Ragtime The Musical: Mostly Original Broadway Cast recording

This recording is not listed as being the OBC album, but rather as "Songs from" Ragtime The Musical .  I wonder if E.L. Doctorow insisted on this being listed as "The Musical", so as not to confuse it with "The Novel" or "The Film" or "The Hip-Hop Concert."  While most of the cast of this recording is the cast that appeared on the Broadway opening night of this show, there are a couple of significant personnel changes.  If you know why, please tell me.  Oh, wait, I see, this was the out of town try-out cast in Toronto, not the Broadway cast.

I saw Ragtime on tour in Chicago close to a decade ago.  I remember thinking that it was a lovely score hampered by some pedestrian directing.  I put my career at risk with that statement, as the show was directed by Frank Galati, noted Chicago writer/director.  But as Galati also directed the brief, toxic production of Pirate Queen, which played Chicago before dying on Broadway--no one is immune to the creating schlock.

Ragtime is not schlock, even by the most curmudgeonly of standards.  There is powerful music, here, sung in powerful and effective ways.   But somehow it tries to take on too much for my tastes.   While the pastiche numbers for Evelyn Nesbitt, Henry Ford, Emma Goldberg, and Harry Houdini give a good feel for the era, they get in the way of telling the human stories of Mother, Father, Coalhouse, and Sarah. 

What a great cast, though.  Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie are three of my favorite singers each given one fantastic song to sing and several interesting ensemble numbers (although if I hear that Ragtime theme once more, I may take a sledge hammer to the honky-tonk piano--a feeling I remember having after seeing the show live, too).  I think this is Mark Jacoby's first appearance in my year; I must look for other recordings with him.

Ragtime

Music by Stephen Flaherty

Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens

Book by Terrence McNally

Toronto Cast recorded in 1996 before the show opened on Broadway in 1997

Cast: Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Mark Jacoby, Jim Corti, Camille Saviola, 

Ghost Light Monday--assessment at 200 entries

Since I've reached 200 entries and almost 10 months in my Year, I thought I would try to get some sense of my journey thus far.

It's been easier than I thought to not repeat shows; I've only repeated two in 10 months--Guys and Dolls and Once Upon a Mattress. Both good shows and since one production of Mattress was taking advantage of a chance to see a show live, I don't feel too bad about that. I do feel bad that only five of my entires of been related to seeing live shows; I need to get out there.

I also feel bad that I've experienced shows twice as often on DVD than on audio recordings (113 vs. 55). In some cases the DVDs have been tapings of live shows, but more often they've been watered-down Hollywood versions; not the same thing as the original show.

Originally I had planned on having an entry every day, six musicals a week and a Ghost Light Monday entry on something else. I have not lived up to that schedule. I doubt I'll reach 240 entries by the end of May, which will be the 12-month mark.

My real epiphany (perhaps too strong a word) has been related to the number of composers/lyricists who have written musicals. I knew the range of performers would be very large, and the styles of shows very mixed; but I think I've listened to music by 74 different composers. No surprise that Richard Rodgers appears more often as a label in my entries than anyone else. Stephen Sondheim is right behind him, along with Oscar Hammerstein and Adolph Green as lyricists.  And there are still many more song-writers I haven't investigated yet.

Where's my library card?

Miss Gulch Returns!--one man cast album on CD

This is my 200th entry in my musical Year, and if there is one thing I've learned it is that the breadth and depth of musical talent is endless and of tremendous variety. One type of musical I haven't yet thought about, is the one-person show. I've listened to albums that were just one person, but not a cabaret show that was. So today we have Miss Gulch Returns! composed by, lyrics by, sung by, and piano-accompanied by Fred Barton.

I admire anyone who can both play the piano and sing at the same time, since I can't do either singly very well. And Mr. Barton does each well--certainly better than some cabaret performers. But the real contribution from Mr. Barton is in his hysterical lyrics and the witty banter he has written for this cabaret evening.

The premise is that Almira Gulch, of Wizard of Oz fame, comes in off her bike to tell her side of the story. It's the back story that has made her the Wicked Neighbor with the dislike of little dogs, too.

The nine songs (two are reprised, and two more are "bonus" tracks unrelated to the primary material) that form the basis of this act are all funny, musical, and well-performed. A couple of them deserve to be heard in any cabaret context, or Bette Midler act; "Pour Me a Man" is particularly hysterical. "It's Not My Idea of A Gig" will be perfect for my planned Three Mo' 'Mos concert. "I'm a Bitch" could fit into many contexts.

Among Mr. Barton's credits is the premiere version of Forbidden Broadway review; I have that CD waiting for my thinking, but in the meantime I'll consider the very funny ways Miss Gulch is remembered in this collection of songs.

Miss Gulch Returns! The Wicked Musical
Music and lyrics by Fred Barton
Premiered in 1985; this live performance recorded in 1986
CD released in 1999 by Fab Music
Cast: Fred Barton

The Barbra Streisand Album

While I've talked about Ms. Streisand in the films Funny Girl, Hello Dolly! and Funny Lady, I haven't listened to any of her albums during my Year. Recently, a reader asked me to scratch her Streisand itch, and as coincidence would have it, a friend loaned me The Barbra Streisand Album. Yes, I had to depend on borrowing a Streisand album, as I don't own any. Is that like the another version of "Don't ask, don't tell?" Could I be drummed out of the corps for admitting I don't own any Babs?

The beginning seemed like a very good place to start, so...This was Ms. Streisand's debut album, and its contents come out of her nightclub act and precedes by several months her star-making turn in Funny Girl on Broadway. Its 11 tracks contain an eclectic mix of music, from standards, to Americana, to musical theater selections from the 30s to the 60s, to a song from a Disney film.

