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Ron,
It was such a great happy surprise to see you before the concert. I'm sorry I couldn't reconnect with you afterward. If you're still in town and not yet back in the garden state. pease give me a call. "I'm in the book."
PNJ
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Henry,
A day later, I'm still basking in the magic and the emotions stirred by the concert, and I expect I will continue to be for a long time to come. And in that, I'm obviously not alone. You have infinite reason to be proud of what those wonderful musicians accomplished because you had brought them all together. I'd say, I wish Mr. B. had been there to hear it, but then, maybe he was, because we certainly all felt his spirit in that auditorium.
PNJ
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"...after a few more hearings..."
Ah, if only...
No chance of a recording, eh, Henry?
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Posted: |
Jan 27, 2020 - 4:38 PM
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By: |
manderley
(Member)
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My husband and I attended the Saturday matinee performance of HENRY'S BIG SHOW in the intimate 200-seat theatre of the wonderful Gene Autry Museum complex here in Los Angeles over the weekend. Ron B and Preston and bagby have posted their thoughts above, but I thought I'd add my own impressions and fill in some more information for those who missed out.
The concert program (a listing of which I'll abbreviate further below) seemed very ambitious, but knowing Mr. Stanny as I do, and his energy and abilities, I assumed he and his lovely wife, Nancy, could pull it off with the help of their many devoted fans and friends. And indeed they did. It seemed an overwhelming success, and the apparent full houses both days, and comments from those around me certainly validated that success.
The musicians were of the highest caliber, of course, representing the vast collection of really fine players here in our city. By my
count there were only 9 on the stage (not including the chorus), but that was hard to believe, considering the quality of the sound coming from them. (In reading the program early on, I was surprised to see that they were going to "attempt" a short suite from THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. We're talking here about 9 musicians sitting in for about 60-70; What a risky prospect! But the terrific orchestration/arrangements for this concert had reduced the massive orchestra requirements down to the number needed here and the musicians played about four of the score's themes with verve and skill and it was a lovely and melodic and totally unexpected part of the program.)
Marya Basaraba was the Choir Director for the show, and the concert’s excellent chorus was comprised of 7 singers---men and women---under her astute direction. Basaraba regularly directs choral work for the California Philharmonic at the Disney Concert Hall, the Golden State Pops Orchestra, and the Marina del Rey Symphony, so she is able to select voices she knows will fit into this more intimate kind of musical concert. I had the opportunity to chat with one of the vocalists after the show and was impressed with his musical credentials and experience which extended to all his musical associates as well. These singers are all pros who can perform their parts at sight with very little rehearsal time---a real value for a show like this. Before the show began, I assumed they’d just sing a few bars here and there, but they were a real part of the show and contributed even a few comedy bits to several songs, much to the audience’s delight.
Bruce Kimmel acted as host and raconteur, introducing each numberand giving a little history of each, which was particularly helpful and interesting for those few pieces which are truly obscure and little heard today. Bruce also has a thoroughly offbeat delivery and
sense of humor in narrating these kinds of events, and the audience loved it. This was quite a long show---almost 2 hours and 20 minutes by my count (including 10-minute intermission) and Bruce kept things moving along admirably.
Maegan McConnell and Robert Yacko, the two solo singers on many of the songs in the show, are veterans of local LA shows as well as Broadway venues. They are both very skilled professionals and had quite a number of different style notes to hit with the variety of songs they were required to sing, and did them all very successfully with their strong voices and appealing stage presences.
Although he took a number of bows during the concert, one of the otherwise unsung stars of the event must be William V. Malpede, the music director and keyboardist for the entire show. Malpede was a graduate student of Bernstein's at USC, and has gone on as keyboardist with many big-scale Los Angeles and touring shows including CATS, ALADDIN, KINKY BOOTS, and HAMILTON. He also has performed scoring chores on various films and tv shows. For this concert he was responsible for all the arrangements of the music (several with associates) and it must have been a considerable, time consuming project. The audience was well rewarded for his contributions.
I certainly can't comment on every number performed, but here are just a few of the many highlights for us…..
My husband was thrilled with the very first number of the evening, "It's About Magic" from Bernstein's 1982 Broadway show, MERLIN. I am told that there was never a Broadway Cast album of this show, so its presentation here, as performed by McConnell, Yacko and chorus, was a unique treat.
