Straight No Chaser live performance

Last night I went to a live performance of a men's a capella group called Straight No Chaser. The 10-voice group was formed at Indiana University about 14 years ago when its members were students there. When the group reconvened for their 10-year college reunion, a video of the group was posted on YouTube and received something like 6 million hits, leading to a record contract, multi-city tour, PBS broadcast, and lots of iTunes downloads. The Chicago concert last night was a bit of a homecoming as the founder (and I believe primary artistic force behind the group) Dan Ponce, is a Chicago native and for a while was a news reporter on the local ABC television affiliate.

The group is very musically polished, with a couple of good solo singers, and a strong overall balance--although in last night's performance I did think the bass voices were over-amplified compared to the lead and inner voices. That's a mixing issue, though, not a musical one.

The primary YouTube clip that has gotten attention is a take-off of the 12 Days of Christmas, which was performed toward the end of the group's second set last night. It is a creative and funny arrangement, playing off a lot of the other Christmas music the group had sung earlier that night.

My primary beef with the group is a petty one--they have the most ill-fitting suits on a doo-wop group ever. They are all black with white shirts and black or red ties. Simple enough. But none of the 10 had been well-fit into these off the rack garmets.

Okay, so you're straight. I get it. That doesn't mean you can't be dressed and fitted a little better by a gay man.

Eric Whitacre American composer

I went to a choral concert last night that included two works by contemporary American composer Eric Whitacre. Whitacre is a bit of the "it" choral composer of the moment--well really longer than of the moment. His popularity began after his "Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine" premiered at the National Choral Directors Association convention in 2001. The two Whitacre works on the program I heard last night were the "Leonardo" piece and Five Hebrew Love Songs to texts by Whitacre's then girlfriend now wife. This was not the first time I've encountered the work of Mr. Whitacre; I previously heard his "Cloudburst" written when he was still a student in the late 90s, I believe.

I am intrigued by Mr. Whitacre's compositional style. Descriptions of his works I've read have talked about a "Whitacre chord", primarily a major chord in the root position with an added second or fourth. Certainly he is not the first composer to incorporate these chords into choral pieces, but I guess the point is that Mr. Whitacre often uses them. I don't have a well-enough trained ear to identify these chords when I hear them, so I'm not qualified to speak on that.

What I will say is that Mr. Whitacre's work (as exemplified in the three works I've heard so far) has much to recommend it; it is tonally accessible without being cloying and often includes non-lyrical vocalisms--by that I mean the singers make percussive sounds at times during the pieces to illuminate the text or the story behind the text. An example of this would be the 'plips' and 'plops' of rain in "Cloudburst". Where I have difficulty with the pieces I've heard (particularly the two last night) is that they seem to lack a substantial climax or over-all structure to make them as effective as they might be. That of course could be due to the performance I heard, rather than pieces themselves, however.

The concert I attended was a one-night-only choral event by a local university's choral program, so you will need to seek other opportunities to hear Mr. Whitacre's compositions. If you do, or if you have, please let me know your thoughts about them.

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris--Live performance

Thanks to a friend of mine, I was able to attend the opening night of Jacques Brel... at the Theatre Conservatory of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. I've long had a fascination with this show and the songs of Brel, so a chance to see it live was greatly appreciated. I've previously discussed listening to the original cast album and seeing the film version.

The musical theater program at Roosevelt is strong, and as evinced by the cast of 21 in this review, deep. There are also clearly capable, creative faculty and staff leading the young casts and creating the productions. Brel is the perfect show to expand into a large cast from its roots as a review for 4 singers. That expansion here has been ably handled by stage director and music director--both on the faculty at the school. The arrangements of several songs in the show to incorporate a chorus were particularly impressive--I wonder if these versions are available for other productions?

The inclusion of a bit of narration about Brel and the world he came from (along with quotes by him and about him) was kept to a minimum and provided good transitions between songs, allowing the cast (all of whom were on-stage for the entire show) to re-set their positions.

I was particularly impressed by the strength of the singing voices in the show--these were kids who clearly have vocal training and are learning the mechanics of their voices. While several upper registers were not yet fully developed, no one had vast breaks between registers, and most singers handled the transition between registers very well. A particular treat was hearing unamplified voices, which could be accomplished in the relatively small confines of Roosevelt's O'Malley Theatre. As I have done in the past, I do not wish to mention any student performers by name--it would be unfair to criticize performances in a non-professional setting--but several in the cast are worthy of mention and deserving of professional careers in the near future.

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris

Music and lyrics by Jacques Brel (this is what the program said, but I question this; I thought Brel wrote the lyrics and had several composers he worked with)

English lyrics by Eric Blau and Mort Shuman

A lively and accomplished cast of 21 undergraduate students

Live performance at Roosevelt University's Theatre Conservatory

This production only plays one weekend through Sunday, November 22, 2009.

So hurry.

A Tribute to Johnny Mercer--live performance of the Chicago Humanities Festival

Full disclosure, I used to work for the Chicago Humanities Festival. That said their programs can be stodgy, overly academic, and humorless. Those problems were on display in the festival's cabaret presentation last night--A Tribute to Johnny Mercer.

I didn't know much about Johnny Mercer, and the only song title I could name before walking in the door to this performance was Autumn Leaves. I still don't know much about the man, although I do realize that he had a hand in many more songs that I knew--Come Rain or Come Shine, Fools Rush In, Jeepers Creepers, Hooray for Hollywood, Satin Doll.

All of these songs and thirty others were presented in whole or part by five performers--singers Klea Blackhurst and Stephanie Morse, and pianist/singers Billy Stritch, Steve Ross and Charles Cochran. The song selections and connective narration were done by Barry Day--co-author of The Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer. Mr. Day was the host of the evening as well.

Okay, 36 songs sounds like a lot--and it was--but not from a length standpoint. The songs were short enough and narration between brief enough that the one-act performance didn't feel too long. However, hearing Mercer's songs back-to-back-to-back-to--you get the point--you realize that his compositional style didn't vary a whole lot. Most of the songs sounded exactly alike; Mr. Mercer wrote songs for crooners, and I would have loved some more up-tempo selections or arrangements to break up the monotony.

There were other issues I had with the performance, but let's just leave it at that.

A Tribute to Johnny Mercer
Created and directed (?) by Barry Day
With performers Klea Blackhurst, Steve Ross, Billy Stritch, Charles Cochran, Stephanie Morse
This one a one-night only event.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog on DVD

Okay, I admit that I am way behind the curve on getting into this Internet serial musical. Over the weekend I saw the whole 40-minute story of Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog on DVD with its plethora of DVD extras. I was surprised to find it among the PBS and BBC DVDs at my local library.


This is a warped and wonderful story, that never hesitates to make the most obvious joke or poke fun at its own genre, itself or anything else--just as Joss Whedon did with the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer years before. The music is all very hummable, even if the structure of it is flawed. I like my songs to be verse-chorus-verse-chorus numbers.

The best singing is by Neil Patrick Harris. Nathan Fillion lets his bravado overcome any vocal deficiencies. Felicia Day has a light soubrettish voice that was only slightly annoying at times.

What struck me about this musical was that it would never work on stage. The array of musical styles and the tremendous vocal ranges required would tax any performer in an eight-shows-a-week set-up, and the quick changes between singing to another character versus singing about another character would be confusing without the camera focus to direct our attention.

Still it's another new and entertaining way to tell a musical story. I hope the format catches on.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog
Music, Lyrics and book by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, Zack Whedon
Cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day

Ghost Light Monday--Into the Wild

I have wanted to see Into the Wild for a while--since I first saw and liked Emile Hirsch in Milk about a year ago. I knew some general stuff about the story of Into the Wild, but not nearly enough to realize what a beautifully photographed and acted film this is, and what a disturbing, yet somehow heart-warming story this is.

