Word: bernstein
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...AMUSEMENT FARE, An Evening of Bernstein is like a wildly assorted selection of leftovers from a good French restaurant. This smorgasbord is better and by far more interesting than what is usually served around Harvard; each dish by itself would be quite delicious. But some bits seem stale, there isn't really enough of any one thing, and the subtle flavors of some concoctions are drowned by the stronger flavors of others...
...first section of Evening seems designed to exhibit the considerable vocal talents of the five members of the cast. "The Revue" includes such Bernstein greats as "Wonderful Town," and "Tonight." All are sung competently; some--notably "There's a Place for Us," sung by Shattuck and Dineen, and "Unless There's Love," done by Dineen alone--are savory versions of often overdone pieces. Shattuck, a recent graduate of the New England Conservatory, sings magnificently from her first note on; physically small, she is vocally head and shoulders above anyone else on stage...
Unfortunately, this Bernstein is rather deja vu, especially since almost all the songs in the "Revue" were performed in An Evening with Comden and Green, which had two runs at the Loeb earlier this year. An Evening of Bernstein passes over the contributions of his two collaborators, putting an unjust emphasis on Bernstein's lyric-writing genius. On the whole, this Evening at the Agassiz suffers from the inevitable comparison with Comden and Green. The two professionals knew how to put songs and patter together in a continuum; they had the ability to make the most rehearsed gesture appear spontaneous...
...songs are deservedly obscure. Trouble in Tahiti tries to make suburban life operatic and raise the petty boredom of a failing middle class marriage to the level of tragedy. But any potential for opera sinks soon and swiftly: Why shouldn't this marriage fall apart, and who cares anyway? Bernstein offers us no special reason to care, the characters remain cardboard stereotypes and their situation all too familiar banality. Bernstein's inability to musically activate this trite scenario becomes obvious at the climax, when the characters lapse into speech. If husband and wife had sung these commonplaces of insult...
...first act. For another the numbers are much catchier. The music by Paris K.C. Barklay is peppy, sweet and unashamedly derivative. One nice number called "Heaven Would Be Hell Without You" has phrases astonishingly like Jerome Kern's "Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine," and Leonard Bernstein could claim at least a one per cent royalty. But the best music is Barklay's own and sprightly. The lyrics rise and dip, more to Appalachian than Olympic heights and similarly on the downward scale. The choreography is mostly precise and beautifully executed, especially a magnificent number called, "Raising Your...