Tag: Collegiate Chorale

“The Mikado” – Collegiate Chorale

The Collegiate Chorale offered a starry and exceptionally well-sung concert staging of The Mikado at Carnegie Hall on April 10 under the direction and baton of Ted Sperling. This marked my first time seeing the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, though I am familiar with some of the more famous songs (and am a fan of Mike Leigh’s essential Topsy-Turvy, which details the fascinating gestation of the original production).

The Mikado is set in Japan, but in reality the characters and situations are a direct send up of mid 19th century England. The silliness of the show, its delightfully flippant point of view on death and execution and farce make for a pleasant evening. The concert staging doesn’t lend itself well to the comic nature of the libretto, so the opening was a bit slow. But after a bit, everything clicked and the audience was treated to an engaging comic romp.

Kelli O’Hara and Jason Danieley were in top form as Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo. O’Hara held the audience rapt with her gorgeous rendition of “The Sun Whose Rays” Chuck Cooper was a well-sung Mikado, while Steve Rosen added some laughs as “Pish-Tush.” Jonathan Freeman was delightfully droll as Poo-Bah. Amy Justman and Lauren Worsham added stellar support, especially when they joined O’Hara for a spirited rendition of the famous “Three Little Girls.”

However, the evening belonged to Christoper Fitzgerald and Victoria Clark. As Koko and Katisha, they all but leveled the house with the climactic “There is Beauty in the Bellow of the Blast,” capping off an evening of mass hysteria from the two actors. Fitzgerald sang an updated version of the famed “A Little List, with references to tweeting, Kardashians and Newt Gingrich. This ruffled the feathers of a few purists who grumbled about it during intermission (and incidentally were also added to the list), but in spite of their misery, it was highly entertaining. He later scored major laughs with “Tit-Willow.” Clark entered like a harridan, with garish makeup, tussled hair held back from her eyes with chopsticks, and walked away with the show in her pocket. Her entrance was such a surprising contrast to the stately concert attire, she stopped the show before she even opened her mouth. Then she opened her mouth and proceeded to steal every single scene she was in.

The only unfortunate aspect of the night: that the Collegiate Chorale didn’t record this wonderful concert, with its illustrious chorus. It deserves to be heard again.

Collegiate Chorale’s “Knickerbocker Holiday”

As the fates would have it, New Yorkers have the opportunity of seeing rare revivals of two of Kurt Weill’s more fascinating musicals (both written with librettist/lyricist Maxwell Anderson): Knickerbocker Holiday and Lost in the Stars. City Center Encores is presenting the former as part of its 2010-11 season, but for two nights the Collegiate Chorale and conductor James Bagwell presented an especially rare revival of the former.

Based on Washington Irving’s parody of self-important histories of the early 19th century, Knickerbocker’s History of New York, is a tongue-in-cheek, slyly revisionist fairy tale about Dutch controlled New Amsterdam (with knowing references to far-off territories like Harlem). Irving is even on hand as a character, a down-on-his luck gossip columnist looking for income and posterity who manipulates his characters to make the certain decisions (so as not to irritate the wealthy descendents).

Brom Broeck loves Tina Tienhoven. However, Brom is a proud hot-headed American who will physically assault anyone who gives him orders. Tina’s father, the head of the town council, disapproves and arranges for his daughter to marry the new Governor of New Amsterdam, Peter Stuvestant. Hijinks ensue. The show combines elements of traditional romance and political satire. Through the character of Peter Stuyvestant, Anderson took pointed digs at Franklin Roosevelt, with allusions to the New Deal and the president’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court. (Anderson so disliked the New Deal, he supported Wendell Wilkie and never registered for Social Security).

Ultimately it’s The Threepenny Opera meets Of Thee I Sing. There is a certain unevenness to the show that I think is hard to overcome without strong direction (and I think might only work best in a full scale production). Anderson’s lyrics are rather mundane, a weakness that is particularly glaring when paired with Weill’s music (which was halfway between Weimar and Broadway). The book mixes its satire and romance, but the blending of the two falls short – the plot is absurd and the tone uncertain. The best lines go to the town council and Stuyvestant. The combination of script and score make it an unusual musical which starts to overstay its welcome toward the end of the second act and the score starts feeling repetitious.

Ted Sperling directed the evening with a semi-staged, limited movement exercise with men in tuxes and ladies in evening gowns. The focus was the music, but some attempts were made at movement but strictly limited. This simplicity is the nature of the Collegiate Chorale’s concerts, with the emphasis on the music than anything else. However, I’m not sure if it was the sound system or the venue, but it was at times difficult to understand some of the lyrics, particularly during the company numbers. (For the record, I could make out every single word at their presentation of A White House Cantata at Frederick Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center three years ago).