Firstly, Hal Holbrook must be now granted not only the status of national institution, but also the position of grandfather of all the most subtle, effective, and nuanced film acting. Mr. Holbrook is on screen for maybe 10 minutes of this film, but he is so heart-wrenchingly wonderful that you forget that he's on screen with someone else.

That sounds like a dis against Emile Hirsch; it is not intended as such. Mr. Hirsch owns this film and deserves every bit of praise it has afforded him. There are other effective performances here, too, from William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden and particularly from Jena Malone who does wonderful work with her voice-overs.

The only aspect of the film that I took a bit of issue with was the use of quotes written over the screen as if they were handwritten. I realize that this relates to the diary we see Alexander/Christopher keeping while living in the Magic Bus, but I thought the technique a bit obvious and got in the way more than it helped. Luckily for me, the practice was not continued in the later part of the film.

Classical Monday--Gounod's Faust at Lyric Opera

It's not actually Monday, but I saw this opera on Monday night and it's been weeks since I've posted anything, so I thought I'd better get this down.

I had never seen Gounod's Faust before, so when I was offered a ticket by a friend, and I realized that Rene Pape was singing Mephistopheles, I was happy to take the ticket off my friend's hand. There are several arias that are excerpted for recitals and discs often--particularly Marguerite's "Jewel Song", which must be the idea that Leonard Bernstein spoofs in "Glitter and be Gay"--but I had never heard the whole work before. The music is lovely and vrai francais. Even the recitative sections are melodic. Fortunately, the music was front and center in this production with a strong international cast under the music direction of Sir Andrew Davis.

That said, I felt a lot of potential in the physical production was missed. I have no idea how old the sets and costumes for this staging are, but even if they are only a couple of years old, they represent staging ideas from a couple of centuries ago. While there were some sections of active staging, a lot of the time it was the "park and bark" style of presentation. If you're not familiar with that phrase, it means to plant yourself center stage and sing at the top of your lungs. I particularly wanted some more from Mr. Pape as Mephistopheles. While the Bass exudes suavity and charm--although not to the same degree as Samuel Ramey, the Mephisto I heard in Boito's Mephistopheles--I felt that attribute could have been played up more, particularly in the garden scene when the devil is getting into the details of seducing and then being put off by the attentions of Marthe. This production was staged by Frank Corsaro, a familiar name in opera direction. And the production had a lot of familiar opera touches, most of which fell flat, like the pyrotechnic flash Mephisto sets off in the final scene of the opera; it added nothing, revealed nothing, was an obvious, dated trick, and seemed cheesy.

The singing was all good, though not often excellent. Rene Pape was obviously the most mature singer in the cast--a complaint I've often had recently with Lyric Opera productions, there is some star power in the cast, but the people who sing opposite them are not of the same caliber or experience. Pape has sung in all the major houses in the world--Ana Maria Martinez (Marguerite) and Piotr Beczala (Faust) have sung in one or two major houses at this point in their careers. With the Civic Opera House (where Lyric performs) holding more than 3,600 seats, you need an accomplished singer and performer to reach the audience.

Not that I had any trouble hearing anyone. Volume was not the issue--color was. None of these singers, including Pape, seemed to have the right vocal color or style for French music. Tenor Beczala, while having all the clarion high notes you could ask for, seemed vocally strident at times, and more a Verdi tenor than a Gounod one.

Clearly, I haven't grown much in my quest to outgrow the bitterness that has crept into my theater-going experiences. With the resumption of the fall theater and opera seasons, I need to see if I can shake that off.

Faust
Music by Charles Gounod

Rene Pape, Ana Maria Martinez, Piotr Beczala, Lucas Meachum
Continues at Lyric Opera through November 7

Kiss Me Kate--1999 Broadway Cast Album

Yes, I am guilty of stuffing the ballot box of late with votes for Brian Stokes Mitchell, but after the disturbing Assassins, I needed some light-hearted musical entertainment, and the revival cast of Kiss Me Kate seemed the right choice. It did the trick, reminding me that Broadway musicals can be smart, witty, and singable without giving you the wiggins.

I'm not certain I agree with the orchestration changes Don Sebesky made to this score. The notes in the liner booklet go on an on about how the new orchestrations (and slight alterations to the score) helped to place the music more specifically in the time-frame of the play (Shrew--Elizabethan), or of the play-within-the-play (Baltimore 1940s-50s). While I hear those differences, I don't think they were needed for a good ol' time at the theater. And what justifies the very modern version of "Another Opening Another Show" with its American Idol-inspired vocals? Adriane Lenox sings it well, so I suppose you can justify anything.

What I don't have to justify is the cast--top-notch throughout. Perhaps one of the benefits of remounting a Broadway classic in a high-profile revival is that you have access to professionals who have heard and sung this music all their lives and know how to do it. Marin Mazzie proves herself particularly versatile, in a role which requires both belt and legato singing.

Kiss Me Kate
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Book by Samuel and Bella Spewack
Opened originally in 1948
This revival opened in 1999
Cast: Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Lee Wilkof, Amy Spanger, Michael Berresse, Michael Mulheren

Assassins--2004 Broadway Cast Album

With the recent release from prison of Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme it seems as good a time as any to dig into the stack of albums waiting for my Thinking and put Sondheim's Assassins on the player.

This is the only Broadway cast album of this show, because the original 1990 incarnation was produced by Playwrights Horizons and never produced on Broadway, although that cast was recorded.

I have heard bits and pieces of this show before--I have a vague recollection of a video clip of Patrick Cassidy (from the Playwrights production) singing "The Ballad of Booth"--but that was all I knew of the show. Given that musical snippet I was hoping for a show with some pastiche musical styles fitting the eras of the various assassins, and while there is quite a bit of that, there was not enough to keep my ears riveted.

Neil Patrick Harris is the vocal stand-out of this vocally good cast. Besides singing more than anyone as he portrayed both the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald, NPH has the right vocal tone to sing Sondheim's music well. By that I mean he has a lightish, forward-placed voice that can hopscotch around the turns in Sondheim's melodies.

My problem with this show is probably more thematic than musical; I don't find the exploration of the mind of a killer to be interesting. At first I thought the show was exploring how Presidential assassins are really just footnotes to history, but the end of the show with Lee Harvey Oswald and the reprise of the opening "Everybody's Got a Right" were too creepy for that interpretation. Whether you believe guns kill people or people kill people, there are lots of both on display.

This is the first appearance of one of my favorite actresses, though, Becky Ann Baker. I've never seen Ms. Baker live (and don't actually know if she's been in other musicals besides this production), but I loved, Loved, LOVED her in the television series Freaks and Geeks from the late 1990s. The whole series is one of my favs, but I digress...

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by John Weidman
Originally produced in 1990
Opened on Broadway in 2004
This cast: Neil Patrick Harris, Becky Ann Baker, Michael Cerveris, Marc Kudisch, Denis O'Hare, Mario Cantone

Flower Drum Song--2002 Broadway Cast Album

I've previously watched the film version of this show, so I thought I knew what I was in for when I popped the cast album of the 2002 Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song into the player. Turns out this revival was a very different show from the original, as evidenced not only by the synopsis of the show and the notes by Ted Chapin provided in the booklet to the CD, but also by the music itself. The score is re-orchestrated, the book re-written, characters re-arranged, and songs re-assigned.

