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

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

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

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

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

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

Podcasts from The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume 1

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

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

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

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

Enjoy.

The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Volume I

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paddle-to-the-Sea

film written and directed by William Mason

produced by the National Film Board of Canada in 1966

released on DVD by the Criterion Collection

Show Tunes--Rosemary Clooney CD

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

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

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

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

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

Standing Room Only--Jerry Hadley Recital Disc on CD

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

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

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

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

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

Standing Room Only

Broadway Favorites

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

Cast: Jerry Hadley, Paul Gemignani, American Theatre Orchestra

Released on the RCAVictor label in 1992

American Masters--Ella Fitzgerald Something to Live For, television biography on DVD

Ella Fitzgerald is an artist that I find it easy to be inspired by--and this PBS American Masters television biography makes it plain to see why. Ella Fitzgerald Something to Live For gives good insight into Ms. Fitzgerald's personal life while giving over the bulk of its time to her professional life.

She recorded almost 2000 songs in her 5 decade career, and nearly 35 of them are excerpted or played in full during this 90 minute documentary. There is a nice balance between the well-known Ella hits and the unfamiliar. A funny highlight for me was a trio of Ella, Dinah Shore and Joan Sutherland singing "Three Little Maids" from the Mikado.

There are perhaps too many duets excerpted in this show, including with Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Louis Armstrong, Perry Como, and others. While some of these duets are fun and interesting, it takes away time from showcasing what Ms. Fitzgerald could accomplish when in complete control of the music-making.

And control is what she demonstrates in every song. No one could roll out a legato line, or bend a pitch like Ella. The scat and swing singing is also of the highest order. How does one manage to do both so well?

Ella Fitzgerald--Something to Live For

from PBS American Master's Series on DVD

Benjamin Britten's "Rejoice in the Lamb" preparation for live performance

Tomorrow, the church choir in which I sing is performing Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb during the service. So I thought I would share my lamb thoughts...

When the choir started rehearsing Rejoice in the Lamb, you could easily count the number of confused looks on members' faces--mine among them. The poetry of Christopher Smart (pictured, right) and the message Britten extracts from it are not obvious at first. There is a slight Gertrude Stein "pigeons on the grass, alas" quality to much of the verse that obfuscates its meaning. But this is not mere word-play. There is also a child-like quality that belies an adult understanding of the ways of God.

Christopher Smart was in in an insane asylum and considered mad when he wrote the poem he called Jubilato Agno. He seems to have equated some of his fate to that of Jesus--misunderstood by the public powers, and resigned to suffer at their hands. But Smart also saw God in this suffering. He saw God in everything--in his cat, in mice, in flowers, in rambling off the alphabet, in silly rhymes. But what drew composer Benjamin Britten to Smart's poem, I believe, is Smart's belief that we are perhaps closest to God in music, whether making it or listening to it.

Britten wrote this piece in 1943. Imagine London at that time. The city has been a primary target of bombing for four years. During the blitz, civilian lives are being lost daily. Public services like power, water, trash collection are sporadic. Supply chains from Europe and elsewhere have been interrupted, so food is often in short supply. Blackout orders have shut down all the concert halls, theaters, and movie houses. Entertainment of all types has come to a complete stop for fear of being in a crowd when the bombs start falling.

It is in this world that Benjamin Britten is asked to compose a cantata for use in church--about the only place that live music is being heard. And WH Auden hands Britten a poem from a forgotten 18th Century poet. A poem which has raised its author's reputation from obscurity and madness to prominence and brilliance. A poem which, while written in 1763, was not published until 1939 after being pieced together from hand-written loose-leaf sheets that had somehow survived 175 years. A poem which was probably written to stave off deeper depression during Smart's institutionalization and daren't consider anything other than his cat Jeoffry. Did Britten see this as the survival story that England needed in its dark days?

The music Britten composes is by turns nursery rhyme-like tunes, robust mixed-meter dances, and chant. Chant opens the piece, and is used again for the darkest, most penetrating moments of the cantata. The dances enliven the texts about how the many Old Testament characters to which Christopher Smart refers should glorify God. Dance meters also are used when the chorus sings it anthem to music-making.

The nursery rhyme-like tunes come during three solo sections; a treble soloist (a female soprano in my choir) likens the stretches and meanderings of a cat's movement to praying. The organ part portrays the cat with its twists and turns. An alto soloist sings of the bravado of a mouse (perhaps this is an analogy to how we are to engage our lives?). Thirdly, a tenor soloist muses about flowers and draws comparisons to Christ, the bloom of Mary. Here, the arching line of the soloist floats over a chipper organ part that seems to me to be tripping through a field of daisies.

