A Little Night Music - First Preview

First preview, done. I want to see it again. I'd love to tell you everything about last night's most anticipated first preview. But today, things that shouldn't be said, won't.

Things that won't change, I'll talk about.

First of all, where are the French horns? This classy, elegant, most glamorous sound is sorely missed. The horns are what make the original orchestrations so thrilling to me. And here, for this production, the orchestra is paired down to almost nothing save a string or two, a clarinet and a keyboard - are there more instruments? I've heard there are 7 pieces, but it's hard to tell - the band is in the wings. I could see the conductor's hands, score and keyboard from my seat. Note, I will take my horn with me to the next performance I attend. That'll learn 'em.

Secondly, David Farley's design, both set and costume, is bland (except for Madame Armfeldt's costumes). There is very little glamour. Hartley T A Kemp's lighting doesn't help. The first act is painfully dark.

Otherwise, I'll definitely go again for the story, the lyrics, the melody, the characters, all of the actors.

Tonight: A Little Night Music on Broadway

In May 2006, I wanted to believe it when Stephen Sondheim told me that a revival of A Little Night Music was being talked about and that "Angie would be perfect as the old lady." Would my dream of finally seeing Angela Lansbury on Broadway come to fruition? Yes! But not in A Little Night Music - not that I'll complain about the several benefit performances and the two plays she did.

Alas, years passed and we still had no revival of Sondheim's most intimate and adult musical work and I was beginning to lose hope.

Then in April 2008, I saw a production in Baltimore and just knew that it would be the one to finally transfer to Broadway. But, it took a high profile production in London to finally do the trick.

Tonight, 36 years after the opening of the original A Little Night Music on Broadway, we finally get a revival.

Tonight is the first preview of an open run. The stars are Catherine Zeta-Jones (Broadway debut), Angela Lansbury (5 time Tony winner) and Alexander Hanson (Broadway debut). Supporting cast members are Ramona Mallory (Broadway debut), Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (Broadway debut), Leigh Ann Larkin, Erin Davie, Aaron Lazar, Bradley Dean, Marissa McGowan, Betsy Morgan, Karen Murphy, Jayne Paterson and Kevin David Thomas.

A wonderful connection tying this production to the original is that Ramona Mallory, who will be Anne Egerman, is the daughter of Victoria Mallory and Mark Lambert, who played Anne and Henrick in the original production.

Notably, Alexander Hanson is reprising his role as Frederick Egerman from the London production. This also marks Angela Lansbury's 13th full production on Broadway (did you know that 13 is my lucky number?)!

I have been watching the comings and goings at the Walter Kerr Theatre for weeks and tonight I'll finally be in the house. I'm practically sitting near heaven in the cheapest seat in the balcony, however it is yet to be seen if I'll actually feel like I'm in heaven. I'll say my chances are pretty good.

Tonight: 2009 Tucker Gala Concert!

Richard Tucker (1913-1975) is considered one of America's greatest tenors. He sang 724 performances with the Metropolitan Opera plus was broadly recorded. He was profoundly civic and religious minded and devoted himself to helping others both in the music world and general community assistance.

After his death in 1975, The Richard Tucker Music Foundation was founded as a "non-profit cultural organization dedicated to perpetuating the artistic legacy of the great American tenor through the support and advancement of the careers of talented American opera singers by bringing opera into the community." The Foundation offers free performances in New York Metropolitan area and supports music education programs.

Each year the Richard Tucker Music Foundation annually awards cash prizes to individual U.S. born singers. There is no application process, only nomination. Prestigous in name and in association to previous winner, it is monetarily generous and acts to further highten the winning artist's career, usually one who is already on the brink of success. The first winner, in 1978, was Rockwell Blake. Other winners were Brandon Jovanovich, Lawrence Brownlee, Eric Cutler, Matthew Polenzani, John Relyea, Joyce DiDonato, Christine Goerke, Gregory Turay, Stephanie Blythe, Patricia Racette, David Daniels, Dwayne Croft, Paul Groves, Jennifer Larmore, Ruth Ann Swenson, Deborah Voigt, Renée Fleming, Margaret Jane Wray, Richard Leech, Harry Dworchak, Dolora Zajick, Aprile Millo, Roger Roloff, Susan Dunn, J. Patrick Raftery, Barry McCauley and Diana Soviero.