As I always hope to find in debut recordings of singers who go on to be stars, the singing on this album warrants the sensation it caused. A variety of styles, not only of music, but also of their presentation and arrangement, is well-done in every case. I have some issues with a couple of choices of repertoire, but they are too minor to even mention, and well, she'll go on to release many more albums. A few of the arrangements take some liberties that I don't appreciate, but as this is a nightclub act and not a Broadway musical, I can't complain too loudly. And in several cases, the arrangements are spectacle, so the balance is definitely weighted in the right direction.

What I appreciate about Ms. Streisand's singing is the range of dynamics she finds within each song. And she is able to rise from piano to forte without loosing the core of her sound. Or without the dynamic changes seeming put-upon; I mean they seem organic within the context of the song and arrangement. "Cry Me A River" and "A Sleepin' Bee" demonstrate that best.

My complaints with the packaging of this CD reissue are more numerous than any complaints I could have with the music itself. So this album was "restored and remastered" for the CD release. Great. Going back to the masters seems like a great idea. Doesn't it warrant some more extensive liner notes, though? There's nothing more about these selections than appeared on the original vinyl, I assume, maybe even less. You have to look at the actual disc to see who wrote each song. While there are at least 4 tracks that are from musical theater writers, only a short credit like "C. Porter" or "R. Rodgers/L. Hart" gives a hint of that. I laughed aloud when I realized that "Come to the Supermarket (In Old Pekin)" is from the Cole Porter television musical Aladdin, which I had previously discussed.

Maybe what I like the best is Ms. Streisand's eclectic mix of musical inspiration.

The Barbra Streisand Album
Columbia Records
Released in 1963

The Consul--Television production on DVD

Even though it is far from a traditional Broadway musical, I'm including this Gian Carlo Menotti opera in my Year as it had a Broadway-type run of 269 performances in 1950 at the Ethel Barrymore Theater. Plus The Consul is just the type of music I want to think about during my Year. It won a New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical (a theater award) and the Pulitzer Prize for Music (a serious music award), so I'm not the only one who can't categorize this work. It is challenging, engaging, thought-provoking and both of its time and timely today.

Being of its time, this work strikes me as a reaction to strict government controls of individuals following WWII and during the rise of Communism. The plot of the opera follows the Sorel family. John is involved in some kind of underground political movement, which is neither defined nor discussed. Being watched by government agents, he goes on the lamb, leaving his wife, new-born son, and mother in dire straights. His wife Magda makes multiple attempts to see the Consul (of an unnamed country) to find out what has happened to her husband, and to get some help for herself and her son. The bureaucracy does her in at every turn.

Being timely today, this work also speaks on issues like immigration, or war crimes prisons, or any government perspective which deals only with rules and documents rather than with people.

This is challenging music to listen to, and in fact I watched this DVD over the course of three days rather than straight-through. There a parts of the score, however that are beautiful (particularly the lullaby that the grandmother sings to the infant son) or powerful (the break-down Madga has during her second visit to the Consul's office). Much of the score falls harshly on my ears, though, which is probably the point of the score.

One thing I never tired of watching, however, was Patricia Neway's performance as Magda. She is a riveting singing actress who uses her entire face and body to convey the pathos of her character's situation. If I'm reading the on-line history I've found correctly, Ms. Neway originated the role in 1950 and was part of the Broadway production. This television production was taped in 1960; she is perhaps too old for the part (particularly in a close-up format), but clearly has a strong handle on performing the part.

I see from Ms. Neway's credits that she was Nettie Fowler in a television version of Carousel, originated the role (for which she won a Tony) of the Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music, and was in a television production of Poulenc's opera Dialogue of the Carmelites, and was in a Broadway production of Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia that also featured Kitty Carlisle Hart! What an interesting career Ms. Neway had!

The Consul
Music and libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti

Premiered in 1950
Television production in 1960
Cast: Patricia Neway, Chester Ludgin, Evelyn Sachs, Regina Sarfaty

Flower Drum Song--film on DVD

Of the so-called "Asian Trilogy" of Rodgers and Hammerstein--South Pacific, The King and I, and Flower Drum Song, the last one has the most interesting script for me, but the least interesting score.

The issues of assimilation into a new culture, clashes between generations, and how one personally chooses between tradition and a desire for one's own style are timeless and all present in the story of Flower Drum Song. They must have seemed very timely in the years after WWII, touching, as the book does on teenagers and American immigration, and maybe even as a mea culpa following the internment of Japanese Americans, even though FDS follows Chinese Americans.

The score however does not contain enough for me to hold onto. Perhaps the stage version has more. "I Enjoy Being a Girl" is a good song; "Love, Look Away" is a great song, one of the best R&H ever wrote I think. But the rest leaves me cold. Mei Li, the romantic female lead sings the insipid "A Hundred Million Miracles", and "I am Going to Like it Here." There is not a good number for Wang Ta, the male lead. Even the chorus numbers don't get my juices running, particularly "Chop Suey". "Grant Avenue" is slightly better.

The two extended dance numbers in this film also fall flat for me. I'd much rather hear some more of "Love, Look Away" than watch the odd dream ballet which interrupts it. The same with the comedic dance that follows "Sunday". Neither add to my understanding of the story or the songs out of which they come.

I do like the song "Don't Marry Me". I used to use it as an audition piece, before I realized that it was inappropriate for me to sing a song specifically written for an Asian American. Or inappropriate for me to sing period.

