The musical “Oklahoma” came out in early 1943, a welcome nostalgic respite from the trauma of World War II. The movie (far inferior, IMHO) was released in 1955. I was raised on Broadway musicals. I know just about every word … Continue reading →
Angelica Hale was nine years old when she first appeared on this season’s “America’s Got Talent” and wowed the audience. She turned ten before it was over and sang the following song in the finals of the show. Angelica sings … Continue reading →
Nope, I wasn’t at Woodstock—one of the only members of my generation who wasn’t, to hear most them tell it. And I don’t romanticize the 60s and look back on them nostalgically, although many people my age do. I think … Continue reading →
…and lit that fire. Who’s the “he” who described himself as having put on his Bach hat? Ray Manzarek, who was the inspired and superlative keyboardist for The Doors, and co-founder of the group with Jim Morrison. Recently it was … Continue reading →
Of course it does. This is indescribable, so I’m not going to attempt to describe it. I’ll just sit back and let you watch and listen:
Continue reading →To tell you the truth, I can’t say I blame him. What a difficult job it must be: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer resigned Friday in a move apparently tied to the hiring of a new top communications aide, … Continue reading →
I sent this video to a friend of mine and he commented, “I hear a brilliant treble singing with an okay but nothing-special baritone.” And I basically agree. But I think it’s almost unbearably poignant to hear the two versions … Continue reading →
I am often amazed at the singing skills demonstrated by youngsters on those talent reality shows. They seem to be genuinely nice kids, too, full of energy and drive. After all, think how much work it takes—and how much confidence—to … Continue reading →
Until a reader alerted me, I hadn’t realized that one of my favorite movies of all time—one I’ve written quite a few posts about—had been turned into a musical. My gut reaction was that it must be a bad idea. … Continue reading →
People seem to think that new violins sound better: In tests at concert halls in Paris and New York, audiences were asked to listen to soloists performing on brand new violins, and three made by master fiddle maker Stradivari. The … Continue reading →
[Hat tip: commenter “Artfldgr”] I’m not a big opera fan, although there are a couple of operas I love and with which I’m very familiar. But I have the deepest admiration for the skill and artistry of opera singers, who … Continue reading →
I try to follow the general outlines of the current theories of theoretical physics, but it goes without saying that I don’t understand the math, and that I miss a lot of the details. So although I’d never even heard … Continue reading →