SYMPHONY Orchestra begins salute to American musical theater
Operatic arias as well as songs from Broadway musicals will be included.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- On Nov. 5, the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, directed by Isaiah Jackson, will begin its year-long salute to American musical theater in a program titled "From the Met to Broadway."
The Orchestra will be joined by four guest vocalists who are equally comfortable singing opera as they are singing popular Broadway musicals.
"Most people think of musical theater as just Broadway," said Patricia Syak, executive director of the symphony. "But the whole concept of musical theater emerged from other sources. It had its roots in grand opera of the opera houses in Europe, comedic operettas of England, such as Gilbert and Sullivan, and across the pond, a number of other composers, like Victor Herbert. Out of all these influences emerged the Broadway musicals as we know them now."
Syak also points out how the style of American musicals has changed.
"If you look at today's modern musicals, such as "Rent" and "Les Mis & eacute;rables," there is hardly any dialogue," she said. "Older musicals such as "Oklahoma!" had lots of dialogue, which was moved along by the music."
Concert details
There will be a variety of music performed at this concert, from both opera and musicals.
The concert will open with an orchestral piece, the overture from "Candide," by Bernstein. The rest of the first half will be mostly operatic arias, including "Quando me'n vo soletta" from Puccini's "La Boh & egrave;me," "Sous le Dome Epais," from Delibes' "Lakme," and "Habanera," from Bizet's "Carmen." Pieces from musicals include "It's a Grand Night for Singing" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "State Fair."
"We are also doing selections from 'Kismet,' which was totally lifted from the classics," Syak adds. This includes "This is my Beloved," and "Stranger in Paradise."
The second half of the program includes three operatic selections, from Verdi's "La Traviata" and Puccini's "Madame Butterfly" and "Turandot."
Syak said she is particularly looking forward to "Madame Butterfly."
"It was the first opera I ever saw as a child at the large amphitheater at the Cincinnati Zoo," she said. "The Cincinnati Opera had sponsored the then-touring Metropolitan Opera. The costumes and theatrics were wonderful -- a unique program."
The rest of the second half of the program is from musicals, including "My Fair Lady," "Summertime," from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," and several songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
"Lloyd Webber goes in a different direction than other Broadway composers," Isaiah Jackson said. "His music requires well-trained voices that are at their best in opera as well. You can't be good at Lloyd Webber and not be good at opera."
Featured vocalists
Included among the guest artists is multitalented Teri Hansen, with a long list of credits as an actress and singer. She has sung with symphonies here and abroad, including the Israel Philharmonic and Pittsburgh Symphony and also the Boston Pops and at the Kennedy Center. She has appeared onstage in plays and in films.
Tenor Kip Wilborn has held leading roles in opera houses such as the San Francisco Opera, Opera National de Paris, Cleveland Opera and Volksoper Vienna. He has also appeared with numerous orchestras as a concert soloist, including the American Symphony Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall.
Sal Viviano has appeared in musicals as varied as "The Full Monty," "City of Angels," and "Falsettos," which won a Tony Award in 1992 for best original score. He also toured with "Evita," "Pirates of Penzance," and "Anything Goes."
Soprano Kishna Davis is known here and abroad for roles as varied as Bess in "Porgy in Bess," in which she made her New York City Opera debut, to Musetta in "La Boh & egrave;me" with the Metro Lyric Opera. She has also appeared in concert with numerous orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.