'CREAM OF THE ALLEY': GEORGE BASSMAN'S 'MUSIC BY GERSHWIN' - PART ONE (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

‘Cream of the Alley’ was a 1970s American radio program.  An episode focussing on the music of George Gershwin was produced by George Bassman, an American composer and arranger.

He was eminently qualified to produce a radio program about the music of George Gershwin.  In 1960, he produced a box set of three LP records entitled ‘The Gershwin Years’ with full orchestra, chorus and soloists all under his direction.  Many tracks from that recording are utilized in the radio program.

Introduced by Len Power, the first of a two part presentation of George Bassman’s radio program on George Gershwin’s music, ‘Cream of The Alley’, can be heard this Saturday 31st July at 4pm on Artsound Fm 92.7.

 

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUNNY (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

The 20th Century produced many memorable songs.  There are legendary songs associated with a particular artist - the good songs.  Then there are songs so awful they make us cringe - the bad songs.  And there's a range of just plain funny songs. We know these songs but what are the stories behind them?

Join Len Power on Artsound FM every Friday at 4pm for his selection of ‘The Good, The Bad and the Funny’.

Listen now:

 https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-good-the-bad-and-the-funny-episode-7/

 

BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY (FILM REVIEW)

 A delightful discovery on Netflix recently was ‘Bathtubs Over Broadway’.  In this enthralling documentary, a comedy writer for the David Letterman show stumbles upon a hidden world of corporate entertainment that was seen only by business employees at conventions.  It was not available to the general public.

Discovered initially through old LP recordings at second hand shops, his obsession with the songs composed specifically for these shows with often top performers like Chita Rivera, Tony Randall and others, leads him to contact surviving cast members and composers.

This is a fascinating look at a casual interest that turns into an obsession about the hidden world of lavish corporate entertainment in the 1950s and 60s.  It’s beautifully made, funny and curiously touching as well.

Be quick to catch it as it finishes its Netflix run on 29 July.

 

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1952 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

“The Broadway Musicals Yearbook” will be heard on Artsound FM 92.7 at 5pm on Sunday 25 July and repeated at 11pm on Monday 26 July.  The show is produced and narrated by Len Power, Canberra theatre critic, music critic and radio presenter.

This week – the musicals of 1952

In 1952, popular revues included ‘New Faces Of 1952’ and ‘Two’s Company’ with a singing and dancing Bette Davis.  There was also Harold Rome’s holiday camp musical, ‘Wish You Were Here’, and a revival of the Rodgers and Hart musical, ‘Pal Joey’, that was more popular than the 1940 original production.

Songs in this program include ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ (from ‘Pal Joey’), ‘Wish You Were Here’ (from ‘Wish You Were Here’), ‘Lizzie Borden’ (from ‘New Faces Of 1952’) and ‘Turn Me Loose On Broadway’ (Two’s Company’, sung by Bette Davis!)

Listen Now: https://artsound.fm/shows/the-broadway-musicals-yearbook/

 

 

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUNNY - EPISODE 6 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

The 20th Century produced many memorable songs.  There are legendary songs associated with a particular artist - the good songs.  Then there are songs so awful they make us cringe - the bad songs.  And there's a range of just plain funny songs. We know these songs but what are the stories behind them?

Join Len Power on Artsound FM every Friday at 4pm for his selection of ‘The Good, The Bad and the Funny’.

Listen now: 

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-good-the-bad-and-the-funny-episode-6/

 

 

LOVE AND OTHER TRAPS - ART SONG CANBERRA (MUSIC REVIEW)

 

Piera Dennerstein, Soprano

Lucus Allerton, Piano

Wesley Music Centre 18 July

 

Reviewed by Len Power

Love doesn’t always run smoothly and Art Song Canberra’s concert, ‘Love and Other Traps’, covered a wide range of rapturous songs and some unsettling songs involving loss and even death.  The nicely balanced program included several very well-known songs as well as some lesser known ones.  There were songs by Scarlatti, Giordani, Debussy, Fauré, Schubert and Britten amongst others.

Soprano, Piera Dennerstein, completed a double Bachelor in Music and Arts (Hons. 1) at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music at Monash University.  She has performed in opera in France, Italy and China and has worked extensively in Australia with the Victorian Opera Chorus and Lyric Opera of Melbourne as well as in corporate events.

Piano accompanist, Lucus Allerton, graduated from the ANU School of Music with Honours in Piano in 2013.  Now employed as an accompanist for vocalists at the ANU School of Music, he is active and much in demand on the art song scene nationally.