The foundation also awards the Richard Tucker Career Grant (notably Susan Graham) and the Sara Tucker Study Grant. I have been fortunate to have seen many of recipients of each of these awards perform in recital or concerts in and around New York and in operas at the Met, the Chicago Lyric and the WNO. Each year the Foundation presents a concert of past winners and current winners. This year's winner is Stephen Costello, tenor.

The program was excellent. The singers seemed to enjoy the event as much as the audience. It was sheer fun. This year's Fashion Award went to Maria Guleghina, who rocked it in a purple gown, adorned with sparkles. Over this, she wore a white fur stole/jacket!*** The audience ooooohed when she took the stage as Lady Macbeth. She's such a rock star! Stephen Costello was fantastic - a young, high tenor with much passion in his voice. Susan Graham had some fun with her Vilja, conducting the audience in a bit of an encore and then cutting us off so she could have the final notes. She wore an elegant green gown. Stephanie Blythe blew the roof off with her Condotta ell'era in ceppi from Il Trovatore. Oh my God, she is so fabulous. I thought this is the most beautiful screaming in the world. Zeljko Lucic growls and leers with intensity and just knocks me dead. I just love him!

It was a treat to hear the sweet, clear voice of Hei-kyng Hong. It's clear that she's an audience favorite and looked lovely in a strapless, bedazzled light pink gown. Anna Netrebko was fabulous - her high notes were clear and gorgeous. She wore a strangely cut gown, but wore gorgeous sparkly shoes (that's an A+). The rest of the guys were fantastic - Aleksandrs Antonenko was a big hit, James Morris was solid as always and it's hard not to like Sam Ramey's Te Deum. Matthew Polenzani stepped in for ailing Joseph Colleja plus sang his own planned songs - he is just so enjoyable to watch and hear.

Barry Tucker opened the show as usual, noting that once again flower bouquets adorning the stage were foregone in deference to the economy. He also got a chuckle out of me when he announced that honored guest Peter Gelb could attend due to a tennis accident. Tennis elbow, do you think? There was no announcement that tonight's performance was taped for future radio broacast and there were no visible cameras either.

As tradition, the entire company returned to the stage for the encore of The Brindisi, from La Traviata (The Drinking Song!). This group of sopranos couldn't have had more fun. Now, only 12 more months until the next Tucker Gala!

The Program:
*Verdi, Overture to Nabucco, Members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
*Verdi, Ella mi fu rapita!...Parmi veder le lagrime" from Rigoletto, Stephen Costello
*Musorgsky, Coronation Scene from Boris Godunov, Samuel Ramey, Adam Klein, The New York Choral Society
*Arditi, Il Bacio, Anna Netrebko
*Wagner, Die Frist ist Um from Der fliegende Hollander, James Morris
*Lehar, Vilja from The Merry Widow, Susan Graham
*Puccini, E lucevan le stelle from Tosca, Aleklsandrs Antonenko, Jordan Bisch
Verdi, Final of Act I of Macbeth, Maria Guleghina, Marjorie Owens, Adam Kelin, Zeljko Lucic, Jordan Bisch, Philip Webb, The New York Choral Society
*Catalani, Ebben? Ne andro lontana from La Wally, Hei-kyung Hong
*Massenet Pourquoi me reveller from Werther, Matthew Polenzani
*Verdi, Cortigiani, vil razza dannata from Rigoletto, Zeljko Lucic
Tchaikovsky, Prostite vi, kholmi from Maid of Orleans, Maria Guleghina
*Puccini, Te Deum from Tosca, Samuel Ramey, Keith Jameson, The New York Choral Society
*Verdi, Condotta ell'era in ceppi from Il trovatore, Stephanie Blythe
*Puccini, O soave fanciulla from La Boheme, Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani
*Verdi, Si pel ciel from Otello, Aleksandrs Antonenko, James Morris
*Gounod, Final trio from Faust, Kei-kyung Hong, Matthew Polenzani, Samuel Ramey
*Verdi, Act II, sc ii finale from La Traviata, Anna Netrebko, Jennifer Johnson, Stephen Costello, Keith Jameson, Zeljko Lucic, Christopher Magiera, Jordan Bisch, The New York Choral Society
ENCORE
*Verdi, The Brindisi from La Traviata, The Entire Company (except Suzi G. who split early in order to catch a train to D.C. to perform at a recital for the Supreme Court, arranged by the Tucker Foundation!)

