Prima Facie – Golden Theatre – New York, NY

Jodie Comer stars in this play by Suzie Miller that is now playing on Broadway. Miller and Comer won Olivier Awards for Best New Play and Best Actress at this year’s Olivier Awards. Could Tony Awards all come their way?

For tickets and more information, please go here.

Good Night, Oscar – Belasco Theatre – New York, NY Sean Hayes stars in this play about Oscar Levant written by Doug Wright and directed by Lisa Peterson. The show originated in Chicago and received rave reviews for both the play and for Hayes.

For tickets and more information, please go here.

TRADE/Mary Motorhead – LA Opera at REDCAT – Los Angeles, CA – April 27^th – April 30^th

These two one-act operas by composer Emma O’Halloran and her librettist uncle, Mark O’Halloran, debuted at the Prototype Festival in New York earlier this year. Now they are in Los Angeles with original cast members Kyle Bielfield, Mark Kudisch and Naomi Louisa O’Connell in tow.

For tickets and more information, please go here.

Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap – SFJAZZ – San Francisco April 27^th – April 30^th

Rarely have two artists so perfectly melded their talents the way jazz singer Bridgewater and pianist Charlap do in concert. I’ve seen them twice and would go again and again given the opportunity. You have the opportunity to hear how great this duo is even if you don’t live in San Francisco. Their performance on April 28^th will be streaming live at 7:30 PM PT (with an encore showing on April 29^th at 11 AM PT).  

For in-person tickets and more information, please go here. For streaming tickets and information, please go here.

Champion – Met Opera Live in HD – Cinemas Worldwide – April 29^th – 12:55 PM ET/9:55 AM PT

This Saturday the Metropolitan Opera will present Terence Blanchard’s first opera, Champion, in a live transmission from the Met in New York City. Ryan Speedo Green, Eric Owens, Latonia Moore, Stephanie Blythe, Paul Groves and Eric Greene star in this opera based on the true story of boxer Emile Griffith. The production is directed by James Robinson with choreography by Camille A. Brown (both of whom were involved in the world premiere of Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones.) Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts.

To find a theater near you, please go here.

Photo: Ryan Speedo Green in Champion (Photo by Ken Howard/Courtesy Met Opera)

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If there is anyone busier than costume designer Emilio Sosa working on Broadway this season, I’d love to meet that person. For the 2022-2023 season, Sosa has designed costumes for the revival of Sweeney Todd, the play Ain’t No Mo’, A Beautiful Noise (the Neil Diamond musical); Good Night, Oscar and the revival of the musical 1776.

That last show is currently on tour around America. 1776 opens at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles on April 11th where it will run through May 7th. From there the show goes to San Diego and San Jose. You can find all the tour stops here.

The musical, by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone, was first on Broadway in 1969. That production was nominated for 5 Tony Awards and won 3 including Best Musical.

The story is that of the discussions and arguments that preceded the writing and the signing of the Declaration of Independence with John Adams being the most forceful presence in the musical.

In 1969 there was only one role for a woman – that of Martha Jefferson (played by Betty Buckley in her Broadway debut.) This production, directed by Diane Paulus, finds not a single role is played by a man. The cast is made up entirely of women, non-binary and transgender performers. Which means Sosa had the dual challenge of representing history and accommodating contemporary bodies in clothes not originally designed for them.

I spoke with Sosa in late March about 1776 and some of his other shows in this very busy season he has. What follows are excerpts from our conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.

Thomas Jefferson wrote, and this is truncated a bit, “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.” He goes on to say that “Institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as a civilized society to remain ever under the regiment of their barbarous ancestors.” It sounds to me like he’s advocating for exactly this production of 1776. 

Thomas Jefferson enjoyed fashion. He enjoyed clothing. He enjoyed looking good. He loved French fabrics. He spent a lot of time in Paris. So he was influenced by the culture there and the way the men and the women dressed. So for him to use the analogy of clothing is so in line to the person he was in general. 