Lucus Allerton and Piera Dennerstein

The program commenced with Scarlatti’s ‘If Florindo Is Faithful’.  Dennerstein sang it with great passion and accuracy, giving the song an unexpected and welcome depth of characterization.  She is clearly a fine actress as well.

Piera Dennerstein

Moving on to the very well-known ‘Caro mio ben’ by Giordani, she sang it with great tenderness but with strong feeling underneath the words.  Revealing to the audience that she is Italian and that her friends’ nickname for her is ‘Pavarotti’, she then gave us a sparkling and fun ‘O solo mio!’.  It was sung with great joy and her powerful voice easily handled the sustained high notes in the song.

Other highlights in the program included ‘Pierrot’ by Debussy, ‘Ave Maria’ by Schubert, Britten’s ‘Death Be Not Proud’ and Fauré’s ‘Fleur Jetée’ with a masterful performance by Allerton of the complex accompaniment for this song.

Both performers gave friendly, often amusing and informative background information about the songs and their down to earth delivery easily won their audience over.  Dennerstein’s love of singing was obvious throughout the program and she shared that joy with vivacity, passion and skilful singing.

Once again, Art Song Canberra has given us a superb concert with two very fine performers.

Photos by Peter Hislop 

Len Power’s reviews are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3.30pm.

This review is also published in Len Power’s blog ‘Just Power Writing’ at https://justpowerwriting.blogspot.com/.

 

 

 

THE GREAT INDIAN KITCHEN (FILM REVIEW)

 

Now available for streaming on Amazon Prime, The Great Indian Kitchen is a 2021 Indian Malayalam–language drama film written and directed by Jeo Baby.

The film tells the story of a newly wed woman in an arranged marriage who struggles to be the submissive wife that her husband and his family expect her to be.  The drudgery of the kitchen and the house-cleaning become intolerable and this modern Indian woman finally reacts to these injustices.

The first half of this beautifully made film is carefully paced to show the day-to-day drudgery that the young bride experiences.  The second half moves swiftly as she decides on an unexpected course of action.

This is an excellent and important film about the need for change from traditional domestic culture to a hopefully new way of life for women in India.  Very well acted and directed.

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1973 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

“The Broadway Musicals Yearbook” will be heard on Artsound FM 92.7 at 5pm on Sunday 18 July and repeated at 11pm on Monday 19 July.  The show is produced and narrated by Len Power, Canberra theatre critic, music critic and radio presenter.

This week – the musicals of 1973

In 1973, Lerner and Loewe’s ‘Gigi’ made the transition from film to stage.  ‘Seesaw’ celebrated life in New York City.  The play, ‘A Raisin In the Sun’, was musicalized as ‘Raisin’ and Stephen Sondheim’s ‘A Little Night Music’ premiered.

Songs in this program include ‘The Night They Invented Champagne’ (‘Gigi’), ‘It’s Not Where You Start’ (‘Seesaw’), ‘Measure The Valleys’ (‘Raisin’) and ‘Send In The Clowns’ (A Little Night Music’). 

Listen Now: https://artsound.fm/shows/the-broadway-musicals-yearbook/

  

SANDSONG (DANCE REVIEW)

 

Bangarra Dance Theatre

Choreographers: Stephen Page, Frances Rings

Composer: Steve Francis

Canberra Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre to 17 July

 

Reviewed by Len Power 15 July 2021

 

With ‘Sandsong’, Bangarra Dance Company takes us again into the world of stories emanating from our vast country and its First Nation people.  Tradition, memory, history and songs handed down through generations come together to produce a dance work of great beauty and purpose.

Subtitled ‘Stories From The Sandy Desert’, ‘Sandsong’ tells the stories of the desert homelands of the Wangkatjungka and Walmajarri peoples of the Kimberley and Great Sandy Desert regions.

The central core of ‘Sandsong’ is a journey into ancient story systems framed against the backdrop of ever-changing government policy and of the survival of people determined to hold strong to their Culture.

The dance consists of four acts.  Acts one, two and four depict the seasons – the cold dry, the hot dry and the wet season.  The third act depicts the impact of the White Man.

Baden Hitchcock

 

Traditional dances and stories feature in the Cold Dry Season (Makurra) – kinship and place, ceremony, food and totems.  In the Hot Dry Season (Parranga), the women hunt in spite of drought and the scarcity of food and water.  The impact of the White Man (Kartiya) shows the injustices of servitude, trauma and station labour and the people leaving the land.  The Wet Season (Vitilal) looks to contemporary times, healing, empowerment and reaffirming ties to Country.  As the people gather for the Ceremony, the cycle of seasons and life continues.

