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DIVA TALK: Audra’s Passions, Divas Sing Yeston & Quotable Quotes
By Andrew Gans
04 Apr 2003
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Audra McDonald
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Hello, diva lovers! I was very happy to learn this week that the William Finn song cycle, Elegies, will return to Lincoln Center’s Newhouse Theater for a one-week engagement, April 14-19.
The stellar cast — led by Betty Buckley, Carolee Carmello, Michael Rupert, Keith Byron Kirk and Christian Borle — remains the same. Don’t miss your chance to see this moving evening of song.
AUDRA McDONALD
It’s been an exciting week for Audra McDonald fans. Earlier in the week it was announced that the three-time Tony Award winner will join Tony and Olivier Award winner Patti LuPone for the upcoming concert version of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Passion this summer at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. McDonald will portray Clara — the role originated on Broadway by Marin Mazzie — in the Aug. 22 and 23 concerts, and LuPone, as previously announced, will portray the ill-fated Fosca. Urban Cowboy’s Lonny Price, who directed both LuPone and McDonald in the Lincoln Center Sweeney Todd concert, will direct here as well. The Ravinia theatre is located in Highland Park, IL; for more information, go to www.ravinia.org.
And, it was also announced this week that the star of Broadway’s Ragtime, Master Class and Carousel will premiere a new work by composer Adam Guettel in June 2004 at Carnegie Hall’s new performance space, the Judy and Arthur Zankel Hall. The six evenings of concerts will mark the world premiere of the Guettel composition. Concerts are scheduled for June 2, 4, 8, 10 and 12, 2004 at 8:30 PM and June 6 at 5 PM; Ted Sperling will serve as musical director and conductor. Tickets for the concerts are priced at $48 or $62, and the Zankel Hall entrance and lobby are located on the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th and 57th Streets. Call (212) 247-7800 for subscription information.
FOR THE RECORD: The Maury Yeston Songbook:
I had long been a fan of the score to Nine, but it wasn’t until the 1997 debut of Broadway’s Titanic until I realized Maury Yeston’s true gifts as a composer. With its lush sound and soaring melodies, Titanic was one of the greatest scores of the nineties; the lengthy opening sequence is irresistible as are such tunes as “Barrett’s Song,” “Lady’s Maid,” “The Proposal,” “The Night Was Alive” and “No Moon.” So, as you can imagine, I was quite happy when I heard that PS Classics was planning to release a CD devoted to the songs of Yeston. And, I’m equally happy to report that the CD — “The Maury Yeston Songbook” — is a gem and a must for musical theatre lovers.
Although the 20-track disc contains only one song from Titanic — a beautiful rendition of “No Moon” by current Phantom Howard McGillin — the recording is chock-full of wonderful songs and boasts some of Broadway’s best voices, including Betty Buckley, Alice Ripley, Liz Callaway, Christine Ebersole, Brian d’Arcy James and many others. And, in addition to tunes from Yeston’s Broadway musicals (Nine, Grand Hotel, Titanic), there are tunes from regional works Phantom and In the Beginning; his song cycle written for cabaret’s Andrea Marcovicci, December Songs; and three world premieres.
Alice Ripley, who will soon star in the Broadway mounting of Little Shop of Horrors, begins the recording with “Please Let’s Not Even Say Hello” from December Songs. It’s a masterful rendition full of emotion that Ripley builds with skill. Ripley also scores with a sensual rendition of Nine’s “A Call From the Vatican.” Brent Barrett’s applies his rich tones to Nine’s “Only With You” and Sutton Foster — in Millie mold — belts a terrific “I Want to Go to Hollywood.” Johnny Rogers, who sounds remarkably like singer-songwriter James Taylor, does well with “Danglin’,” and Betty Buckley offers a particularly moving version of “I Had a Dream About You.” Just listen to the vocal colors she brings to this December Songs tune. Buckley is in high gear on Nine’s “Be on Your Own,” and she is thrilling; I particularly like her transition from Broadway belt to gentler tones on the song’s finale—the effect is highly moving.
Other notable tracks include Christine Ebersole’s gorgeous reading of “My Grandmother’s Love Letters” (Ebersole, it seems, can sing in any style); Brian d’Arcy James’ simple, honest version of “Unusual Way”; Liz Callaway’s usual lush tones on “Simple”; “Home,” the Phantom show-stopper, featuring a duet between Laura Benanti — now in the revival of Yeston’s Nine — and Robert Cuccioli; and In the Beginning’s “Is Someone Out There?,” boasting the high belts of Brooklyn star Eden Espinosa.
“The Maury Yeston Songbook” was produced by Tommy Krasker and John McDaniel and will hit stores April 8.
QUOTABLE QUOTES:
The March 30 edition of the New Jersey Star Ledger featured a wonderful interview with Nine’s Antonio Banderas. Banderas spoke about his various co-stars in the piece by Michael Sommers. Some of his thoughts follow:
Banderas on Chita Rivera (Liliane La Fleur):
"She's a Broadway myth. The fact that Chita is playing the part is just like a dream to me. She has such extraordinary energy. I know that when Chita steps out on the stage, she is going to tear the theater up and down. And I'm going to love watching her do it."
Banderas on Mary Stuart Masterson (Luisa Contini):
"Mary Stuart is a very grounded woman. She can be very sexy, too. She's got a spark that I cannot define — something sparkling — that I saw when she did 'Fried Green Tomatoes.' As an actress, Mary Stuart is very giving. She's experimental, too. She doesn't hold back."
Banderas on Jane Krakowski (Carla Albanese):
"From the beginning of rehearsals, Jane has been Carla. Very playful and easy to play with. For this part, you need an actress who isn't afraid of herself. Of her body. Of touching. And she's like that."
Banderas on Laura Benanti (Claudia Nardi):
"Laura's got such a beautiful voice. That voice can convince you of anything. At the same time, she is very sweet, very shy. There's almost a Brechtian distance about her — in a very kind way."
Continued...
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