The "National Geographic Fanfare" from the famed TV series, got a beautiful rendering, accompanied by Marshall Harvey's perfect
onscreen video images. Harvey had seamlessly edited onscreen video material for each sequence of the entire show which really connected the music to the images and brought attention to Bernstein's enduring musical contributions in film and TV for our several generations of moviegoers and tv watchers.
Our own Bruce Kimmel sang a very heartfelt version of Bernstein's lovely theme song from "Love With The Proper Stranger". With his Renaissance-man interests and commercial ventures, I think we tend to forget how good Bruce can be as an onstage performer as well. This performance was a sweet and thoughtful moment beautifully rendered.
And yes…..there was a several minute tribute to ROBOT MONSTER, one of Elmer's earliest award-winning achievements! The music, played as the original black-and-white trailer for the film ran on the screen, was surprisingly imaginative and fitted this class-A film (not!) and Golden Age Classic (not!!) It was fabulous, the audience loved it, and it was a rare performance of this scintillating early score, indeed. (I'm surprised Mr. Stanny didn't coax McConnell and Yacko into donning gorilla suits and divers helmets for a vocal encore.)
But Yacko did perform a powerful rendition of Bernstein's rare song from the Paramount film, THE TIN STAR and McConnell sang a sexy (and probably un-PC today) take on the title song from the Dean Martin film, THE SILENCERS, and brought the house down.
On a personal note, I felt a few pangs of sentimental déjà vu when the orchestra played the music for the main titles from THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM and WALK ON THE WILD SIDE as the titles were run on the big screen. For so many years back in the 1960s when I worked for Saul Bass, I would see and hear those title sequences several times a week when the office would run sample reels of Saul's work for prospective new Saul Bass clients. I can't quite believe those days are now nearly 60 years ago for me.
Gene Micofsky, who played guitar through much of the concert, got one special "starring" moment when he accompanied himself and sang Elmer's "Baby The Rain Must Fall". His performance was not only wonderful but, I think, electrifying in its delivery.
The main title theme from the TV series, HOLLYWOOD AND THE STARS, got ohhhhs and ahhhhs from the audience when Kimmel
Introduced it, and it did not disappoint in this performance. It is a lovely and memorable theme. (Which reminds me: If there is anything additional I would have wished for in this concert it would have been for a couple more of Bernstein's romantic "love themes" like those in THE CARPETBAGGERS, RAMPAGE, FROM THE TERRACE, SUMMER AND SMOKE or others. Elmer was so well-known for these kinds of romantic orchestral melodies in the '50s and '60s and I missed hearing a good representation here. But I do understand that there is only so much you can do in one concert, creatively and financially.)
The program's penultimate orchestral performance of the main theme from "To Kill a Mockingbirds" was impeccable in its playing, and exquisite in balance and mood. This piece is truly a work of art and there can't have been many dry eyes in the house as it came to its quiet conclusion.
When you attend a concert like this, it seems to overwhelm you. And I can't help but recall so many of the Bernstein themes, songs and melodies that seem to have always been with me. I believe I started hearing and knowing of Elmer Bernstein about 1953. I was 13 at the time and I'm now 80, so his music has been a major part of my life for a long, long time. I'm so very lucky.
In reviewing this concert, I've left so much out, so here is a simplified listing of the segments. We all owe so much to Henry Stanny and his wife, Nancy Hoven, for inaugurating, first the Morricone, now the Bernstein concert. It takes a great deal of hard work to pull this kind of show together---and it takes a lot of money for facilities, music copying and performers. I hope that when/if Henry announces another show next year, you will all make an effort to attend this very rewarding event and get your tickets early so that the producers can count on you. They make such an investment of time and money and energy in making it special.
Here, in brief, is the show:
Part One-
"It's About Magic" (from MERLIN)
Medley, "The Comancheros" and "The Sons of Katie Elder"
Medley, "Where's Jack?" and "The Ballad of Jack Shepherd" (from WHERE'S JACK?)
