Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Mar 22: Happy Birthday Andrew

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, arguably the most popular modern composer, turns 58 on March 22. This week we hear a collection of songs from his musical career. While his work incorporates rock, pop, gospel, and other music genres, Janean will focus mostly on ballads, Lloyd Webber's strong suit.

Born in Britain on March 22, 1948, Andrew Lloyd Webber is probably the most popular composer of our time. His show Phantom of the Opera holds the record for the longest-running musical on Broadway, surpassing his other record-breaker, Cats, in January. His honors include seven Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, an Oscar, an International Emmy, six Olivier Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.

But he is also the most polarizing person in today's theatrical world. Love him for his soaring and memorable melodies, or hate him for his syruppy style and stealing from Puccini -- and himself!
I visited London in spring of 1991, and he had four productions running at once -- Phantom, Cats, Starlight Express, and Aspects of Love. All four hold fond places in my heart, for varying reasons. My second musical was JC Superstar at the Civic. I helped my parents present Joseph at the school they taught at. Evita was the first musical I was bombarded with advertisements for (leading me, during a regular grocery trip with my mom, to point to a brand of processed cheese and sing, "Velveeeeeta, Velveeeeta...")

Andrew Lloyd Webber's music is certainly that cheesy, and he's not my favorite composer. His lyricists, for the most part, don't measure up to the songs.


Notes about a few of the specific songs:

"Half a Moment" - Lloyd Webber attempted a show based on the "Jeeves" novels, which fell flat. This song was one of its highlights, and occasionally he would talk about all the good songs that were lost to the general public because the show it's from flopped. That eventually led to a CD with then-wife Sarah Brightman called "The Songs that Got Away."

"The Love Trio" - Three of his best love songs were combined for a leading ladies concert, televised by PBS. Audra McDonald sings Love Changes Everything (from Aspects of Love), Marin Mazzie sings Unexpected Song (from Song & Dance/Tell Me On A Sunday), and Judy Kuhn sings I Don't Know How To Love Him (JC Superstar). The old adage about something being worth more than the sum of its parts holds true with this combination.

"Could We Start Again Please" - Not on the original concept album, this song gives an important voice to the disciples after the confusion of the trial. Renee Castle, on the 2000 CD cast recording, gives a beautiful quietness to Mary Magdaline. (Look for more JC Superstar songs in mid-April, when we explore religion in musicals)

"Whistle Down the Wind" - The show was perhaps too ahead of its time. With lyrics by Jim Steinman, the dark soul behind the Celine Dion hit "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" and most of Meatloaf's success (the "Bad Outta Hell" albums), the lyrics are brooding, gothic, and not the feel-good show the producers thought was expected of Lloyd Webber. It sold out in Washington DC (1996), but went back to London for its final run. (Of course 10 years later, here comes "Lestat" - if it fails, Lloyd Webber will probably say 'Told you so.') Fans call the title tune one of the best in the show, with a Steinman-esque turn of the ol' "Chin Up" message.

"Sunset Boulevard" - The American version debuted in Los Angeles, appropriately enough. From that recording, Alan Campbell as Joe sets the stage.

"Capped Teeth and Ceaser Salad" - Speaking of life in Los Angeles, this sweet and funny song captures the shallowness of the media life there. Bernadette Peters performed the one-woman show it's from, "Tell Me On A Sunday," (otherwise known as the "songs" half of "Song and Dance") on Broadway in 1985. By the way, some years ago Ann Fennessy took on the demanding role of Emma for Spokane Opera (then called Uptown Opera).

"Tell Me On A Sunday" - The title song from the aforementioned show. Denise Van Outen is a British model and TV personality who starred in a West End revival (and update) a few years ago.

"I Believe My Heart" - Lloyd Webber's most recent show was The Woman in White, which came and went pretty quickly. The recording is from the opening night performance at the Palace theater in London, September 2004.

"Anything But Lonely" - The big emotional finale to Aspects of Love.
Forbidden Broadway did a great parody of the big song "Love Changes Everything" making it "I Sleep with Everyone." It should be called "Aspects of Lust" since the only true love shown in the show is that between father and daughter in the second act. (Or is that really Alex's daughter and not his niece? None of the characters ever make that connection, but...) Despite the crazy, improbable relationships from the novel, some of the music is truly gorgeous.

"All I Ask of You" - JC Superstar and Evita made it to the big screen, Cats made it to video, so Phantom had to follow suit. By the time it was ready to film, both Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford (the original stars) were too old for the parts. Emmy Rossum was a child singer for the Metropolitan Opera, and at age 16 won the part of Christine for the film. Her Raoul is Patrick Wilson, who was excellent as Joe Pitt in the cable TV version of Angels In America.

When Andrew Lloyd Webber turned 50 back in 1998, the celebratory concert was at Royal Albert Hall. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa introduced a tune called "The Heart is Slow to Learn," with lyrics by Don Black. It's been recycled in "The Beautiful Game," as "Our Kind of Love."

Monday, March 13, 2006

Mar 15: Donoval Stohlberg shares his 'favorite things'

Donovan Stohlberg of Spokane Civic Theatre comes in to talk about Life 101, his musical making its Northwest debut at Civic's Studio, and other songs from musicals he enjoys.

Donovan has also written "Jack the Ripper: A Musical Mystery." He has directed several productions, including "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" at Civic's Studio Theatre, "Equus," "The Foreigner," and "The Barber of Seville." Donovan holds an MFA in acting from Minnesota State University. He also serves Spokane Civic Theatre as the Marketing and Development Director.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Mar. 8: Dream Girls

"Dream Girls" pander to male fantasies -- in song. Guys in musicals tend to wax poetically about some girl who's away, or the ideal mate who just hasn't come along yet.

Composers and producers discovered that audiences wanted a ballad early in the show. How can you write a gentle love song for characters who have either just met or don't know each other at all? One answer was a love song to the unknown girl-out-there, the girl they fantisize about.

As a modern woman, of course, I'm always skeptical of these songs. Love ME, not the fantasy you then want me to embody. And writers picked up on that -- sometimes, the girl that the guy falls for is very different than what he imagined. Ruth ain't no "Quiet Girl," Annie Oakland is quite different than the girl Frank envisioned he'd marry.

In Bye-Bye Birdie, a teenage girl dreams of being one of those women. Girls, you can set better goals than to be "what they're whistling at."

There are female counterparts of course -- Marion the Librarian's "My White Knight," The Man I Love. We'll save those for another time. If you have suggestions, email me at janean@kpbx.org.