You might say that the inspiration for the new cabaret opera (more on that in a moment) The Pleasing Recollection was a well-timed trip to the urinals at the former Alvin Theatre during the brief run of the musical Merrily We Roll Along in 1981. It was there that librettist Stephen Kitsakos found himself next to Leonard Bernstein.
That chance encounter inspired the first lyrics Kitsakos would write and send to composer Martin Hennessy. From there the two collaborators went about writing a song cycle that tells the story of a young man’s experiences in Manhattan during the late 1970s. The Pleasing Recollection is told from the perspective of his present-day self with baritone Michael Kelly singing the part.
A recording is forthcoming, but this week The Pleasing Recollection will be performed twice at Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York. Last week I spoke with Kitsakos and Hennessy. The full conversation is available on our YouTube channel, but here is the story of this work told by the two of them. A mini oral history, if you will.
Stephen Kitsakos: Martin said, “I’m sick of setting the poetry of trees, dancing in the German forest or something like that.” And I said, “Martin, I can’t help you, you know, because I’m not a songwriter. The only way I know how to write words is for a particular character, for a libretto.” I think he may have said, “Well then why don’t you write about yourself?” And so that was the really the genesis of the idea.
Martin Hennessy: I said to Steve, “Let’s do something that’s fun and let’s do something that’s gay, you know?” He said, “I can only write from my own experiences.” I said, “Well, that’s fine.” And then he said, “Well, I did pee next to Leonard Bernstein during intermission at this Broadway show.” And I said, “That’s it. You write that song.” And then he sent it and and I wrote it.
Stephen Kitsakos: It’s an older man looking back and reflecting on things that he just didn’t know or understand until you’re older and you can look back and say now I get it, now I understand. So it is a journey, but it’s a universal journey. It’s the universal journey of how do you keep making discoveries as you mature and as you age. And at what point do you realize that these were all formative? These were all part of what made you who you are today.
Martin Hennessy: The second piece we wrote called “Rock Hill” is about Steve’s experience being invited to lunch at Aaron Copland’s house. Steve had this idea of riffing on Sondheim’s “A Weekend in the Country.” [from A Little Night Music] I developed that kind of tarantella form and in six eight. And it was very patter-y. It was just a delightful way to work.
Stephen Kitsakos: The reason it’s a cabaret opera is that it’s pastiche. Martin writes for the musical theater voice, but in very inventive and very ingenious ways. I wanted it to be set in an atmosphere where the audience would be seated at tables and be able to drink because I felt that the story begins essentially with my first job. I was still a student at NYU and I got a job playing the piano and singing at a gay bar on Grove Street called Marie’s Crisis.
Martin Hennessy: I moved to New York City in the 1970s and Steve’s stories felt as my own. And that’s one of the reasons that it was a joyful process, setting them to music and figuring out how to do it. I just understood every moment of everything that was going on. I feel that the character is almost an amalgamation of of both of us.
Stephen Kitsakos: The piece is more self-referential than autobiographical. I make this distinction only because I recently learned that from Michael R. Jackson [playwright, composer and lyricist of A Strange Loop which won the Pulitzer Prize and begins previews on Broadway this week]. Michael came to Key West and spent about 10 days here. Many of those days I spent with him and he just slayed me with his brilliance and his sense of humor and his riffing and his just like gossipy, hysterical things that about everybody. When we talked about this piece he said it’s self-referential, it’s not autobiographical. He said that gives you permission essentially to take episodes from your life, but reorder them in a way.
Martin Hennessy: We were doing it in the 70s in New York City. It’s the sexual revolution in full flower. Promiscuity was kind of de riguer. The hunt was on and it was open. And it just wasn’t gay cruising.
Stephen Kitsakos: And the hunt didn’t necessarily need to be sexual, but it was the hunting for the meaning of existence, the meaning of life. We made this very deliberate choice that we wanted to write a piece that was about the journey of the gay man, but that did not deal with self-loathing or difficulty coming out. And we don’t deal with AIDS even though it’s part of the period. There really are so many theater pieces, film pieces, song cycles, settings that deal with these subjects. They’re legion and that’s fantastic. But there aren’t, I think, enough stories that are just joyful stories about experiences of gay men and lesbians.
Martin Hennessy: Let’s also talk about kind of the Greek legacy of mentoring the younger gay people by like the older teachers. That idea of being with a community and then interacting with, you know, older men as well as men your own age and and having a variety of relationships with them.
Stephen Kitsakos: I will say that some of the younger people that I’ve talked to have mentioned that they’re nostalgic for maybe like the late 70s, early 80s. I said why and they go, well, things just seemed like they were simpler then. I’m not sure any time was really simpler when you were living through it. You see people nostalgic for a period before the digitalization and the personalization where people can really connect with each other.
Martin Hennessy: I had come through the mentorship of some older men who really helped me understand who I was and and I liked the company of older men. I really did enjoy the intellectual discourse. Not only talking about piano, but talking about opera and art. I also was lucky to be a mentor.
Stephen Kitsakos: Our story is about this particular journey. It’s a different journey, but the same journey that I think other people have had as well.
Martin Hennessy: I guess this is a historical piece in a sense. And I think it’s all worthwhile going back to it and learning so much; the pleasing recollection.
The Pleasing Recollection is being performed at Feinstein’s/54 Below on April 5th (waiting list only) and April 6th. It will also be performed on by May 29th at Whyte Hall as part of the Fire Island Pines Art Project.
Photo of Martin Hennessy and Stephen Kitsakos by Aramis Ikatu