For me what’s very powerful about this piece is when you hear these words spoken by people that look like you, who were never, ever represented in the room, just changes the dynamic of the course of this country. I still believe America is the best country in the world. I would not live anywhere else, but it is not without its flaws. And a major flaw traces right back to this document. That’s the central core, I think, America goes back to. Unless we are willing to go to the very beginning and try to undo what was wrongfully done, we will never, ever heal as a nation.

I saw an interview that Diane Paulus gave the New York Times where she said, “Audiences are interested in looking back to our history to understand the present moment.” What is your role in making it possible for audiences who see 1776 to do exactly what she thinks they want to do?

As the costume designer, I want to give a sense of the period because the period is very specific. The interesting thing about 1776 for me is that it’s a musical, but the underlining things are so rich and deep. I don’t want to give it away for anyone who has not seen it, because the very beginning is really encompasses the entire language of the show. But it’s about when we put on the coat of history what do we learn from it.

So my job was to give the audience a sense of the history. That’s why the coats that the performers wear, the shapes are completely authentic. We researched everything that men wore at that period, what women wore, what Europeans were wearing.

Even in the book of the of the musical, the playwright give us some historical fashion history. They are very specific in the fabrics and colors that we used. They wanted to make the distinction between the pious, puritanical aspect of New England, the North, by the use of color and fabrications, earthier colors, muted colors in simpler woven fabrics versus what the South was. The South was the the central capital of the slave trade in this country. So a lot of things came from overseas fabrics. They had access to silks, to laces to buttons. We were able to show the difference in the fabrications they wore; the ornamentation because they took really pride in their way of life. That was a huge central theme in not only the musical but in our American history.Those were the themes that I wanted the audience to get.

Are there unique challenges knowing that you are not making these costumes for men, but making them for a wide spectrum of bodies that are going to be in them? 

Totally. Because when you look at those patterns they were definitely made for a specific gender. When you open up the pool of humans, we’re all shaped differently. Maintaining the correct silhouette and adjusting it to a modern form, that’s always the challenge. But talented drapers and makers can make it work. It’s just a matter of adjusting the patterns and being conscious of the body in front of you and how do you dress it and not go by the textbook a bit.

It is my understanding that the mantra for the show was “to hold history as a predicament rather than an affirming myth.” For people who aren’t sure what exactly that mantra means, what would you tell them? 

The way I absorbed it is history is always someone’s take on what happened. It’s debatable. It’s good to have the facts and then make your own assumptions and I think that’s the way I looked at this this show. We know what the history of it is, but let’s explore how we get there. And then if we are going to explore how we get there, we explore the people who were excluded from the table for telling you the story. History is a moving target. I also remember always hearing history is written by the winners. So how you look at it depends on what side of the argument you end up on. Some of the greatest people in our world have not been treated kindly by history.

This is not the only revival you’ve done. You did The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. You’re doing the Sweeney Todd production that just opened this weekend to almost universally rave reviews. Is there a difference for you or a different area of passion for you when you’re doing a revival of a production versus doing something that’s new, like Motown the Musical or Ain’t No Mo’ or Good Night Oscar? 

I approached them all as new work because to me they were new, especially Sweeney. Because Sweeney Todd is mythical. People have these memories attached to this show at some point or another in their lives. Now that I know it so well, I can understand why. I think it’s one of the most joyously written musicals. I think of the musical as a horror musical. 

Sweeney Todd never done it, never seen a production of it. I just knew some of the songs and the legendary performers had been in it, but to me it was new. I knew was about a barber who killed people and a woman who made pies out of them. That was the core of the story. I didn’t see Sweeney as just the killer. I think what was interesting is to see the human who became that. No one starts where they end. So there had to be some kind of arc that we can trace and I think by making these characters more human made the tragedy even greater.

Oscar Levant, the subject of Good Night, Oscar, is a hugely complicated character. He’s one of my favorite people in the history of culture in this country, but words fail me for how to easily sum up who Oscar Levant was. So how did you approach Oscar Levant for Good Night, Oscar?