You can make your own correlations between that time and ours. Between Christopher Smart's story and your personal struggles. Between Benjamin Britten's faith and your own. For me, when the darkness seems to be all around and I'm not certain where the next bomb is going to fall, I am glad to be able to revel in the "Shawn, Lawn, Fawn", and the "Flute, Suit, Moot, and the like", believing that "the trumpet of God is a blessed intelligence" which comes "from the hand of the artist, and from the echo of the heavenly harp, in sweetness magnifical and mighty."

Hallelujah. Amen.

Rejoice in the Lamb

Music by Benjamin Britten
Text from Jubilate Agno by Christopher Smart
One performance only by
St. Pauls United Church of Christ Chancel Choir
Lincoln Park, Chicago IL 60614

Sunday, May 16, 2010 11am service

Billy Elliot The Musical live on stage in Chicago

I believe this is a "sit-down" production that is in Chicago for a long stay. Judging by the full house and enthusiastic audience, Billy Elliot The Musical deserves a good run.

It took me a while to get my head around this show; it breaks some conventions that I have stuck in my craw about musicals. Mostly, the expectation that the moving moments of a show will be during songs; here the highlights are during dances. Billy's dancing was of course the standout and Cesar Corrales, the young performer who played Billy in the matinee I saw, was excellent. Not just a well-trained dancer, but an actual stage presence.

The music by Elton John was a little disappointing to me. Apart from Billy's "Electricity", the songs don't have a tune that you can leave the theater humming. And Billy's song is nearly immediately swept out of your head by the wonderful dance number that follows. Having seen Sir Elton's Lion King and Aida, I know the man can write effective stage musical songs.

In Billy Elliot, there are three roles other than the title character who have primary songs--Billy's father; dance instructor Mrs. Wilkinson; and Billy's friend Michael. Mrs. Wilkinson is portrayed in Chicago by Emily Skinner, an accomplished Broadway veteran from Side Show, Jekyll & Hyde, and The Full Monty. That experience shown in her performance. Armand Schultz as Billy's father was best when not singing.

One thing this show did a lot, and usually well, was blend Billy's real life with his fantasy life. This happened in the dancing dress number for Billy and Michael, the pas de deux for Billy and Grown Billy, and in scenes between Billy and his deceased mother. Even the struggle between striking miners and British police authorities was a blend of realities of sorts--although I found this less effective. Perhaps purposely, the police presence was made into a joke with their first entrance that seemed straight out of Gilbert and Sullivan.

I have to end with a probing question that kept me awake last night: why when Billy left at the end of the show to go off to The Royal Ballet school, did the actor climb into the orchestra pit?

Billy Elliot The Musical
Music by Elton John
Book and lyrics by Lee Hall
Opened in London in 2005, the New York production opened in October, 2008
This Chicago production opened in March, 2010 and has an open run.
Cast: Emily Skinner, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Cesar Corrales (my Billy), Gabriel Rush (my Michael),

Golden Boy original Broadway cast album on CD

If you need any proof of Sammy Davis, Jr.'s strength as a singer, just listen to this show from 1964. I suspect his live performances were electric, because his vocal performance of Golden Boy seems to jump off the cast album. Mr. Davis makes the uneven score uniformly sing.

Between the notes to this CD release and some online reading about the history of this musical, I can understand why the show seems a bit of a hodge-podge. The book is based on Clifford Odet's 1937 drama of the same name but with significant changes--including changing the title character from an Irish-American immigrant to an African-American outsider. I suppose that in the 30s, the Irish in America were outsiders, too, but now the race card is clearly played, and the civil rights cause of the 60s is the larger issue that boxer Joe Bonaparte is fighting.

I generally like most of the music on this album, although it does seem to be missing a uniform "voice" a lot of the time. There are numbers that seem like Big Band, swing, gospel, pop and more conventional Broadway. Some of it deserves a life outside the theater, although I had never heard any of these songs before. I was particularly struck by two elegiac ballads about life in the big city--"A Night Song" which is in the Sinatra vein, and "While the City Sleeps" which lacks a little structure and oomph.

This is clearly a vehicle for Sammy Davis who shines throughout even when the heavy-handed inter-racial love story and some obvious racial jokes are added. The rest of the cast has significantly less to do, except Paula Wayne as the love interest with the great character name of Lorna Moon. Ms. Wayne has a slightly gravely character voice that reminds me of a younger Elaine Stritch.

I wonder if Encores has ever done a concert version of this show? I can imagine Taye Diggs in it.

