I Happen to Like New York

[robbiej]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 10:57am

There are days when it seems the entire city is weighing down on you, so much so that you wonder how you live in such a fenetic, fast-paced, psychotic place. You'd give it all up to have a cute house with a yard, a car and some peace and quiet.

And then there are those moments when you realize that you live in the most spectacular place on Earth, and you're life simply wouldn't be as thrilling to live were you in the 'burbs.

Last night was one of those nights. As I took my seat in Carnegie Hall, it dawned on me how lucky I am. This beautiful cathedral to God's greatest gift, music, is here for me whenever I need to escape the chaotic noise of the city for the ordered sounds of music. And when something is truly wonderful, as the SOUTH PACIFIC concert was last night, you know you'll never be able to leave this marvelous town for long.

The St. Luke's Orchestra, under the direction of Paul Gemignani, was magnificent. From the first strains of Bali H'ai to the moving Final Ultimo, they played with passion and precision. And then there was the cast. Brian Stokes Mitchell may have had some accent problems (sounding more like a Pearl Cream commercial than a Frenchman), but his glorious voice made you forget every small flaw. His This Nearly Was Mine was simply the best musical moment of the year. Jason Daniely, who has never received the acclaim he deserves, sounded stunning on Younger Than Springtime. His seething You've Got to Be Carefully Taught was a hilight, although it was all too brief. It's amazing how complete a characterization this actor can come up with after only three days of rehearsal. Lillias White was marvelous, offering a beautifully sung Bali H'ai. She then did the impossible. By singing the hell out of Happy Talk, she made a case that this silly song is as important to the score as the rest. Alec Baldwin was terrific as Billis, getting every laugh and looking quite fetching in his Honey Bun ensemble. Solid support was provided by Conrad John Shuck, Dylan Baker and Alexander Gemignani. The male chorus sounded huge and looked sexy as hell, with a good number of the men sporting nicely-fitting tank tops.

And then, of course, there was the reason for this concert: Reba McIntyre. I will be the first to agree that she was too book bound. Her I'm in Love With a Wonderful Guy was not particularly effective because she was too worried about getting the words right. And if you thought Mary Martin scooped on notes, ya shoulda heard our dear Reba. But, in the end, I was very impressed by her commitment to the emotional arc of the character in Act II. And her Honey Bun (off book) was a show-stopping hilight.

SOUTH PACIFIC did not have the emotional affect on me that the CAROUSEL concert did three years ago...simply because I'm always reduced to tears when I hear CAROUSEL. SOUTH PACIFIC does not do that for me. But, in many ways, this was a more consistently cast and performed concert than CAROUSEL. A terrific evening that I hope you all watch when broadcast on PBS.

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 11:02am

South Pacific is didactic.

[freelancer]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 11:03am

Amen, robbiej. I felt the exact same way about this concert. Reba was good, but not the highlight of the show. That distinction would definitely go to the male members of the cast. Stokes and Jason Danieley - incredible. I'd love to see them cast side by side in a show someday. Their voices worked together so nicely. I listened to "The Full Monty" pn the way to work this morning to get a Jason fix. This afternoon, it'll be "Ragtime" for sure!

Updated On: 6/10/05 at 11:03 AM

[robbiej]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 11:05am

They'd be WONDERFUL in SIDE SHOW!

SOUTH PACIFIC may be didactic...but it's also a beautiful, arresting piece of theatre, containing an astonishing score.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 11:07am

Thanks for the review, Robbie. When I heard this cast I thought, Wow, perfect. I can't wait to see the broadcast. Will there be a CD?

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 11:07am

Blah, blah, blah.

[robbiej]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 11:09am

Will ANYONE be sad when you die, nmartin?

[Esther2]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 12:31pm

I have to say, I agree with Robbie J's assessment of the evening all the way.
We are sitting together after all...and we sleep together as well..so we're kind of always on the same wavelength..
I have to say ALL of the performances last night were spot on.
Yes, I agree that Reba seemed a little "lost in her script"..but all of her choices when made were exactly right. Her scooping didn't bother me , as it seemed appropraiete for the character...Once she let go of the script in HONEY BUN, the effect was showstopping. Overall, I felt that she and the rest of the principles should have been on mic a little more. For some reason, the kids had body mics, and sounded clearer than anyone else, as did Reba when she had the wireless for Honey Bun. So I don't know what was going on there.

Stokes was just wonderful, although I am in total agreement with Robbie that in his book scenes I was waiting for him to say-'ancient chinese secret huh?'-His singing was exceptional.
Daniely and White also brought the same committment to their songs...they both sounded great. White, in particular, was brilliantly offensive with her Bloody Mary Dialect-- it was hilarious. As was the much needed cComic relief of Alec Baldwin...There is Nothing like a dame stopped the show...the minor dancing, the sseabees removing their shirts...ALL OF IT..just great.
Having seen Carousel 3 years ago, South Pacific definitely had a more 'polished' feel. And even though Carousel is an infinitely more moving show, and more adventurous and groundbreaking in it's musical forms..I have to say last night was a resounding success for Carnegie Hall. Bravo to all..

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 12:40pm

I'm sorry I missed this as SOUTH PACIFIC is my favorite R&H, and Reba in AGYG was one of the greatest musical comedy performances I have ever seen.

I'd almost rather have a beautifully rehearsed and performed CD than an inmperfect video broadcast.

Posted: 6/10/05 at 12:40pm

"Main Entry: di·dac·tic
1 a : designed or intended to teach b : intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment"

As this is the definition given for 'didactic', I'm not sure nmartin was as denigrating as he intended to be. Then again, I'm not sure nmartin ever has any effect.

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 12:43pm

I wasn't at Carnegie last night, but an amazing concert nonetheless, but I wanted to echo your sentiment about New York. SO much good happens here, that even on those days when I can deal with one more stinking puddle of Manhattan goo, it makes it all worth it.

Posted: 6/10/05 at 1:19pm

The review was ok but the preamble was pure Carrie Bradshaw's Sex And The City. C'mon Robbie be original.
Updated On: 6/10/05 at 01:19 PM

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/10/05 at 1:24pm

DGrant, I feel the same way.