All of this is thanks primarily to David Henry Hwang who approached the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization about reworking the show for a contemporary audience. I don't know if that means that the show is no longer set in the 1950s, the notes don't discuss that. But from my recollections of the film, several characters are missing, and the notion of arranged marriage from the original story has been taken out.

Lea Salonga starred as Mei-Li in the version, and her singing on this disc is very good from beginning to end. Ms. Salonga has a warm and lovely music theater voice which general traverses well into her head voice. The character of Mei-Li is given the song "Love, Look Away" which was sung by the character of Helen in the original version. This is a wonderful song, and Ms. Salonga sings it well, although I have some slight issues with the tempo and some of the rhythms taken in this version. Other good singing from this cast is given by Jose Llana as number one son Ta (although if there is a number two son, he's not on the disc), and Sandra Allen as Linda Low.

Less successful to me is turning "Don't Marry Me" into a duet. Jack Soo was so droll and funny in his delivery of this song in the film version, I missed the character of Sammy Fong in the 2002 arrangement (two characters have been combined here).

There is a moment in the second act finale that I need someone to explain to me. The actors seem to step out of character and announce where they were born. I suppose this is to show how diverse the Asian community is, but I wonder how it worked on stage. I certainly can't blame the R&H Organization or Mr. Hwang for wishing to rework Flower Drum Song for a new incarnation, but I do wonder if they went too far.

Flower Drum Song
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by David Henry Hwang
This version opened in 2002
Cast: Lea Salonga, Jose Llana, Sandra Allen,

Ghost Light Monday--Julie & Julia at the Multiplex

How could I not talk about the uber-blog and the movie which it spawned? I did encounter Julie Powell's blog before the book was published, but after she had completed her 365 journey. Safe to say that Ms. Powell is the woman who launched a thousand blogs--including this one.

Well, the film incarnation of Julie & Julia is delightful. Some have criticized the inclusion of Ms. Powell's story in this film. They believe that Julia Child is worthy of her own film, and while I agree with that comment, I think the Powell parts of the story help put Mrs. Child's accomplishments into perspective, which we wouldn't get just from the 50s portion of the tale. We also get some information about the Childs that it would be ackward to reveal in their section of the film.

Meryl Streep captures all the joie de vivre and determination that is Julia Child, along with her vocal and physical mannerisms. We only see a bit of the saucy (pun intended) Julia, apparently she was not adverse to four-letter words and strong sexual innuendo, as I learned when I read both My Life in France and another biography called Appetite for Life.

Do Re Mi--1999 Encores Cast on CD

For a while in Chicago there was a series of musical concerts based on the Encores Series in New York. Ovations (as the Chicago incarnation was called) lasted one season, maybe two. Listening to this recording of an Encores production of Do Re Mi has made me miss the Chicago version.

I didn't know anything about this show until I bought this recording probably 5 years ago. I'm sure I bought it because Nathan Lane starred in it. While the talents of Mr. Lane are ably on display on this disc, there is a lot of other stuff to appreciate here, too.

Let's start with the singing of Brian Stokes Mitchell. Yes, I know I've gone on and on about Mr. Mitchell before, but this is some of his finest singing, in my humble opinion. He taps into all of his baritonal colors and richness and still has the ability to reach into his upper register. His Act I "I Know about Love" shows off all of Mr. Mitchell's abilities and is a wonderful song to boot. I don't know why I had never heard it before; it deserves a life outside the show. I will add it to my list of "lonely" songs for my one-man show in my head.

The most recognizable song from this score is "Make Someone Happy". But that song doesn't interest me nearly as much as others from the show--"It's Legitimate" (a Politics and Poker-type quartet), "All of My Life", "Cry Like the Wind", even the kitschy "That's What's new at the Zoo" are fun in their own ways.

The original cast for this show was also interesting--Phil Silvers, John Reardon, Nancy Walker and Nancy Dussault. I wonder if I can find that recording?

Do Re Mi

Music by Jule Styne

Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Book by Garson Kanin

Opened on Broadway in 1960

This cast from 1999

Cast: Randy Graff, Heather Headley, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane

Spring Awakening--Live on Stage

It's not your mother's musical.

I listened to and liked the cast album of this show when I bought it at the start of my Year of Musical Thinking, so I was glad when the Broadway tour of Spring Awakening finally made it to Chicago. I saw yesterday's matinee, with a lot of blue hairs (some might say I saw it with a lot of other blue hairs) and a surprising number of young people.

Perhaps the timing was right for this incarnation of the show--Forbidden Broadway makes fun of the idea that people in the Midwest would be offended by the language, themes, and plot points of this show. Offering the production during summer vacation probably allows more teenagers the chance to see it than would have during the school year. This is clearly a show for an angst-ridden audience of young people. I'm an angst-ridden member of the middle-aged, but I still appreciated a lot of this show.

From the time it was written in 1891, Wedekind's play which forms the book of this show has drawn ire, anger, shock, and banning. I believe I had to read it in a theater history class during college because the play holds some kind of lofty position for being so often censured. I imagine there are still audiences that would like to see this show with blatant representation of teenage sex (both gay and straight), masturbation, and references to incest, S & M, and abortion just go away. But that's part of the point of the show, and I believe the reason behind the creators of the musical version choosing this story: these aspects of life aren't going away, and not talking about them doesn't do anyone any good, and can actually do a lot of harm.

I talked about my reactions to the score when I listened to it last July, so I'll try to only talk about my reactions seeing the show live here.

I was caught unawares of the Bill T. Jones choreography in this show (despite the fact that he won a Tony for it). It was very sparingly used, with only a couple of very obvious moments of choreography. I could have actually used a little more. Given the "inner monologue" aspects of the music for this show, I found it at times very static to look at. Although what choreography there was, was again some kind of representation of the characters' inner angst "bleeding" out into the visible.

When this show premiered a lot was made about the actors using hand-held mics. Since this is only for the music, I didn't have a problem with it--again it was a way to separate the outer and inner realities. I did find that it wasn't consistent--which did bother me. There were times when characters sang without a hand-held (but still had the wireless mic used to amplify their dialogue). I couldn't discern if there was a commonality to when a visible mic was used or not used during song.

The cast of this tour is all very good and one of the strongest points of the show. I particularly liked the singing voice of Sarah Hunt (a recent high school graduate) who played Martha. I wished she had more to do in the show.

I was a little confused by the set for this show. It clearly has aspects of a turn-0f-the-last-century school building--perhaps a gymnasium. But the back wall is cluttered with a range of items. Maybe these are intended to be symbols of the cluttered minds of the teen characters, but that point wasn't made clearly enough if it's true.

A friend who attended the show with me, said he felt like this show would be a defining item for a generation--like Hair was, or Rent for earlier generations. He may be right; perhaps too early to determine that. I do feel the way this show communicates (with the music being outside the show, but inside the characters) is a very contemporary method of expression.

I should mention that the Playbill I have shown in this entry is not how the Playbill looked for the Chicago production; there was just the title, no carefully cropped photo of the lead couple copulating. Apparently, we blue hairs can handle the stuff on stage better than in our advertising and print materials.

Spring Awakening
Music by Duncan Sheik
Lyrics by Steven Sater
Book by Franz Wedekind
Opened on Broadway in 2007
Tour Cast: Christy Altomare, Angela Reed, Sarah Hung, Steffi D, Gabrielle Garza, Claire Sparks, Henry Stram, Anthony Lee Medina, Andy Mietus, Ben Moss, Matt Shingledecker, Blake Bashoff, Jake Epstein

Thinking on Holiday

It's time for my annual sojourn to the Canadian wilderness, so while my Musical Thinking won't stop while I'm away, my posting will. I have lots of tapes and CDs in the pipeline for when I return.