Golden Boy
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Lee Adams
Book by Clifford Odets and William Gibson
Opened in 1964
Cast: Sammy Davis, Paula Wayne, Billy Daniels

Ghost Light Monday--Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, British Television adaptation on DVD

The year 2011 is the centenary of playwright Tennessee Williams and I've been considering some sort of personal Williams project. Maybe the Year of Williams Thinking? Too derivative?

While I was a theater major in college, I have seen and read very little of Williams'
work--just the occasional film adaptation and I'm sure I had to read Glass Menagerie for some class. Oh, and I was in a production of Summer and Smoke in college. I've always had the (unsubstantiated) thought that Williams told the same couple of stories over and over. Perhaps I should read and see a little more before I make such a bold and damning statement.

Well, while I consider that project, I ran across a television adaptation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof that I thought might be interesting, so I checked it out from the library and enjoyed watching a version created for Granada Television in 1977. Such a quintessential American play seems an odd choice for the British Television company, but this was part of a series of performances produced and starring Laurence Olivier, who must have seen the role of Big Daddy as a good fit for him at the time.

The production is well done with a seasoned cast of mostly Americans. Natalie Wood is memorizing as Maggie and while I found her performance a little too twitchy even for this twitchy character, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Ms. Wood's husband Robert Wagner portrays Brick, Maggie's downward-spiralling husband. I enjoyed Mr. Wagner's performance as well. He is very still for much of it, particularly in contrast to Maggie.

If I do take on Tennessee, one question in my mind is the structure within his plays, both the overall structure and of the scenes and beats within the plays. If feel that maybe he is a good structuralist and gives actors lots of moments to build and release the tension in a scene. At least that is my first impression based on this one television version. Given the loads of Williams plays to investigate (by reading, seeing live, or viewing on film) that question alone could fuel a year's worth of discussion.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
by Tennessee Williams in 1955
This production for Granada Television produced in 1977 as part of Laurence Olivier Presents
Starring Laurence Olivier, Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Maureen Stapleton

Jason Graae--An Evening of Self-Indulgence--Live at the Cinegrill on CD

Aptly titled.

I like Mr. Graae's singing. He has an ability to reach into his top register with apparent ease and without losing any legato in his line. I also liked his choice of music for this production--all of which has touched his career at some point or in some way. I could have used one more comic number to balance the ballads, but that's a very personal preference. Mr. Graae ably delivers both comic songs and ballads.

Where the recording of this event let me down was in the patter between numbers. There was too much of it, and I believe unless you were one of Jason's best friends it wouldn't be very funny. Undoubtedly, the loss of visuals hurt here. But you know, you're producing an audio-only CD, so adjust accordingly.

Jason Graae: An Evening of Self-Indulgence
Live cabaret performance at the Cinegrill in Los Angeles on CD
Cast: Jason Graae, Gerald Sternbach

9 to 5 Original Broadway Cast album

I remember the musical version of 9 to 5 making the talk-show splash when it opened a year or so ago. Between having music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and starring unlikely musical theater performer Allison Janney, bits of the show made rounds on The View, Regis and Kelly, etc. I must have heard a song or two from one of those appearances, but I don't recall which.

In listening to the cast album, I was struck that the accompaniments for many of the songs are guitar-based, not piano-based. I supposed that's fitting given the composer is a country singer/songwriter. I don't bring that up as a dis, just an observation--a score sounds different when composed on a guitar rather than a keyboard. I had the same observation with Spring Awakening, which is also by a singer/songwriter/guitarist--Duncan Sheik. That may be the only thing Duncan Sheik and Dolly Parton, and these two shows have in common.

The capabilities of the cast seems to be the primary strength of this album. The songs feel uneven to me at times, and several don't have a strong-enough sense of what they want to be to create a positive impression.

The two songs I was drawn to the most are both sung by Stephanie J. Block as Judy. I have seen Ms. Block perform live and know that she is a powerhouse singer, and fortunately is given two good songs to showcase her abilities. Unfortunately for Ms. Block this show and the previous show where she originated a lead role (Pirate Queen--I saw it, don't ask) have closed within a couple of months. I'm certain she is well-respected in the musical theater world, but Ms. Block need a good vehicle to find herself well-known among audiences.

Allison Janney as singer doesn't completely embarrass herself. She's fine when she's not in her head voice and has enough legato and hutzspa (sp?) to sell her songs. Megan Hilty as Dolly doppelganger Doralee has a nice, versatile voice (I was surprised to learn she was a replacement Glinda in Wicked--very different styles of music) although I didn't care for the music she is given. Marc Kudish as devil-boss again impresses me with his voice, but his one front-and-center number didn't reach me.