Flower Drum Song
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics and Book by Oscar Hammerstein
Opened on stage in 1958, film version released in 1961
Cast: Miyoshi Umeki, Jack Soo, Patrick Adiarte, Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta

Ghost Light Monday--Monsters and Prodigies: The History of the Castrati live performance

Yesterday I went to a live performance at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. They have an active and interesting series of music, theater, dance and inter-disciplinary performances from both local groups and national/international companies. The performance yesterday was by Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes from Mexico and the English title the show was Monsters and Prodigies: The History of the Castrati.

Castrati (the singular is castrato) were male singers who maintained their boyhood singing voices through the removal of their testicles (or maybe through the removal of whatever delivery system takes hormones from their testicles to the rest of their bodies--I really don't want to know much more about how 17th century surgical practices accomplished this!). The result is that the pure unadulterated (pun intended) boy soprano voice stayed and was enhanced as the singer's musculature matured. Castrati were "made" sometime between the ages of 6 and 11, and were mostly children of poor families who were convinced (at first by the church, later by opera producers) that their children would be musical stars. And castrati were stars, particularly once they entered the world of opera--where females were forbidden to perform. At times, castrati portrayed female characters, but often they were the male hero. But enough of the history of the castrati, on to this show about them...

The production is very inter-disciplinary, incorporating acting, dance, singing, acrobatics and even an animal showcase. At times the production is circus-like, chaotic, and hysterical. At other times, poignant, or perverse or both. It somehow managed to present the disgust at the practice of creating castrati, engender awe at the musical prowess of some of them, poke fun at the ridiculousness of many Baroque opera practices, and leave us with dismay that so many were used and thrown aside when the practice was discontinued.

The premise of the production is that our world is not capable of accepting freaks anymore and that's what these singers were. The characters were: a Centaur, Siamese Twins, a eunuch slave, a composer/harpsichordist, a Castrati, and a live Lipizzaner horse and rider. At one point the Lipizaner danced the same choreography as everyone else on stage. The hero costumes for the castrati were ridiculously over-the-top. Actually, maybe not that far from the truth, but laughable by today's standards.

The production included quite a bit of music, including several Baroque opera arias for male soprano. The singing was not the strongest aspect of the production, but very passable for performers who were asked to do so much in other regards. The show has been the hit of international festivals and has traveled a lot since its debut in 2000.

Sorry but I attended the final performance of this show in Chicago, although I believe it will be presented in Mexico again in the near future. Road trip!

Monsters and Prodigies: The History of the Castrati
Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes
Directed by Caludio Valdes Kuri
Created in 2000
Cast: Paul Roman, Gaston Yanes, Javier Medina, Kaveh Parmas, Edwin Calderone, Miguel Angel Lopez, Luis Fernando Villegas

Promises, Promises--Original Broadway Cast Album

More Jerry Orbach, please. Okay, let's listen to Promises, Promises, the Burt Bacharach show based on film The Apartment. Burt Bachrach? Of the 60s pop songs? Didn't he just right for Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick? Well, no, apparently he also wrote this show with lyric-writer Hal David, book-writer Neil Simon, and produced by David Merrick.

This score is more than pop-twinged. It is pure pop, and pop of the 1960s. I don't mean that in a bad way, I merely point it out to put the rest of what I'm about to say into some sort of context. Singing traditional musical theater songs is very different from singing pop songs. Not that I sing much of either, but that is my impression. This was a time of tremendous change in the music industry as a whole and for Broadway too. Other 1968 musicals include Hair, Richard Rodgers' No Strings, and 1776. Include Promises, Promises in the mix and you've got some very different styles of musicals. It must have been a challenge for singers to morph into whatever musical style was being asked of them, or for producers to find singers versed in the musical style called for by each score. It probably still is.

To my ears, not much of the singing in Promises, Promises is successful. Much of it sounds under pitch. Even the wonderful Jerry Orbach, who is the most successful singer on this cast album, is sometimes under pitch. Listen to "A Pretty Young Girl Like You" and you'll hear what I mean. Jill O'Hara is more successful than many of the men in her singing, particularly the best known number from the score "I'll Never Fall in Love Again."

Promises, Promises
Music by Burt Bachrach
Lyrics by Hal David
Book by Neil Simon
Opened in 1968
Cast: Jerry Orbach, Jill O'Hara, Donna McKechnie, Edward Winter, Marian Mercer, A Larry Haines.

A Class Act--Manhattan Theatre Club production on CD

I don't know why I felt compelled to identify this recording as from the Manhattan Theatre Club production; to my knowledge there are no other recordings of A Class Act. This show contains a group of songs by Edward Kleban (right, who most notably wrote the lyrics for A Chorus Line). After Mr. Kleban's death in from mouth cancer in 1987, these songs lay fallow until they were grouped together and written into a new book musical telling the story of Mr. Kleban's life. A Class Act premiered in 2001.

While I have certainly listened to the songs from A Chorus Line, and know something about their composer, Marvin Hamlisch, I knew nothing about their librettist. Well, Edward Kleban was a composer also, but most of his songs remained unknown at the time of his death. That's too bad, because many of those included in A Class Act are worthy of being heard. I wonder if his compositional style--which sounds much like William Finn to me--was too ahead of its time.

The format of the show is not overly original, but works for a bio-musical about a musical theater composer. We open at Mr. Kleban's funeral and are sent back on a journey through his live. Along the way, we meet his friends, his colleagues, and his songs.

The songs that work best for me are the upbeat or character songs. The love songs come off slightly too sappy for me, as even their titles--"One More Beautiful Song", "Follow Your Star", and "Next Best Thing to Love"--suggest. The upbeat songs, particularly "Gauguin's Shoes" (with knowledgeable and funny lyrics) and "Better" (which was recorded by Barbra Streisand) are much more successful to my ears. The "Broadway Boogie Woogie" also includes some hysterical lyrics and should be in somebody's cabaret act.