I saw some of Oscar Levant as our inner voice. What we want to say if we had the courage to say it. Oscar had no filter. That’s what made him brilliant. He was self-deprecating. Well, he took himself really seriously. That’s why he had those issues. I think we all wish we could live that way, especially now. In the world we live in I don’t know whether Oscar Levant could exist. Maybe he could, because you do need someone that has no filter to cut through the political correctness of our times.

What Oscar was saying at the onset of TV was already was controversial. I think he represents all of us. We’re all born with a gift. Whether or not you exercise that, you find it, you nurture it, always treat it, that’s your journey. But even when he was at his lowest mentally, he was able to give the gift that was given to him.

In the penultimate episode of Project Runway season seven, where you competed, you said “I wanted to leave a lasting impression on these judges.” With five shows this season on Broadway and you’ve worked on countless films, what’s the lasting impression you would like to leave on the people who go to the theater?

The lasting impression: we’re all in it together. Theater is a community experience and that’s what life should be. We are all in it together and if we could only look at each other as equals we will be in a much better place. That’s why I love theater so much. Once the lights go down we are all experiencing something together that’s unique for this one audience. That can never be replicated again. Theater is a great denominator. Once the lights go out, we are all the same. We’re being taken on the same journey. If we think about that in our daily lives, then I think we would be in a much better place.

Photo: The cast of the national tour of 1776 (Photo by Joan Marcus/Courtesy Center Theatre Group)

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There are five programs in Lyrics & Lyricists: Preludes. All five will begin at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT.

October 26th: George Gershwin – Bidin’ My Time

Songs written by George and Ira Gershwin will be performed amidst excerpts from letters between the two brothers, archival interviews and other correspondence from friends like pianist Oscar Levant (An American in Paris) and Kay Swift.

The songs will include Embraceable You and Our Love Is Here to Stay. The performers will be Farah Alvin, Allison Blackwell, James T. Lane, Kara Lindsay and Zachary Prince.

November 9th: Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt: Simple Little Things

The longest running musical in history is the Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt musical The Fantasticks. The little off-Broadway show opened in 1960 and ran for 17,162 performances before finally closing on January 13, 2002. The musical introduced to the world the song Try to Remember.

Their other shows include 110 in the Shade (which debuted on Broadway in 1963 and was most recently revived in 2007 with Audra McDonald), 1966’s I Do! I Do! (a two-character musical that opened with Mary Martin and Robert Preston) and 1969’s Celebration.

November 23rd: Rodgers, Rodgers, and Guettel: Statues and Stories

This is a true family affair part of Broadway. Richard Rodgers, best known for his collaborations with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II was composer Mary Rodgers’ father. She was Adam Guettel’s mother.

Richard Rodgers is known for the musicals On Your Toes, Babes in Arms, Pal Joey, Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music (and that’s a partial list).

Mary Rodgers is best known for Once Upon a Mattress and had songs/music featured in From A to Z, Working, The Madwoman of Central Park West and Side By Side by Sondheim.

Of Sondheim, he has said that the most autobiographical song he’s ever written is Opening Doors from Merrily We Roll Along which reflects how he, Harold Prince and Mary Rodgers all embarked on careers in the theatre.

Adam Guettel is the Tony Award-winning composer of The Light in the Piazza. He wrote the incidental music for the Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird. He’s also the creator of the song cycle Myths and Hymns and the musical Floyd Collins.

December 7th: Jule Styne and His Many Lyricists: Distant Melody

Many composers find the perfect lyricist and stick with them throughout the bulk of their career. Jule Styne, a two-time Tony Award winner, was the composer of such shows as Gypsy, Funny Girl, Do Re Mi, Subways Are For Sleeping and Hallelujah Baby! (His Tony Awards came for Hallelujah Baby). And he had many lyricists throughout his career.

