Cleveland Pops Orchestra: New Year's Eve (Wicked Divas)[Updated]

"So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways...Just come on and come on and raise your glass" -- Pink, Raise Your Glass.



[The program can be found at the end of this post]
Update: Aparently I forgot the program the frst time around. It now really is at the end of the post.

Ok. So there wasn't any Pink on tonight's program -- and I'm going to say that that's probably a good thing [though I would love to hear it] -- but that anthem seems like as good a way as any to ring in 2011.

I was seriously on the fence about attending the tonight's concert...neither my last Cleveland Pops concert nor my last orchestra concert at Severance Hall were anything to write home about (and I've had mixed feelings about past Pops New Years eve concerts) -- and I was a little worried about the whole two Sopranos thing. Combined with the fact that I'm in my end-of-the-year financial meltdown mode (writing my check for property taxes always depresses me). Especially with how ill I was feeling yesterday, spending a quiet night at home was a serious contender. This afternoon I decided moping was a bad way to start a new year and picked up a ticket.

I think this, The Cleveland Pops Orchestra's 15th annual New Years Eve concert is my favorite of the four I've attended. The program was tight; there was a good variety of music, and Mr. Topilow kept himself under control quite well. While the Pops usually draws a slightly more diverse crowd than Cleveland Orchestra concerts, tonight's audience seemed particularly eclectic, ranging from late teens to possibly great-grandparents (one of whom, during the "light rock" post-concert in the lower lobby could be seen rocking out to Earth Wind and Fire's Let's Groove (Make Love Tonight).

Featuring Erin Mackey and Stephanie J. Block, both known for having appeared in the various productions of Wicked (though never the same production at the same time) there was a mix of relatively straight classical, Broadway show tunes and a little bit in between.

The bad was quickly dispensed with: Opening with the overused introduction to Also Sprach Zarathustra which sounded fine save for what I can best describe as rounded edges or in other words lacking the sharp delineations that I normally associate with that piece. A near seamless and slightly confusing transition into Chicago's And All That Jazz came next. The first of several links to musicals I saw in 2010, Chicago at PlayhouseSquare has the distinction of being the only musical I've walked out on -- and this rendition didn't do anything to encourage me to give the show a second try.

I Could Have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady) and Don't Rain on my Parade (from Funny Girl) were both delightful, and followed by the stunning performance of Zigeunerweisen (Gipsy Airs) featuring high school junior and grand prize winner of the Petit Memorial Musical Scholarship Competition, violinist James Thompson: A stunning performance including some whimsical touches.

That great performance was, rather unfortunately, followed by a rendition of Strauss's Feuerfest Polka with horn accompaniment by the audience. If I return next year, I shall need to remember to drink more. Far more. before this piece.

With the incessant honking of horns fresh in my mind, Think of Me from Phantom Of the Opera -- another musical I saw in 2010 (Broadway and PlayhouseSquare) -- was beautiful cleansing of the palette. Like the other songs on the program, the balance between the unamplified orchestra and amplified singers was quite good, my one and only technical complaint was the use of electronic reverb on the singers: Probably not noticeable to most audience members and only really noticeable when lyrics trailed off, I'm not convinced it was necessary for the hall.
Ring Them Bells featured some interesting interplay between Ms. Block and the orchestra.

Closing out the first half, What's Up At The Symphony, a great medley of classical that has been used in Looney Tunes cartoons, and I hate to say it but I thin my favorite from the concert: a very high spirited and high energy Conga -- complete with the name sake lines forming in Severance Hall's aisles.

The second half was as enjoyable as the first, with the less significantly less tiresome staples of Anderson's Syncopated Clock with an unfortunate audience member with good rhythm filling in for a member of the percussion section, and Ohio's official rock song Hang On Sloopy (O-H-I-O) -- the latter was rather fun. Erin Mackey made for a more than suitable replacement for Celine Dion in My Heart Will Go On (from Titanic).

Closing out the published program, were three selections from Wicked (yet another 2010 musical) -- Popular, Defying Gravity, and For Good. All three were fantastic, and of the various versions I've heard on, and particularly with the somewhat overused Popular, off the theatrical stage arguably the best to date. For Good and Defying Gravity were wonderfully spellbinding and uplifting.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2011! Though I haven't made any resolutions...I wouldn't mind not ending the year single. If you know anyone...feel free to put her in touch.

Lincoln

The Program
Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
Kander and Ebb: Introduction and All That Jazz (from Chicago)*/**
Lerner and Loewe: I Could Have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady)*
Styne: Don't Rain on My Parade (from Funny Girl)**
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen (Gipsy Airs)***
Strauss: Feuerfest Polka
Webber: Think of Me (from Phantom of the Opera)*
Kander and Ebb: Ring Them Bells (from Liza with a "Z")**
Various arr. Barber: What's Up at the Symphony (Bugs Bunny's Greatest Hits)
Garcia arr. Reineke: Conga
Strauss: Radetsky March
Roberts and Jabara: No More Tears (from Enough is Enough) */**
Horner and Jennings: My Heart Will Go On (from Titanic)*
Anderson: Syncopated Clock
Kander and Ebb: Cabaret (from Cabaret)**
Russell and Farrell arr. Cerulli: Hang on Sloopy
Schwartz: Selections From Wicked (Popular*, Defying Gravity**, For Good*/**)
Carl Topilow, Conductor; *-Erin Mackey, soprano; **-Stephanie J. Block, soprano; ***-James Thompson, violin.

