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Happy Holidays (all of them)

Saying “Happy Holidays” at this time of year does not mean that you have sold out and are part of the so-called War on Christmas.

It is an acknowledgement that there are multiple holidays at this time of year and different people celebrate different things.

Sometimes Hanukkah is at the same time as Christmas. This year it was earlier.

Kwanzaa comes after Christmas. It’s not a holiday that I celebrate, because I am not African-American. But I respect it and can appreciate it (if not appropriate it) and acknowledge it as another holiday in the cycle.

Today is the Winter Solstice or the Yule Festival, a pagan holiday celebrating rebirth and new possibilities. It is the shortest day of the year and after today, the days grow longer until its counterpart, the Summer Solstice, on June 21 (which is also my wedding anniversary). On this day, at 10:59am, you are supposed to:

Light a candle. Be grateful for what you have. Dream of where you still wish to go.

Sounds to me like a New Year’s tradition.

We think of December 21 as the first day of the winter, and bemoan the months ahead of cold and darkness, but really, it’s the season where the light is just beginning. June 21 is the beginning of summer, and we celebrate the warmth and sunshine, which is one of the reasons we chose it as our wedding day. But really, it’s the beginning of the dying of the light. (Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.)

I have a very strong affinity for the Pagan holidays, even though I was raised in a Catholic household. The traditions speak to me as much as the ones from my Catholic faith tradition, and I don’t think they’re contradictory. Christmas is set when it is because it was a way of attracting Pagans to the Church – the Winter Solstice festivals were very popular, and they were appropriated in order to make Christianity more “fun.”

[This reminds me of when I moved back to Milwaukee and a stage manager at the Skylight showed me a picture of her child in an Easter outfit. She said, “Of course, I don’t celebrate Easter,” and I said, “Oh… Jewish or Pagan?” and I was serious. I wasn’t making light of her faith. Well, everyone looked at me and she said, “Jewish. What a weird question to ask?” and I was taken aback. I said, “I’m sorry – don’t you guys know any Pagans?” and everyone said, “NO!” and I said, “Oh… well… I do….”

And I wonder why I didn’t fit in.]

Christmas is also important to me, even though I didn’t grow up with a lot of traditions. You would think that, growing up with Eastern European parents, I would have had a veritable wealth of interesting and meaningful ethnic traditions as part of my holiday celebrations.

And you would be wrong.

We did nothing. We had no family in the area, so it was just another day. Except the stores were closed.

But I still loved the lead-up to Christmas, despite the fact that the day was usually one of disappointment and recriminations. And part of that reason – if not all of it – was because of the music and the television specials. Which I will write about on Thursday.

As far as music, because the Winter Solstice is from the Pagan traditions, most of it is of the New Age genre, with a sound that is vaguely medieval, even when the songs are original. A song that I found that is very popular is “Solstice Carole” by the Canadian group, The Wyrd Sisters (which may or may not be a reference to the Witches in the Scottish Play). These are the lyrics for the first verse.

A fire is burning

The long night draws near

All who need comfort

Are welcome by here

Here are two videos of the song. One by the original band, which includes the lyrics as well as some beautiful images. The second by a contemporary a cappella group, who have put a more contemporary spin on the song.

And now I’m going to go off and light a candle, say a few words in gratitude, and jot down some of my dreams for the upcoming year. (I’m also going to change my toothbrush heads, because that’s what I do on both the Solstices and the Spring and Fall Equinoxes – we all have our own ways of celebrating). I’m also going to go clean my house to get prepared for the holiday and when my husband comes home from work tonight, we’ll decorate the tree, which has been sitting up undecorated for over a week to allow the cats to get used to it.

I think it’s working, although not as I planned. They were both sitting IN it yesterday.

I will write more about the role of music in my Christmas traditions on Thursday.

Whatever holidays you have celebrated or will celebrate this season, they are all valid and important, and worthy of respect without exclusion.