Headlining the starry concert was Victor Garber as Peter Stuyvestant, the charming if fascistic governor of New Amsterdam, who captivated the entire audience with his mesmerizing rendition of “September Song.” After playing classic mezzo-belt roles in her recent Broadway outings, the resplendent Kelli O’Hara returns to her soprano roots as the ingenue Tina (and gets the opportunity to soar into the coloratura stratosphere). Relative newcomer Ben Davis sang with a strong baritone that evoked memories of the late, great Richard Kiley. Together, they shared the haunting “It Never Was You.”  Comic support was provided by Broadway stalwarts David Garrison, Steve Rosen, Brad Oscar, Brooks Ashmanskas, Jeff Blumenkrantz,  as a bumbling (the way of the world parallels to current society did not go unnoticed). Bryce Pinkham played Washington Irving and shared a spirited duet with Davis’ Broek. Christopher Fitzgerald was on hand as Davis’ comic sidekick, but the role didn’t offer the brilliant physical comedian opportunity to do much of anything.

The real stars of the concert, though, were Mr. Weill’s original orchestrations and vocal arrangements (he was one of the few composers to serve in that capacity). Bagwell conducted the American Symphony Orchestra with great energy. This concert was recorded by Ghostlight Records for the first complete recording of the score. There is an old recording that was commercially released, made up of highlights from radio performances by the original cast (which starred Walter Huston as Stuyvestant), making this impending incredibly important to the history of American musical theatre. And since Encores doesn’t appear to be interested, perhaps the Chorale will offer Weill and Alan Jay Lerner’s Love Life, which is another landmark score lacking a definitive recording.

"A Jubilant Song" at Carnegie Hall

On March 30, 2008 I was lucky enough to be in the audience for the New York premiere of A White House Cantata, the concert revision of Bernstein-Lerner’s 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a fast failure in 1976. The Collegiate Chorale, who was responsible for that premiere, held a gala concert called “A Jubilant Song” last night at Carnegie Hall. I was more than thrilled to go when invited, especially when I learned that they would be performing excerpts from 1600/Cantata. Now while I have my quibbles with the Cantata and the use of opera singers instead of more qualified musical theatre performers in the lead roles, it’s always a pleasure to hear selections from this exceptionally underrated, often brilliant score.

Hosted by Tony-winning actor Roger Rees, the evening was the gala inaugural concert to introduce the new music director James Bagwell, who is assuming the mantle of conductor after the unexpected death of Robert Bass. The Collegiate Chorale was first established in 1941 by Robert Shaw and has been a staple of classical repertoire in NY ever since, emphasizing choral tradition and American music but also presenting operatic works.

While there many guest vocalists, the first segment of the evening was strictly about the Chorale. The evening started with performances of Giovanni Gabrieli’s “In ecclesiis,” Alexander Kopylov’s “Svete Tihiy” and an arrangement of the spiritual “Set Down Servant.” This led into Norman Dello Joio’s “A Jubilant Song” which may be one of the most difficult choral pieces I have ever heard with intricate melodic lines and rhythms; I can only imagine what the sheet music for this piece must look like.

With the exception of Daniel Mobbs as the President, the principal singers of A White House Cantata were on hand to reprise their work from the 2008 concert performance. Mobbs was George Washington in “On Ten Square Miles by the Potomac River,” Soprano Emily Pulley sang a tender “Take Care of this House” with Kalif Omari Jones while “Anita Johnson and Robert Mack performed the infectious “Lud’s Wedding.” Pulley, in a tremendous Carnegie Hall debut, recreated her colorful “Duet for One” to the wild enthusiasm of the audience. While she’s no Patricia Routledge (who is, really?), she understands the schizophrenic comedy better than other opera singers who have taken on the part in presentations of A White House Cantata (namely Nancy Gustafson and June Anderson). The segment ended with a full-throated rendition of “To Make Us Proud,” originally cut in Philadelphia but reinstated by the Cantata. The song echos other anthems, specifically Bernstein’s own “Make Our Garden Grow.”

One of the great joys of the entire evening was hearing this music performed, not only in such a perfect performance space as Carnegie Hall, but also to hear simply pure acoustic sound. Except for Rees’ commentary, the entire evening was without amplification. Though I’ve had a considerable classical background, I haven’t gone to many concerts or to the opera as much as I’d like in recent years. Every time I do; however, I marvel at the extreme beauty of hearing music performed with some sort of electronic filter. Even some of our loveliest musicals on Broadway are miked to the hilt, with an emphasis on loud. It was especially evident how thrilling to hear selections from a score I love, with its complete original orchestration intact. 160 voices singing “To Make Us Proud,” and holding out that last note for what must be glorious eternity. You can’t ask for anything more stirring or moving.

Coloratura soprano Erin Morley, who recently made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera brought the concert to a crashing halt with an exquisite rendering of “O beau pays” from Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. Morley, dressed to the nines and with the poise of a true star, stunned the crowd into an extended ovation – the largest of the evening – with her gorgeous sound and flawless technique. I look forward to following the singer’s career, as I’m sure there is nothing but good things awaiting this diva on the rise.