***(The old woman sitting next to Sally was not at all pleased with our exhuberance over Gug's fur. She started screaming at us about her wearing a dead animal on her shoulders. She then threatened to slap Sally! Whoa! Rumble in the third tier!)

Lincoln Center: Celebrating 50 Years

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Commemorating this auspicious creation, a new exhibition has been installed the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Plaza. The first performance I saw at Lincoln Center was Contact at the Vivien Beaumont. That was 2002. Since then, I have seen countless concerts, operas, plays, films, and lectures at this heaven on earth. I'll be there again tonight for the Tucker Gala. And of course, my designated library is the New York Public Libary for the Performing Arts.

Lincoln Center is the home of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and the School of American Ballet.

Every inch of Lincoln Center is dedicated to performance or teaching of performance. Venues are Alice Tully Hall, The Allen Room, Avery Fisher Hall, Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, Clark Studio Theater, Damrosch Park, Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Rehearsal Studio, David H. Koch Theater, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Gerald W. Lynch Theater, Josie Robertson Plaza, La Guardia Concert Hall, La Guardia Drama Theater, Metropolitan Opera House, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Morse Recital Hall, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Paul Recital Hall, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Rose Theater, Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, Stephanie P. McClelland Drama Theater, Vivian Beaumont Theater, and The Walter Reade Theater.

The anniversary exhibit features memorabilia of everything from the actual acquisition of the land physical and plans for the buildings to memorabilia and photographs of productions, costumes, pieces of scenery and a wide variety of videos of performances from the last 50 years. Browse some of the exhibit on-line or visit the digital time capsule. The free exhibition in the gallery runs through January 6, 2010. The New Public Library for the Performing Arts is snugly tucked away at the back of Lincoln Plaza, between the Metropolitan Opera House and the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.

Costumes pictured below (click to embiggen): Beverly Sills' dress, designed by Bob Mackie, from her farewell at the New York City Opera; Leonard Bernstein's performance tuxedo; costume designed by William Ivey Long and worn by Deborah Yates in the role of the Girl in the Yellow Dress in Contact; and costume worn by Leontyne Price as Aida at the inaugural production at the Metropolitan Opera.

The 50th Anniversary Celebration of The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music opened on Broadway 50 years ago tonight. Celebrating at the Barnes and Noble Lincoln Triangle were members of the original cast, replacement cast, Anna Crouse, widow of bookwriter Russell Crowse, Richard Rodgers' daughter Mary Rodgers, representives from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Foundation, authors of books about both the stage musical and the movie musical, and fans of the work.

Opening the evening, Kate Baldwin thrilled the room when she sang the title song, The Sound of Music. Kate played Maria at St. Louis' Muny in 2005.

Laurence Maslon, author of The Sound of Music Companion, served as the moderator for the evening. The first two guests were Sam von Trapp, grandson of Maria, and Bert Fink, author of a new children's pop up book about The Sound of Music. Sam is the president of the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont. Sam said that he saw the musical when he was around 6 years old, but his family sheltered them from it and he didn't see it again until his twenties. He also didn't realize the impact it had until he was traveling in South America and he was asked about his grandmother. He was 15 when Maria passed away. He recalled that Theodore Bikel, the original Captain von Trapp in the musical, called her "a tyrannical saint." Sam's father is Johannes, the youngest of Maria's children - and in a sense, the "Gretel." He said that the story - both the stage show and the movie - reflects the integrity of their family - willing to stand up for what was true and right.