Choreographers Stephen Page, Frances Rings and the Bangarra Dancers have created a haunting work filled with meaning.  Quiet sections are almost dream-like with combinations of dancers creating moments of great beauty.  The aerial sequence is especially arresting.  Contrasting dramatic sections highlight the precision and skill of these expert dancers.

Bangarra ensemble

 

The set design by Jacob Nash is dramatic and colourful and the costume designs by Jennifer Irwin are richly derived from nature.  Music by Steve Francis provides a fascinating soundscape that continually heightens the drama onstage and Nick Schlieper’s lighting design gives a striking focus that often elevates the dance to another level.

Once again, Bangarra have given us a work that instructs while it entertains.  This first new full-length work in three years is unique and memorable.

 

Photos by Daniel Boud 

 

Len Power’s reviews are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3.30pm

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FUNNY - EPISODE 5 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

The 20th Century produced many memorable songs.  There are legendary songs associated with a particular artist - the good songs.  Then there are songs so awful they make us cringe - the bad songs.  And there's a range of just plain funny songs. We know these songs but what are the stories behind them?

Join Len Power on Artsound FM every Friday at 4pm for his selection of ‘The Good, The Bad and the Funny’.

Listen now:

https://www.mixcloud.com/artsoundfm/the-good-the-bad-and-the-funny-program-5/

 

 

POTTED POTTER (THEATRE REVIEW)

 

Created by Daniel Clarkson and Jeff Turner

Directed by Daniel Clarkson

Centrepoint Productions

The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre to 18 July

 

Reviewed by Len Power 13 July 2021

 

If you’re concerned that not having read the Harry Potter books will affect your enjoyment of “Potted Potter”, don’t worry.

Back in Canberra for a second season, this crazy show takes on the challenge of condensing all seven very big books of the Harry Potter series into 70 minutes.  Impossible?  Well, yes it is, of course, but that doesn’t stop the two very busy New Zealand actors, Adam Brown and Tama Jarman, from giving it their best shot and entertaining us in the process.

I have read the books and seen the movies so I did know the difference between a horcrux and a Hufflepuff.  There’s only one joke late in the play involving book six that works best if you know what’s about to happen in the story.  The apparently well-read audience I saw it with were on to the joke immediately, clueing the rest of the audience in.

Tama Jarman and Adam Brown

 

The two performers are both expert and appealing comedians with a highly developed sense of comic timing and the ability to involve an audience directly.  Adam Brown plays Harry Potter for most of the time and Tama Jarman plays nearly all of the other characters using a myriad of costumes and props changed with dizzying speed.

Jarman’s maniacal delivery is hilarious and he won the audience over immediately with his crazy antics and comical interactions with us.  Brown is equally amusing as Harry Potter and in his exasperation as the straight man dealing with Jarman’s whirlwind gallery of colourful characters from the books.  With dialogue delivered at such high speed, clarity of diction is very important and both actors can be heard clearly at all times.

The set, props and costumes have been well-designed by Simon Scullion.  The costume for the Golden Snitch is worth the price of the ticket alone!

The advertising for the show says it is suitable for all ages from six to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed).  Several children around me were clearly enthralled by the show and especially enjoyed the fast and furious game of Quidditch that the audience was invited to play along with the actors.  I think our team won.

 

This review was first published in the Canberra City News digital edition of 14 July 2021

Len Power’s reviews are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays and Wednesdays at 3.30pm.

THE BROADWAY MUSICALS YEARBOOK 1924 (RADIO PROGRAM PROMO)

 

“The Broadway Musicals Yearbook” will be heard on Artsound FM 92.7 at 5pm on Sunday 11 July and repeated at 11pm on Monday 12 July.  The show is produced and narrated by Len Power, Canberra theatre critic, music critic and radio presenter.

This week – the musicals of 1924

In 1924, the operetta ‘The Student Prince’ opened on Broadway. George and Ira Gershwin had a big hit with ‘Lady, Be Good’ and there also Jerome Kern’s ‘Sitting Pretty’.  In addition, ‘The Greenwich Village Follies’ was one of several revues that opened that year.

Songs in this program include Gershwin’s ‘Fascinating Rhythm’, Kern’s ‘Tulip Time In Sing Sing’, ‘Limehouse Blues’ sung by Gertrude Lawrence, a Cole Porter rarity, ‘I’m In Love Again’ and ‘The Drinking Song’ from ‘The Student Prince’.

 

Listen Now: https://artsound.fm/shows/the-broadway-musicals-yearbook/