Mandy Patinkin--Recital disc "Oscar and Steve"

Like many musical theater fans, I first encountered Mandy Patinkin in his role in Evita, then later in Sunday in the Park with George. I've liked him in the stage work I've seen in him (although I've never seen him live). So I was curious about his recital disc Oscar and Steve from 1995 when I saw it at a used book and record sale this weekend. I thought "for three bucks, how bad could it be?"

The idea of of this album is wonderful--connecting the songs of Oscar Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim. There are several pairings of songs that are also very interesting, although work more from a thematic standpoint than from a musical one. The pairing of "You've got to be Carefully Taught" from South Pacific and "Children will Listen" from Into the Woods is a prime example--thematically these songs fit together very well, but in the arrangement offered here it seems to play up the musical differences rather than combine their styles. The version of "An Ordinary Couple" from The Sound of Music with "When the Children are Asleep" from Carousel works better--probably because they are by the same composer.

There are some nice rarities offered here, too: a song from the 1935 film version of Show Boat; a song cut from Follies; and a couple of songs originally written for women.

Mr. Patinkin's musical mannerisms are the stuff of legend, and he doesn't leave you wanting here, I should say--every mannerism is on display in spades. As the joke goes--Mandy Patinkin sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" so beautifully he makes himself cry. Is the joke from a version of Forbidden Broadway? For me the only thing more tiresome than an overly precious performance is an overly broad performance.

These two types of performances are Mr. Patinkin's stock and trade.

Oscar and Steve

Music by Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Kern, and others
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim

Performed by Mandy Patinkin

Released on Nonesuch Records in 1995

Ute Lemper--Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel

I discovered Ute Lemper about the same time I discovered Kurt Weill, so I have forever linked them together--a problem which has probably followed Ms. Lemper for much of her career. I really like her singing of this material, though, and this recording of Weill's Seven Deadly Sins shows why.

Previously, I had watched a very bizarre and confusing film version of this song cycle or chant ballet as its creators called it. Without the distraction of visuals, I am reminded that the orchestra parts of these songs are great. At times powerful, driving and hypnotic, the orchestra parts are what drive this piece for me--as if the orchestra represents the world around the characters who are driven to make such difficult choices given their economic condition. It is as timely now as in 1933 when the work was written.

Ms. Lemper is a wonderful proponent of the work, with a polished (but not too polished) delivery. I love how she, at times, chews her German and spits it out. Lemper strikes the right balance for me between a Lotte Lenya type performance, with its cigarette and gravel, and a Anne-Sophie Von Otter type performance coming from the world of opera. Ms. Lemper has a strong chest voice which rises well into middle range. She seems to have a large break, however, and a smallish headvoice. Fortunately, this work doesn't require much singing in that range.

The Mahagonny Songspiel from 1927 is a collection of songs loosely strung together in a story. I've previously talked about the opera version of Mahagonny. I find the smaller version much more palatable and effective.

I realize in looking at the recordings in my own collection that I have not discussed yet, I have lots of Kurt Weill to go. I hope the singing is as good as that by Ms. Lemper and her Mahagonny cast.


The Seven Deadly Sins
Mahagonny Songspiel
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by Bertold Brecht
written in 1933 and 1927, respectively
this performance released on London Decca Records in 1990
Cast: Ute Lemper, Berlin RIAS Sinfonietta, conducted by John Mauceri

Two from Deanna Durbin on DVD

I always thought of Deanna Durbin as some darling of the musical cinema in the late 30s and 40s, although I think I've only seen her as a juvenile singing the "legit" contrast to Judy Garland's swing. Well, I got a double dose of adult Deanna with It Started with Eve and Can't Help Singing, two musical films Miss Durbin made for Universal in 1941.

Eve is a more a mad-cap comedy with a couple of songs interpolated into it. Durbin plays a young classically trained singer who through a series of misadventures and lies poses as the fiancee of a young, wealthy playboy from New York City (Robert Cummings). The four songs Durbin sings during the film are operetta standards or art songs (one in Spanish). No one else sings in the film--probably a blessing as Robert Cumming's father is played by Charles Laughton. While Durbin's singing is first rate, the material is really lacking in substance. In particular, the film could have used a big, showy finale number for its star; as it is the story just ends.

Can't Help Singing is more of a traditional film musical, although there are only four songs in it, provided from the pen of Jerome Kern and Yip Harburg. I don't know if these songs were used elsewhere. Only the title song caught my ear, although Durbin's co-star Robert Paige has a nice voice.

I very much like Deanna Durbin's voice and regret that she didn't have a bigger, glitzier film career. Her voice has much more character than Kathryn Grayson or Jeannette MacDonald.

Can't Help Singing

It Started with Eve

released by Universal Pictures in 1941 and 1944

Cast: Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings, Robert Paige, Charles Laughton

Elaine Paige, Stages--recital disc on cassette tape

Being stuck in the 80s, I have a lot of cassette tapes, which I've only just started to explore for my Year of Musical Thinking. Fortunately, my father's car (which I borrowed for a weekend trip to Wisconsin) is also stuck in time and has a tape cassette player, so I was able to relive some of my musical past on the way north. As I got onto I-94 toward Milwaukee, I popped Elaine Paige Stages into the dashboard player.

Ms. Paige is one of those quintessential musical theater performers of the 70s and 80s, having created the roles of Eva Peron in Evita and Grisabella in Cats. She, of course, has done many things since then, but as this recording was made in 1987, songs from shows of the 70s and 80s dominate here.

That actually may be one of my criticisms of this recital disc...um, tape. The range of music is not very broad. I believe the earliest show represented, I believe is Hair (1968). The latest is Cats (1982). I would love to hear some tracks from shows of the 40s and 50s--the so-called Golden Age of Broadway. Perhaps Ms. Paige has another recording that mines that era.

It is hard to argue with any of Ms. Paige's singing, which is strong up and down her "chest" register and reaches into the middle range without getting ugly. I have always liked her voice and find it less nasal than some of her belt singer comrades.

All of the tracks here seem over-produced to me, with large orchestrations and involved arrangements that sometimes get in the way. Well, it was the 80s and it wasn't only the hair that was big. I particularly wished that songs like "Send in the Clowns" and "Losing my Mind" could have provided a change of sonority to the big, bold offerings.

Rosemary Clooney and Friends--Live performance by Chicago Cabaret Professionals

Rosemary Clooney did not personally appear in the cabaret performance. She died more than 7 years ago. I've never read her autobiography, Girl Singer, but after seeing Rosemary Clooney and Friends by the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, I want to. Rosie didn't have an easy or happy life.

Roughly once a month, the Chicago Cabaret Professionals have been producing one-night-only events at the Drury Lane Water Tower Theater. There is usually a theme or composer-focus for the music included and a different cast of singers participates each time. RC and Friends was the first one I've attended.

I was pleased by the differences in the styles and voices of the five women and one man who made up the cast of this evening. Ranging from a legit soprano voice through all variants of cabaret singer style to a "smoke and gravel" sound--each voice had its place and was suited to the music they were asked to sing.

Some of the music from Clooney's catalogue was familiar to me, but a lot was not. I could have wished for a couple additional uptempo songs, but given the show included more than 24 songs, that's a minor complaint.

Highlights for me were the Marlene Dietrich/Clooney duet between Suzanne Petri and Bob Moreen and two of Rosie's biggest hits "Mambo Italiano" and "Come-on-a My House" both performed by Heather Moran (who had fantastic shoes, too).