Next, Maslon talked with Laurie Peters, “Liesl” and Brian Davies, “Rolf”. They are in their late 60s now. Brian emphasized that he didn't realize the impact of the show until almost recently. Laurie talked about the Tony nomination that was bestowed upon her, "Laurie Peters and the von Trapp children." She confessed that she didn't know what the Tony Award was!

Brian shared the story of the set for scene "16 going on 17" - there was a large, beautiful set built for the scene and they learned the dance around it. But when they got to New Haven for their out of town tryout, the set wouldn't fit in the theatre, so they had to just use a bench. The director liked it so much that they just kept the bench. He also told of the night when he accidentally pushed his bicycle into the orchestra pit. Much to his chagrin, he was called back to to Miss (Mary) Martin's dressing room...but she only want to make him feel better and did by telling him about the night that she was over exhuberant in her cartwheels during South Pacific and cartwheeled right into the pit herself.

Laurie and Brian both emphasized that Mary Martin was the leader of the pack and set the professional tone of the company. She was very warm, funny and kind, but the work and the audience mattered the most. Laurie said Mary was devoted to the children, but it wasn't a sachrine devotion at all, it was real and wise.

Finally, Theodore Bikel, the original Captain von Trapp, joined the stage. He is well into his 80s and is quite spry. He is still performing and is soon performing
his one man show, Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears, at Baruch. He himself is an immigrant from Austria - a refugee. He said the difference between his departure from Austria and that of the real Captain's was that the Captain made the choice, but he himself had no choice. When he auditioned, he already had a career as a folk musician. He took his guitar with him, and although he did sing some Broadway type tunes, he also sang a folk song. He said that, "Mary tapped Rodgers on the shoulder and said, 'we don't have to look much further do we'". Eidelweiss wasn't originally written in the score. He said that Rodgers and Hammerstein sat down at the piano in the theatre and wrote a "genuine, old Austrian folk song". The last word - "forever" - turned out to be the last word that Oscar Hammerstein wrote (he passed away August 23, 1960).

Ending the evening, Theodore Bikel sang and played Eidelweiss for us. It was truly a breathtaking and unforgettable moment.













My favorite story of the evening came from four of the original "nuns" (at least two were Bernice Saunders, who was also a nurse in South Pacific, and Mimi Vondra - feel free to comment and let me know the other two names!) They shared a long bowling alley like dressing room. They were divided into two groups, the more classically trained group and they, the musical comedy club. They would play poker in their dressing room. They also said that Patricia Neway, the Mother Abbess and the winner of the Tony for Best Featured actress, usually had a poker game going in her dressing room too.

Today: The Sound of Music 50th Anniversary Celebration

I grew up watching the movie of The Sound of Music every year. My mother saw to it that I never missed the annual broadcast, usually during the holiday season. My Aunt Beth had the lp of the movie soundtrack and I always listened to it in her den when I visited her. I knew (and still do) every song by heart. After I grew up and as soon as it was available on DVD, I had to buy it.

Although I've never seen a stage version, I am now well acquainted with the original cast album with Mary Martin. To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's The Sound of Music, Sony Masterworks Broadway has issued a restored original cast recording. Included are three unusual bonus tracks, extensive liner notes about the show's history by Bert Fink of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, and rarely seen photos of the recording sessions, held November 22, 1959, in Columbia Records' celebrated 30th Street Studios.

Today, Monday, November 16, 2009 at 5:00 PM, Barnes & Noble "Live at Lincoln" (Lincoln Triangle, 1972 Broadway at 66th Street) will present The Sound of Music: 50th Anniversary Celebration presented in conjunction with The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. Original cast members Theodore Bikel ("Captain von Trapp"), Lauri Peters ("Liesl") and Brian Davies ("Rolf") will talk about the original production, its creators and its inimitable star (the late Mary Martin). Sharing stories about Maria von Trapp, whose true-life story serves as the musical's basis, will be her grandson, Sam von Trapp. Laurence Maslon (author of The Sound of Music Companion ) will moderate the panel, which will also include Bert Fink, author of the new children's book adaptation, and the CD’s new liner notes. The event will be introduced by Ted Chapin (President of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization).