The evening built to its climax with a performance of Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy, Op. 80” Acclaimed pianist Jenny Lin proved her virtuosity and flawless proficiency with the lead-in piano solo. For the finale, Morley and tenor Salvatore Licitra were to lead the famed “Brindisi” from La Traviata; however, an emergency kept Licitra in Switzerland last evening so instead they divided up the parts between the various soloists. While they urged the audience to join in on the chorus, most of us were content to just sit back and enjoy the performers onstage.

I’m even more excited for the Collegiate Chorale’s next concert: Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie’s The Grapes of Wrath will be presented at Carnegie Hall on March 22, 2010. This marks the world premiere of a two-act concert version of the ambitious contemporary opera. Jane Fonda, Nathan Gunn, Victoria Clark, Steven Pasquale and Christine Ebersole are among the folks participating.

The world is small and funny and fine. Last night, my high school freshman English teacher, Mrs. Fran Schulz, was also at the Chorale gala. Of all the teachers I have had, she ranks as the one who has made the most impression on me, and I continue to maintain a remarkable friendship. Throughout my freshman year, she encouraged my interest in film and theatre, often handing me a package of films and performances she felt I needed to see every Friday. With a personality akin to Mame, Fran is the only teacher I’ve ever had who entered the classroom with a quality not unlike star presence. I’ve been imbued with her enthusiasm for literature and theatre, and she has always been supportive of me as a writer and performer. An avid theatregoer, she has regaled me with stories of seeing every major revival of My Fair Lady in New York and London, Camelot with Richard Burton and again with his understudy John Cullum. She also has seen every major star turn by Angela Lansbury since the original Mame. I could go on for hours. She continues to encourage and advise me, even though I haven’t been her student in 12 years. I can only hope that you’ve had a teacher like her at some point in your life.

Collegiate Chorale presents "A Jubilant Song" Gala on 12/1

The Collegiate Chorale, led by Maestro James Bagwell in his inaugural concert as The Chorale’s newly appointed Music Director, presents A JUBILANT SONG, a celebration of the organization’s remarkable history of exceptional conductors, noteworthy commissions and premieres, and multi-faceted choral programming on December 1, 2009 at 7pm at Carnegie Hall. Tickets are $25-$125 and are available through CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, or online at www.carnegiehall.org. For more information, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

As the new Music Director, Mr. Bagwell will give tribute to his predecessors and usher in a new era of The Collegiate Chorale. Tony® Award winner Roger Rees will host the evening. A JUBILANT SONG will feature Salvatore Licitra, tenor (who debuted at Carnegie Hall with The Collegiate Chorale in 2003 in Verdi’s La forza del destino); Jenny Lin, piano; Erin Morley, soprano; Emily Pulley, soprano; Anita Johnson, soprano; Krysty Swann, mizzo-soprano; Vale Rideout, tenor; Robert Mack, tenor; Daniel Mobbs, bass-baritone; Kalif Omari Jones, boy soprano; and the American Symphony Orchestra. A benefit dinner with Mr. Bagwell and the artists at Carnegie Hall’s Rohatyn Room will follow the concert.

“Before coming on board with The Chorale, one of the things which attracted me the most was its rich history of musical and programming diversity, going all the way back to the ideals of founder Robert Shaw and continuing steadily through the tenures of all subsequent Music Directors, particularly the late Robert Bass – and so I wanted this first concert under my baton to capture the essence of that diversity. We will perform works from Gabrieli to Dello Joio, and from Kopylov to Bernstein and Lerner. The programming will include Verdi and Meyerbeer arias, the beloved Beethoven Choral Fantasy, a couple of exquisite a cappella choral pieces, and musical theater excerpts from Bernstein and Lerner’s A White House Cantata. Many of the works we will perform hearken back to earlier concerts, including the Kopylov Heavenly Light, which was on The Chorale’s very first public program in 1942,” said James Bagwell, music director of The Collegiate Chorale.

The evening’s program follows:
Beethoven, Choral Fantasy; Gabrieli, In ecclesiis; Kopylov, Heavenly Light (part of the first public program presented by The Collegiate Chorale on March 8, 1942); Dello Joio, A Jubilant Song; Shaw/Parker, Set Down Servant; Meyerbeer, O Beau Pays, from Les Huguenots; selected arias from Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera; and La forza del destino; excerpts from Bernstein and Lerner’s A White House Cantata (which received its New York Premiere in March 2008 by The Collegiate Chorale); and the Brindisi from La Traviata.

The Collegiate Chorale, among New York’s foremost vocal ensembles, has added to the richness of the city’s cultural fabric for more than 65 years. Founded in 1941 by the legendary conductor Robert Shaw, The Chorale achieved national and international prominence under the leadership of Robert Bass. The Chorale has established a preeminent reputation for its interpretations of the traditional choral repertoire, vocal works by American composers, and rarely heard operas-in-concert, as well as commissions and premieres of new works by today’s most exciting creative artists. In the summer of 2009, The Chorale performed for the fourth season at Switzerland’s Verbier Music Festival. In July 2008, The Chorale toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.