And so I wish everyone:

Or – as I wrote in a song parody for my Christmas cabaret two years ago:

“Christmas, Solstice. Kwanzaa, Yuletide, Festivus and Hanukkah,
A season that’s for everyone from Betty to Veronica
I haven’t felt so festive since Chandler married Monica
Christmas, Solstice. Kwanzaa, Yuletide, Festivus and Hanukkah
fa la la lalalala fa la la, fa la la lalalala fa la la”

CAN YOU NAME THE TUNE?

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I Meant That

My husband and I working with a designer for our house because, while we’re pretty good at picking out pieces – art work, rugs, colors – we’re not so good about actually putting them up on the walls (and I get absolutely paralyzed about window treatments). When we met with him yesterday to discuss some of his ideas, I mentioned that my philosophy of decorating tended to be similar to my philosophy of performing: “I meant that.”

I took that from the late great comedian George Carlin’s Live at Carnegie Hall performance from back in the early 1980s, when he talked about the difference between cats and dogs. Dogs are easily embarrassed and will take blame for the things they do. Cats – not so much.

(NSFW language)

Does this mean that there shouldn’t be purpose in your performance? That what happens is all a matter of circumstances without any planning? Not at all.

Awhile ago, I wrote a blogpost about my recent return to the Kennedy Center, in which I quoted Seth Godin’s blogpost about the importance of intent in art, specifically the idea of generous intent.

Having the attitude of “I meant that” means having a command of your vocal technique so that you can choose when you’re going to breathe, how you’re going to breathe, at what dynamic level and/or tempo you’re going to sing your song, informed by your thorough study of the music and the composer’s intent (there’s that word again). You are certain in your interpretation, and you have the technique to execute that interpretation.

You also have the ability to accept when things go wrong and keep going, so that if you do have to take extra breaths, or if you do hit a “clinker,” you won’t be thrown by it and think, “What was that?”

I can tell you from experience that indulging in the “What was that?” moment will lead to a series of “what was that” moments that will ruin your performance.

You can stay in the moment and move on, and people will either not notice or they’ll think that’s how it was supposed to be. Or you can be distracted and obsess about what went wrong and worry what people are thinking, and everyone will notice.

You have one job and that is to convey the intent of the song with the technical and interpretative tools that you have developed up to this point. With that in mind, whatever happens in between the introduction and the end of the song is what you intended.

As a much lesser comedian once said:

Whatever comes out, you have to stay in the moment. You have your story, and you have to stick to it. You meant that.

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If you’re tired of thinking “What was that?” when you sing, maybe it’s time to develop a consistent technique to allow yourself to think, “I meant that” (and mean it). I can help! Contact MVS to set up lessons and get 2022 off to a good start.

What’s on your life playlist?

I was looking for something that I had posted on FB and came across a playlist of my life that I had done for a group called The Singer’s Journey, facilitated by Peter Jacobson of Total Vocal Freedom. These are all from 2015, I believe, and relate to my development as a singer and as a human.

Musical Awakening – Entire score of MARY POPPINS, Julie Andrews/Dick van Dyke

A-Ha! Moment – Don’t Rain on My Parade, FUNNY GIRL, Barbra Streisand (I’ve talked about this before)

First Performance – My Way, Frank Sinatra (I wonder why I chose this – it seems particularly appropriate now, but not so much when I was 14)

Growing up – Help me (or any other song on the Court & Spark CD), Joni Mitchell. Not so much because I was in love with anyone in particular but because I was in my room listening to it obsessively for most of my teen years.

Divorce/Breakup – My favorite year, Michael Feinstein – actually written by Michele Brourman, which I just found out today, and I’m including her performance as well, because she doesn’t get enough credit

2nd Wedding – Make our garden grow, CANDIDE (I’ve posted this piece before as well, and it was the closing piece on my final studio showcase when I moved from Milwaukee)

Moving on – I’d rather be sailing, A NEW BRAIN (using the Norm Lewis version from the original production instead of the more recent one because it’s the one I knew at the time I was writing this)

But I think if I were to think about moving on, I’d use this song instead – maybe it’s because Sondheim’s passing is still so raw for me, maybe it’s because I’ve fallen in love with it – but I think I like the idea of continuing to move on with purpose instead of sailing somewhat aimlessly.

