From: dkodmur@ocf.berkeley.edu (Daniel Kodmur)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre
Subject: Chock Full O'Goodies!!!
Date: 27 Jan 1993 10:35:17 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: planecrash.berkeley.edu

Well, I have a lot to say after several weeks at home in the rain, listening
and watching.  Here goes:

I saw an excellent set of performances on television, all on one program.
"Geraldo."  Yes, he of the empty vault and the boundless exhibitionism. He
had a show called "I'm Dreaming of a Broadway Christmas."  Many dramatic
actors, including Judd Hirsch, were in evidence, but the musical moments
stick out:

Jodi Benson and Harry Groener sang Gershwin.

Tom Wopat and Josie de Guzman did their duet from Guys and Dolls.

Best of all, the current Broadway Grizabella sang "Memory"---before I knew
who it was, I was worried, but my fears were wrong [:)]---it was Liz Callaway,
who is apparently an old acquaintance of Rivera's.  She did a wonderful job,
and I have to say I actually enjoyed the song for once!!

Rivera asked her about dealing with bad reviews. She told of surviving her
first bad John Simon review; apparently he had called her performance in
BABY "unendurable."  I wonder what drugs he had been taking when he wrote
this.  Speaking of BABY, does anyone know if the Todd Graff who has just
written the screenplay "Used People" is Todd Graff from BABY?

Anyway, it just goes to show you can even find good stuff on Geraldo Rivera
if you wait long enough.  Before I talk about the McGlinn album, some other
comments on recent recordings I have enjoyed.

The new REGINA recording is terrific.  I do not know if I like the mezzo
who sings the title role, but I enjoy the sopranos who sing Zan and Birdie.
I find I am addicted to the "Rain Quartet," which combines a beautiful
instrumental prelude with some inspired singing. I really want to call
every classical station in my area and pester them until they play it.

The new LADY, BE GOOD is excellent, although I still prefer STRIKE UP
THE BAND. A couple of odd things hit me as I listened, though. As they
began the title song, I half expected Ann Morrison and Jason Alexander
to start crowing "It's a hit! It's a hit! It's a palpable hit!"  On a more
serious note, I played John Pizzarelli's tracks for a friend of mine and he
absolutely hit the ceiling.  Not just because he adores Cliff Edwards, but
because he could not understand how anyone could perform "Fascinatin'
Rhythm" without syncopating it.  He said syncopation was the point of
the song, and asked me who the hell Pizzarelli was to mess with the song 
like that. Since I did not know who the hell Pizzarelli is, I could not
answer his frustration.  Suggestions???

The new MIKADO is wonderful, with great diction and talented soloists,
especially the Nanki-Poo and the Katisha.  I do miss the Overture, though
I understand why it had to be omitted.

Buy THE GRASS HARP!   Buy THE GRASS HARP!  Buy THE GRASS HARP!

[The preceding was a voluntary uncompensated product plug.]

The Judy Kaye/William Sharp Gershwin album is as good as others have said.
Between this, their Bernstein album, and Kaye's work on the McGlinn album,
I have decided that Judy Kaye can do anything.  She, no less than our
beloved Miss Luker, deserves some sort of fan club.

Before I rhapsodize over the McGlinn, which has been playing nonstop since
I brought it from the store, I want to step gingerly into the minefield
discussion about FOLLIES and good-versus-bad singing.  I agree with both
sides here.  It seems that Jon was just trying to say that we should not
let cloudy thinking cause us to accept shoddy performance, regardless of
the emotional attachment we might have to the performers.  This is perfectly
valid, but I think the other side is somewhat valid too.  For example, I know
that Barbara Cook is no longer Cunegonde or Marian Paroo.  But I have derived
enough pleasure from her recent Disney album and her live work that I would 
still go far out of my way to see her.  Bluntly, I would rather see a
Barbara Cook on the downward slope than Sarah Brightman at her peak, whatever
that is.  As another example, I heard Leontyne Price in recital four or five
years ago.  Now, we all knew she had lost a lot, and that Kathleen Battle
was the new diva, but it did not matter. She still dazzled us.  We should
not accept mediocrity just because it has a history, but not everything has to
be new and improved.

The McGlinn:

The SWEET ADELINE songs are lovely. In particular, "Some Girl Is On Your Mind"
has been haunting me for days.  I, like Jon, wish the chorus sang more clearly,
but the song still knocks me out.

The SEPTEMBER SONG is good indeed, with a new layer of context provided by
the booklet essay.  By the way, who is Kevin Colson?  He sounds familiar, but
I can't place him.

The Jefferson number from 1600 is nifty, particularly the piping trill first
heard after the lyric "rhythm in ragout."  Is the rest of the score this good?

The Inauguration number from 1600 is one of the best things I have ever
heard, period.  Perhaps this is because the election is right smack in the 
middle of the period I study as a future historian, perhaps because the details
are so right.  And I thought Lerner had lost his touch after the Sixties! This
is as good as anything Sondheim has done lately. Are there plans afoot to 
record anything else from this score?

"Triplets" is great fun, especially the jazzy, purposely klutzy orchestration,
much different from what I remember from the BAND WAGON film soundtrack.

"All the Things You Are" is stunning, just as Jon and others have said. The
brief prelude is magic, and having Our Miss Luker hovering stratospherically
above it all is just perfect.  I wish I could hear and understand the chorus
better here, but, heck, even if all they could do was hum, it would still
be beautiful.


Sorry if this has been long-winded, but I hope it stirs up some discussion.

Posted responses and/or private mail are encouraged.


Danny


PS. Who is George Dvorsky?  He does a great job!

PPS. How about Rebecca Luker as Marian Paroo?  Actually, I don't want to see
her play the part as much as I would want her to sing the songs.  I would
also love to hear her do "One More Kiss" from FOLLIES.