9 to 5
Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton
Book by Patricia Resnick
opened in 2009
Cast: Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Marc Kudish, Megan Hilty

Finian's Rainbow New Broadway Cast album on CD

I recall liking the film version of Finian's Rainbow when I reviewed it for this project, so I was looking forward to listening to the new Broadway cast album when I was given it as a gift. Best gift ever.

This is a well-produced and well-cast album of a production that unfortunately closed way too soon. I have to believe it was a case of being hit hard by the economy and not anything to do with the show itself, because what is evident on the CD is delightful from downbeat to finale.

Cheyenne Jackson starred in this re-mounting as Woody, man-about Rainbow Valley, Missitucky. I have to say, I don't mind looking at Mr. Jackson, and don't mind listening to Mr. Jackson sing. I must make a point of finding some of his solo CDs---I believe they are not all American Idol-influenced.

Fortunately, Mr. Jackson gets some of the best songs in this Burton Lane score to sing. "That Old Devil Moon" proves why it is a classic. While I liked hearing "That Great, Come-and-get-it Day" again, it didn't live up to my memory from the film. Is it a different arrangement? Or just missing the visuals?

Kate Baldwin as Sharon also has a lovely voice that she uses well in "How are Things in Glocca Morra?" and "Look to the Rainbow." Even Christopher Fitzgerald as leprechaun Og is a good singer and delivers on his comic piece "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love."

The good liner notes from John Lahr give a lot of information about the origins of Finian's Rainbow but not the remount production, which sadly like a rainbow was too brief an occurrence.

Finian's Rainbow
Music by Burton Lane
Lyrics by Yip Harburg
Book by Harburg and Fred Saidy
2009 Broadway revival production
Cast: Cheyenne Jackson, Kate Baldwin, Christopher Fitzgerald, Jim Norton,

Two Gentlemen of Verona--Original Broadway Cast Album

I happened across the CD release of this show in a bin at the library and knowing absolutely nothing about it (except assuming the story was at least based on the Shakespeare of the same title) I thought I'd give it a whirl. I hadn't realized that Galt MacDermot had written another musical besides Hair, but he did and it is Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Well, this one is going back to the library as soon as possible. I have no desire to hear any of it again, nor to investigate the show or its score any further. I find it remarkable that this show beat out Sondheim's Follies for the Best Musical Tony Award for 1972. Well, Follies has been revived often, and Two Gentlemen, never (at least on Broadway), so I guess Sondheim has the last laugh.

There was only one song of the 34 on the CD that I wanted to listen closely to, or hear again; the funny and satirical "Bring All the Boys Back Home" is still surprisingly timely given that it was written almost 40 years ago. But then, world leaders have been hiding behind and capitalizing on war since the Greeks ransacked Troy.

I was sorry that none of the singing voices captured my attention, either. Clifton Davis has a pleasant enough voice, but doesn't sing any songs that really lets it shine. Raul Julia may have been a mega-wattage stage presence (as the very good liner notes to this recording say), but it is not obvious from the cast album.

My primary problem with the score is that it seems to lack the infectious fun of Hair, as well as the singability.

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Music by Galt MacDermot

Lyrics by John Guare

Book adapted from Shakespeare by John Guare and Mel Shapiro

Opened 1971

Cast: Raul Julia, Clifton Davis, Diana Davila, Jonelle Allen, John Bottoms

Ghost light Monday--Another Musical Mentor

Too few people knew Dan Tucker, a long-standing Chicago composer and newspaperman who passed away this weekend at the age of 84. That's not to say that Mr. Tucker was not well-known nor well-loved. He was both those things by many, many people. But if a larger majority of people had known Dan, I think the world would be a better place. A genteel, gracious, and charming man, Dan was a purveyor of good taste, better grammar, and great humor. Fortunately, for me I was the recipient of all of those things from Dan at one point in my life.

I met Dan in the early 2000s, after he had retired from a four-decades career in the newspaper business as editor and music critic. He was focusing on his own music-making in the form of composition, a calling which Dan had pursued all his professional life. A man of diverse interests and great intelligence, he had earned Bachelor and Master degrees from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago when he was in his late twenties and already employed full time in the newspaper business.

His compositions, while not widely played, have been performed by such notable artists as Rostropovich, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and His Majesty's Clerks. Dan's compositions are known for their easy lyricism and sensitive word-setting. His choice of song texts shows his excellent tastes and diverse interests: Shakespeare, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Thomas Merton, Native American texts, Ogden Nash, and Lewis Carroll.

I must confess that I have heard very little of Dan's music first-hand. I will miss the man more than the music. He was a gentle soul that brimmed with the fire of creation. Something more of us should have.