I find this a really interesting exercise – a sort of “personal musical theater,” like creating a cabaret, only about your life.

What’s on your life playlist? And why? Has it changed over time? What are the songs in your personal key of life? Feel free to comment below – I’d love to hear.

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If you need help finding songs for your own playlist (or audition book, whatever you want to call it), contact MVS. I have some openings for the rapidly-approaching new year!

Practice Wary Optimism

Like much of the world, I became acquainted with the show Ted Lasso this past year, and was enchanted by it and its creator and star, Jason Sudeikis. I already knew of him from Saturday Night Live, but I just thought he did journeyman’s work, nothing really stand-out. He made me laugh, but sometimes I mixed him up with Taren Killiam. No more.

In a recent interview, Sudeikis talked about what the interviewer referred to as an explanation of his “particular brand of wary optimism” with a quote he attributed to Michael J. Fox:

Don’t assume the worst thing’s going to happen, because on the off chance it does, you’ll have lived through it twice.’ So…why not do the inverse?

This reminded me of an attitude I have tried to adopt and to teach about auditioning. When I lived in Milwaukee, I got very frustrated about the audition process and I started showing up with an attitude that this was all a waste of my time, and I wasn’t going to get hired anyway.

So I gave auditions that were brittle, and self-protective, not particularly interesting, and guess what? I wasn’t hired! So I did exactly what Sudeikis, by way of Michael J. Fox, said: I lived through it twice. I went in thinking the worst would happen, and then it did. (I wrote about this pattern in auditioning and in other parts of my life back in July, 2013, shortly after moving here. You can read about it in more detail here.)

This was pretty much my mindset:

Wary can mean suspicious or mistrusting, which are negative connotations to take into an audition, but it can also mean cautious, circumspect, and most of all informed.

You can’t walk into an audition convinced that you’re going to get the part. Nope. You don’t have that information. You have to walk in with the information that you do have, which should be:

- You know your music backwards and forwards
- You know what you’re singing about
- You know for whom you’re singing and what the audition calls for
- You know there’s a possibility that you might not be cast, but you aren’t going to take it personally

At that point, you walk into the audition knowing that you’re going to do what you love doing, telling a story with music, showing who you are (i.e., being vulnerable and authentic) and that you’re going to do the best you can. The audition panel is going to do what they have to do based on the information they have – and you have no idea exactly what that is beyond the things in the audition notice. There may be factors in play which mean they can’t use you at this point – but they can keep you in mind for future productions.

If you walk in giving off just plain wariness, which I did back in the day, you probably won’t be cast because you weren’t capable of showing any vulnerability or giving an authentic performance. There’s even a possibility that you might not even be granted an audition in the future.

If you walk in with an optimistic, positive attitude, but with the internal knowledge that this might not pan out – this time – you might not be cast that time. You might not be cast next time. But maybe another time.

I can’t find the Michael J. Fox quote anywhere except as paraphrased by Jason Sudeikis. I think that something that you need to keep in mind is to be wary, but not show the wariness. You have to show the optimism. And most of all, as Ted Lasso also says, you have to –

Ted Lasso pointing at the Believe sign in the AFC Richmond locker room — Believe

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Another thing Ted Lasso says on the show is a quote of Walt Whitman’s: “Be curious, not judgmental.” Coincidentally, my studio tag line is “Curiously Strong Singing.” If you’d like to work on singing from a POV of curiosity and not judgment, why don’t you find out how to work with me? I have a few spots open for the new year.

Pro Tip Tuesday!

While I was posting an article on my studio Facebook page, I was going to use the hashtag #ProTip and #ProTipTuesday came up. Which is, apparently, a thing!

