzie, Judy Blazer, and on and on. There are some men, too, but it seems to be with women that Mr. Blumenkrantz's music really takes hold. The singing is uniformly good, and often great, with performances that draw out the nuances in the songs without making them too precious. There are comedy numbers, too, which are all character-based and deserve wider hearing.

The last few recordings I have to listen to include most of Jeff's settings of Edna St. Vincent Millay poems. I've only listened to one so far and it had a tremendous, emotional impact with an art-song sensibility that will bring me to the other settings in the near future. When I have more to say about those songs, I will. Until then, if you want to check out Jeff's music for yourself, the podcasts are all available free through www.jeffblumenkrantz.com.

Enjoy.

The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume I

Music by Mr. Blumenkrantz, lyrics by Mr. Blumenkrantz, Edna St. Vincent Millay and many others.

Cast: Jeff Blumenkrantz, Kelli O'Hara, Sutton Foster, Judy Blazer, Marin Mazzie, Kate Shindle and others.

Ghost Light Monday -- Paddle to the Sea, short film

If you don't know the children's book Paddle to the Sea by author and illustrator Holling C. Holling, you must check it out. Written in the 1940s it follows the travels of a small, carved, Indian canoe-figure as it floats through the Great Lakes, down the St. Lawrence River and into the Atlantic Ocean. The story is whimsical, with beautiful illustrations and teaches a lot about the geography of the Great Lakes.

I was surprised to come across a National Film Board of Canada live-action film of the story, made in 1966, but recently re-released on DVD by Criterion. I thought my niece and nephews might like it (since they know the book at least as well as I do), but thought I would check it out myself first (excuse). The Canadian Film Board generally produces wonderful short films, most of them documentaries.

While the photography and scenery of the film is beautiful and, at times, breath-takingly shot (Niagara Falls) by producer and director William Mason, I was a little disappointed in the film as a whole. It's only 30 minutes long--not long enough to really cover the most edifying parts of the story (the seasonal changes, geography, history, and industry of the Great Lakes). Neither was it enough time to really feel the length of the journey and the time span which it takes--as depicted in the book. Also the Native American (or rather First Nations, as this is set on the Canadian side of things) aspect disappears quickly in the film. In the book the Indian boy returns at the end, not in the film version. Also, one of the strongest impressions I have from the book are the illustrations (as exemplified by the title page), and the film uses none of them.

I will pass the DVD on to the kids in my life, because I do think some of the nature footage is worth seeing and it's another way to tell a story they will hear again and again over the years, but only to augment the book, not to replace it.

Paddle-to-the-Sea
written and illustrated by Holling Clancy Holling
published first in 1941

Paddle-to-the-Sea

film written and directed by William Mason

produced by the National Film Board of Canada in 1966

released on DVD by the Criterion Collection

Show Tunes--Rosemary Clooney CD

I should have looked at the label of this CD release more closely before picking it out of the stacks at the library; it's on a jazz label and most of the 12 tracks on Rosemary Clooney Show Tunes, while indeed being songs from Broadway shows, are treated as jazz standards presented in a club or cabaret setting. Jazz arrangements are not my thing.

Oh, well, it's hard to go wrong with Rosemary Clooney, and indeed, she rarely goes wrong on this disc. While her voice may be well past its prime, her interpretations, musicality and communicative skills are at their peak. This disc could serve as a primer for younger performers who let too much of their own personality get in the way of good songs. Rosemary uses her personality and personal experiences to inform the song, never to mask it.

My beef with jazz arrangements is that they too often follow the same format and mold--a verse of the song, some instrumental solo turns, another verse of the song. This happens too often on this disc, which all but one track involving all six of the session instrumentalists. The one song that is piano-only is my favorite on this recital--"Where do you start?" by Johnny Mandel with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. If this tune is from an actual show, I couldn't find it, but the song is melancholy and soulful, and Rosie imbues it with a lot of feeling.

There are three Rodgers and Hart tunes on this disc--the only songwriters represented more than once--and Ms. Clooney clearly feels at easy with the 1st R&H's swing and rhymes. Another successful swing arrangement is of the title song from Guys and Dolls.

Show Tunes
Music by Rodgers and Hart, Burton Lane, Frank Loesser, Kurt Weill, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Johnny Mandel, and others
Cast: Rosemary Clooney
Recorded for the Concord Jazz label in 1992

Standing Room Only--Jerry Hadley Recital Disc on CD

I have previously considered the wonderful singing and sad story of the late Jerry Hadley in three entries, so I was pleased when I came across his recital disc Standing Room Only. It is a varied mix of Broadway standards and rarities, several of which were new songs to me, surprisingly.

In reading a bit about Hadley's background and career, I was surprised to learn he was an Illinois native and received his Masters degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana--also the alma mater of one of my favorite baritones, Nathan Gunn. Obviously, these are two very different singers, but there does strike me to be a similarity in their muscular upper registers.

The tracks on this recording are all well done and well-sung. The liner notes make a point of saying that the orchestrations and arrangements are all new. I assume part of the reason behind that is to bring some of the songs into the rich center of Mr. Hadley's tenor range.

This album is at its best when offering material to showcase Mr. Hadley's wonderful legato singing, notably "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables, and "Younger Than Springtime" from South Pacific. But there are character pieces, too, that are well done, with Mr. Hadley able to scale-down his ringing open top to present a lighter sound. Also impressive is the trust placed in some of the arrangements, not all of which feel the need to bring on the brass section to drive home their point; some are very sparsely instrumentalized (is that a word?) to create a contrast with bigger arrangements. "Momma Look Sharp" is perhaps the most effective of the smaller-scale efforts.

After listening to this very good recital disc, it's not difficult to come up with another 18 musical theater songs I would have enjoyed hearing him sing. Sadly, that can never be.

Standing Room Only

Broadway Favorites

(including songs by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Marvin Hamlisch, Lerner and Loewe, Frank Loesser, and others)

Cast: Jerry Hadley, Paul Gemignani, American Theatre Orchestra

Released on the RCAVictor label in 1992