The eight-member cast all perform well. Lonny Price, portraying Kleban" has the bulk of the singing assignments. Mr. Price is a likable performer with obvious (even just by listening to him) personality. Randy Graff is also a singer I have heard before and find very listenable, even if the music she is asked to sing here, often falls into the sappy category. The seven-member orchestra provides all the variations of breadth and color I could ask for these songs.

A Class Act: A Musical about Musicals
Music and Lyrics by Edward Kleban
Book by Linda Kline and Lonny Price
Opened in 2001
Cast: Lonny Price, Randy Graff, Jonathan Freeman, Nancy Kathryn Anderson, Carolee Carmello, David Hibbard, Julie Murney, Ray Wills

The Most Happy Fella--Broadway revival cast recording

The score for The Most Happy Fella is one I had been looking forward to hearing (listening forward to hearing?). It is known as one of the "cross-over" shows that fits into either an opera house or a Broadway theater--similar to Candide or Street Scene. At least, that's how I thought of it without ever having heard it.

I was thrilled when the stacks at the library contained a copy of the cast album from a 1991 revival; I thought it would be a more complete recording that the original, although as I've never listened to the original, I'm not certain why I thought that. The '91 version may contain more tracks than other recordings, but I don't think you could call this a more complete recording. I'm still waiting to hear large sections of the score as the orchestra parts in this version are reduced to a two-piano accompaniment.

There are many shows that work with less than full pit orchestra back-up, and there are even several songs in Fella that do work with just piano behind them. But the more grand songs, particularly the love duets, suffer from a slightly empty feeling due to the reduction. If there are no strings to swell, how can our hearts? Most of the tracks sung by Tony (Spiro Malas) need a full sound, particularly when Mr. Malas is singing full-voiced or near the top of his range.

I had heard only two songs from this show before, although I didn't know they were from Fella at the time I heard them. The delightful "Standing on the Corner (Watching all the Girls Go By)" is just one of several wonderful songs for trios or quartets that includes some Italian song pastiche. The best song of the score for me is Rosabella's "Warm all Over", which deserves a life outside the context of the show. While I liked many of the other songs, they are quite specific to the show or include much integrated dialogue and could be difficult to present outside the theater.

The vocal standout for me is Charles Pistone, who sings the role of Joe. Mr. Pistone displays a fine baritone voice that he uses well. Mr. Malas's baritone, in a role traditionally sung by a baritone with an operatic back-ground, is a bit "woofy" for my tastes, particularly when in full voice; again having an orchestra back him up could help that. Also, Mr. Malas suffers the most from all the stereotypical Italian accents in the libretto. I wish-a he would-a stop a-talking that a-way.

I need to find next the original cast recording of Fella to get up to speed with the orchestra.

Most Happy Fella
Music, book and lyrics by Frank Loesser
Opened originally in 1956
This version premiered at the Goodspeed Opera House in 1991 and opened on Broadway in 1992
Cast: Spiro Malas, Sophie Hayden, Liz Larsen, Charles Pistone, Scott Waara

Yankee Doodle Dandy--film on DVD

I'm surprised that it has taken this long for the songs of George M. Cohan to make it into my Year. I consider him a seminal American songwriter, who deserves some credit for the integration of book and score if only because he wrote them all--script, lyrics, music. Okay, so as Yankee Doodle Dandy shows, his songs were particularly patriotic, but still, all that one-man-band stuff has got to lead to a little bit of the songs coming out of the story.

Why do I consider Mr. Cohan's music seminal. Well, it's one example of a way in which American composers and songwriters were trying to find an "American" voice for music in the early part of the 20th Century. Perhaps it started with Stephen Foster, but it certainly continued with classical composers like Charles Wakefield Cadman, Charles Ives, and perhaps most notably Aaron Copland. They were looking to throw off the shackles of European musical tastes--whether that was on the concert platform, the opera house or the Broadway theater. Cohan helped create a new vernacular for Broadway that, while very sentimental, was all about Americana. And while some of his songs are in the style of operetta, most are not.

This film from 1942 uses the story and music of Cohan to bolster a nation preparing for war--I mean bolsters its 1942 audience preparing for WWII--by depicting Cohan's music as a balm for a nation at war--the Great War. It works for the most part, particularly if you've ever been in a theater and been transported away from your own troubles.

My previous experience with the music of Mr. Cohan is from having been in the chorus of a production of George M--a musical created as a balm for a nation at war--the Vietnam War. There is nothing incendiary or rabble-rousing about his music. It is unadulterated flag-waving, and maybe I'm still in the mood to waive a flag after our recent Presidential election and inauguration. The funniest line for me in Yankee Doodle Dandy come from an actress considering a part in a Cohan production: "Can you write a play without a flag?" To which Cohan replies "I can write a play with nothing but a pen."

James Cagney won an Oscar for his depiction of Cohan, and deservedly so. No, he's not a great singer, but he is a lively dancer and delivers all the goods without ever dipping into irony. And it's such a change from the heavies he usually portrayed.

Yankee Doodle Dandy
Warner Bros. Film release of 1942
Music and lyrics by George M. Cohan
Cast: James Cagney

Mary Martin Twofer--One Touch of Venus and Lute Song

The Decca CD issue of these two show recordings are grouped together, as Mary Martin starred in both, so I might as well keep them grouped together for my purposes, too. These are not cast albums, but rather the music of the shows sung just by its stars (Ms. Martin and Kenny Baker).