Rosemary Clooney and Friends

Created and performed by Chicago Cabaret Professionals

Performed Monday, July 27, 2009 at the Drury Lane Water Tower Theater

Cast: Suzanne Petri, Bob Moreen, Heather Moran, Ava Logan, Spider Saloff, Jeanne

The Making of Miss Saigon--BBC documentary

I have never seen Miss Saigon, so perhaps it's unfair of me to make any kind of assessment of the show based on this 1988 documentary The Making of Miss Saigon. But that's what I'm going to do.

Filmed over about a year's time, I assume as a publicity-builder for the world premiere of Miss Saigon in London, this documentary offers snippets of various aspects of the timeline in creating the show. The first half deals primarily with the worldwide search for the actress to play Kim. We see bits of auditions in New York, Hollywood, Hawaii, and Manila. There is a cringe factor with some of the auditions, and it's hard for me to judge objectively, but I think when you see Lea Salonga audition, you realize she's the one. With no makeup, Ms. Salonga looks very young when we first meet her. It's interesting that another Filipina was cast as the understudy for Kim. I wished for a little more info about their relationship to one another--all we get is a label that both women were alumnae of Manila's young people's program for musical theater.

Actually, this whole documentary would have benefited from a bit more narrative. Granted when you're in the process of creating a technically complicated, theatrically challenging new meta-musical, the last thing you have time to think about is a behind-the-scenes doc, but a bit of attention could have really helped the flow and tension of this film. There is still a bit of tension created--although it has nothing to do with the casting and all to do with the technology of the show.

We see very little of the final show--some chorus numbers, a song by Jonathan Pryce interspersed with chorus quick-changes. What we do see doesn't make me want to see more. I know there are some powerful ballads and duets in the score, but you wouldn't know it from this doc.

Not a lot of information is given about Jonathan Pryce, and again a little background would have helped. Is his character supposed to be multi-racial? He just kind of looks like his eyes are swollen from bee stings. No attention (not even an identifying label) is given to the actor playing the American soldier who is Kim's husband. See, they don't even say the character's name; is this purposeful?

This could fall under the heading of a cringe-making comment, but does anyone else find Cameron Mackintosh kind of adorable?

Miss Saigon
Music by Claud-Michel Schoneberg
Lyrics by Alain Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr.
Opened in London in 1988
Cast: Lea Salonga, Jonathan Pryce, and a bunch of other unidentified people.

Jacques Brel is alive and well and Living in Paris--film version

I didn't realize there had been a film version of JBIAAWALIP until this popped up on my Netflix suggestion list. Having been involved as a crew member in a stage production was I was 16, I have an affinity for this music. I'm certain I didn't understand it 30 years ago, and I'm not certain I understand it now, but despite that I like this music.

Well, the film version of this cabaret show sometimes helps and sometimes hinders getting a hold on the meaning behind the songs. At the risk of proving my ignorance and lack of understanding, I'll attempt to say what meaning I get out of this music:

Mr. Brel seems to be an nihilist, seeing and having experienced some of the worst of human behavior before, during and after the second World War. He also seems to be the antithesis of Edith Piaf's Je ne regret rien. M. Brel regret tout. Every song is tinged with sadness, regret and loss. His signature song, which I don't recall in the stage version of this show but is sung by Mr. Brel in the film, is titled Ne me quitte pas--Don't Leave Me. Well everybody leaves everything in Brel's songs. Lovers, parents, children, old folks, war, peace, security, homelands, even virginity gets left behind.

The cast for the film is three singers, Mort Shuman and Elly Stone from the original stage version, along with Joe Masiell. All three are well fitted to the music they perform. Mr. Masiell is a particularly good singer, and doesn't look bad in bullfighter silks, either. I thought of Mr. Shuman primarily as a character singer, but he does some nice legato singing here, too, when asked.

Elly Stone, along with her husband Eric Blau, is the primary reason American audiences know anything about Jacques Brel (if they do). Her inclusion of Brel's songs in her cabaret act lead to the creation of the show that is the basis of this film. While I like Ms. Stone's singing for the most part, I would have liked another female voice to form a little contrast.

Unlike the stage show, the film includes an ensemble behind the primary singers. The ensemble is mostly there for atmosphere, but also interact with the leads, although they don't sing. It's a bit like the clowning techniques used in other shows of the 60s and 70s--like Godspell. I'm not certain how much it added to my understanding or appreciation of the material, but at least it was some different faces to look at.

There are a lot of shots of eyes, particularly Mr. Brel's and Ms. Stone's. I'm not certain what the intent was, but I wanted a stronger sense of this being the way Mr. Brel saw the world.

Jacques Brel is alive and well and Living in Paris
Music by Brel and others
Lyrics by Brel, English versions by Mort Shuman and Eric Blau
Stage revue created in 1968, film released in 1975

Cast: Elly Stone, Mort Shuman, Joe Masiell

Chess--Broadway Cast Album

I don't like the graphic for the Broadway incarnation of this show nearly as much as the British version with its cascading checkerboard. The British concept album of Chess is the version I have imprinted on my brain, as I owned that album in college. So how would the American version (and an actual cast album, as opposed to a conceptualized version) compare? Very well, actually.

Previously when I had talked about liking Judy Kuhn's voice in a different show, a reader suggested I listen to the Broadway Chess album to get a real sense of Ms. Kuhn's abilities. Thank you for suggestion that, this album demonstrated her to be an an amazing singer, and there is a lot of her to enjoy on this cast album. Even more than there was of Elaine Paige on the concert album. Besides "Heaven Help My Heart" and the duet "I Know Him So Well" the Broadway version has a new song "Someone Else's Story" which is a wonderful addition to the score.

From just listening to the score, it seems like the focus of the show is placed firmly on Florence, with the competition between the Russian and the American more secondary. I wonder if the production supported that focus, or if I'm misreading it?

Philip Casnoff and David Carroll both have nice voices, and I have nothing to complain about either man's singing, although they do sound a bit alike to me. The photos included in the liner booklet also make them look a bit alike too. Maybe the producers wanted Florence to have a specific "type" of man, but from this listener's audiopoint and viewpoint, I wanted some differences--at least vocally.

There is an interesting note in the liner how the lyrics of "Endgame" were changed without the consent of lyricist Tim Rice. What could be so show-altering to warrant this footnote?

Chess
Music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Created in 1984, the Broadway production opened in 1988
Cast: Judy Kuhn, Philip Casnoff, David Carroll

South Pacific--the new Broadway cast recording on CD

Having liked Kelli O'Hara in previous shows in which I encountered her, I was looking forward to listening to this new Broadway version of South Pacific. I was also interested to hear Paulo Szot's singing as he has made a splash for his other attributes. Nothing disappointed.

I've never seen this show on stage, but have seen the film many times, and previously discussed a concert version with Reba McIntyre. I can't discuss in depth the book of this show, but if it is half as good as the music, then it's pretty good.

One of the things I like about this show, is that R&H have continued to develop the new ideas that they've introduced in their previous shows. South Pacific has twin soliloquies, which build on the solo soliloquy in Carousel. Rather than a dream ballet, the dance moment morphs into the Thanksgiving Follies. The writers are not just routinely inserting formats that worked before, but are conforming them to the world of the story. Can you imagine the dream ballet with Billis, Stewpot and the other sailors?

Kelli O'Hara continues to impress me with her vocal talents. In the little bit of dialogue included on this disc, she has taken on a thick Southwestern drawl which annoyed me. But as Ms. O'Hara is a native of Oklahoma, I'll trust that she's gotten the Arkansas patterns right.

I was surprise that Paulo Szot's voice isn't a little darker in color, although that may be vocal the ghosts of Ezio Pinza and Brian Stokes Mitchell in my ears. Mr. Szot sings everything well and handles the high notes with easy.

