New York Festival Of Song presents Since The Seventies

"Contrary to what Michael John LaChiusa wrote in a certain magazine, the American Musical is not dead.", joked Steven Blier, co-founder and artistic director (with Michael Barrett) of the New York Festival of Song. "It's been sick, but it's very much recovering."

(In fairness to Mr. LaChuisa, that infamous and oft-quoted opening line of his column in the August issue of Opera News was followed by many positive opinions of the state of the American Musical, along with his criticisms.)

Since 1988, NYFOS has produced over 90 vocal recitals dedicated to songs from both the classical and popular repertories. Wednesday evening's program at Merkin Hall, Since the Seventies: A Generation of Song, was promoted as "a modern survey celebrating the greatest songs from the last quarter of the 20th Century... celebrating the return of melody to vocal music."

The first three-quarters of the program was comprised primarily of poems set to music by contemporary classical composers. Although I certainly enjoyed the selections I'll respectfully decline to offer a critique, as this is a theatre web site and I'm not a music critic except for as it pertains to the musical play.

But it was interesting to see what Blier and Barrett regarded as examples of the American Musical's upswing, and how they'd be interpreted by a foursome of classically trained singers with no musical theatre credits among them. Jeffrey Stock (music) and Susan Birkenhead's (lyric) "Serenity" from Triumph of Love was sung with a fragile wistfulness by soprano Susan Narucki, in the key the composer intended for the song until lower-voiced Betty Buckley was cast in the role. Blier writes in his program notes that Stock intended the entire score to be composed in a manner suggesting the French spirit of the musical's source play, but that "naturally the producer and director also wanted a healthy share of bounce and burlesque."

Of Stephen Sondheim, Blier commented, "One of his greatest inspirations has always been the human food chain." But instead of the obvious "man devouring man" choice of Sweeney Todd, Ian Greenlaw delivered a snappy and richly sung "Hello Little Girl" from Into The Woods, sinking his teeth into the lyric's humor. Michelle Areyzaga nicely assisted as a grown-up Red Riding Hood.

Adam Guettel's song cycle Myths and Hymns was represented twice. Tenor Steven Tharp was emotionally stiff with the riffing involved in "Hero and Leander", seeming to perform more from technique than from feeling. Greenlaw, with his muscular baritone, did better service for "Migratory V".

As an encore, Sondheim's Follies combination of "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" and "Love Will See Us Through" was introduced by the host as composed in the style of Harry Warren. But even if the evening's fine vocalists sounded more in the style you'd expect for Gilbert and Sullivan, those acidic lyrics always sing out.

The New York Festival of song will present two theatre-related recitals in their 2005-06 season. Fats and Fields (January 31) will explore the careers of Fats Waller and Dorothy Fields. Hands Across the Sea (May 16 and 17) will feature songs from Broadway and West End musicals of the 1920's and 30's. Visit their web site below for details.

Photo of Michael Barrett and Steven Blier by Steve J. Sherman

 

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