"National Geographic Fanfare"
"Robot Monster"
"Love With the Proper Stranger"
"The Man With the Golden Arm"
"Hud"
"The Silencers"
Medley, "The Tin Star" (from THE TIN STAR) and "A Man Gets to Thinkin' " (from CAHILL, U.S.MARSHAL)
Medley, "Bluto's Speech/Faber College Theme" (from ANIMAL HOUSE) and "Are Your Ready for the Summer" (from
MEATBALLS) and "Ghostbusters" (from GHOSTBUSTERS)
"From My Window" (from FRANKIE STARLIGHT)
"I Love You, Alice B. Toklas"
"The Ten Commandments Symphonic Suite"
"The Great Escape"
"Walk on the Wild Side"
Part Two-
"Step to the Rear" (from HOW NOW, DOW JONES)
"The Birdman of Alcatraz"
"Baby, the Rain Must Fall"
"Gold"
Medley, "The Bridge at Remagen" and "Finale from 'Cast a Giant Shadow' "
Medley, "Drango" and "True Grit"
"Hollywood and the Stars"
"Hawaii"
"Hello and Goodbye" (from FROM NOON TILL THREE)
"The Hallelujah Trail"
"To Kill a Mockingbird-Concert Suite"
"The Magnificent Seven"
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First off, thanks to everyone here for the lovely comments, which are much appreciated. Henry's determination and moxie doing these is fairly amazing and the fact that they began in his yard and graduated is also amazing, and the lovely Nancy is right there beside him. When he asked me to do my thing and to oversee everything I had no idea it would lead us to actually doing these at a venue like the Autry. And Henry has come to trust my sense of structure and pace to allow me to occasionally make a change to the order or the arrangements and Billy Malpede and I just hit it off instantly and I adore him. The chorale was splendid and Yacko and McConnell are always splendid.
And the musicians - can't say enough about them. Every one of them brought their A game. And Saturday's show they were especially on fire. I had a blast doing this one and was much looser than normal. I had two favorite moments from the Saturday show, both of which were off the cuff, so to speak: One, when a latecomer arrived after the Where's Jack? selections. That was a comedy gift. And then, for anyone who was there, the bit with Circe Diaz at the end after Mockingbird, what we'll affectionately call the "Joker" moment.
Henry and I will, every now and then, butt heads, and he who butts hardest usually wins - or as my close personal friend, Mr. Stephen Sondheim, has said: Whoever has the most passion, wins.
In the end, this is his triumph, but at this point in time we're a well-oiled team - he and Nancy, me, the musical director (who I hope will be Billy from now on), the musicians, and the singers. We're all there to make these as special as they can be, but without Stanny there would be squat.
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"...after a few more hearings..."
Ah, if only...
No chance of a recording, eh, Henry?
Unfortunately, like last year, the Autry has performance rights but no recording rights. Now if someone wanted to negotiate those rights to more than 30 pieces and find a way to pay for them I am open to any ideas.
Actually, it would depend on the sound quality, which no one has heard yet. There would be no need to negotiate anything on a CD release, just the need to pay mechanicals on thirty pieces of music, which would not be cheap.
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Ah yes, the "Joker" moment. A very funny commentary on the very sad state of contemporary films' failure to properly utilize music to their own benefit.
I should put into print what I told you on Saturday about your indispensable, unique mastering of the ceremonies: "In a word, magnificent." There, now it's official.
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Posted: |
Jan 28, 2020 - 4:01 PM
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By: |
Morricone
(Member)
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First off, thanks to everyone here for the lovely comments, which are much appreciated. Henry's determination and moxie doing these is fairly amazing and the fact that they began in his yard and graduated is also amazing, and the lovely Nancy is right there beside him. When he asked me to do my thing and to oversee everything I had no idea it would lead us to actually doing these at a venue like the Autry. And Henry has come to trust my sense of structure and pace to allow me to occasionally make a change to the order or the arrangements and Billy Malpede and I just hit it off instantly and I adore him. The chorale was splendid and Yacko and McConnell are always splendid.
And the musicians - can't say enough about them. Every one of them brought their A game. And Saturday's show they were especially on fire. I had a blast doing this one and was much looser than normal. I had two favorite moments from the Saturday show, both of which were off the cuff, so to speak: One, when a latecomer arrived after the Where's Jack? selections. That was a comedy gift. And then, for anyone who was there, the bit with Circe Diaz at the end after Mockingbird, what we'll affectionately call the "Joker" moment.
Henry and I will, every now and then, butt heads, and he who butts hardest usually wins - or as my close personal friend, Mr. Stephen Sondheim, has said: Whoever has the most passion, wins.