About a little more than a week ago I watched and listened to a Kurt Weill opera from his Weimar days. With One Touch of Venus, we get Weill in his Broadway incarnation. Broadway in the early 40s seems to have been very transitional. Venus is very transitional for Weill. While the sung material is much more lyrical than his German works, I wouldn't quite say Weill is Americanized yet. I was particularly glad to hear the dance music included on this CD; this music hearkens strongly to the Weill of Mahagonny or Seven Deadly Sins.

I have long loved the songs of Venus. "That's Him" "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" and "Speak Low" are all great songs. "Foolish Heart" is good. The quartet "The Trouble with Women" (sung here mostly by Kenny Baker) is also good. I even like "Westwind" although it has the most inane lyrics ever. Mary Martin proves herself a real singer, both in a slightly belt way and more successfully in legato singing. Kenny Baker has a likable tenor, that's slightly nasal in the way tenors seem to have sung in the 30s and 40s.

Lute Song was the next Broadway appearance after Venus for Ms. Martin. This seems to be a very dated style of musical; the songs are not strongly integrated with the book. There are some lush Big Band-like songs that are likable but not very translatable to the concert stage because the lyrics are strange--like "See the Monkey" about how a monkey shouldn't be tamed. At least one song "Where You Are" is slightly racist. The song that the liner notes says was the hit of the show is "Mountain High, Valley Low" which sounds a bit like "Bali Hai" to me but with more insipid lyrics.

One Touch of Venus
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by Odgen Nash
Opened in 1943
Cast on this recording: Mary Martin, Kenny Baker

Lute Song
Music by Raymond Scott
Lyrics by Bernard Hanighen
Opened in 1946
Cast on this recording: Mary Martin

Classical Monday--Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen

I've talked in previous postings how important singing in a choir is to me. There is very little I get more satisfaction from than singing with a group of committed choral singers. And to scratch that continual itch for that last 20 years, I have sung in a 36-voice volunteer church choir. Every Sunday from September through June, the choir provides one or two anthems in the church service, as well as "incidental music" for the service. Once or twice a year, though, the choir performs a larger mass, or cantata as the focus of the church service. Yesterday we performed Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen (pictured right, receiveing a 2007 National Medal of the Arts).

While it's not unheard of for my choir to sing music of a living composer, I don't believe we have sung a larger work by one. The usual dead, white men music we have sung are masses, or requiems, or cantatas of Haydn, Britten, Handel, Debussy, Faure, Durufle, Vivaldi, Bach and others. I have nothing against singing this music, in fact I love it; but discovering the music of Mr. Lauridsen has show me how current good choral music can be. I should say that my choir has sung cantatas of Conrad Susa and a Latino composer whose name I can't recall, Rodriguez maybe, and they could still be living, I'm not certain. Oh wait, I just remembered we sang a collection of arrangements of Christmas carols by a former pastor of our church; he's still living, but I won't count that piece for many reasons.

Mr. Lauridsen's compositions definitely have a certain sound to them. I don't know enough about music to define that sound, but there is a lushness with the use of 7ths, 9th and 2nds in many of the chords. The music can be very satisfying to sing, and really rewards the choral singer who knows how to sing "on top" of the voice and can listen across their own and the other voice sections. Rarely is the bass part the "shimmer note" of the chord, but when that did happen I wanted to hear how my part conflicted with its neighbor, rather than just bombast my way through the texture, as is my initial reaction to needing to find my note in a thick chord.

I can take a little pride that I was the one who introduced the music of Lauridsen to my choir. A couple of years ago I purchased Lauridsen's anthem O Magnum Mysterium as a gift to the choir. I've been pleased to heard my choir-mates reactions to singing that piece--so much so that two other choir members purchased the Lux Aeterna scores for this performances. You're welcome. No, really, I mean thank you. I've gotten so much more out of being a member of my choir for 20 year than I could ever give back.

Lux Aeterna
Music by Morten Lauridsen
Lyrics adapted from the Latin mass (although with some text that I have never sung in a mass before, and I swear is more Pig Latin than Latin)
Written in 1997

Amour--Original Cast Album

Well a few days ago, I listened to Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme with L'AMOUR literally writ large across the stage? How to follow that? How about Michel Legrand's Amour? It lasted for 17 performances on Broadway and was not recorded until months later when the cast was re-assembled just for this recording. It seems like an appropriate follow-up--both are set in Paris, at least.
Amour is not a tragic story, though, and certainly no where near opera, although the liner notes say that M. Legrand's inspiration came from the French operettas of Offenbach and others. The story is of unrequited love that become requited. Painfully shy Monsieur Dusoleil (Malcolm Gets) is hopelessly in love from afar with Isabelle (Melissa Errico) who is trapped in an unhappy marriage. Dusoleil becomes a sensation when he realizes he can walk through walls and becomes known as M. Passepartout (pass through all). This gets the attention of the lady, but he must win her himself.

While the music seems a little light even by operetta style, the singing is all very nice. The courtroom scene seems to have the most interesting music, reminding me of a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. But then there are two more scenes after the happy ending in the court.

Mr. Gets and Ms. Errico have pleasant voices, that only sound strained when pushed to extremes of volume or pitch. Lewis Cleale and Norm Lewis are the two voices I find most appealing in this cast. The best song of the bunch is an "I want" song for Isabelle called "Somebody".

I'm intrigues that James Lapine directed this show. He seems drawn to shows that are outside the norm--like Sondheim. This is not as interesting either musically or thematically as any of Sondheim. I wonder what drew Lapine to it?