And like icing on the cake, the effervescent Kate Baldwin will be on hand to perform the title song! Perhaps her performance will serve as an audition for a revival of The Sound of Music, which was last seen on Broadway 10 years ago.

Click here to listen to tracks from the remastered album.

Tonight: Ragtime!

Ragtime at the Neil Simon Theatre on 52nd Street

Love, Loss and What I Wore at the Westside Theatre

Love, Loss and What I Wore is a series of connected tales by sisters Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron. These stories, inspired by Ilene Beckerman's little picture book as well as some of their own and their friends, are the stories of grandmothers, mothers, aunts, daughters, sisters, and friends. Centered around the clothes and accessories that we all love or loathe and the memories they invoke, the tales induce much laughter and a few tears.

The show, directed by Karen Carpenter and featuring five actresses of varying ages, is a nicely produced, but staged reading. The cast rotates every few weeks. I can imagine that actresses all over the city will be lining up around the block for a chance to join this reading. The first cast was comprised of Samantha Bee, Tyne Daly Katie Finneran, Natasha Lyonne and Rosie O'Donnell.

I saw the current cast, with Mary Birdson, Tyne Daly, Lisa Joyce, Jane Lynch, and Mary Louise Wilson, twice. They are on through this weekend. I laughed so hard over Tyne's reading of Nora Ephron's essay, "I Hate My Purse", I practically had an asthma attack. If you know me at all, you know purses are the bane of my existence!

On November 18th through December 13th, Kristen Chenoweth, Captathia Jekins, Rita Wilson, Rhea Perlman and her daughter Lucy DeVito take over.

The cast changes again on December 16th. Mary Louise Wilson resumes her role and is joined by Lucy DeVito, Katie Finneran, Capathia Jenkins, and Natasha Lyonne.

The show breaks for the Christmas and Hannukah holidays, but resumes in the New Year on January 6th with Michele Lee, Debra Monk, Tracee Ellis Ross, Casey Wilson and Katie Finneran. I will definitely go back to see this cast.

Love, Loss and What I Wore has extended through the end of March, but there's no word who will take over after January 31st. The Westside Theatre is at 407 West 43rd, between 9th & 10th Avenues. Tickets are available via Telecharge. A portion of ticket sales goes to benefit Dress For Success. Donations of nearly-new purses and professional totes are welcome and will be collected in the lobby prior to each performance.

Put up the tree before my spirit falls again.

Oh, you know I used to have such a view of The Tree...alas, I'm still stuck on the 40th floor, several blocks away (although, technically, it's still Rockefeller Center). Anyway, bring on the crazy, happy season! This year's lighting will take place on December 2nd.

It's National Opera Week!

National Opera Week begins tomorrow, November 13th. From the Opera America website:

National Opera Week will celebrate the vitality of opera in America as a contemporary cultural expression. The strength and diversity of established opera companies, community opera ensembles and opera training programs across the United States will be shared through a variety of free and accessible activities for opera lovers and newcomers to the art form. Launched with the presentation of the 2009 NEA Opera Honors in Washington, D.C., the celebration will reach from coast to coast as opera companies offer a range of free programs for the public that demonstrate the allure and accessibility of this most multi-media of the arts.

Click on their map or choose a state from the pull down menu to see all of the events in your neighorhood. What I found most intriguing was the list of opera companies and groups right here in my own back yard!

American Lyric Theater (New York, NY) www.altnyc.org
Center for Contemporary Opera (New York, NY) www.conopera.org
The Collegiate Chorale (New York, NY) www.collegiatechorale.org
Gotham Chamber Opera (New York, NY) www.gothamchamberopera.com
The Juilliard School (New York, NY) www.juilliard.edu
The Martina Arroyo Foundation (New York, NY) www.martinaarroyofoundation.org
The Metropolitan Opera (New York, NY) www.metoperafamily.org/metopera
New York City Opera (New York, NY) www.nycopera.com/
Music-Theatre Group (New York, NY) www.musictheatregroup.org
Opéra Français de New York www.ofny.org
Richard Wagner Society of New York (New York, NY) www.wagnersocietyny.org

The complexity of Send in the Clowns

In less than two weeks, we'll be at the Walter Kerr for the first preview of the first Broadway revival of A Little Night Music. It's too long in coming, but perhaps just in time. This week, my dear friend Kari at Lit-Wit offered a heartfelt paean explaining why she loves Send in the Clowns, the crowning glory of A Little Night Music.