His lyricists includied Sammy Cahn, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Bob Merrill, Leo Rubin and Stephen Sondheim.

Though he didn’t win a Tony for Gypsy or Funny Girl, those two shows remain his most important musicals and the most celebrated.

December 14th: The Theme From…: Songs Written for Film

Many of the songs we cherish today were introduced to us in the films for which they were written. It’s a list that includes The Way We Were, Moon River, Over the Rainbow, The ManThat Got Away and The Windmills Of Your Mind.

The songs being performed and discussed in this show haven’t been released, but count on many of the most popular songs from movies to be included.

In addition to the announced performers for Bidin’ My Time, the talent line-up the subsequent shows will feature Nikki Renée Daniels, Katherine Henley, Jeff Kready, Telly Leung, Paul Masse, Julia Murney, Zachary Noah Pisner, Pearl Sun and Mariand Torres.

This series is perfect for those who both want to hear the work of these amazing songwriters, but also want a deeper dive into the creators themselves.

Tickets for individual shows are $15 or you can purchase all 5 for $60.

Photo: Adam Guettel (Courtesy AdamGuettel.com)

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“The one thing that will not change is the utter joy [the concerto] gives the listeners, the performers; just look at the orchestra, there’s not one person who doesn’t smile. It’s really a piece that’s part of my DNA. There’s rarely a season where I don’t play it. I never get tired of it.”

Thibaudet is a highly-acclaimed and sought-after pianist. He recently performed with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and makes regular appearances with the orchestra at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  He’s recorded over 50 albums and performs around the world.

I reminded Thibaudet that there was one person who didn’t appear to be smiling and that was Gershwin’s go-to soloist Oscar Levant, who performs the most interesting excerpt of the Concerto in F in An American in Paris.

“Maybe he was told not to look too happy in An American in Paris. He played it so beautifully. For me it is impossible. How can you not have fun with this piece?”

Last year Will Friedwall of the Wall Street Journal, in a review of a box set of Levant’s recordings, called Levant’s performance “definitive.” Thibaudet doesn’t feel that anything can remain definitive for too long.

“What a great artists is, when you listen to that artist you think, ‘that is a definitive performance.’ The character, the personality and it just works. At that moment you say that’s the only way to play it. You can have a great artist who plays it differently who is convincing. And that is definitive. In art and music there is nothing definitive. We don’t know what it is. Even a composer wouldn’t know. The most amazing result for an artist is to give the impression that there’s just no other way to play the piece. I think that’s what Oscar was doing. We all play differently. Thank God, if we were all trying to copy someone, how dull would that be?”

Thibaudet’s relationship with Gershwin’s Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue began when he was just 14. But his relationship with the piece has changed radically since then.

“When I played it the first time, I didn’t know what jazz was. I was not familiar with that. I treated that piece like a Chopin concerto. I probably played it straight. What did I know? The biggest revelation over the years is that injection of the jazz element. Then you play it very differently in life.”

Like many popular pieces in the repertoire, there is usually one edition of the score that is used by orchestras and soloists. When the Gershwin Initiative at the University of Michigan published a new critical edition of the concerto two years ago, Thibaudet was thrilled.

“I think critical editions in anything are great. We have that problem with Ravel and Debussy where there were a lot of mistakes and things that weren’t corrected. By word of mouth or notes, we have a lot of those things, but they don’t make it to the score. I think it’s fantastic someone takes the time to dig into it. It’s a tremendous amount of work. ”

As excited as he might be, don’t ask him to give up his original score anytime soon.

“I still have my old edition and my old score that I’m attached to. I have a set of two scores in my apartments. [One in Paris and one in the United States.] It is pretty old and falling apart and I have all the corrections in it. Whenever there is something new, I’ll write it in my old score.”

Taking notes as his teachers probably instructed him to do. Or as he instructs his students to do. For almost six years he has served as an Artist-in-Residence at the Colburn School in downtown Los Angeles.