Cleveland Pops Orchestra: Cirque de la Symphonie

The program for tonight's performance can be found at the end of this post.
As the weekend approached I found myself trying to choose which of among four concerts I was going to attend tonight; one was ruled out pretty quickly, one was ruled out because I didn't feel like driving to Akron, and one was ruled out because the same group will be performing a house concert (that will be attending) tomorrow.

What was left was this, the first non-New Years Eve Cleveland Pops Orchestra concert that I've made it to. I had high expectations -- and a bit of anticipation for this performance. Unfortunately, where there were some bright spots, taking the concert as a whole, my expectations were not met.

The Cirque visuals accompanying several pieces were well performed but didn't meet the expectations I have for something associated with the Cirque du Soleil empire. While I hate to use the word "amateurish", because the performers clearly aren't, the selection and flow of performances seemed to be more of a sideshow level.

The persistent applause during those performances, without regard to the orchestra's music, made it difficult--if not impossible--to apply any kind of critical listening to the music, essentially relegating the orchestra to the role of "talented, probably expensive, background music". This was particularly true of the fourth movement from Shostakovitch's fifth symphony; taken out of context from the first 3 movements and relegated to the role of second fiddle on stage, it lacks the power and drama that it deserves (and that makes it enjoyable)

So, that's what I didn't care for. On the bright side:

Ms. Alexis Floyd, winner of the 2009 Jean L Petit Memorial Music Scholarship, and the orchestra delivered a fantastic performance of Astonishing from the Broadway musical Little Women. Sisters, pianists, and honorable mention winners in the same competition, Stephanie and Megan Lee, played Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals. The seventh movement (Aquarium) was particularly enjoyable, and almost haunting -- I have to swear that I've heard it before, but I can't place it.

Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music, with Clarinet by Carl Topilow was enjoyable to listen to, as was Waltz from Carousel.


Immediately after intermission a synopsis of the Pops' upcoming season was announced--it sounds like it will be good.

Lincoln

Wendel: Under the Big Top
Bizet: Gypsy Dance from Carmen
King: Barnum and Bailey's Favorite
Rimsky-Korsakov: Dance of the Tumblers from The Snow Maden
Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals
Tchaikovsky: Dance of the Swans from Swan Lake
Howland & Dickstein: Astonishing from Little Women
Rodgers: Waltz from Carousel
Sondheim: Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music
Shostakovich: Movement IV (Alegro non troppo) from Symphony No. 5 in D-minor, Op. 47.

Cleveland Pops Orchestra: New Year's Eve (Broadway Rocks)

Of the four years I've lived in Cleveland I've done the CPO's New Year's Eve concert thrice. (2007, 2009, 2010). I don't really remember 2007 and was unmoved (to put it kindly) by 2009... but if this concert is a harbinger of things to come 2010 should be a good year.

My box and the adjoining box was shared with a family of 10 who was doing the concert for the first time... and wow, could that family have a good time. To give you an idea: The two older women were doing it disco style during I Will Survive which was just plain hysterical (it took effort to control my laughter, a rarety) -- two of the guys replaced the O-H-I-O sequences in Sloopy Hang On with Z-O-N-A (apparently they're PAC 10 fans)... And how can I forget the hand gestures at key points in the Greese medley? During You Can't Stop The Beat the ladies were swing dancing in the back of the box like they had their original hips.

That pretty well set the tone for the evening -- just plain fun for all ages and completely relaxed atmosphere... the meistro's chatter was kept to a reasonable level and the orchestra was fantastic. The soloists, likewise, were pleasant to listen to and interacted well with the orchestra (this was my chief complaint with regard to last year when it seemed like the "guests" dominated the program to the detriment of the orchestra)

The program was thoroughly enjoyable -- I would have love a few more pieces, but the selections were well played. I think the Grease Medley was my favorite, but Oh What A Night was enjoyable if for no other reason than the memories* -- and seeing the work performed by a full orchestra*. Also Sprach Zarathustra was fun, but seemed to lack the same depth that the piece took on when played earlier in 2009 by the Cleveland Orchestra.

Happy 2010!

Lincoln

(The image above was one of the first taken with a digital camera that mysteriously appeared on my doorstep two days ago ;) ... I'm still getting used to it)

The Program

Carl Topilow, Conductor; Capatha Jenkins and J. Mark McVey vocalists

R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra

Gaudio: Oh, What A Night (from Jersey Boys)

Krieger & Enyen: And I Am Tellin' You (from Dreamgirls)

J. Strauss: Fuerfest Polka

Schreiner: Immer Kleiner

Beethoven: Turkish March

Strouse, arr. Muller: Bye, Bye Birdie (medley)

Schonberg: Bring Him Home (from Les Miserables)

Peren & Fekaris: I Will Survive

Ebb & Kander: All That Jazz (from Chicago)

Ashman: Suddenly Seymour (from Little Shop of Horrors)

Wildborn & Bricusse: This Is The Moment (from Jekyll & Hyde)

Jacobs & Case, arr. Custer: Greese (Medley)

Farrell & Russell, arr. Cerulli: Hang On Sloopy

Anderson: Syncopated Clock

John & Rice: Circle of Life (from Lion King)

Shaiman & Wittman: You Can't Stop The Beat (from Hairspray)

* - Ok, so the memories and orchestra thing kind of go hand in hand: I had seen Jersey Boys twice (perhaps three times, but I only positively remember two) during its debut at the La Jolla Playhouse prior to making the leap to Broadway & the national tour. At one performance, Des McAnuff (the director for all three versions) and Frankie Valli were several rows in front of me. The show is played with a very small orchestra -- 13 musicians -- and it was interesting to see/hear the piece with a full orchestra.