Side by Side by Sondheim London Cast Album on CD

With all the Sondheim at 80 hoopla happening this month, I thought I would listen to yet another of the many revue versions of his work. Side by Side by Sondheim may have been one of the first such revues, and was created in 1976 when the composer was just entering his musical maturity. It is interesting to hear a revue created before many of the shows that I most readily name with Sondheim--Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Into the Woods.

With these shows yet to be written, this revue has room for a deeper investigation of Sondheim's early shows. It was particularly interesting to hear songs for which Mr. Sondheim wrote the lyrics but not the music. "The Boy from..." charmed me again as it had done when I listened to a collection of songs composed by Mary Rodgers. The real find for me was "I Never do Anything Twice" which was written for a film. It's hysterical.

The cast of three performers are uniformly good and versatile, particularly David Kernan, who was involved in the creation of this revue. Millicent Martin sings "I'm Still Here" as well as anyone. As I learned when I looked up this production, the London version was created first and imported later to Broadway, with its British cast intact.

Side by Side by Sondheim

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Mary Rodgers, Richards Rodgers, Jule Styne, Leonard Bernstein

Opened in London in 1976

Cast: David Kernan, Millicent Martin, Julia McKenzie

I Dreamed a Dream, the debut CD from Susan Boyle

Yes, I succumbed to the hype and downloaded the first album from "Britain's Got Talent" sensation Susan Boyle. When the clip was making all the waves on YouTube, I have to confess I was honestly given chills by her singing. Being such a curmudgeon, that doesn't happen to me very often, so I was curious if it could happen again during this listening of this album.

The collection is a mix of styles and genres, which is not surprising for someone who is just finding their voice and seeking their viewpoint as a performer. There are several religious standards (I almost used the word "gospel" but that has too many connotations), including "Amazing Grace", "How Great Thou Art", and "Silent Night". The surprise tracks for me were the Madonna song "You'll See" and the Monkees' song "Daydream Believer".

There is nothing to dislike on this album; it is a strong freshman effort. Perhaps for me, the tracks are too over-produced and all tend into the power-ballad category--which is clearly the current most obvious strength of Ms. Boyle. Even what could be more upbeat songs are presented in arrangements that often seem to be in the same tempos, making them all sound a bit alike.

I was struck by the sound of Ms. Boyle's voice, which seems very different than I recall from the television appearance. Perhaps this is part of the over-produced nature of the album. Perhaps it is a versatile and talented singer searching for their true voice.

Regardless of the reasons for this, I hope there are future releases from Ms. Boyle so we can hear how see progresses.

Classical Monday--Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex live performance at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Have I been hibernating since my last posting on December 14? Well, I haven't seen any live performances since then, so I may have been sleeping.

This weekend I attended an all-Stravinsky concert by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with the largest piece on the program being the opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex. I had never heard of this work, so was very curious about it. It is scored for strings, winds, percussion, piano, male chorus, six soloists and a narrator.

The most recognizable name among the guest artists was Sir Patrick Stewart. He was an amenable and communicative narrator, as you would expect from and RSC-trained actor. I was told after the event that he was amplified; it was very subtly done, and I heard every word and nuance. There were three primary singers--tenor William Burden, mezzo Michelle DeYoung, and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny (pictured). I have heard Ms. DeYoung sing live at the Lyric Opera; Mr. Burden has sung there often as well. Mr. McKinny was a new name for he, but he's clearly an up-and-comer--an attractive and dark-voiced singer who is just entering his thirties. These soloists performed well, although at times I thought they were over-powered by the orchestra. At times even the male chorus of 100 was over-powered by the orchestra. Did no one sit in the house during rehearsals to check the balance? Perhaps these were choices by conductor Michael Tilson Thomas; if so they did a disservice to the soloists in particular and the work in general.

The first half of the concert was also works by Stavinsky--a three-part Ode that was written as a memorial to Serge Koussevitsky's wife, and the music from the ballet Apollon musagete. Only bits of either of these pieces had ever been programmed on a CSO concert before, except when Tilson Thomas had conducted the Apollon music back in the early 80s. The works don't deserve to be repeated even that often.

Perhaps I'm proving my bourgeois background, but I have never understood the programming of ballet music on a orchestra concert. Isn't that like showing a film on the radio? Certainly there are many ballets where the music deserves to be heard outside the dance world--many Stravinsky ballets in particular--but Apollon is not on that list.

Oedipus Rex

Music by Igor Stravinsky

Text in Latin by Stravinsky and Jean Cocteau

First performed in 1927

Soloists: Michelle DeYoung, Ryan McKinny, William Burden, Patrick Stewart, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas