A sellout crowd rhapsodizes over Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's Gershwin

Wayne Marshall leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore, Feb. 3, 2024/By Patricia Leslie

It was the first time I had seen a conductor play an instrument during a performance, but that’s what he did.

When the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra paused during Rhapsody in Blue, conductor/pianist Wayne Marshall played two solo arrangements which were not altogether pleasing to the entire sold out crowd who came to hear the uninterrupted perennial favorite by George Gershwin (1898-1937).

This is the centennial of the composition which debuted on February 12, 1924 in New York City.

It was a New York kind of a night at Strathmore, beginning with Music for the Theatre by Aaron Copland (1900-1990), then Rhapsody and after intermission, Three Dance Episodes from On the Town by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) and Harlem by Duke Ellington (1899-1974).

Wayne Marshall talks to the audience at the performance of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Strathmore, Feb. 3, 2024/By Patricia Leslie

Before the show at coat check, the fellow gleamed when he repeated what had come in an earlier email from the BSO to ticket holders, that it was a sellout night with all 50 "emergency" seats (which are usually held for special circumstances), sold, and all the choral seats which are above the orchestra, sold, too.

It was a grand night, and the orchestra did not disappoint in the least. 

The stage could barely hold all the musicians, and Conductor Marshall played the piano "face out," meaning the grand piano backed up to the orchestra so that all in the audience could see his hands moving up and down the keyboard, which was not hidden from view by the instrument which is the usual case for those seated orchestra left .

The familiar Copland strains rang out, and it's understandable why Music for the Theatre is not as popular as his Appalachian Spring or Fanfare for the Common Man, Billy the Kid or Rodeo, but orchestra lovers cannot hear the familiar all the time or that's all we'd hear! (Which may not be a bad thing.)

It's unfortunate that the writer from the Smithsonian could not include BSO's Gershwin production in the listing of other Rhapsody orchestral performances celebrated throughout the U.S., which he described in today's half page spread in the Wall Street Journal. I guess Baltimore was too close to home.  

Wikipedia quotes a 2005 article in the Guardian which found that by using "'estimates of earnings accrued in a composer's lifetime,' George Gershwin was the wealthiest composer of all time."  

Et tu, Tay Tay? 

George Gershwin by Carl Van Vechten, Mar. 28, 1937, Library of Congress

patricialesli@gmail.com

 

BSO and Morgan State will take you to the Promised Land

A commemorative stamp issued in 1973 celebrating the life and works of George Gershwin, including Porgy and Bess/U.S.Postal Service


Hurry to Baltimore tonight or tomorrow for a knockout performance by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Morgan State University Choir in concert with national opera stars who present George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess.

You ain't heard nuthin' 'til you hear (and see) this.

Another commemorative stamp issued in 1973 celebrating George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess/U.S.Postal Service


It's performed with spine-tingling songs, duets and trios, ("Summertime," "It Ain't Necessarily So," "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin,'') by singers who act, move, and dance, far more than anticipated for a concert opera.

Who needs sets with glamour like this flowing across and above the stage? Which is where the Morgan State Choir stood in all-black ensembles, about 50 voices strong, under the direction of Eric Conway.  

The show's director, Hana S. Sharif, excels with her cast and crew, including effective, unnamed fight and sound managers.


The words to the music are screened above the performers, but the production stands on its own, and the words are unnecessary.

 

In 2015 the Morgan State University Choir sang at the White House for President and Mrs. Barack Obama in a televised live performance/Photo, Morgan State University Choir

Excellent, essential contributions by the BSO's xylophonist and pianist produce a hush in several places when they play solo, always under the capable direction of Conductor Marin Alsop.

While I waited in line to order my dinner at Strathmore before the Thursday evening performance, the couple behind me told me they had come just for the choir.

"Have you heard them?" they asked me.

No, I had come just for Porgy and Bess which I've heard and seen many times.

"Well, just you wait!" they exclaimed.  "They are outstanding!" And they were, combined with the soloists and orchestra. 

One of the soloists is the talented tenor, Larry Hylton,  another star graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, who played Sportin' News, and there he was, a'prancin' and dancin'  across the floor, back and forth, in yellow pants and a top hat made to stand out. 

The show is a fast-paced exhibition by George Gershwin (1898-1937) which takes place in Charleston, S.C. during the Great Depression, when a woman, Bess, becomes the property of one man, Crown, then another, Porgy, and finally, Sportin’ Life, who carries her away to New York.
 
No matter how many time you have seen this show, the exceptional tunes endure.

Bass-baritone Robert Cantrell is Porgy who carries the role fittingly, strong and rich, while he limps in  suspenders across the stage, aided by a crutch, but it's the powerful voice of baritone Lester Lynch as Crown who makes his presence keenly felt even before he enters the stage. He commands the crowd's attention and sets the pace for the action, whisking Bess away to his land of no forgiveness.

Soprano Laquita Mitchell is the beautiful Bess who dashes out in a bright red, sexy dress to catch the hand of the most available.
  
The first mid-act applause followed soprano Reyna Carguill's incredible solo as Serena, who delivers "My Man's Gone Now," after Crown's murder of her husband, Robbins (Joshua Jones). 

Another show-stopper is soprano Jasmine Habersham
who plays Clara and begins the show serenading "Summertime" to her baby until her husband, Jake (Cameron Potts) comes on stage to cradle their child and croon "A Woman is a Sometime Thing." 

Alexandra Crichlow Bradshaw is the distinguished Maria who joins Ms. Carguill and Mr. Cantrell in the closing of "Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?"

Porgy takes leave of the stage singing "Oh, Lawd, I'm On My Way" to follow Sportin' Life and his Bess to New York.

Not to miss!

What:  Porgy and Bess by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra  and the Morgan State University Choir and more

When:  Tonight at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. 

Where:  Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.
Baltimore 21201

How much:  Tickets information is at the link.  For special "Young and Free" discounts at the Sunday performance, click here. 

For more information: Call 410-783-8000.

I'm on my way....
to Baltimore
I'm on my way
to a heav'nly land
for in that town
I'll hear the grand
music o'er the land

Oh Lawd, I'm on my way
I'm on my way to a heav'nly land
I'll ride that long, long road
If You are there to guide my hand

Oh Lawd, I'm on my way
I'm on my way to a heav'nly land
Oh Lawd, it's a long, long way
But You'll be there to take my hand 





Oh, I got plenty o' nuttin'
An' nuttin's plenty fo' me
I got no car, got no mule, I got no misery
De folks wid plenty o' plenty
Got a lock an dey door
'Fraid somebody's a-goin' to rob 'em
While dey's out a-makin' more
What for?
I got no lock an de door
(Dat's no way to be)
Dey kin steal de rug from de floor
Dat's okeh wid me
'Cause de things dat I prize
Like de stars in de skies
All are free
Oh, I got plenty o' nuttin'
An' nuttin's plenty fo' me
I got my gal, got my song
Got Hebben de whole day long!

patricialesli@gmail.com 

Broadway's 'An American in Paris': oui! oui!

Leanne Cope and Robert Fairchild in An American in Paris, Palace Theatre, New York

This show is so good it's worth a second trip on the Gold Bus to New York to see it again.

Exaggerate? 

Mais non.

At the Tony awards Sunday night, An American in Paris won four of 12 nominations:  for Choreography (Christopher Wheeldon), Orchestrations (Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, and Bill Elliott), Scenic Design of a Musical (Bob Crowley and 59 Productions) and Lighting Design of a Musical (Natasha Katz). 

The stars are ballet dancers who can sing (!), Robert Fairchild and Leanne Cope, both nominated in their respective categories, both making their Broadway debuts, and they are outstanding.  But, it's New York where the competition is fierce, and many on stage are outstanding.
 
Whatever!  The fun!  The music!  The dancing!  The 1940s costumes and set changes!  Oh, la, la!  Your head will spin as it tries to keep up with the action on all sides.

You like dancing?

And Gershwin?

You're in for a smashing night about an American soldier who stays in Paris after World War II and strikes up a romance with a French gal who is pursued by two others.  'S marvelous.  It's a different story from the 1951 film version which starred Gene Kelly (Fairchild's idol).

The big Gershwin hits are here:  "I Got Rhythm," "'S Wonderful, “But Not for Me,” “Stairway to Paradise,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” "The Man I Love," "Shall We Dance?" and George Gershwin's orchestral music including “Concerto in F,” “Second Prelude,” and “Second Rhapsody.”

Mr. Fairchild, dancing, leaping, twirling while he breaks out in beautiful song, and yet, never relinquishing his dashing smile, dominates the performance, and Ms. Cope becomes a star in his sun's orbit, but their movements and timing show off their years of training plus...they can sing.

One of the most preposterous scenes are the jumps and skips from one department store cosmetic counter to another as the counters (and dancers) move in sync with the music, and everyone keeps singing.  You just hold your breath, hoping no one will fall in what seems like an Olympics ice skating competition.

An American in Paris, Palace Theatre, New York

In the audience, those to the right of me, those to the left of me at the preview (the week before it officially opened on April 12) came not for the music (tourists from Australia and Latin America who had never heard of George Gershwin (!)), but for the title, I suppose, and they got a treat off the street at the box office.