So (and i know a lot of people are annoyed by people who start sentences with “So,” but I do, so – so?) I thought about the Pro Tips I could offer today and possibly on subsequent Tuesdays. Here are a few, off the top of my head, gained from my XYZ number of years of performance and teaching experience (both personal and observational):

Try to remain upright while singing
This may involve:
- Not locking your knees
- Making sure that you have eaten enough
- Ensuring that your shoes are stable or that you are stable in them
- Checking to make sure that your hemline is not loose anywhere so that you won’t put a heel through it as you are walking (this can apply to pants as well as skirts)
- Having your hemline adjusted so that you won’t step on it, especially if there are any steps involved (I speak from experience here)
Be a good colleague
- For more specifics on this, you can either check out Cindy Sadler’s ASK ERDA column in Classical Singer Magazine from February 2005 OR
- My blogpost on this from 2011, which is a repost of a PRE-blog newsletter I sent out in 2001
- An article I wrote for Classical Singer years ago, when I thought I would never remarry and was using my cat’s name as my pen name
Always have a pencil
I’ve been really bad about this because I have been using my iPad Pro for scores, and with that I use my Apple Pencil, and – I haven’t really gone anywhere for the last year where I actually needed a real pencil. I’ve found myself at rehearsals with actual paper music in front of me – and no pencil. Not professional.
Stay healthy – check out this lovely blogpost and video from February 2020 (before we knew what was going to happen and before my hair turned purple and teal) to read about my approach to vocal health and watch me irrigating my sinuses

Neti Pot Pro Tip!

This is my first #ProTipTuesday! Do you have any tips you’d like share? Feel free to add them in the comments!

Pro Tip Tuesday with MEzzoid Voice Studio — It’s Pro Tip Tuesday!

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If you’re interested in more Pro Tips one-on-one (and not just on Tuesday), find out how to work with me in 2022!

Stephen Sondheim, 1930-2021

Last Friday, immediately completing my 5 Tips for Giving a Great Golden Age video, I opened up Instagram to see a post from Rachel Bloom with no words, just a picture of Stephen Sondheim. As I glanced down the screen, I saw more pictures posted by other people, and I said, “no, no, no, no….” and then the news notifications popped up that, in fact, Stephen Sondheim had died at the age of 91. My husband came home an hour later and I was still weeping.

Stephen Sondheim — Stephen Joshua Sondheim, 1930-2021 (from Rachel Bloom’s Instagram)

As others have said, we knew this day was coming – I mean, 91, come on… but he was just on Colbert in September and he looked better than I’d seen him look for years. He was articulate, he was funny, he was insightful. I thought to myself, “Oh, I hope he’ll live to be 100.”

September 16, 2021: Late Show with Stephen Colbert

I have not felt so sad about the death of a famous person since Robin Williams died. This is something I told my husband over dinner, and something I saw echoed in the posts of friends of mine on Facebook.

Maybe it’s because I hoped I’d meet him somehow, someday, somewhere (wait, a second, that sounds familiar). I know people who’ve worked with him, who’ve spoken with him – I even found out that one of my friends had lived next door to him for 20 years! Maybe it’s because he overcame an upbringing by a narcissistic and emotionally abusive mother to become the greatest musical theater composer and lyricist of the 20th century and, from all accounts, a genuinely nice and good human being.

In the week since he died, Stephen Sondheim has been compared to both Mozart and Shakespeare. And the analogy is pretty dead-on for both, because he was both composer and lyricist, the latter for his own works and those of others. Just yesterday I was listening to On Broadway in the car and heard “Ya gotta get a gimmick” from Gypsy, and was laughing at the lyrics, and then I remembered, “Oh, that’s right! Sondheim wrote those!” He also wrote the lyrics for West Side Story, which he claimed to be embarrassed by, and some of them are kind of trite (“It’s alarming how charming I feel!” — hey, he was just a kid back then), but some are absolutely exquisite.

I was going to list my favorite lines from his shows, but there are too many. Instead, check out his books, Finishing the hat (currently out of stock) and Look, I made a hat for a complete listing and his own personal analysis of his lyrics. (I still haven’t read the second one, even though I own it. I’m going to do it before March 22, which would be his 92nd birthday.)

Here’s Lin-Manuel Miranda reading from that second book right before Broadway paid tribute to him, singing the title song from his masterpiece, Sunday in the Park with George, which I just saw this weekend (available on Hoopla for free!).

