Life Begins at 8:40

SarahB – the knower of all things Broadway related in and out of New York City. It’s like she’s my enabler, always encouraging me to step out of my opera boundaries to explore the music that comprises America’s songbook. After alerting me to the Millennium Stage concert with Kate Baldwin, she told me about another free opportunity to see Kate and several other Broadway stars at the Library of Congress. As soon as I read the email from her I called the LoC to reserve two tickets. Easy as pie!

On Monday, March 22, Dustin and I made the short little trek from our Capitol Hill homes to the Library of Congress for Life Begins at 8:40. The foyer was jam packed with people. Aside from the five-year old girl accompanying her father, Dustin and I were the youngest there by at least 20 years. It was that kind of a crowd. We piled into the Coolidge Auditorium situated in the northwestern part of the building. It was a pretty cool theatre.

Sidebar on the Coolidge Auditorium: Named for Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, the 511 seat theatre was built with financial backing from Mrs. Coolidge in 1925. She was a notable patron in the history of American music. In addition to her contribution to the theatre, Mrs. Coolidge set up the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation to help the Library promote and advance chamber music through commissions, public concerts, and festivals. In a letter dated February 4, 1925, she stated that the ultimate aim was:

to make possible, through the Library of Congress, the composition and performance of music in ways which might otherwise be considered too unique or too expensive to be ordinarily undertaken. Not this alone, of course, nor with a view to extravagance for its own sake; but as an occasional possibility of giving precedence to considerations of quality over those of quantity; to artistic rather than to economic values; and to opportunity over.

So that’s what we were here to see. A piece of music that hadn’t been heard in its entirety in 75 years and probably would not have been ushered out had it not been for Mrs. Coolidge and her foundation. Did I mention the tickets were free? Again, goes with the aim of the foundation – rolling out stuff for artistic rather than economic values. God bless you Mrs. Coolidge!

Life Begins at 8:40 is a revue with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg. It opened in 1943 and ran for 237 performances. The cast that has assembled this time around for the concert will reassemble sometime this week to record the work. Both will include a large amount of unpublished and unrecorded material. In addition to Mrs. Coolidge being posthumously generous, thanks must be given to The Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trust for making this whole shindig and subsequent recording possible. Muchos Gracias!

So Life Begins at 8:40... It was awesome! I was slightly unfamiliar with the work, because you know, it hadn’t been performed in 75 years. But it was just the right amount of upbeat, catchy and fun. The stellar cast was comprised of some of Broadway’s brightest stars – David Glenn Armstrong, Kate Baldwin!!, Philip Chaffin, Christopher Fitzgerald, Aaron Gandy, Montego Glover, Rebecca Luker, Brad Oscar, Faith Prince!!!, Graham Rowat!!, and Jessica Stone.

I came for the dynamic married duo of Kate and Graham and stayed for the magnetic stage presence of Faith. The entire cast was really just spot on and brought charm and energy to the 20 or so songs.

Graham came out after the men and women’s chorus looking pretty dapper in his suit. One by one the eight other men and women joined him in singing the show’s opening number “Life Begins (At Exactly 8:40 or Thereabouts).” And then out came Faith Prince all sassy and with stage presence to spare and a voice just so awesomely awesome! My attention was completely caught and I sat intently as the remaining 2 ½ hours unfolded.

There is not one gripe that I can think of in regards to the performers. The only thing that I had a problem with was the miking. It favored the orchestra over the singers so I had a difficult time hearing most of the singers throughout the performance. For some reason I was waiting to be impressed by Rebecca Luker, but just wasn’t. Brad Oscar was absolutely hilarious in his solo turn in “Things!” where he conducted himself and the orchestra. Christopher Fitzgerald and Jessica Stone played very well off of each other in several songs. Faith Prince was truly stunning and very comedic in the several numbers that she turned out. I tell you what, she owns that stage when she’s on it. And hers was one of the few voices that I didn’t have to strain to hear over the bad miking situation. Kate Baldwin is just fun to watch on stage and I seriously love her voice.

Dustin and I left the theatre humming tunes from the show. I wanted to stick around to try and catch up with Kate and Graham. They’ve been super generous – she signing a CD gifted to me from the wonderful SarahB, and he offering to snag some tickets to the show for me – and I wanted to give them my thanks. Dustin and I stood in the foyer for several minutes as the old folks, and chorus and orchestra members filed out. Then out came the rest of the cast.

Talking to Kate is like talking to a good buddy. She’s super nice and so unpretentious. It was like catching up with old friends. Dustin and I told her how much we enjoyed the show. We chit-chatted a bit and gave some tourist advice to the couple who had a few hours to kill the next day before heading back to NYC. We suggested several of the hotspots, but Graham seemed to be set on sleeping in. I think Kate’s next venture is taking her across the pond, but hopefully she and Graham will be doing something nearby that I can check out.


