Though it sounds painful, I've really just been away. :-)
Now I am ready to jump into the current topics.
- Music Man
Barbershop q-tet work: Hoo-ah, that was some nice singing, and
fairly representative of what I have heard from the finest groups
in the last few years. For those that do not know, Dallas is home
to the Vocal Majority, one of the best purveyors of the barbershop
style. I've heard them (and some of the top quartets) four times
in the last two years, and the Music Man q-tet is representative
of the state-of-the-art.
Its true, the sound of barbershop has changed since the original
movie. IMO, for many reasons, not the least of which is the
persistent use of amplification. Another reason: singers of a very
high quality and level of training are participating. If you want to
hear more stuff at this level, snag a copy of any of the CDs by the
group called 'Reprise'. They all came out of the CHOIR at Brigham
Young University, and they have a thrilling sound. Most interesting
(to my ear, anyway) is the lyricism inherent in the vocal production
made possible by the use of tenors on the bari, lead and tenor part.
- Matthew Broderick
I heard Matt on Broadway just after Christmas a year ago- in his
famous role in 'The Producers'. His vocalism for Music Man (the role
he left Broadway to do) is more consistent and lyric to my ear.
Maybe he needed the sleep. :-) IMO, he got this gig because he was
bankable, and had a good agent.
- Kristin
While I agree with the others on the list that she sings with a very
bright tone, her sound is very typical of the ingenue vocalism I have
heard in recent years, especially in England (where I saw 'The
Beautful Game', 'Lion King', 'Les Mis', 'Phantom','West Side Story'
and 'La Boheme') and also in the American touring companies of 'Les
Mis', 'Phantom' and some other shows.
- the characterizations
What I really missed in this Music Man was the distinct, over-the-top
performances of each of the character actors which were so enjoyable
in the original. I missed the frazzled blustering of the Mayor, the
snobishness of his wife, the skewed-mouth, grab-yer-hat-and-run of
Buddy Hackett. This one seemed to lack fire, except in the role of
Marion.
All the Best
Steven Fraser
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