Sondheim said that he did not care about leaving a legacy, because he wouldn’t be around anyway. But care or not, he left one, and it will live on forever. Thank you for changing so many of our lives, Mr. Sondheim. I will miss you.

(Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go wrap Dick Van Dyke, Mel Brooks, and Betty White in metaphorical bubble wrap. Because I can’t deal with losing any of them in 2021.)

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Previous blogposts of mine in which I reference Stephen Sondheim include:

5 Tips for Giving a GREAT Golden Age Musical Audition

This past Friday, I made a video for singers who are auditioning for Golden Age musicals which I called “5 Tips for Giving a GREAT Golden Age Musical Audition.” You can watch that here (and I hope you do):

Or you can read on and I’ll outline the tips for you. For specifics, watch the video.

Golden Age is technically the period from 1943-1959, but you can choose audition repertoire from 1925-1942 (the Jazz Age) and 1960-1974ish (often referred to as Classic Musical Theater).

If you know who wrote the musicals of the era, you can figure out what their compositional language was – do they all the sound the same? (Maybe to some people, but then they’re not listening hard enough.) What were their influences? What was their objective? What was their style?

Which brings us to:

What was the style? — #3 – Style (compositional and performance)

Not only do you need to know the style of the musical for which you are auditioning, but also the vocal/performance style that is appropriate for the era. Things to consider:

Stylistic Considerations for the Golden Age: Belt, Vibrato, Articulation, Dress, — To Belt or Not to Belt?

The Golden Age is a pragmatic period. Expressing emotions in a natural way is key, so there is consonant energy (a holdover from the Jazz Age), but for the legit characters, there are pure vowels and more space (a holdover from the operetta). Legit is head dominant. There is belting, but it doesn’t go as high, and it’s not as dramatic as today’s screlters. It’s a question of voice type, or what is called fach in opera. I’ve attached a chart I made, based on info I got from StageAgent about the prevalent voice types during the period. Check it out here: https://mezzoidvoicestudio.blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/What-the-Fach.pdf (I don’t entirely agree with all of the designations.)

For more comprehensive discussion of all the elements, watch the video.

Once you know the era, the composers, and the style, it’s time to:

Not only are you picking the right song for the occasion (which show, which role), you also have to pick the right song for yourself. Know your voice. Also, know what the audition requirements are. Do they want a whole song? A cut? How long of a cut? How do you make that cut? What will it show? Are you supposed to sing a song from the show or not? If not, what will you pick that mirrors the style of the show for which you’re auditioning?

Try not to pick something from a contemporary show unless it is truly retro in style. Or unless it is similar to the character for whom you’re auditioning. For example, singing “World Burn” when you’re auditioning for Ado Annie is probably not a good idea.

Once you’ve picked the song, now you actually have to:

Steps to learning a song:

LISTEN to the original cast recording (OCR) – not because you want to imitate it but to know how it sounds as a whole. What is the orchestration? How is the singer phrasing things? It is very likely that the composers were at the recording session. If the singer isn’t singing exactly what is on the page, it very well might be that this is how it evolved over the course of the production, and if the composers were there, they were probably cool with it. This is referred to as performance practice. (Here’s an advantage musical theater singers have over opera singers – we can’t know how Verdi or Mozart would feel about the way people are singing their music because we have no recordings of the original productions.)
LOOK at the music. What do you see?
- The accompaniment – you’ve already listened to it, but what do you see? Is it boom-chick, does it flow, is it full, is it transparent? Do you get cues from it? If you’re doing an a cappella audition, do you need the piano to give you any key changes? Are there long interludes between vocal entrances?
- What are the dynamic markings? If there aren’t any, what should there be? Figure out how the text and the music are working together to create a mood, and determine the WHY for your dynamic choices.
SING it for someone! A teacher, a parent, a trusted friend. Take advice, keep an open mind. Know it so well before you sing it that you will feel confident at the audition. Remember, you don’t want to practice till you get it right – you need to practice till you can’t get it wrong.

There are repertoire suggestions in the video above, plus I also put these tips to practical application in Saturday’s class on Preparing a Golden Age Audition Song, in which we worked on learning the song Edelweiss (which I consider the “Happy Birthday” of musical theater – it’s a limited range, everyone knows it, and it’ll make your grandma happy).