On our way out the door, we walked past Faith Prince. I had a vague idea of who she was – I used to watch Spin City. I meant to just throw out a quick “you were fabulous,” and walk on by, but we ended up talking to Faith for a few minutes. I guess when you tell a fifty-something-year old that they look and sound awesome, especially when they’re on stage with a bunch of youngsters, they really appreciate the comment. Faith pulled me in for a hug and told Dustin and me that we made her night. Dustin asked where she got her shoes. You know, when you get a chance to talk to a Tony winner, the important things to ask are about shopping secrets and shoe fashions. After a few more “you’re awesomes” and “loved your voice” and a quick snap of the camera, Dustin and I were off.

Lucky us, the CD for this quirky, entertaining revue should be out sometime this summer and I can sing along to this once forgotten music and relive the fun from last week’s performance.

Full song list with some of my favorites in bold:
ACT ONE
Overture - The Orchestra
Life Begins (At Exactly 8:40 or Thereabouts) - Graham & The Company
Spring Fever - Kate & Girls
You’re a Builder-Upper - Christopher, Jessica & Ensemble
My Paramount-Publix-Roxy Rose - Graham, Faith & Boys
Shoein’ the Mare - Montego & Ensemble
Quartet Erotica - Brad, Christopher, Graham & Philip
Fun to Be Fooled - Kate & Philip
C’est la Vie Prologue - Rebecca & Ensemble
C’est la Vie - Faith, Brad & Christopher
What Can You Say in a Love Song? - Rebecca, Philip & The Company

ACT TWO
Entr’ Acte - The Orchestra
Let’s Take a walk Around the Block - Graham, Jessica & Ensemble
Things! - Brad
I Knew Him When - Montego, Kate, Philip & Ensemble
All the Elks and Masons - Christopher, Jessica & Ensemble
A Weekend Cruise - Kate, Graham & Brad
It Was Long Ago - Rebecca & Girls
I’m Not Myself - Christopher
I Couldn’t Hold My Man - Faith
Life Begins at City Hall - The Entire Company

Told ya so, told ya so, told ya, told ya, told ya so!*

Eschenbach is the bald dude to Fleming's left. Photo courtesy of my good buddy Of the Kosmos.

I just knew it! As soon as I heard that Christoph Eschenbach was taking the helm of the National Symphony Orchestra, I just knew that we'd be getting more Renee Fleming here in the District.

I was right! Eschenbach opens his inaugural season with the NSO on September 25th with Renee Fleming at his side. He'll be leading her in Strauss' Four Last Songs as well as piano prodigy Lang Lang in Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1.

I'm glad to be seeing the Diva on my home turf again. It'll also be great to revisit Fleming in the Four Last Songs. My first Renee Fleming concert was September 2007 in Denver, CO, and she sang the Four Last Songs. But I was too new (to opera and classical music) and too excited about the whole affair to really understand their awesomeness and how amazingly gifted an interpreter Fleming is in this particular song cycle.

Eschenbach and Fleming have a pretty deep history together. He conducted her on her first Four Last Songs recording as well as the Strauss Heroines album. I believe Eschenbach also conducted Fleming when she made her Houston Grand Opera debut as the Contessa in le Nozze di Figaro way back in 1988. So as soon as I heard that maestro was moving in at the Kennedy Center, I just knew he was going to be bringing my Diva of choice right along with him. And I couldn't be happier!

In the meantime, I've gathered a group of six to see Eschenbach work his magic on Verdi's Requiem on March 12th. Bring it, maestro! Bring it!

A quick note about the dress that Fleming is wearing in the picture above - that's the same dress she wore when I saw her in Denver. And now you know.

P.S. I had another genius moment like this back in the fall. WNO still had to cast a 2nd Amelia in Verdi's Un ballo, and returning from lunch one day, I turned to my intern buddy and said, "you know, Amelia is listed in Iréne Theorin's rep." And guess who is singing Amelia come September. Yeah, I called it.

*Will and Grace reference, anyone?

Lett's see DC: John Hancocks and Margaritas

I brought my Mom back to DC with me after Christmas. We spent a few days gallivanting around the Nation's Capital before a quick trip to the Big Apple. I coaxed Mom into writing up her experience, and what you will get is a six(?) part mini-series of the Mother Fish Out of Water. And let me tell you what, she was out of water! At some point along the series, I'll add my own brief recap of the events - you know, two sides to every story. Part four of my Mom's six(?) part mini-series of her trip to Washington, DC and NYC continues with her second full day in the Nation's Capital and her first New Year's spent away from my Dad in 31 years. THIRTY ONE YEARS!