I'm a little depressed to note, however, that Mr. Szot is four years younger than I am. I had hopes my ingenue days were still in full bloom.

South Pacific

Music by Richard Rodgers

Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Book by Joshua Logan

Opened originally in 1949, this production in 2008

Cast: Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot, Danny Burstein, Matthew Morrison, Loretta Able Sayres

Follies in Concert--DVD and cassette tapes

It's a sort of two-fer for today's entry. I had hopes that the Follies in Concert DVD would be a full-fledged taping of the concert, but as it is mostly a behind the scenes documentary with some snippets of the performance, I've had to rely on the two cassette recording I bought back in the 80s, when a Walkman was the height of technology.

I've never seen Follies on stage. It is not produced very often. Sondheim himself comments on why in the documentary. The size of the cast is daunting--given that many roles are represented by a young version and a middle aged version.

I think the idea of this show is fantastic, with characters constantly confronting their memories and their earlier selves. I love most of the score, too, with its collection of pastiche songs and dances in the manner of the earlier era meeting a more contemporary musical idiom in songs the older cast sing.

The cast is also top-notch throughout. While many of the older cast members are significantly younger than their characters should be, everyone is superb at communicating the core of their characters, primarily through music. The young company gets a little bit of the short stick, I have to say, both in the structure of the show and in face time in the behind-the-scenes documentary.

A highlight for me is the Heidis duet "One More Kiss" sung in this concert by Licia Albanese and Erie Mills. I don't know the backgrounds of either performer well, but they seem to perfectly capture the essence of this song from a vocal standpoint. Ms. Albanese was a Met Opera performer long past her prime when this concert was given in 1984. The ghost of a voice is still there, but with many wobbles. Ms. Mills is a young coloratura soprano who handles the runs and high notes quite well.

I've always been curious about the 1971 recording of this show. Apparently it excluded many of the songs to fit onto one record. I'd love to hear Yvonne de Carlo sing "I'm Still Here". I'd also like to hear the 2001 Roundabout Theater cast, which included Kelli O'Hara, Treat Williams, Gregory Harrison, Erin Dilly, Blythe Danner and on and on. Was it recorded?

Follies in Concert
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Goldman

Premiered in 1971

This concert took place at Lincoln Center in 1984

Cast: Carol Burnett, Elaine Stritch, George Hearn, Barbara Cook, Mandy Patinkin, Liz Callaway, Howard McGlinn, Daisy Prince, Lee Remick,

Classical Monday--Benjamin Britten's Gloriana

I'm over-reaching my primary mission a bit for today's entry, although I've talked about English-language operas before. I actually wasn't certain what Gloriana was before I put the dvd in the player. As someone who likes Britten's music and seeks it out when I can, I had heard the name of this piece before, but thought it might be a sacred cantata. Well, its a full-fledged opera, grander than any Britten opera I've encountered before, even Billy Budd.

Written to commemorate Elizabeth II's coronation, Gloriana tells part of the story of that monarch's namesake, Elizabeth I. In particular, the plots follows the relationship between Robert Devereux, Earl of Sussex and the Queen, and how that relationship falters after he fails to secure Ireland for the crown. While this relationship was rumored to be intimate, the opera portrays nothing unseemly, nor does it refer to that aspect--I assume in deference to the second Elizabeth regina.

Apparently, the current Queen Elizabeth didn't care for the opera and it was a bit of a critical failure when premiered in 1953. I can't quite imagine that; I loved almost everything about this 1984 English National Opera production. Of course, much of what worked for me was the performance of Sarah Walker in the title role (Gloriana is a moniker given to E1 by Edmund Spenser in The Faerie Queene).

Ms. Walker (pictured above) is riveting as an actress, breathtaking as a singer, and proves herself a bit of a dancer as well. She rules any scene in which she appears (justly so) and even when in a more passive position, such as during a masque performed on stage, Ms. Walker's character is a glory to watch. The role requires a huge singing range, and Ms. Walker who is nominally a mezzo-soprano is thrilling from top to bottom.

The libretto for this opera is by William Plomer and it is one of the strongest aspects of this work; if you watch this production on dvd, include the English subtitles so you can see the text. I find the poetry wonderful, clever when needed, comic when appropriate, and rhapsodic most of the rest of the time.

The music is at times challenging, but never off-putting as I sometimes think Britten can be. There is a lot of dance music, many fanfares, and a couple of songs accompanied by lute. The large chorus has a lot to sing and at times it is unaccompanied and beautiful.

I'm not certain why this opera does not appear more often in the repertory.

Perhaps it is because Ms. Walker has retired.

Gloriana

Music by Benjamin Britten

Libretto by William Plomer

based on the book Elizabeth and Essex by Lytton Strachey

premiered in 1953

this production filmed in 1984

Cast: Sarah Walker, Anthony-Rolfe Johnson

Conducted by Mark Elder

Lullaby of Broadway--Hollywood fluff on DVD

I've never really considered the musicals of Warner Bros. MGM seems such a dominate force in the movie musical machine, it is easy to forget that other studios had musical stars and created vehicles for them. Well, Lullaby of Broadway is one of the vehicles created for Doris Day, and it is Ms. Day's charm that keeps the vehicle from completely running off the road.

As most films of the day had, Lullaby has a hodge-podge score including songs from a number of composers' pens. Many are by Cole Porter, but also represented are Harry Warren and Al Dubin, and James Hanly's "Zing Went the Strings of my Heart".

The leading man here is Gene Nelson. I had never heard of him before seeing this film. He is a likable enough performer, with a slightly "slick" side to him. He has a crooner's voice that matches well with Ms. Day. Several numbers in the film prove that he is a very athletic tap dancer. There is one clever dance number for Day and Nelson that involves clear glass swinging doors.

All the of the songs are presented in some kind of show setting, either on board the ship that is bringing Melinda Howard (Day) from England to America, at a party scene, or in preparation of a Broadway show. That gives the score its mostly upbeat tempo, although there are a couple of comic numbers by other characters.

One of the extras to this DVD is a collection of the movie trailers to Doris Day's Warner Bros. musicals. The thing that struck me, is that she had a different leading man for each of the seven musical films represented. Its so easy to think of Rock Hudson as Ms. Day's leading man as they were in so many films together later in her career, but apparently she went through just about the full stock of leading musical men before that.

Lullaby of Broadway
Music and lyrics by several people
Film released in 1951 by Warner Bros.
Cast: Doris Day, Gene Nelson, S.Z. Sakall, Billy De Wolfe, Anne Triola, Gladys George

Shrek the Musical--OBC album

I am not the target market for this show. I'm not a kid. I don't have a kid. I don't want to be around kids. And I've never seen the movie that is the basis for this show. That said I was actually looking forward to listening to the cast album of Shrek the Musical. I've liked the previous Jeanine Tesori scores I've encountered. I've like the singing voices of both Brian D'Arcy James and Sutton Foster. So how about the latest endeavour from all of them? Uninspiring.

There were many times when I thought "Alright, this song/premise/title seems promising" and an initial musical introduction would perk up my ears, but in every case the song would fizzle for me before it ended. In many cases I felt the lyrics were rather too casual and not poetic enough to inspire a character to sing. Isn't that why a character sings? Because the emotions and message they have to convey is too strong to just put into words? Some songs had poetic titles--like "When Words Fail" or "Who I'd Be" but in each song even the refrain would lack any more poetry than the title.

The performances all seem hampered by something--a heavy costume, having to be on your knees the whole time, a thick speaking accent, actually being off stage while your character is represented by some kind of puppet on stage. I was particularly disappointed in Brian D'Arcy James; granted he has to perform through a put-on accent and a heavy costume, but nothing on this disc led me to feel any compassion for the leading man, um, ogre. Princess Fiona seems rather passive--at least as represented by her songs.

