genetics and VOICE

"Just because someone's voice is classified as "tenor" doesn't mean they sound just like someone else with that classification. Genetics has something to do with all that, too, as it effects the formation of the vocal chords and mouths, for one thing."

No argument from me on that! I wouldn't expect tenors from different families to sound the same. However, tonight's SVF13 concert was "The Three Tenors: A VOICE Family Concert" and the three men were all related. Christian Šebek is the dad and he sang with his sons, Eric and Zachary, here at Asbury Memorial Church. And, as I told Eric at the reception afterward, they all have such distinctly different voices!!!

"Now, that is interesting! Might those different qualities be due to their ages or builds?"

Well, as can be seen in the photo above, I don't think it's their build. Eric is the one face-on to the camera, standing next to his older brother, Zach. Christian is in the back looking over at someone else. His voice has a little warble to it, like Sherrill's does. Perhaps that is from performing classical operatic pieces, but I believe it to be natural. Just listen to "Impossible Dream" and see what I mean. Zach, who was here as a student of the VOICE program back in 2018 or so, has a... 'clean'... sound, for lack of a better word. No warble like his father, no musical theatre anbling like Eric has. Zach is just a solid tenor., even when he's hamming it up with a love song to a toaster oven! Whereas Eric's sound is brighter, as can be heard when he did "At Last", that famous blues number.

"I see what you mean. They're all rather theatrical on stage, though, as was especially evident when they did that medley."

You mean "Pretty Women/What Is It About/Maria/Johanna"? Yes, that was an amazing number!!! With songs from "Sweeney Todd", "West Side Story", and "The Phantom Of The Opera", that one wove together the love songs from three of my all-time favorites - wow!!! I talked to Christian about that at the reception and he told me he and a friend put that together. What a superb job they did!!!

"Oh, wow!!! I would love to hear that again!!!"

Me, too, but I haven't found it yet. I'll keep looking! Meanwhile, I did find the encore piece they sang for us today! It's one of my favorites, though I've never seen the opera - "Turandot" - that it's from. I just remember hearing it a few years ago by none other than Peter Lake, and wishing that it was on tonight's program as soon as I heard the trio's first song, "Til I Hear You Sing". 

"G'friend! Stop beating around the bush! What was that song???"

Oh, that was "Nessun Dorma"! I though I'd mentioned it. Sorry!

"Okay! Much better! And what's going on in this photo? A movie?"

Yes!!! Two former Savannah VOICE alums, Scott Joiner and Jessica Fishenfeld, had created a little opera for the Šebek trio a few years ago. It's a sketch book set to music about a magic ring and which of the sons will inherit it to continue the singing tradition. Very funny! Even the title of it is a pun: "Death Of A Grailsman" - hahahaha!!! Amazingly, it's free on youTube!!! That has these three tenors - and Beth Howard, the sons' mom - on Memorex, but we had them perform it live!!! I can't wait to share that with my great-nieces and great-nephews! They might get inspired to sing opera some day!

"Hey, that could happen! Here's hoping! Mama would have loved that!"

(smile!) 

before - and after - at oldest church

This time, "Voices In Sacred Song" was at First Baptist Church, which has been here on Chippewa Square for 200 years.

I was the first SVF13 volunteer to show up and happened to catch the singers in mufti.

That's Benjamin Sokol, Henry Drangel, James Wright III, Jason Lambros, Lavonya Johnson, Ina Torres O'Ryan, Ashley Nunez, and Samantha Talora, left to right.

That was just before 4 PM.

Flash forward to about twenty past 6 PM.

The last vibrations of Handel's "Hallelujah" still linger from the 103-year-old organ.

Now our line-up has Benjamin Sokol, Ryan Lustgarten, Ashley Nunez, Henry Drangel, James Wright III, Jason Lambros, Lavonya Johnson, Ina Torres O'Ryan, and Samantha Talora.

That means we started with 8 singers and now have 9.

What gives?

Ryan Lustgarten wasn't there for the rehearsal and used a tablet for the two songs he performed; in solidarity, Samantha Talora also used a tablet for their duet.

Very nice, y'all!!!

I did love singing "Hallelujah" with everyone at the end, too.

That's a long-standing tradition at these free gospel concerts.

The best part is watching Sherrill Milnes as he enthusiastically conducts it!

Very nice!!! 

two hits of the bard, straight outta texas!

I have been so blessed with Shakespeare this year!!!

First were two locally-produced musicals, "Romeo & Juliet" with "Much Ado About Nothing", as teens and young folk are prone to do.

(smile! Snuck in a little pun there!)

Those were performed by different troupes which were likely unaware that each had chosen the same writer.

That was all just fortuitous timing for my bday67 - thank y'all!!! 

Last night, and Friday night as well, I was treated to another twosome of the Bard of Avon's works, one historical, one fanciful.

Neither were musicals, though "As You Like It" did have a bit of song, whereas "Henry V" had none.