Chelsea is up earlier than me (hard to believe, I know). Though I missed meeting Tara and Melissa, their absence allowed me to impose on the morning schedule without too much disruption (both Tara and Melissa were still on Christmas/New Year’s vacation, which was perfect because I slept in Tara’s bed so Mom could sleep on mine). Laura was on her way out before us. We had breakfast, packed a lunch, and headed to the Metro. Today's mission: museums and such. We were hoping to visit the National Archives, Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, and the Botanic Garden. Our first stop was the National Archives. We arrived before opening and already a line awaited us. Upon entering we were directed to a theater where we viewed an introductory film about the museum (the old film they used to show about preserving the documents was way better – thumbs down to the Archives on this switch). Afterward, we made our way to the rotunda where the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and Bill of Rights are housed. Wow! Most amazing to see the original records of our democracy! In the Lawrence F. O'Brien Gallery was an exhibit celebrating the 75th anniversary of the National Archives entitled "Big!" Some of the things on display were the 13 foot scroll of the Articles of Confederation, an enormous map of the Gettysburg battlefield, the first printing of the Declaration of Independence, the 1941 tally of votes in the House of Representatives (388 to 1) to declare war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the gigantic shoe (size 22) owned by Shaquille O'neal (and President Taft’s ginormous bathtub that could literally hold four adult men). Incredible! We roamed the gift shop and then headed northwest on Pennsylvania Avenue to the Old Post Office.

We entered the building and rode the elevator to the observation deck in the bell tower. Although not as tall as the Washington Monument, the view is very impressive and even better – not as crowded. It was pretty clear at the time so we could see quite far over the DC area. Yup – it was pretty cold up there. We rode the elevator back down to the main level where there was an eating area. We found a table and broke out our lunch – PB&J sandwiches and apples. Fortified and rested (yeah right!) we headed for the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. On the way we walked by the Internal Revenue Service building. (Do you see that? That’s my Mom’s subliminal attempt to get me to do my taxes. Clever!)

We arrived at the American History Museum in attack mode. We had plans to meet Chelsea's friends Janelle and Dustin for dinner and the day was already half gone. Some of the most memorable exhibits we visited were:
First Ladies at the Smithsonian – the role of the nation’s First Ladies with some of their gowns. We liked Laura Bush's sparkly red gown.
The Price of Freedom; Americans at War – a history of the U.S. Military from colonial times to present
Popular Culture Selections – Dorothy's ruby slippers, Kermit the Frog, Archie Bunker's chair, a Dumbo from the ride at Disneyland
Also we saw the original Star-Spangled Banner, The American Presidents, and Julia Child's kitchen. So much to take in. We checked the time and realized we would have to skip the Air and Space Museum but would be able to take in the Botanic Gardens. We bundled up and put our feet in gear to get back to Capitol Hill.

We entered the Victorian-style glass building of the Botanic Garden, greeted by warmth! Even though it was pretty crowded inside it was an oasis to me. It seemed calming, a muffled noise buffered by all the plants and flowers. Throughout the main building were models of historic buildings of the National Mall and Capitol Hill. Acrylic-based foam is used to construct the frame but the architectural details are created with sand-based grout and dried plant materials. All the monuments are here in miniature - from the U.S. Capitol to the White House. Awesome! In the East Gallery was a magical village made from plants and natural materials with trains running throughout. Among this creation was Snow White and the Seven Dwarf's home, Peter Pumpkins house, "American Gothic" homestead, Santa's North Pole, and Captain Hook's pirate ship. Amazing! I could have spent hours in there.

Reluctantly, we left the Botanic Garden to begin the trek home. We were on the west side of the Capitol, so we were able to get a closer look at the National Christmas Tree. How cool that it's from Arizona! The Hill really is on a hill and the first part of the walk home is uphill, REALLY UPHILL, at the three quarter mark of a very long day. We made it home to freshen up for dinner out with Janelle and Dustin. The blister on my right heel was bigger and now my left heel had a small one. Oh well. Janelle arrived so we headed back out to meet Dustin on the way to the restaurant in Eastern Market – a Puerto Rican eatery (Banana Café). It was sprinkling, but margaritas were a good incentive to keep moving. Dinner was soooo good with margaritas, chips and salsa, and a Puerto Rican quesadilla (picadillo and plantains). Yummy!! Great company and party hats. What would New Year's Eve be without party hats? Bellies full and moods lifted we stepped back out in the rain for our walk home. On the way we stopped at a CVS for, you guessed it, blister pads. Pushing on, Dustin left us first and when we arrived home, Janelle continued on her way.

Laura was home when we got there. We visited for a while before she went out for a New Year's Eve party. She had on a really cute red dress, which was so festive! We wished her Happy New Year as she left in the rain. We turned in before midnight. In the morning we had an early bus to catch. Opera in the Big Apple!

~ Susan