The music is very piece-meal. If you don't like a particular style of music, wait three minutes, it'll change. There will be a couple styles at least in one song alone. I think that is part of the reason the show didn't work for me. The structure of the songs doesn't allow for a build toward a climax. Several songs do involve clever quod-libet sections (where two melodies--or even three--are sung on top of one another), but the initial melodies seem uninspired, so you end up with layers of uninspired.

Never having seen the animated film, I was struck by the similarity in Shrek's plot to The Island of Misfit Toys from the Rankin and Bass television Rudolph special from my youth. I'm all for letting your freak flag wave, but you'd better have something really special to share. None of these freaks did.

Shrek the Musical
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Lyrics and book by David Lindsay-Abaire
Opened December 2008
Cast: Brian D'Arcy James, Sutton Foster, Christopher Sieber, Daniel Breaker

Cabaret--New Broadway Cast album

Days after her tragic death, I found the cast album of the 1998 Broadway (and Roundabout Theater) incarnation of Cabaret with Natasha Richardson. It has taken me until now to listen to it, and I'm not certain why.

I've only ever seen the film version of Cabaret which I talked about months ago. As the film severely streamlines the story (and cuts out all of the romance between the older couple) a lot of this music was new to me. I liked it all--from pastische Viennese waltzes, to ersatz Nazi propaganda songs, to raunchy cabaret acts, to show-stopper belt ballads--I liked it all.

Ms. Richardson made a splash in the role primarily for her acting, I believe. It is hard to make that case in a recording. I found her singing somewhat wanting. I realize that some have criticized Liza Minnelli for being too good--"How would she ever be stuck in this third-rate Berlin nightclub?" But there are times when I want my underdog characters to over reach their abilities. Perhaps Ms. Richardson's performance did that, but her voice was merely adequate and didn't push even an emotional extreme until the very end of the title song at the end of Act II. She underplays the Act I "Maybe This Time" and I felt this was a mistake.

It is difficult to judge Alan Cumming's performance just from the audio recording. He sings everything well and seems to have a strong sense of how to approach each number.

One interesting aspect to this recording--there are audience reactions (applause, laughs, etc.) to the tracks which take place in the cabaret setting. I assume these reactions are electronically added, rather than being from a live studio audience. It helps make the case for which scenes are show-scenes and which are within the storyline.

The very good liner notes outlining the history of the Cabaret from Isherwood stories to re-incarnated Broadway show provide a lot of interest information. I was particularly interested to know that Jane Horracks played Sally Bowles in the 1992 London Donmar Warehouse production that formed the basis for this Broadway version. Jane Horracks is mostly known as "Bubble" the ditsy assistant on "Absolutely Fabulous." I've heard she has a tremendous singing voice, though.

I wonder if that version was recorded?

Cabaret
Music John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Book by Joe Masteroff
Originally produced in 1966
This production played in London in 1992 and then came to New York in 1998
Directed by Sam Mendes
Cast: Natasha Richardson, Alan Cumming, Mary Louise Wilson, Ron Rifkin, John Benjamin Hickey, Denis O'Hare

Broadway Melody of 1940--film on DVD

It's another Hollywood invention today. Broadway Melody of 1940 is the last of the three Broadway Melody films, and perhaps the most successful. It is primarily a dance film, although there are a couple of sung songs in the score, all of which is by Cole Porter, although they get short shrift compared to the wonderful dance offered up by the Queen of Tap, Eleanor Powell, and always-watchable Fred Astaire.

As Hollywood fluff goes, this is good stuff. There is nothing that is either heart-wrenching or remotely downbeat in the production. And the tap dancing is at times spectacular.

George Murphy displays a likable singing voice. The final production number is worth the wait. Filmed on a mirrored floor, it really shows off the crisp black-and-white photography. And of course everything ends happily for our hero and heroine.

Broadway Melody of 1940

Music and lyrics by Cole Porter

Released by MGM 1940

Cast: Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, George Murphy

It's Always Fair Weather--film on DVD

It's pure Hollywood invention on film for today--no Broadway antecedent, unless you count On The Town which is sort of a pre-quel to It's Always Fair Weather.

The stories for both Town and Weather come from the pens of Comden and Green, who between their stage and screens credits are leading the race for the most mentions in my Year's entries. The two stories also each feature three WWII GIs; In Town it is sailors on 24-hour leave in Manhattan. In Weather, we have three soldiers who reunite 10 years after they are discharged.

I have only heard of Michael Kidd as a choreographer; I didn't know about his cinematic past. I had never heard of Dan Dailey at all, although his bio says he was a former vaudevillian who was also in the original cast of Babes in Arms on Broadway. Both have a likable screen and musical presence, although they pale a bit in comparison to Gene Kelly's wattage. I'm sure that was part of the point of their being cast.

The story of this film is very down, and the behind-the-scenes extras on the DVD rightly credits that aspect with the film's initial failure. There are some wonderful dance and musical moments, but they didn't add up to enough to draw me into this film.

One bright spot in the show is Dolores Gray who does an hysterical turn as a television talk show host and musical performer--imagine Dinah Shore meets Rachael Ray. No Rachael is too folksy, but I can't think of another female talk show host I find as cloying as Ms. Ray. Anyway, Ms. Gray is a versatile musical performer who portrayed Lalume in in the film version of Kismet, had starred as Annie Oakley in the London production of Annie Get Your Gun, and was nominated for a Tony award for Destry Rides Again on Broadway (directed and choreographed by Michael Kidd).

The late Cyd Charisse is the leading lady opposite Mr. Kelly, and while I find the dancing Ms. Charisse performs in the film to be wonderful, her character and performance left me dry. The music as provided by Andre Previn and the legendary Arthur Freed Unit--ditto.

It's Always Fair Weather
Music by Andre Previn
Book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Released by MGM in 1955
Cast: Gene Kelly, Michael Kidd, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Dolores Grey,
Directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen

Young Frankenstein--OBC album

Spoofs are a difficult balance, I would suppose, particularly when a spoof from one medium is adapted into another--as is the case with Young Frankenstein. Fortunately, with the practiced hands of Mel Brooks and Susan Stroman (who previously shepherded The Producers to the stage) that balance is handled deftly in most cases with their new show.

Mel Brooks is the composer and lyricist for these shows--as well as being the screenwriter of the original films that are the source materials for the shows--and I wonder how much of a composer he is. I don't mean that as a slight to the music of Young Frankenstein. Clearly Mr. Brooks has very specific tunes in his head that he hears for each character and situation. Not surprisingly, many of the tunes have a slight Yiddish, Borscht-belt sound to them (as did tunes in The Producers). I'm certain Brooks doesn't orchestrate the songs, but does he harmonize them? Or just write down (or record) the tunes?

I used to joke that Roger Bart stole my career. A poor joke as Mr. Bart has obvious talents that I can only play-act at. I question Mr. Bart in this leading role, though. His light tenor voice is a little thin for my tastes. I could wish for a more robust sound from my leading man. The same for my leading lady. Megan Mullally is deft at delivering the single-entendres of her songs, but the timbre of her voice is a little modern and nasal for me. And I think I need to see the full show to understand why she has such a weird accent in the dialogue on this disk.

Sutton Foster and Schuler Hensley are two performers I have liked very much in past shows. Mr. Hensley isn't well-represented on this cast album, so it's hard to determine his performance. I continue to find Ms. Foster delightful. Yes, she also has a modern, slightly nasal singing voice, but somehow it doesn't strike me as much as Ms. Mullally's. Or perhaps it's the 2nd fiddle syndrome, where I want my leading lady to be a legit singer, while the comic duo can be different.

