(Mostly) Musical Musings, Part One

I have just been listening to the 10th Anniversary (CD) Edition of the legendary musical Les Misérables. This year Les Mis is celebrating its 25th Anniversary on West End (London).

Right now, I cannot help but think: 25 what a beautiful, tender age!! I am actually four years older than the “ancient” Les Mis . Ok, shouldn’t complain too much. I am healthy, apart from the knee problems of course. And I am in just as good of a shape as I was four years ago, maybe even in a better shape.

Back to the soundtrack of Les Mis. While listening to this masterpiece, I am trying to remember all the musical highlights I was treated to during my 29 years on this planet. Turns out there have been quite a lot of musical highlights, might even have to divide them into two blogs. Let’s see….

One of the first things I remember, musical wise, was the time I watched the opera Carmen at the Arena in Verona. Since then I sort of became hooked on opera. I had the chance to see opera stars like Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, José Cura and Bryn Terfel perform live. I am especially a fan of Terfel. Big funny guy, blessed with a huge voice. Love, love this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ynSPJGtAv4. I actually sang that song, with Bryn Terfel (and all the people in the audience), at the Concertgebouw. I should not forget about piano virtuoso Daniël Barenboim, whose concert in February I found simply sensational. But I am still more of an opera fan. So here is my not so modest wish list of opera stars I would still love to see: Plácido Domingo, Rolando Villazón (preferably Domingo and Villazón together ;)) and Cecilia Bartoli.

From opera it is a small step to country music. Well, for me it is just a small step. Lets just say I have a broad (and somewhat unusual) interest when it comes to music. I have to admit that I don’t like all country music. But I do LOVE the music of one country singer: Martina McBride. She is a tiny, skinny lady blessed with a hell of a voice. I saw her perform twice. Once in Mount Pleasant, still wondering why she actually came to that tiny itty bitty town in Michigan. Thank God she did though, otherwise I would probably never have heard of Martina McBride. Now I have almost all of her CDs. I promised myself that, if Martina McBride ever toured Europe, I would go to one of the concerts. Last year, she toured England and Ireland. I attended the Martina McBride concert in Dublin. Again double wow, what a performer!!

My biggest and most major addiction is probably musical theater. I think I first became interested in musicals when I saw the movie version of The Sound of Music. Christopher Plummer!!! Ok, and Julie Andrews was good too of course! And I simply adored the soundtrack: “Edelweiss,” “Do-Re-Mi,” priceless :D. Coincidentally, The Sound of Music was also the first musical I saw in the theater. It was a Belgian/Dutch version and quite good. Actually still the best musical (in the Dutch language) I have seen. The last “Dutch” musical I bought tickets for was Evita in 2007. Years earlier, I had also seen The West Side Story in Dutch. Last year, I saw an English version of The West Side Story at Carré. The cast, led by young and promising New York-trained actors, was excellent. But somehow I have never been a great fan of The West Side Story. Too dramatic perhaps.

Now it is onto the musicals I saw on Broadway and West End. My first, second and third musical on Broadway was The Producers, a ridiculous musical comedy which I absolutely love!! It is the most politically incorrect musical I know! :D Created by an crazy old Jew named Mel Brooks, The Producers makes fun of everyone and everything: Jews, producers, old ladies, gays, Nazis, Adolph Hitler etc, etc. The Producers became a huge hit on Broadway in 2001, winning more Tony Awards (12) than any other show in Broadway history. I saw the musical for the first time in 2002. The main reason for me to watch The Producers was Gary Beach, who played the very gay director Roger de Bris. Beach, the recipient of the 2001 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, was truly marvelous as Roger de Bris. This Roger de Bris actually portrays Adolph Hitler in one of my favorite songs from The Producers: “Springtime for Hitler.” So politically incorrect, but yet so hilarious. Sorry, but I cannot help finding this song side-splitting hysterical: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCzd7rMiuD8
(This is the “Springtime” from the movie version of The Producers, the Broadway “Springtime” is even more politically incorrect lol. Side note: Gary Beach enters the scene at the four minute mark :D).

I returned to Broadway and The Producers in 2005 to interview Gary Beach. Probably the coolest interview of my life!! I actually managed to see The Producers twice in one weekend, on Saturday (evening) and on Sunday (matinee) :). The entire cast was outstanding each and every time. And very nice. Met most of the actors at the stage door after the show. They were very willing to sign autographs and have a chat (especially in 2005, when I told them that I was writing a piece about Gary Beach).

The fourth Broadway musical I went to was Curtains in 2007. Curtains is another musical comedy, I just love musical comedies ;). Leading man David Hyde Pierce, whom I really liked in the television comedy Frasier, had just won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Loved his portrayal of Lt. Frank Cioffi. I did see some hints of Niles Crane (his character in Frasier) in the performance. Guess David Hyde Pierce will always be “Niles” to me :). Overall, Curtains is a cute is and funny musical. Liked the implicit references to The Producers (which you would not pick up on of course, unless you know The Producers really well :D). Curtains’ supporting cast was great, especially Debra Monk (George O’Malley’s mother in Grey’s Anatomy) and Jason Danieley, a man blessed with a beautiful tenor voice. After the show, I managed to get the signatures of almost the entire cast. Have yet to meet the first arrogant Broadway actor. Of course there are arrogant Broadway actors, I have just not met them.

I have some time to decide what is going to be Broadway musical number five for me. Could be The Addams Family (starring Producers “alum” Nathan Lane) or La Cage aux Folles or something else.

Yep, I won’t be able to fit all my musical musings into one blog, so here it goes: TO BE CONTINUED…..