In the end, this is his triumph, but at this point in time we're a well-oiled team - he and Nancy, me, the musical director (who I hope will be Billy from now on), the musicians, and the singers. We're all there to make these as special as they can be, but without Stanny there would be squat.
Thank you Bruce! Of course everyone should know you do more than just re-arrange song order. Way more. As Bruce says" it is all about beginnings and endings" and his finessing of the music, particularly the songs, changes the whole presentation of it for the better. I'd say there is a whole Kritzerland overlay to each concert. And this time not only your patter was on fire but your vocal jumped a whole other level from last year.
But, as you said, what makes this is the team. And this is where a special word for Tom Griep is in order. Over 5 concerts he re-formed this backyard serenade, building with each new soloist, into the spectacular that happened last year. Then, as a parting gift (because his website has demanded more and more attention) he gave me William Malpede, who is a treasure - and a half. The debt I owe Tom cannot be overstated. and, of course, for Billy to pick up from there and go way beyond that, is, as Mike Hyatt says, unbelievable. AND to bring in the stellar team he brought in to add to the stellar team we already had made for some sort of dream team.
Last but not least Marya Basaraba. After the dust settled and, shall we call it her boundless energy subsided, I could not help but notice she quietly addressed every concern or suggestion I, as an outside observer, brought up to her. AND delivered magnificently. AND did that with 7 members which she admitted was way harder than dealing with her usual substantial groupings. As I said before she makes what she does into an absolute science.
At this stage I don't know what to say. It is one thing to have in your head what the ideal Elmer concert would have looked like, but to have sat through it, thanks to you and the ton of talent involved, is something else. Particularly when you know what the realities of him doing it might have been. You see I saw Elmer conduct at Walnut High School and Jerry Goldsmith at Descanso Gardens under less than ideal conditions. They themselves seldom had concerts come off as well as this one did. It makes me feel like what I saw Friday and Saturday was akin to seeing lightning strike. It filled me full of awe and breathless amazement.
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Posted: |
Jan 28, 2020 - 6:20 PM
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By: |
Morricone
(Member)
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Hello Manderley
Thank you for this magnificent review!
I thought I would mention a slight omission and tell you the story behind it.
In the concert you heard THE SCALPHUNTERS just before GOLD in act II. The powers that be actually asked that I remove the piece of music because the title might be offensive to certain people. I told them I could see superficially someone might think that is a derogatory term for native-americans but for anyone who had seen the movie it actually refers to those who scalped Indians for money. The film is actually about race, received a Golden Globe nomination for Ossie Davis and is one of Sydney Pollack's earliest directorial efforts. They finally relented in allowing us to play the theme but we had to remove the title from the program and any advertising, which we agreed to. So here I place it in BOLD lettering where it is was in the show.
Here, in brief, is the show:
Part One-
"It's About Magic" (from MERLIN)
Medley, "The Comancheros" and "The Sons of Katie Elder"
Medley, "Where's Jack?" and "The Ballad of Jack Shepherd" (from WHERE'S JACK?)
"National Geographic Fanfare"
"Robot Monster"
"Love With the Proper Stranger"
"The Man With the Golden Arm"
"Hud"
"The Silencers"
Medley, "The Tin Star" (from THE TIN STAR) and "A Man Gets to Thinkin' " (from CAHILL, U.S.MARSHAL)
Medley, "Bluto's Speech/Faber College Theme" (from ANIMAL HOUSE) and "Are Your Ready for the Summer" (from
MEATBALLS) and "Ghostbusters" (from GHOSTBUSTERS)
"From My Window" (from FRANKIE STARLIGHT)
"I Love You, Alice B. Toklas"
"The Ten Commandments Symphonic Suite"
"The Great Escape"
"Walk on the Wild Side"
Part Two-
"Step to the Rear" (from HOW NOW, DOW JONES)
"The Birdman of Alcatraz"
"Baby, the Rain Must Fall"
THE SCALPHUNTERS
"Gold"
Medley, "The Bridge at Remagen" and "Finale from 'Cast a Giant Shadow' "
Medley, "Drango" and "True Grit"
"Hollywood and the Stars"
"Hawaii"
"Hello and Goodbye" (from FROM NOON TILL THREE)
"The Hallelujah Trail"
"To Kill a Mockingbird-Concert Suite"
"The Magnificent Seven"
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