Renowned for its stylish productions of Broadway musicals, the venerable Mac-Haydn Theatre offers something different with “Exiled,” a portrait in words and music of composer Kurt Weill, to be performed on Sept. 1 and 29. The show was conceived and written by tenor James Benjamin Rodgers who will sing a generous sampling of Weill’s songs. Along the way he also tells the remarkable story of the composer’s rise to prominence in his native Germany and his exile, first to France and then to the United States where he contributed to what is often referred to as the Great American Songbook.
Broadway fans should find plenty to enjoy, with selections from the musicals “Lost in the Stars,” “Lady in the Dark,” “Street Scene,” and “One Touch of Venus.” In a program that encompasses three languages (English, French and German), Rodgers will also sing theater and art songs from Weill’s years in Europe, when he was known as a formidable modernist. Drawing on extensive research, the script laces together the musical numbers and will be accompanied by underscoring from pianist Jillian Zack.
“I speak about as much as I sing,” explains Rodgers. “I started putting this together in 2013 and it’s a huge undertaking every time I take it out of the drawer.” In typical theater fashion, Rodgers fine-tunes the shape and pace of the program with every outing. In 2014 he recorded an album of nine selections, which is available on Apple Music and other streaming services.
The show begins and ends with Weill’s most enduring hit, “Mack the Knife.” But Rodgers also goes for some deep cuts and, given that Weill was such a prolific composer, it’s likely that at least some of the selections will come off as “new” or “unknown.” One enticing example is the song “This Time Next Year.” It’s from the show “A Raft on the River,” a musical version of “Huckleberry Finn” as adapted by collaborator Maxwell Anderson. The project was left unfinished when Weill died in 1950 at age 50.
Rodgers’ infatuation with Weill dates to his boyhood. Growing up in New Zealand, he got his first sampling when his mom brought home a Weill album recorded by the Australian cabaret star Robyn Archer. “I was fascinated and weirded out by it,” he recalls, “but I kept putting it on.”
After studies at the Manhattan School of Music, Rodgers set his sights on the 2007 Lotte Lenya Competition, which was administered by the Kurt Weill Foundation and named for the famed German chanteuse who was the composer’s wife. Since contestants were required to perform some of Weill’s songs, the process led to a new appreciation of the material. “By then I had the musical sophistication to understand his musical language,” says Rodgers.
After taking first prize in the competition, Rodgers’ interest in Weill only increased and he now had at his disposal the vast resources of the foundation. According to Rodgers, the Lenya Competition not only gives a career boost to young singers, it also fosters attention to the Weill catalog and facilitates contact with artists who possess the talent and inclination for it. “This is difficult material that requires a special type of singer and artist,” he says.
Rodgers hopes that audiences will enjoy the songs while also coming to appreciate Weill’s perseverance and adaptability. “He was completely uprooted and had to set aside ego. And still he served music and remained true to his muse through a diversity of voices,” says Rodgers. “Living in so many environments, he still attained great success. Not many composers could adapt themselves so easily.
For his part, Rodgers also knows something about flexibility as an artist. His resume as a singer shows him bouncing back and forth between operas, oratorios and musicals on stages mostly in America and New Zealand. In 2018, he had lead roles in “Carmen,” “The Merry Widow” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” The latter was at the Mac-Haydn in Columbia County, where he’s also held a string of administrative posts before being appointed managing director in 2019. That same year he also directed the company’s production of “Camelot” and played Curly in “Oklahoma!”
Delays due to Covid made this year’s slate of musicals at the Mac-Haydn not quite as robust as normal, so producing artistic director John Saunders added some supplementary events. Besides the Weill show, there’s a Linda Ronstadt tribute, a cabaret with company favorite Laura Helm, and a program of performance art by the troupe known as toUch.
Rodgers is optimistic that during a summer in the not-too-distant future the theater will turn it’s full attention to producing a Kurt Weill musical. “I’ve been lobbying for about five years,” he says.
Joseph Dalton is a freelance writer based in Troy.
“Exiled: The Evolution of Kurt Weill”
A program of songs and discussion
with tenor James Benjamin Rodgers and pianist Jillian Zack
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29.
Where: Mac-Haydn Theatre, 1925 NY-203, Chatham
Tickets: $42. Call (518) 392-9292 or visit: machaydntheatre.org.
"type" - Google News
August 20, 2021 at 02:00PM
https://ift.tt/3Ddj45B
Mac Haydn Theatre goes off-type with Kurt Weill musical - Albany Times Union
"type" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2WhN8Zg
https://ift.tt/2YrjQdq
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Mac Haydn Theatre goes off-type with Kurt Weill musical - Albany Times Union"
Post a Comment