Amour
Music by Michel Legrand
Lyrics by Didier van Cauwelaert
English translation by Jeremy Sams
Directed by James Lapine
Cast album released on CD in 2003
Cast: Malcolm Gets, Melissa Errico, Lewis Cleale, Norm Lewis,

Sail Away--1962 Original London Cast Album on CD

What better to spend a Saturday afternoon than with a frothy Noel Coward musical? I believe this cast album of Sail Away marks Coward's first appearance in my Year. It also is the first time I've had Elaine Stritch here. Both are long over due.

I've often had trouble differentiating Noel Coward from Cole Porter--unfair since one was a Brit and the other just wanted to be. They both seem witty, urbane, musical, gay--how to tell the difference?

Well, if Sail Away is any indication, Coward is funnier, and Porter is a better songsmith. This score works best when playing on the funny bone. The non-comic songs are likable, but not great--with the possible exception of "Something Very Strange" which seems made for a big band or cabaret setting. The gold standard for humorous song in this score is "Why do the Wrong People Travel?" But the two songs for John Hewer as the Pursor "The Passanger's Alway Right" and "The Customer's Always Right" are also very funny.

Ms. Stritch is a pressed-upon cruise ship director. Elaine Stritch recreated her Broadway role in London, but the rest of the cast changed. David Holliday is the passanger who falls in love with her. Sheila Forbes and Grover Dale play a secondary love couple. But don't look for too many loves songs in this score, stick to looking for comedy and you'll come out alright.

Sail Away
Music, lyrics and book by Noel Coward
Opened on Broadway in 1961

London Cast opened in 1962.
Cast: Elaine Stritch, David Holliday, John Hewer, Sheila Forbes, Grover Dale

Myths & Hymns by Adam Guettel

I have been looking for a way to include some music of Adam Guettel in my Year, and thanks to a friend lending me this disc, I can start with Myths & Hymns. It's certainly not a Broadway musical, but Mr. Guettel is known as a Broadway composer, so I'll gladly including this work, which is more like a chamber music song cycle, or a semi-agnostic cantata.

Mr. Guettel is a member of the first family of Broadway--no, I don't mean the Nederlanders. He is the grandson of Richard Rodgers and the son of Mary Rodgers, both of whom have appeared in my Year already. He is best know for his show The Light in the Piazza, which I have not heard yet. I'm more anxious to hear that now that I've heard M & H, because I'm not certain how to take it's compositional style, or should I say styles. This is good, interesting songwriting for the most part.

The theme of these songs, which loosely tie them together, is longing--whether it be for God, or resolve, or heaven, or love. There is a slightly secular feel to many of the songs, but in all the hymns (adapted from an 1886 hymnbook) and in the original songs on mythological figures, someone is crying out for, or reaching out for something they don't have--and maybe something they shouldn't have.

I'm intrigued by the Temple Trio Hymnbook of 1886 that inspired the Hymns of this cycle. Old hymnals were a bit of an interest of mine a while ago, but that interest has taken a back seat to other things. The singers are good throughout, even if their style of singing is not my favorite style. There is a lot of squalling, which leaves me cold. Mr. Guettel does a lot of the singing, and I don't really care for his voice.

I look forward to listening to a score that is more involved with character than theme, to see how our Mr. Guettel delivers that.

Myths & Hymns
Music and lyrics by Adam Guettel
Additional lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh
Recorded in 1999 based on a concert given in 1998
Cast: Adam Guettel, Theresa McCarthy, Audra McDonald, Mandy Patinkin, Darius de Haas, Vivian Cherry, Billy Porter, Annie Golden

La Boheme--Opera Australia stage performance on DVD

My recent discovery of baritone Roger Lemke (pictured right) in Opera Australia's Gondoliers has lead me to actually buy the DVD of Baz Luhrmann's production of La Boheme that Opera Australia presented in 1993 that featured Mr. Lemke as Marcello. As this production--with it's iconic L'AMOUR lighted sign on the garret roof--was the basis of the late 1990's production that played on Broadway for 250 performances (with different casts than OA used), I feel justified including it in my Year and not as a Classical Monday entry. I'm all about the justifications.

This production is beautiful to look at. The run-down garret apartment, the dingy Montmartre plaza, the restaurant, even the scaffolding used for the border scene in act three is somehow lovely and atmospheric. Nothing much is really colorful, but somehow it seems vibrant and alive. The same could be said for the cast--this cast is a looker. Opera purists may argue with some of the voices and I'm not deaf to those complaints, but on the whole this seems good middle ground between musical and opera. Of course, it's in Italian, so it's not all that middle.

Oh, I just realized that this picture of Roger Lemke looks freakishly like a picture of my father when Dad was in his twenties. Sorry, Roger, I won't be able to look at you the same way again. I'll have to move on to your brother, who sings Schaunard in this production.

La Boheme
Music by Giacomo Puccini
1993 Opera Australia production directed by Baz Lurhmann
Broadcast on the Australia Broadcasting Company, released on DVD.
Cast: Cheryl Barker, David Hobson, Roger Lemke, David Lemke, Christine Douglas

Barbara Cook--the Bell Telephone Hour appearances on DVD

Here I go again, waxing poetic on the talents and watch-ability of Barbara Cook. Haven't I done that recently? Well, these excepts from the Bell Telephone Hour from 1960, 1962, and 1965 back up my opinion.

Ms. Cook serves up Broadway, operetta, and Americana songs without missing a note or a beat. Perhaps it was this early experience doing all types of music that made her musically curious (and what do I mean bi-curious) in the exploration of songs for her later cabaret acts. Whatever the outcome, I'm glad to have seen these early television appearances to remember that Ms. Cook is not only a very good singer, but was also a lively performer. She dances quite a bit in these excerpts, something I'm sure she's not doing at 80+ now.

