TSR's New York Wrap-Up: Act I

Back in SF, after my longest trip to New York since I moved over 7 years ago. The most interesting change? Discovering that I am now officially a Tourist in NY. My "New Yorker" cred expired long ago, but I knew it was indisputably time to turn in my badge when I got on an N train forgetting that it's express, looked out the window and found myself wondering, hey, why am I on the bridge? Then, after turning around at Pacific and taking the R back to Prince, I came out of the station and had no idea which direction Greene was. I walked all the way to Mott before I thought, you know, this doesn't seem right. And when Mlle S- later suggested meeting at Prince and Elizabeth, I continued walking west past Thompson before realizing I was befuddled yet again. I don't know if i can express to non-New Yorkers quite how humiliating this is. It's kind of on the level of Bob Dole's erectile dysfunction commercials.

In spite of the Mr. Magoo mishaps, there were some major highlights:

- Rodelinda at the Met. Last-minute tix off craigslist put me and Mlle S- in the back of Family Circle with binoculars, but we were both delighted just to have gotten in the door. As many have already reported, there was a great deal of lovely singing to be heard. The mannerisms (aka "syrupy cooing, gurgling, and sliding", as Vilaine Fille says) that we've all come to know and love/hate from Renee were much less in presence than I had expected, and I was grateful for it. But with the exception of the eye-moisteningly beautiful Act II duet, I have to say that I wasn't enthralled with David Daniels's performance as others were. In fact, it was Bejun Mehta who was the stand-out for me: To my ears, his tone is more rounded and colored, his vowels more evenly shaped and consistent, and his expression more natural and uncontrived. Frankly I'm way more interested in this album of Handel by Mehta than any of the Daniels's catalog, which was prominently on display. Renee had some difficulties at the top by the end of the show, where the Beautiful Voice showed just a little roughness, but I was willing to excuse her that after 3 1/2 hrs of exceptional musicmaking.

- Audra McDonald at the new Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center, which still has that new-car smell when you walk in. M. B-, let me say publicly that you are indisputably da MAN. Thanks to M. B-'s foresight, we were seated in the fourth row at Audra's Saturday show. I heard that she was still recovering from intestination on Friday and that she didn't seem totally comfortable during that show. But Saturday... well, I just don't understand how she can do what she does. She may be the most natural performer I've ever seen. She moves so fluidly and so subtly in and out of characters from song to song, that with each blink I was looking at a new person. The way she colors her voice, her gestures and physical movements are all utterly appropriate and unforced, and sometimes the changes are miniscule in size but tremendous in effect. The experience is not of Audra singing us a song, but of Audra becoming someone who wants to share her thoughts with us. It's extraordinary. And even more exceptional is that I've seen her numerous times over the past 8 or 10 years, and the experience is consistently like this! Plus the program was great: Nellie McKay's I Wanna Get Married paired with Jonathan Larson's amazing Hosing the Furniture (M. H-, I'm serious, I really hope this one gets recorded); an intense rendition of Laura Nyro's Tom Cat Goodby; John Mayer's My Stupid Mouth, which just about made me tear up; and Rufus Wainwright's Damned Ladies. For all you opera aficionados, this one's for you:

Desdemona, do not go to sleep
Brown-eyed Tosca, don't believe the creep
I see it in his eyes

And why don't you ladies believe me when i'm screaming
I always believe you

Violetta, keep your man locked up
Or like Cio-Cio
You will end up burned by love or sickness

And why don't you ladies believe me when i'm screaming
I always believe you

There is a knock at the door
Tell me it's not Mimi again
Or is it Gilda's waiting passion to be stabbed and killed again

Kat'a Kabanova, why did you marry him?
You knew his mother was a bitch
And would keep hold of him
Oh Pamina got away from mama
Before the age of Rambo opera

Damned ladies of Orpheus
Your arias cause a stir in my sad and lonely heart

OK, time for intermission. Act II of TSR's New York Wrap-Up still to come.

Comments

[mme h-]

I totally did the exact same things when I went to NYC this summer! I: 1) took a Q instead of an N and ended up at 5th and 59th instead of going downtown; 2) got completely turned around in SoHo -- and PLUS, I also 3) accidentally hailed a cab that was already taken because I got the cab occupancy rules in SF (light in the middle is on) mixed up with the ones for NY. I don't even remember what means "cab is empty" in New York anymore, come to think of it.

[dulcian]

I had pretty much the exact same Daniels / Mehta experience a few years ago at a performance of _Giulio Cesare_ at SFOpera. Honestly, though, Daniel Taylor (in a tiny role) was the best countertenor on stage that day.