Word: orchestra
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...even though a great deal of planning and work has clearly gone into putting together the extravaganza. The result is a classy spectacle a cut above the gaudy shenanigans of the typical Ringling Bros. performance. The set is made to resemble a small town (Spindlay, Ohio, 1896) with the orchestra perched above the ring atop the set's main building, a saloon...
...orchestra is, in fact, one of the stronger points of the Big Apple show. Most of the music accompanying the show was composed by a member of the circus company, but often the orchestra plays familiar pop hits at appropriate moments. During the stock horse act, they play a toned down version of "Groovin."' On the other hand, the orchestra sometimes gets a bit carried away with the pop music, at one point subjecting the audience 40 seconds of Grandma, the circus's star clown, dancing the evil "Macarena...
...well conceived: the whole stage was painted like a warped chessboard, and props and costumes were kept simple. Above the stage, a screen used mainly for lighting effects concealed the rhythm section of the orchestra. During one of Florence's songs, "Nobody's Side," the screen was backlit so that the rhythm section could suddenly be seen through the screen. This, like the slide shows, was startling and sporadic--a great but underutilized effect...
Anatoly's wife Svetlana, played by Colleen McGuinness '99, made a striking entrance in the second act in her solo in "You and I." Her powerful voice was a welcome surprise, as the other actors were often muffled by the orchestra. Freddie's agent Walter, played by Jeremy Moses, was another memorable character, notable for his hilarious one-liners. The principals were accompanied by a flexible and talented ensemble whose roles ranged from swarming journalists to irritating T-shirt vendors to sleazy prostitutes. The company songs, including "Reporters" and "Endgame," were excellent...
...five: the great oak, Tortan, yew, ash and the Dathi tree. The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for bassoonist Judith LeClair. In this week-end's performance, the solo bassoon part was played by the BSO's principal bassoonist Richard Svoboda, who has been with the orchestra since 1989. Svoboda's moving performance was a great tribute to both his technical mastery and his artistic interpretation. The piece itself was beautiful: Williams is a master of capturing images in music. The middle movements were tricky, with difficult rhythmic passages and unpredictable dynamics. The last movement, Dathi...