I have the cast album of Shrek with Ms. Foster waiting for my Thinking; perhaps we'll see how I like her in a leading lady position.

The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Music and lyrics by Mel Brooks
Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Opened November 8, 2007
Cast: Roger Bart, Shuler Hensley, Sutton Foster, Megan Mullally, Andrea Martin, Fred Applegate

Ghost Light Monday--Another personal loss

Another musical mentor of mine slipped away in the last week. No I don't mean Michael Jackson.

Norman Pellegrini was the long-time (43 years) program director for the radio station which broadcasts the weekly classical concerts I produce. I only met Norman after his retirement from the station while he was serving as President of the Board of Directors for the non-profit which oversees the concert series. He also served as the ears that listened to auditions by young performers seeking an invitation to perform on the series. Even into his late 70s, Norman could be driven, determined, and without compromise when it came to issues musical.

The radio station ran a full day of programming related to Mr. Pellegrini last Thursday, including selections from many of his favorite pieces, but more importantly, excerpts from what must be thousands of hours of programming he created. Mr. Pellegrini helped invent the world of syndicated radio programs when he started The Midnight Special. Because of his programming and drive, WFMT radio is one of the premier classical stations in the country, syndicating much of its programming across the globe. Norman served as host for many live broadcasts, including concerts of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and performances at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Many more articulate voices than mine have uttered their remembrances of Mr. Pellegrini this week, but I will just say that my personal and professional lives have been improved by having Norman in them over the last five years.

Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds on DVD

When I took this DVD out of the Netflix envelope, I was afraid it was going to be another special concert offering, but it turns out Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds was made for PBS's American Masters series, and is more talking heads about the history, importance and substance of Rodgers' music than singing heads. I actually would have like a little less conversation and a little more music-making, but seeing as I've already listened to a Rodgers one-off concert, perhaps this is better--for now.

The documentary goes through the three major phases of Rodgers' career--two decades of work with Lorenz Hart, including some time in Hollywood; nearly two more decades of work with Oscar Hammerstein II; and the post-Hammerstein years when Rodgers is working on his own, and several others.

Among the many knowledgeable and informative talking heads are performers--Shirley Jones, Barbara Cook, Diahann Carroll, Maureen McGovern, and jazz musicians Billy Taylor and Barbara Carroll; Rodgers family members--daughter and composer Mary Rodgers Guettel, daughter Linda Rodgers, and grandson and composer Adam Guettel; music theater historians and producers such as Ted Chapin, president of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, which licenses Rodgers' shows.

There are several interesting historical clips the documentary including the wonderful "Bench Scene" from Carousel with John Raitt recorded for television, and the lovely Diahann Carroll singing the title song from "No Strings". I must make a point of finding more to listen to from this show.

I've had the idea for a while to do a concert called Rodgers Without Hammerstein, focusing on his work with Hart, his work alone and including things that wouldn't have lyrics like "Victory at Sea", "Slaughter on 5th Avenue", and the dance music from R&H shows --like "The Carousel Waltz" which has always been one of my favorite pieces of music.

Any takers?

Richard Rodgers: The Sweetest Sounds
Produced for PBS American Masters in 2001
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers and others
Cast: Shirley Jones, Julie Andrews, Ted Chapin, Mary Rodgers, Adam Guettel, Barbara Cook, John Raitt, Diahann Carroll, Maureen McGovern

My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies on DVD

This is another of those special concerts at a prestigious venue, drawing in the glitterati of the musical theater world, performing for the creme of society paying top dollar, with the resulting performance being film and presented on PBS or somewhere, followed by the DVD being sold to the general public (and fortunately, Netflix). It's a formula.

With My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies filmed in 1998 it's a formula that works very well:

• Prestigious venue? Check-Carnegie Hall.


• Glitterati of Musical Theater? Check-Julie Andrews, Faith Prince, Liza Minnelli, Audra McDonald, Marin Mazzie, Jennifer Holliday, Judy Kuhn, Bebe Neuwirth, and a host of others including the Rockettes, who are the most literally glittering of the -ati.


• Creme of society? I'm not in a position to identify who is in the audience or what they paid to be there, but the hall is full, and most rows seem to include several giddy gay men clapping wildly for Liza.

The main reason this formula works so well in this example is that the fare offered includes a good balance of the usual, the expected, and the unique. Yes, there is Andrea McArdle singing "Tomorrow" and Jennifer Holliday singing her song from Dreamgirls (and blowing the roof off the place, BTW) and Elaine Stritch toasting the "Ladies who Lunch", but there is also the phenomenal Debra Monk, nailing every bit of "Everybody's Girl" from Steele Pier, and Audra McDonald singing a wonderful, clever arrangement of "Down with Love". Ms. McDonald is also joined by Marin Mazzie and Judy Kuhn for a clever medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs.

I could have done without Tony Roberts and Robert Morse opening the concert with a number in drag (I assume from a musical version of Some Like It Hot that I don't know). These women can hold their own without any help from the Y chromosome.

Company--a documentary film about recording the Original Cast Album

Forbidden Broadway has an hilarious version the title song from Company in its most recent incarnation: "No strings, no drums, unaccompanied." The only version of the show I've seen is the pared down "unaccompanied" version, so I was interested in hearing the full orchestrations as presented in this documentary film from the long night of recording Company: The Cast Album.

Firstly, I have to get this out of the way: Dean Jones is sexy. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit it, but the dimples, the soulful brown eyes, the long lashes--okay I'm back now. That said, he seems to make a very good Bobby with the boyish appeal, the vulnerability and the singing voice I want from Bobby. I was surprised how well he sang "Being Alive". This is a difficult song (emotionally, too, but I'm mean musically) with a high range that lies so much of the that danger-zone of middle C to F above it. Mr. Jones handles it all very well, and has a lovely sound to boot.

I had wondered why I've seen more pictures of Larry Kert playing Bobby in the original production than I have of Mr. Jones. Mr. Kert was also nominated for the Tony Award for the role. I had to listen to the commentary track to this documentary to find out; in an arrangement with Hal Prince, Mr. Jones was let out of his contract two weeks after the show opened because his marriage was falling apart and his wife was in California with their kids.

This documentary focuses a lot of attention on Elaine Stritch, who goes from being a car wreck-- as she tries to sing "The Ladies Who Lunch" at the end of a 16-hour recording session--to being a revving Rolls Royce as she completes the song. Ms. Stritch is one of the voices on the commentary track, and she does provide some insight into what was going on, why it was going badly, and how it got righted. But this is only one song (albeit a great one) from this score, and I would have liked a little more time with some of the others.

One beef with the film. It lists identifiers for the producers, composer, director and playwright as they appear on screen, but doesn't have the same courtesy for the performers. Am I supposed to know them all? The ones I recognize are from their later TV roles: Charles Kimbrough (Murphy Brown), Beth Howland (Alice), Barbara Barrie (Barney Miller). The others are a bit of a mystery to me. The commentary track does identify Pamela Meyers who is phenomenal singing "Another 100 People."

One of the other unidentified cast members is Charles Braswell, with a robust baritone voice I've encountered before. Company was his final Broadway show, as he died at the age of 52 folling his run in the show.

Company
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Opened in 1970
Documentary film made in 1970 by DA Pennbaker
Cast from the show: Dean Jones, Donna McKechnie, Beth Howland, Pamela Meyers, Elaine Stritch, Charles Braswell, and others.
Show producers in the film: Stephen Sondheim, George Furth, Hal Prince, Thomas Z. Shepard