Review: BROADWAY RHAPSODY, Opera Holland Park
Pleasingly nostalgic snapshot of Broadway tunes by talented singers and orchestra
What better way to spend a warm summer evening than sitting in a park listening to Broadway tunes. Renaissance man Sam Jewison – an accomplished singer, jazz pianist and, surprisingly, conductor – duly delivers what the audience hankers after in a one-off performance at Opera Holland Park.
Backed by a passionate 40-piece orchestra that puts the big into Big Band, Jewison, who comes from Yorkshire, and British-Armenian soprano Anush Hovhannisyan belt out a pick-and-mix assortment of Broadway golden oldies principally from musicals, such as Oklahoma!, Carousel, Porgy and Bess, My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls, and Anything Goes.
It's a pleasingly nostalgic snapshot of an incredible bygone era – and a nice way to revisit beloved scores that illustrate the musical energy and genius of mid-century Manhattan, while also giving an airing to those songs that aren't heard quite so much. For instance, "A Little Bit in Love" from Wonderful Town hasn't got on my radar, so it's a bit of a revelation.
Another plus is showing respect for the overture, something that's all too often not taken seriously, as people generally view it as a time to settle into seats, remove coats and rustle sweet wrappers. Focusing closely on the overture from Gypsy (music by English-American songwriter Jule Styne) brings its own reward by allowing us to recognise it's cleverly telling the story of the entire musical in miniature.
Highlights from these two talented singers include Hovhannisyan's soaring and spell-casting rendition of "Bali Ha'i" from Richard Rodgers' South Pacific; a Porgy and Bess medley, including Jewison on piano and Hovhannisyan's gorgeously liquid "Summertime;" and a fun battling duet with "Anything You Can Do" from Annie Get Your Gun.
The excellent orchestra (many of whom went to music college with Jewison, he notes) plays the most sublime Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin's radical classical and jazz fusion concerto, with Jewison giving a virtuosic display on piano. The wail of a clarinet at the start, followed by muted trumpets, a lyrical string section, funky guitar and dramatic clashing cymbals at the climax underscores the skill of the players.
Jewison tells the story of how Gershwin never committed to the project of writing a jazz concerto, as requested by bandleader Paul Whiteman in 1924. However, Gershwin then discovers he's composing it when he reads an announcement in the New York Tribune only five weeks before the premiere at a concert in New York's Aeolian Hall.
One tricky moment is when Hovhannisyan, in a frothy black dress that looks like a refashioned curtain from Gone With the Wind, comes down into the audience during My Fair Lady's "I Could Have Danced All Night" to get people to sing the odd line. Some don't rise comfortably to the occasion, but a couple of individuals (trained singers who just happen to be there?) are fantastic, which saves the day.
Oh, and a pigeon upstages everyone and everything in the middle of a Jerome Kern medley, but that's the joy of productions in Holland Park, where all manner of animal and birdlife frequently join the players. Dogs barking, birds squawking and children laughing is all part of being situated in an outdoor venue in a public green space, and chimes with the joyful, urban cacophony of New York.
As much as I appreciate this celebration of the Golden Age of Broadway, there's a slight mis-match between Jewison's intimate, jazz cabaret style and Hovhannisyan's more overpowering operatic flair. Both are wonderful, but the blending of the two different musical forms is somewhat incompatible and there isn't a great deal of emotion expressed between the two of them. It's like a diva has left Covent Garden and entered a smoky nightclub, where she ends up singing with a lounge singer for no apparent reason. Play it again, Sam?
Also, there are limitations with the staging of this concert. The orchestra and piano are tucked up at the back, with a gap between this area and the front. The singers do eventually venture downstage a couple of times. It's a shame they aren't closer to the audience, as it's hard to engage fully with them at a distance.
And I would like to see Jewison, who wears many hats, maybe do a bit less, so he could respond more fully to his co-star. If he's replaced by another conductor we might not be so distracted by Jewison waving his arms about while conducting – an action that doesn't result in the most romantic of duets.
Nevertheless, the audience enjoys this affectionate homage to Broadway, a nice entry point for non-opera buffs and a highly gratifying experience for regulars at Opera Holland Park.
Opera Holland Park's 30th anniversary season runs until 8 August.
Photo credits: Courtesy of Sam Jewison
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