Enjoy these screenshots from the second video, which I call “Faces of Chrissie.” 😀

Faces of Christine in class — I really shouldn’t hold back my emotions so much

Right after I finished Friday’s video, I found out about the passing of Stephen Sondheim, which devastated me. I will be writing about that on Thursday.

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If you have an audition coming up for a Golden Age musical and you’d like to work on finding that perfect piece, please watch the videos and contact me for a coaching. I will have some time right after the New Year.

Grateful 2021

I’ve got a roof over my head,
I’ve got a warm place to sleep,
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep
— John Bucchino, “Grateful”

2021 has not been the relief that we all hoped it would be after the debacle that was 2020. For me personally, the year began with a terrible fall that made me feel disfigured for about half the year. There have been some issues with extended family that have caused heartache and estrangement. I gained back more than half of the 25# I lost in 2019 and kept off all through the pandemic, much of it in one month, for no apparent reason. My studio is not at full capacity and I’m not sure if/when it will be again.

But my face has healed, mostly, I can still feel the bump on my chin from the stitches, but it isn’t that obvious to the casual viewer. (It is still somewhat numb, as is part of my lower lip.) The broken kneecap I suffered in the fall was actually the least of my issues and healed quite quickly, and I’ve been doing Zumba since June with little trouble. (The broken kneecap did get me out of the little shoveling last winter required, for which I’m also grateful.)

I’ve got a heart that can hold love
I’ve got a mind that can think
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink
But I can’t stay depressed
When I remember how I’m blessed
Ibid

Through the miracles of modern medicine, we were able to get vaccinated and avoid infection. Consequently, I’ve returned to in-person lessons for those who want them, which has been a joy. (For those who haven’t returned in-person, due to distance or convenience, working with them has been a joy as well.)

In a city of strangers
I’ve got a family of friends
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way
I know that they will stay in the end
Ibid

I am grateful for my husband, my friends, and my students, both those who stayed on through the early days when online lessons were confusing and unrewarding, and to new ones who joined during that time, some of whom I’ve actually gotten to meet in person since things opened up!

It’s not that I don’t want a lot
Or hope for more, or dream of more
But giving thanks for what I’ve got
Makes me so much happier than keeping score
Ibid

I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue studying and learning about my own voice with a variety of folks with whom I wouldn’t be able to work if it were not for this necessary move to online lessons, and also meeting them through the Speakeasy Cooperative and NATS. I’ve worked with Jennifer Cooper, Dr. Shannon Coates, and most recently (and currently) with Dr. Nicholas Perna. While traveling to Southern Maryland to work with Coop one-on-one wouldn’t be such a hardship, traveling to Toronto and Mississippi would be.

I’m also honored to have been included in the recent WNO concert at the Kennedy Center. Singing on that stage again reminded me that I am still an opera singer, and not just in my own mind. (People pay me to do this!) I’m also thankful that theater has reopened and artists have been put back to work – some of whom I will be seeing in December and January when we go to NYC.

I’m thankful that NATS has co-sponsored studies on the efficacy of masks in the face (no pun intended) of bio-aerosol emissions and given us the information we need to keep ourselves and our students safe.

In a world that can bring pain
I will still take each chance
For I believe that whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance
Whatever stone life may sling
We can moan or we can sing
Ibid

And lastly, I am grateful for my dog, Seamus, and my new kittens, Spike & Charlie, for their weirdness and unconditional love. Two traits they share with my husband, Bill (and with me).

Thanksgiving 2021

They don’t share his ability to cook, however, and for that ability, especially on this day, I am particularly:

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
Ibid

For the full song, check out this performance by the great Ann Hampton Callaway at 54 Below, with composer John Bucchino at the piano.

Ann Hampton Calloway & John Bucchino, 54 Below

(I’m also grateful that, because of NATS, I was able to meet John Bucchino at the NYC 2014 Winter Workshop, where I got his business card and we talked about me coming up to coach with him… hmmm, maybe this is something to do in 2022….)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Golden Age Musicals Are NOT Going Away

Golden Age musicals are NOT going away.