“I think teaching is one of the most remarkable and rewarding experiences and you don’t know it until you do it. I’ve done master classes most of my life, but teaching on a regular basis and the time I’ve done it is just fantastic. Students ask questions you don’t ask yourself. I was so lucky I got so much from my wonderful teachers. I need to share what I learned from them and pass that to the next generation. It’s very important I can share my enthusiasm and experience.”

Still he’s happy and smiling (as much as I can tell over the phone.) So I asked him about Oscar Levant’s view of happiness when he said, “Happiness isn’t something you experience, it’s something you remember.”

Before answering he laughed.

“I would think of that amazing phrase from Nietzsche which says, and I’m paraphrasing that the waiting for the pleasure is more intense than the pleasure itself. That’s terribly translated. If that’s what he meant, there’s a little of that. You dream as a kid before you go to bed something you’d love to have. It’s unbelievable that excitement. One day you get it, but you don’t have the dream anymore. Is it more important to have the dream or to get it? I think we need both. The pleasure and the happiness are wonderful. I do think you feel it when you leave a happy moment. I  think you should really enjoy every second. That’s what we live for. I personally enjoy both.”

Thibaudet will be performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic beginning tonight and continuing through October 6th.

Photos of Thibaudet by Andrew Eccles/Courtesy of Harrison Parrott UK

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The music of George Gershwin is at the core of this movie. Gene Kelly (who also directed significant portions of the movie and choreographed the film including the stunning ballet sequence (which truly showcases both his genius as a choreographer and Gershwin’s gorgeous music.)  An American in Paris is one of the best arguments for seeing films on a big screen.

In the film Jerry Mulligan (Kelly) plays an American painter try to make a go of it in Paris. So too is his friend, Adam (Oscar Levant), a struggling pianist. A woman (Nina Foch) takes Mulligan under her wing to support him, but she is ultimately in love with him and has more than being a patron of the arts on her mind. Mulligan falls in love with Lise (Leslie Caron), a French girl he  meets at a restaurant. Unfortunately she is in a relationship with Henri (Georges Guétary) who is good friends with Adam. Who will ultimately be in love with whom? And can’t somebody love Oscar Levant?

An American in Paris makes very wise use of Gershwin’s music, both his classical repertoire (as in the piece that gives this film its title and one movement of his Concerto in F) and the songs written with his brother Ira including Our Love Is Here to Stay, I Got Rhythm and I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise.

Brett Mitchell leads the LA Philharmonic.

Of additional interest:  Patricia Kelly, Gene’s widow, recently launched in Europe a new live show called Gene Kelly: A Life In  Music. To hear music from many of his film performed live by a symphony orchestra, mixed with stories only she can tell, would be a treat for all fans of his, classic musicals and great music. Who knows, maybe that will be on the program next year at the Bowl? That would be ‘s wonderful and ‘s marvelous.

For tickets go here.

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July 10th: Tony Bennett

Does anything else really need to be said beyond his name? Less than one month prior to his 93rd birthday, this legendary singer returns to the Hollywood Bowl for another evening of standards interpreted like no other.

There are certain performers who cannot imagine not performing – regardless of age. Amongst them are Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Angela Lansbury and Tony Bennett. For Bennett he just keeps singing – and aren’t we all the better for it?

Though he left his heart in San Francisco, he finds his home every couple years at the Hollywood Bowl. If you’ve never seen and heard Bennett – and even if you have – this is a concert you don’t want to miss.

July 12th & 13th: Cécile McLorin Salvant

If you look at the schedule for the Hollywood Bowl, this concert is listed as Cyndi Lauper with Orchestra. Not exactly jazz. Look at the second billing and you’ll see why this concert is listed amongst your best bets: Cécile McLorin Salvant returns to the Hollywood Bowl as an opening act. (She previously opened for Bryan Ferry in 2017.)

If you read Cultural Attaché on a regular basis, you know how much I am a fan of Salvant and her singing. She takes songs you know and turns each one into a master class of interpretation.  She is a three-time Grammy Award winner with her most recent win coming earlier this year when she was awarded Best Jazz Vocal Album for The Window.