Maybe the play is 15 or 20 minutes too long, and maybe there are too many boyfriends (one whose role seems especially superfluous), but these are minor blemishes on this big and beautiful stage.

I think the show will last a long time on Broadway and on tour, likely much longer than the opening stars will dance it. 

Christopher Wheeldon's directorial debut and creation of this ballet musical is one unforgettable event. 
 
At last count, the Washington Post was weighing in with three (update:  four) glowing stories about the play. 

What:  An American in Paris

When:  Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m.; Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Wednesday and Saturday at 2 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m. Dark Mondays.  Through April 3, 2016

Where:  Palace Theatre, 1564 Broadway, New York, New York 10036

How much:  Tickets start at $57 ($65.75 with fee) at Ticketmaster (877-250-2929 or ticketmaster.com), or skip the fee and buy at the box office, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sunday, 12 - 6 p.m.  Do not make my mistake and buy through a ticket or "vacation" broker which tacked on big fees for horrible seats (first row with the orchestra pit in your throat; ditto at The Lion King) until the people beside me and I complained to the AIP house manager who promptly gave us better seats with the tourists who had bought their tickets moments earlier at the box office!

Rush tickets:  A limited number are available every day.  Cash only.  Two per person/maximum.

Age recommendation:  6 and up

Duration:  Two  hours and 40 minutes with one 15-minute intermission

For more information:  212-730-8200

For more reviews of An American in Paris and other plays, go to DC Metro Theater Arts.

patricialesli@gmail.com

Not to miss: the NYC Ballet at the Kennedy Center this weekend

Charles Askegard and Maria Kowroski in Fearful Symmetries/Paul Kolnik

If you are lucky, you may still be able to buy tickets for the ballet Saturday or Sunday. Maybe both. They are worth it.

The music is utterly captivating, and I did not even stay for the finale, West Side Story* which means the value far outweighs the cost to get in.

As a matter of fact, the music by George Gershwin (Who Cares?) and John Adams (Fearful Symmetries) put out by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra under the spirited direction of the New York City Ballet's Clotilde Otranto was so splendid the music could have stood alone without grace on the stage to illustrate the notes. (Elaine Chelton was the pianist for Gershwin, and she may have been the woman who joined the dancers on stage at the end of Who Cares? to receive audience appreciation.)

The dancing for the first two acts (Gershwin and George Balanchine, choreographer, and Adams and Peter Martins) was not traditional ballet but a welcomed change of pace, moderate jazz ballet and some ballet waltzing, always attractive.

The evening's performance began with a medley of Gershwin tunes performed against a silhouetted outline of New York which changed color and lights, depending upon which of 16 numbers was played. The ballerinas seemed a mite off in the first two pieces (Strike Up the Band and Sweet and Low Down), outperformed by their male counterparts, flashing by in silvered sequined (or so they seemed from the chandeliers) costumes with bow ties, who were tighter and fewer in number, thereby reducing stress and increasing ease of symmetry.

By the third selection (Somebody Loves Me), the loved ballerinas had settled down and were in stride and more confident, like horses out of the gate. (Sorry!)

Without question the audience's Number One Gershwin favorite was the lonely and haunting, The Man I Love, danced passionately under "moonlight" by Sterling Hyltin and Amar Ramasar, who possessed the honors in all three final Gershwin duet selections and one solo requiring a male dancer. The chemistry between these two was undeniable (even from "on high") to be envied by all who seek the link.

Teresa Reichlen from Clifton, Virginia, is one of the company's principal dancers, and she performed beautifully with Ramasar to Embraceable You and in a solo, My One and Only. Another ballerina deserving especial mention was Ashley Bouder who danced solo to I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise and with (who but?) Ramasar in Who Cares?

But my favorite of the night was Adams's Fearful Symmetries, a crashing buildup filled with tension and horns and percussion which grew louder and louder like a coming train wreck just ahead, and no end in sight. (And no seat sleeping for the weary.) It was absolutely magnetic, a modern Alfred Hitchcock, creating and softening friction but one of my two seatmates did not care for it. (Oh well, who can please all? It pleased me, and I am rushing out to buy the CD right this night. )


The male and female dancers in oranges, pinks, and rosy reds on the bare stage (save shadows) added final touches on a delightful evening of solid entertainment. Just close your eyes and soar into that good night.

*You've attended a production one too many times, haven't you? For me, my last time with West Side Story was a traveling stage production in Nashville about 10 years ago. I still cannot bear to hear one note of the music. Who needed it anyway to have a good time Thursday? Not me.
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