Looking at the 2021-2022 season, I see the following musicals either open or opening on Broadway:

The Music Man – December 2021
Funny Girl – March 2022
Pal Joey – TBD
1776 – TBD

You could argue that Company (which started previews last week and officially opens in December) might qualify, simply because it premiered one year after 1776 so it’s old, but it’s Sondheim, and Sondheim is in a category in and of himself. Even his first musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, doesn’t really feel like a Golden Age musical.

There is a big difference in the way revivals are sung from the original. In most cases, contemporary singers will sing with a great degree of chest mix than the artists who created the role. An exception would be Laura Benanti in She Loves Me, who seems to sing “Vanilla Ice Cream” with more head mix than the late great Barbara Cook. Judge for yourself:

Laura Benanti, 2016 (PBS)

Barbara Cook (audio only), 1963

I am very curious to hear Sutton Foster’s take on Marian Paroo in The Music Man (also a role created by Barbara Cook), because I have never hear her do any sustained legit soprano singing. TBH, I’m also a little concerned about the age of both actors in the lead roles because Marian is supposed to be an old maid at 26, and Foster is 46. (As Harriet Harris sang in Millie, “And if the house was big enough, I still could play her yet.”) I’m sure she can pull off the role but the logistics are that Marian has a 10 year old brother, and the math does not work.

That sounds terribly ageist, but I’m being practical. And consistent. If I disapproved of casting that role with an age gap like that in regional theater, how can I approve of it on Broadway?

In any event, Golden Age musicals continue to flourish because their stories continue to resonate. As I discussed in my recent blogpost, Revisiting the Why of Golden Age Musicals, Golden Age musicals handle contemporary topics, and aren’t just “showgirls in gooey gowns.” Some of the handling is problematic – the domestic abuse in Carousel and Oliver, Nellie’s racism in South Pacific, the white savior role of Anna in The King and I (my least favorite R&Ham musical, despite Kelli O’Hara’s brilliant turn in the 2015 revival) – but it could be a great challenge to find a way to recognize these flaws in the interpretation of the show.

In some cases, a show might need to be reworked in order to be viable, if that is allowed by the licensing company/composer’s estate and if it could be done without completely compromising the show’s artistic integrity. I’m not suggesting that we need to apply a “woke” standard to all revivals (and I also don’t consider “woke” to be a bad thing, because awareness is not a bad thing). But it is an acting challenge to recognize that you are a flawed character or that you love a flawed character and include that recognition in your interpretation. Nathan Gunn and Kelli O’Hara accomplished that in the 2013 Lincoln Center production of Carousel, led by the subtle touches of director John Rando.

I have yet to see anyone truly pull off making Bill Sykes in Oliver even vaguely sympathetic or his abused girlfriend Nancy anything other than a apologist, but perhaps I haven’t seen the right production yet. Or perhaps I need to direct it….

If you want to know more about how to audition for a Golden Age musical successfully, I will be presenting a two part series on this holiday weekend.

On Friday, 11/25, I will release a video on YouTube presenting 5 Tips for Giving a GREAT Golden Age Musical Audition.
On Saturday, 11/26 at 12:30pm EST, join me in a group class in which we’ll work on preparing a specific Golden Age song for an audition. We’ll take it from warming up on audition day to knowing the background of the song, and then learning song.
All registrants will have the option of sending me a video of their performance of the song covered in class OR another Golden Age song of their choice within 24 hours of class. I will review it and send a detailed evaluation of the video.

COST? FREE

Not only FREE, but all registrants will receive a discount code for 10% off a Vocal Discovery Session OR a set of lessons with Mezzoid Voice Studio (new students only – lessons must be taken between 1/1/2022 and 6/11/2022).

Black Friday/Small Business Saturday Special Event on Auditioning for Golden Age Musical Theater — Black Friday/Small Business Saturday Special Event!

Registration and more information HERE or message me at christine@mezzoidvoicestudio.com. The group class will be recorded and I will accept videos from people who could not be there in real time up through December 1.