Earlier this year on NPR's Performance Today, host Fred Child spoke with Rob Kapilow about the musical complexity of Sondheim's masterpiece in Stephen Sondheim's Clever 'Clowns'. The story includes a clip of Millicent Martin's rendition of the piece.

A brilliant take away from Rob's analysis:

Great song composers, whether it's Schubert or Sondheim, do not really set words to music. What they set is the emotion that's behind the words.

Pushkin's Little Tragedies at BAC

Alexander Pushkin, "Russia's Shakespeare", was a poet, novelist and playwright. He was born in 1799 and died young after his twentieth and final duel in 1837. Opera fans know his masterpiece novel Eugene Onegin which served as the libretto for Tchaikovsky's Onegin. This year marks the 210th anniversary of Pushkin's birth. To celebrate, the world premier in English verse of his Little Tragedies is presented at the Baryshnikov Arts Center (formerly 37 Arts) in Manhattan.

Little Tragedies is translated by Julian Henry Lowenfeld, who also serves as co-director along with Natalya Kolotova. The ensemble case includes Peter Von Berg, Robert Carin, Karen Chapman, Stephen Innocenzi, Nika Leoni, Brandon Ruckdashel, Luiz Simas, and John Leonard Thompson.

Little Tragedies also features original songs set to Pushkin's lyrics, composed by Julian Henry Lowenfield, with musical direction by Luiz Simas. The design team is Lea Orth on art, Melissa Schlachtmeyer on costumes, Derek Wright on Lighting and Stephen Innocenzi on fight direction.

Little Tragedies is four short, separate plays: The Knight-Miser, Mozart and Salieri, The Stone Gust and The Feast in Time of Plague.

The Knight-Miser featured Peter Von Berg as a rich Baron and Brandon Ruckdashel as his son Albert (both pictured here). The Baron is richest man in the world, but has denied his son any support. While Brandon is underutilized, his presence is strong. Peter Von Berg leaves no doubt that he is the strongest member of this ensemble and his delivery is powerful.

Mozart and Salieri is the most interesting of the four. It's based on Pushkin's belief that Mozart was murdered. Luiz Simas is Mozart and Julian Henry Lowenfeld is Salieri. While both actors awkwardly deliver that dialogue and seem very unpracticed, the story is beautifully interspersed with Mozart's work by Simas at the piano and vocally by soprano Nika Leoni.

The Stone Guest is a re-telling of Don Juan, this time in love triangle with his mistress Laura (the actual prototype for Carmen) and the widow Dona Anna. This is the longest of the four pieces and it felt it. Stephen Innocenzi does a nice job as Don Juan. Brandon is once again underutilized as Don Juan's exasperated servant. Dona Anna is played by Karen Jane Chapman. However, the real treat in this play is Nika Leoni as Laura and hearing her sing at the bottom of the act is worth the wait.

The final piece brings the entire cast in for The Feast in Time of Plague. It's a drunken wake for a friend, filled with recitations of poetry and song. Here, both Brandon Ruckdashel and Nika Leoni get the chance to show off their vocal talent.

I attended on opening night, which was a treat because the audience was full of Russians. Professor Nadezhda S. Braginskaya, serving as literary consultant to the production, spoke before the show. Unfortunately, she only spoke in Russian and then quite hysterically didn't want to stop. Julian Henry Lowenfeld finally emerged, in costume, and persuaded her to wrap it up.

Unfortunately, actor John Leonard Thompson was out that evening and Lowenfeld stepped in to read his lines.

The lighting and costumes were the highlight of the production itself. I would love to see Mozart and Salieri further produced. Since I am a fan of Pushkin, it was a huge treat to hear this work as it has not previously been available.

Little Tragedies runs through November 14th. Tickets are available via SmartTix.