I very much liked the three songs from No Strings, by Rodgers without Hammerstein. I must check out a full recording of this show.

Ms. Cook performs with two top baritones of the 1960s in these clips: Robert Goulet (hot, and I do mean HOT off his success with Camelot) and Alfred Drake. Goulet and Drake are of two very different musical generations with Drake teaming with Cook for the operetta offerings, such as The Merry Widow. The Bell Telephone Hour Chorus also makes a lot of appearances, and I swear one of the male choristers was Bob McGrath from Sesame Street.

Well, we all start somewhere.

Barbara Cook: the Bell Telephone Hour Appearances 1960-1965
Music by Johan Strauss, Jr., Lerner and Loewe, Jerry Herman, Franz Lehar, Stephen Foster, Richard Rodgers, and others.
Cast: Barbara Cook, Robert Goulet, Anita Gillette, Alfred Drake

3 Mo' Divas--stage show edited for television broadcast

Why did I make a point of saying this stage show was edited for television broadcast? Well, apparently some songs were cut out from the broadcast of the stage version, but included on the cast album and DVD of the stage version which were used as "bait" for donations to my local PBS station which used the broadcast of 3 Mo' Divas as a pledge drive.


The frequent and lengthy pledge drive interuptions of the broadcast didn't prevent me from mostly enjoying this show, though. I like the idea of performers not being confined to one musical idiom, and that's part of the point of these Divas. I could have used a little more classical to balance the pop, gospel, rock, and blues, but the two classical arias included were well done.


Laurice Lanier, the mezzo of the trio is Juilliard trained, which she talked about during the pledge drive segments. She possesses a beautiful, dark voice that never descends to huskiness. Her good training shows. The other two Divas, Nova Y. Payton (why the middle initial--were there other Nova Paytons?) and Jamet Pittman also have lovely voices, and good training which shows in all the genres they are asked to sing. If there is any message that young people need to learn, it is that nothing surpasses the need for good vocal traing--whether you are singing opera a on American Idol.


I'm waiting now for the next 3 Mo' in the franchise. I suggest 3 Mo' 'Mos. I'm available.

3 Mo' Divas
Concert stage show taped for television
Cast: Laurice Lanier, Nova Y. Payton, Jamet Pittman

Classical Monday--The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, stage production on DVD

Last week was Kurt Weill's 109th birthday. Somehow I let that pass me by, which is surprising because I have a great affinity for Weill and (most of) his music. In college, I was in a production of Threepenny Opera and a production of Mahagonny Songspiel, which is the precursor to today's entry, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, an opera in three acts.

I doubt anyone would consider this version of Mahagonny a musical, it is certainly an opera, or perhaps a music drama, to steal a translated phrase from Wagner. It's challenging to listen to, even with a couple of recognizable tunes, such as "Alabama Song."

There are several very powerful moments in this 2001 production from the Vienna Staatsopera. If anyone is uncertain what Brecht meant by his style of Epic Theater and the breaking down of the 4th wall, watch the finale of Act One of this production, when Jerry Hadley walks off the stage into the audience telling them to take what they can from the rich. That's the kind of "in you face" theater that rarely happens in an opera house. This production also was performed by Lyric Opera in Chicago, I believe in 2000 for the Weill Centennary. I love the idea of a character telling the moguls of Chicago who sit in the prime seats at the opera house that the poor are going to rise up and take the rich's belonging.

There are three notable names in this cast that is mostly German--Americans Catherine Malfitano and the late Jerry Hadley, and British soprano Gwyneth Jones. All three perform admirably, although the women are near the end of the vocal performing lives, and you can hear that. I've seen Malfitano live on stage at Lyric Opera (in another Weill show, Street Scene, which is much closer to a Broadway-style musical) and while I do not love her voice, she is a riveting singing actress. She's shows that hear, also.

Hadley is magnificent in this production, underscoring the great loss by his early death.

The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
Music by Kurt Weill
Libretto by Bertold Brecht
First performed in 1930, based on the Mahagonny Songspiel of 1927
Vienna Staatsoper production on DVD, released in 2001
Cast: Jerry Hadley, Catherine Malfitano, Gwyneth Jones

DuBarry was a Lady--film on DVD

Often very talented people don't fit into the narrow categories they are offered in the early part of their careers. They need to define themselves as performers and find their niche or remake the world to create a new niche for themselves. That seems the case with the very talented but ineffective cast of Cole Porter's DuBarry was a Lady.

Lucille Ball may suffer the most in this film for not fitting the mold of a beautiful chanteuse looking for marriage with deep pockets rather than love. In her early scenes, Ms. Ball falls flat and in delivering her dialogue and even in her nightclub song (where she is clearly dubbed). She comes to live much more in the "second act" of the film which is entirely a dream sequence in 18th Century France. Here there is a lot more comedy in which she can shine, and there are flashes of the comic genius that will redefine television and create the sit-com a decade later.

Gene Kelly and Red Skelton also suffer to a lesser extent being cast in this musical which really don't fit their talents. Skelton, too, will prove better in the medium of television. While Kelly has a fantastic tap number, he's not the singer to introduce Porter's song "Do I Love You."

The delightful find of the film is the comic song "Salome" sung by Virginia O'Brien, who fares well as the under-appreciated comic side-kick. The other big number from the score is the familiar "Friendship" where Ms. Ball is clearly no dubbed, but perhaps should have been.

