Word: songs
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Donen has animated the songs with great skill, and knows exactly how and when to play a number big, and at just what point simplicity will best carry it. There is at least one show-stopper-a song and dance by a snake which, quite appropriately, is inclined toward sibilance-and a sequence of unadorned magic, when the pilot folds a piece of paper into a megaphone and croons a wistful ballad, '20s style...
...strains of Happy Days Are Here Again -by a high school brass band, a black drum and bugle corps, a glockenspiel ensemble dressed up as Indians. Aside from the catchy tune and schmaltzy sentiment, the ditty had a further point: it was once Franklin Roosevelt's campaign song. After 16 years of Republican rule in the state, a Democratic candidate was finally putting back together the old Roosevelt coalition of labor, liberals and minorities. So successful was his political surgery that Carey enjoyed a triumphant 3-to-2 victory over his hapless G.O.P. opponent, Governor Malcolm Wilson...
...drafting of Conrad Birdie, a teen-age rock star. Rosie, however, comes up with a way to turn the loss of her boss's only client into a financial bonanza--pick a Birdie fan at random for Conrad to kiss on the Ed Sullivan Show after singing his new song, "One Last Kiss." Rosie also wants Albert (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), her boss, to quit songwriting, break away from his protective mother, and become an English teacher. Her dreams all come to pass by the final curtain call...
...most difficult musical number, "The Telephone Conversation," involves all the teenagers in Kim's town tying up the telephone lines singing "Have you heard about Hugo and Kim, they're going steady." The song, involving the whole cast, is well coordinated, like all the numbers, but seemed abbreviated from the original...
Guest soloist Maureen Forrester gave a superbly dramatic performance of Mahler's "Songs of a Wayfarer," in an interpretation which emphasized the lyric, folk-song quality of Mahler's melodies. Her rich, sometimes deliberately harsh low register is a magnificent and constant surprise. The alternating sensuousness and despair which she brought to the fourth Song were suggestive of the lilting, tragic songs of Kurt Weil, which also have roots in German-Austrian folk melody. The orchestra--particularly its excellent wind section--gave her exceptionally sensitive support with clean, sharp attacks and supple phrasing. Forrester's spirited but somewhat less exciting...