Salvant will be joined by the Aaron Diehl Trio. You might recall we spoke with this talented pianist when he performed earlier this season with the LA Philharmonic. He told us then about Salvant:

“She’s a special artist because what she does that most people can’t do is make connections. And not just between Duke Ellington and say Herbie Hancock, but connections between art and human relations to that art and culture. She points things out – anything you can think about – she can make all kinds of associations. That’s so rare. That’s another level of artistry.”

When Lauper takes the stage she will be joined by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra under the direction of Thomas Wilkins.

August 14th: Ivan Lins and Friends: A Journey to Brazil

This evening will be an all-Brazil evening with two different ensembles taking the stage.

Opening the evening will be Lee Ritenour’s World of Brazil. Joining the Grammy Award-winning guitarist (who has long celebrated the music of Brazil) will be composer and pianist Dave Grusin, vocalist Luciana Souza, percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, harmonica stylist Gregoire Maret and guitarist/composer Chico Pinheiro.  That’s a very impressive line-up for an opening act.

The headliner of this concert is the Ivan Lins Quartet. Lins, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, is a master of Brazilian music. He’s a songwriter whose songs have been performed by such artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Barbra Streisand, Sting and Michael Bublé. He’s also written music for Brazilian films and soap operas.

Lins will not only perform with his quartet, but also with his big band which will be conducted by John Beasley.

For this concert he will also be joined by special guests singer Dianne Reeves, four-person vocal ensemble New York Voices and guitarist Romero Lubambo.

August 21st: Herbie Hancock: Next Generation R+R=NOW

For those who like their jazz with more edge, this concert is for you. Herbie Hancock, who truly needs no introduction, has always been on the forefront of jazz. He’s also been a keen shepherd to those who have come, and are coming up, behind him.

This past January he celebrated the Edge of Jazz at Walt Disney Concert Hall with world premieres of works by Hitomi Oba, Vijay Iyer, Billy Childs, Kamasi Washington, Tyshawn Sorey and Hermeto Pascoal.

At this concert you will get to hear Hancock play some of his best known and most inventive compositions. But remember, he’s there as a mentor. So joining him for this Next Generation concert will be some very talented artists.

R+R=Now is a Blue Note Records ensemble that was put together by Robert Glasper. Glasper will be on keys with Terrace Martin on synthesizer and vocoder, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah on trumpet, Derrick Hodge on bass, Taylor McFerrin on synth and beatbox and Justin Tyson on drums.

Joining the concert is Noname, a poet, rapper and producer from Chicago. Earlier this year she released her new record, Room 25. Also from Chicago and on the bill is vocalist, producer, instrumentalist Phoelix. He’s collaborated with Noname and also Saba and Smino. In 2018 he released his second record, Tempo. A new song, BBS, was released in May.

September 12th: An American in Paris

This isn’t truly a jazz concert. Honestly it falls into the category of live music performed to a screening of the Academy Award-winning Best Picture of 1951. The Los Angeles Philharmonic will be playing the glorious George Gershwin music under the direction of Brett Mitchell.

George Gershwin always straddled the line between jazz and classical music. An American in Paris is most commonly found, as are his other major compositions like Rhapsody in Blue, in the concert hall. But Gershwin’s roots were always in jazz. An American in Paris is no exception.

And unlike films today, this Vincente Minnelli classic lets the music live front and center. From the classic songs performed throughout the film to Oscar Levant’s ego-nightmare brilliantly set to Gershwin’s Concerto in F to the staggeringly beautiful ballet choreographed and directed by Gene Kelly – this is a movie that knew where to put the emphasis.

The only other concert likely to include Gershwin this season will be Tony Bennett. Which brings us full circle.

For tickets to these concerts, go here.

Main photograph: Tony Bennett.  Unless otherwise noted, all photographs courtesy of the LA Philharmonic Association.

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