Review: New York Pops' STAGE TO SCREEN Showcases Musical Memories at Carnegie Hall

The opening night of the New York Pops 43rd season at Carnegie Hall last evening had theatergoers ecstatic.  The night, aptly themed Stage to Screen, successfully portrayed the symbiotic relationship between the magic of the Broadway stage and that of a Hollywood film version of the same piece. Yes, friends, those enchanting showtunes that most of us know and love reverberated around the iconic Carnegie Hall.

The New York Pops orchestra began the night with a rousing medley from West Side Story, which truly set the bar high.  It was the “modern” Romeo and Juliet story that had been on Broadway in 1957 and then the smash film in 1961, which won ten Oscars!  Onward, guest artist, Tony-nominated Elizabeth Stanley oozed old-world charm in a slinky royal purple gown as she slithered to the beat of “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” a la the late Marilyn Monroe from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.  Yes, from a 1928 silent film through to the 1949 musical which brought fame to a young Carol Channing and onto the 1953 film of the same name with Monroe.  Stanley, with her powerful belting voice, had the audience applauding wildly.  

Bounding onto the stage with energy and vitality came the next guest artist, Broadway’s long-running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, Hugh Panaro. A musical theater veteran, Panaro made his debut on Broadway in the original production of Les Miserables, and has graced theater stages on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Suavely attired in a black tuxedo, his deep, clear voice gave life to “The Impossible Dream” from the Man of La Mancha, which had been a smash 1965 Broadway hit based on the famed novel, Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Panaro possesses that voice which not only hits the back of the room but envelopes the whole audience into his world.  Truly magnificent!   From here he progressed to “Out There” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame,  which he relayed he lost out on singing the vocals for the animated 1996 film to Meatloaf and Tom Hulce.  Our loss!

The New York Pops orchestra regaled patrons with excerpts from the famed John Williams music of Fiddler On the Roof from the 1971 film, which was also a hit for 1964 on Broadway.  The steamy and sultry Italian independent film of 1963 81/2 by the maestro himself, Frederico Fellini had transformed into the 1982 seductive Broadway musical Nine starring Raul Julia. Singing ”Unusual Way” from Nine, Elizabeth Stanley brought that show’s extreme heat to the Hall last night.  A duet with Panaro and Stanley of “One Second and Million Miles” from The Bridges of Madison County, had theatergoers on the edge of their seats.

Post intermission, The New York Pops Orchestra brought patrons back with a rousing medley of the famed Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway show and film, Oklahoma.   The musical, which is pure Americana at its best, is still as rousing to audiences today as it was in the 1940s and ‘50s.  Hugh Panaro reemerged, now sophisticatedly clad in black with a slate blue velvet dinner jacket, and proceeded to let his vocals soar with a wonderful rendition of “Oh What A Beautiful Morning.” Gordon McRae couldn’t have done it better for this reviewer.  Without missing a beat, Panaro switched gears and proceeded to tell the story of his childhood experience of seeing the original Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou.  With that, he proceeded to give us his own haunting version of the painful “Johanna” from that show.  

Elizabeth Stanley rejoined the stage attired in a truly Broadway-worthy silver sequined evening gown, which set the stage ablaze.   The fair-haired chanteuse proceeded to follow in the footsteps of the great Barbra Streisand who immortalized  Ziegfeld star Fanny Brice in Funny Girl both on the Broadway stage and onscreen.  Belting out Streisand’s immortal anthem “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” Stanley brought down the house with her powerful vocals. An additional performance of “Back to Before” from Ragtime, which is even now once again in revival on Broadway, showcased Elizabeth Stanley’s intense voice.

Hugh Panaro strode to the audience. Suitably attired in an all-black tuxedo, he gave the audience a taste of his brilliant Broadway performance as The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of The Opera. Sans the mask and cape, Panaro’s memorable and even otherworldly portrayal of the Phantom singing The Music of the Night was truly magnificent!  It had this reviewer, along with the rest of the audience, on their feet for a standing ovation!  It truly sent chills down your spine with its depth of emotion and finesse.  A final duet with Panaro and Stanley from Little Shop of Horrors, of “Suddenly Seymour” was merely the icing on the evening’s cake.  

The evening was truly a feast for musical theater lovers!  Hugh Panaro and Elizabeth Stanley, both well established performers, had patrons on their feet.  Their voices soared and brought back memories of shows long past and some more recent.  This reviewer and I am sure most others left the Hall singing those tunes we know and love so well.

The New York Pops - From Stage to Screen featured the incomparable New York Pops Orchestra with Musical Director and Conductor, Steven Reineke, as well as guest artists Hugh Panaro and Elizabeth Stanley.

Photo credit: Fadi Kheir

Find more great shows to see on the New York Pops website here