DuBarry was a Lady
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Film released by MGM in 1943
Cast: Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, Gene Kelly, Zero Mostel, Virginia O'Brien, Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra

Bell Telephone Hour Tribute to Harold Arlen

I have to confess, I don't know much about the music or career of Harold Arlen. Yes, his most famous song is "Some Where Over the Rainbow." But what else did he do? Well, this Bell Telephone Hour Tribute gives only a sense of his musical contributions. The problem with the format may be that producers try to accomplish too much in a very limited amount of time.

Dinah Shore presents nearly half the songs in this presentation, which offers 37 of Arlen's songs. That allows for about a minute and a half per song--not enough to really give them their due. Ms. Shore is a very likeable performer, as are her castmates--Gordon MacRae, Gretchen Wyler, and Leslie Uggams. I was taken aback by the appearance of Mr. MacRae, who appeared to have aged significantly from his Carousel/Okalhoma days a decade earlier. He sings well enough, but perhaps not as robustly as I remember from his heyday.

Included is a performance of "Stormy Weather", but it's not sung--it's performed by Duke Ellington and his band. Given the strength of this song in a catalogue that is not all that familiar to people, why would they not have Leslie Uggams (who seems to channel Lena Horne) sing this song? Ms. Uggams gives a lovely rendition of "Sleepin' Bee" from the Arlen/Truman Capote musical House of Flowers; that song was introduced in the show by Diahann Carroll in her Broadway debut.

I also have some qualms about there being NO duets in this performance.

Bell Telephone Hour Tribute to Harold Arlen
Broadcast in December 1965
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by Ted Koehler, Truman Capote, Yip Harburg and others
Cast: Dinah Shore, Leslie Uggams, Gretchen Wyler, Gordon MacRae, Duke Ellington

Chess--concept album on CD

There are several versions of Chess that were recorded, and I look forward to hearing a version that was put on stage (it's been suggested I listen for Judy Kuhn in the Broadway version), but for today I am listening to the concept album that was released in anticipation of the show. If that last phrase is not very specific, it's purposeful; I don't know if this album was created to rouse audience interest in the original stage version or to raise money for the original stage version--maybe both.

Either way, when I listen to a staged version of the show, I'll be interested in what might happen to the long instrumental sections of the score. From a musical standpoint, they are some of my favorite parts of the score, but from a theatrical standpoint, they might really slow down the story-telling of the show. This seems particularly true in the second act of this two-disc set.

There is a lot of singing on this album that I like very much. Elaine Paige somehow finds a way to be strong up and down her whole range without getting too nasal or too pushed. I'm very interested in Tommy Korberg and what else he may have done--I like his singing very much. It is pop-twinged without loosing the core of its sound. "Anthem" has long been one of my favorite baritone songs. I look forward to hearing other singers present this song in later cast albums.

Chess
Music by Benny Anderssen, Bjorn Ulvaeus
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Concept Album released in 1984
Cast: Murray Head, Elaine Paige, Barbara Dickson, Tommy Korberg, Denis Quilley, Bjorn Skifs

Ghost Light Monday--The Dish film on DVD

I can thank my mother for this entry. I vaguely remember hearing about the film The Dish when it was released in 2000, but I had long forgotten it, and would never had put in on my Netflix queue. On a recent trip to Australia, my mother saw a screening of this film and thought my father and I would like it, so she had it on hand for us to watch this weekend during my visit. Yes, this scenario might seem like a new millenium version of the Norman Rockwell painting where the family is gathered round the radio.

Well, The Dish would fit in well with Rockwell's world--it is a charming film full of delightful quirky characters whose interacting form the finest parts of this film.

The story involves an Australian satellite dish that played a significant role in the Apollo 11 moon landing by receiving the television signal sent from the LEM Eagle. Sam Neill stars as the director of the Australian facility. Patrick Warburton (who knew he had done anything other than voice-over work and sit-coms?) is the American NASA respresentative watching over the satellite's Apollo involvement. A cast of quirky small town characters fill out the story.

The Dish
Directed by Rob Sitch
Released by Warner Bros. in 2000
Cast: Sam Neill, Patrick Warburton, Billy Mitchell, Kevin Harrington, Tom Long

Once Upon A Mattress--live performance

On a weekend trip to visit my parents, I had cause to see a community theater performance of a perennial favorite--Once Upon A Mattress. While the memory of Carol Burnett is firmly planted in my ear as far as this score is concerned, I was happy to use the extra ticket my parents had for the performance.

The delightful nature of this story and this score very nearly make any performance of Mattress fool-proof, and most of the humor sparkled in this production. For the most part, the players were well-cast and well-matched with their counterparts. This was particularly true for the couples--Dauntless/Winifred and Larkin/Harry. Pairings like this must be particularly tricky when casting from a selection of community performers--each with widely varying abilities and experience.

Lady Larkin had the best voice of the cast; clearly she has some training and her credits included singing Pamina in a college production of Magic Flute. Harry, while having less vocal training, possessed a lovely high-baritone voice that he used well. The comic duo in the show were also well-matched. Dauntless proved a particularly good physical comedian and was literally tumbling across the stage during the Act I finale. Winifred was very good drawing humor from her facial expressions, and managed to project her songs up and down her full range without pushing into an unattractive belt voice.

There was a cast of 24, which is large for my hometown's little community theater company; and the production was staged in a middle school in town that had a larger stage than the small community center holds. The production took full advantage of having more space by including a sizeable set that still left room for the whole cast to dance the Spanish Panic. The costumes were appropriately colorful.

The best side of the performance, perhaps, was seeing that an enthusiastic audience of 400 would show up on a cold Friday night to see a 50 year-old musical. It's good to know that theater is still a priority in some of the provinces.

Once Upon a Matress
Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer

Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer
Cast: 24 community theater actors of varying ability, but high-energy enthusiasm