Neither had any overlapping characters in their stories, either, though both were overladen with the minor, and major, titles of those with royal blood. 

However, the two plays did have one thing in common: the theatre troupe which brought their tales to life.

Seriously!

Both were performed by the troupe at the University of Houston, for Houston's 51st Annual Shakespeare Festival, for the purpose of drawing together their "diverse community to explore... common humanity" - how amazing is that???

Here's something even more amazing: all nine performances throughout the course of the festival were free!!!

Then there's this: two of the performances were streamed live, for free, on the venue's youtube channel!!!

What sweet music to my ears when I saw that post on fb!

The only reason it appeared in my feed was because my friend Lorrie Ruggiero, who lives in Houston, had Miller Outdoor Theater as one of her 'likes'.

Hallelujah!!!

So, on Friday, after the SVF13 cabaret, I tuned in to Miller Outdoor's "Dream Stream" for "Henry V" and was a little lost at first, as historical sagas aren't my strong suit.

But what a thrill to hear that famous "Once more into the breach..." as Henry leads his men into battle in France!

Honestly, every military battle since has been fought for the glory perceived in that 16th century quest!

At the end of the bloody warmongering, Henry had lost almost 500 men... but the French had more than 10,000 dead on the field.

Then it was time to pitch woo, not war!

Fair Katharine had agreed to be his wife, so her dad, the defeated king, had to sanction their marriage.

Ah, yes, love wins out and the two kingdoms were made one as well!

Isn't it lovely when a plan works out?

Then, last night, I came home after Friedman's cabaret and tuned in to the Dream Stream again, this time for a rom-com!

Here's the meet-cute of Orlando and Rosalind, after his wrestling victory, as her cousin Celia looks on.

By the end of the play, there are four weddings (and no funeral! for those who get the 1994 reference!)  

First, of course, is that of Oliver and Rosalind, who was disguised as "Ganymede", a man, earlier when she and Celia had to flee to the forest.

Phebe, a shepherdess who had loved "Ganymede", is wed to Silvius, a shepherd who had loved her for some time.

Touchstone, the courtier who had accompanied Rosalind and Celia when they fled, gets married to Audrey, the singing shepherdess who won his heart.

And what about Celia?

She gets hitched to Orlando's older brother, Oliver!

Happy, happy, happy, happy!

(smile!)

I also found out from the youtube chat that the two live-streams will stay up until Tuesday, so I've posted those on fb for JinHi and others of the theatre scene here.

She's been going through a rough patch with new meds for her lung cancer, so these will be a welcome distraction for a fellow Shakespeare fan!

Paying it forward, however I can!

iz dos geven a niu-yorker kabaret?

Here's the reason I ask.

With cabaret-style, you get a bit of banter between the songs, a bit of insight into how they came to be or some words to set the stage... 

so to speak.

(A little pun to get things rolling!) 

However, this third SVF13 concert had a simple title with a complete absence of that word: "David Friedman: My Simple Wish". 

See what I mean?

And yet, the entire evening's entertainment was most def cabaret!

Even the title song was pure whimsy, sung with as much panache and moxie as Tevye exhibited when he fantasized about being wealthy!!!

Indeed, I laughed repeatedly during "My Simple Wish", especially with Eric Sebek emoting so well during his performance!!!

And what, pray tell, had Friedman's 'wish' been?

To be "rich, famous, and powerful"!!!

Hahahaha!!!

Two out of three ain't bad... as I knew nothing of him before last night.

Even so, I took him to simply be a long-time piano-playing friend of Sherrill and Maria, and a fellow who occasionally wrote music.

Even when I took this photo before the show, when my volunteer duties were waning, I still thought that.

See that tall guy in the glasses and yellow shirt, standing to the right?

That's him, quite possibly chatting with Sherrill and Maria as they also stood.

Well, I'm here to say I was mistaken.

David Friedman just may be famous as well as the other two things he mentioned in "My Simple Wish".

I realized that later in the program, when he broke out the big guns: the songs in several of my favorite Disney musicals for which he was the conductor.

Say what???

Yes, Angela Lansbury sang to him when she recorded "Beauty And The Beast" - done every bit as soulfully tonight by Samantha Talora.

Yes, Robin Williams sang to him when he recorded "Friend Like Me" - done in very animated fashion by James Wright III, with the others backing him up.

Yes, Judy Kuhn sang to him when she recorded "Colors Of The Wind" - done in beautiful voice by the charming, and intelligible, Ina Torres O'Ryan.

[I made sure to compliment her on not "losing the words", as so many sopranos and mezzo-sopranos do when they're swinging for the rafters.]

And, yes, Tom Hulce (my "Amadeus"!) sang to him when he recorded "Out There" - done by Peter Lake in that tenor tone I so love!

Wow.

David Friedman has also written songs for other Disney productions, he's written songs for original Broadway musicals, he's regularly written songs for the "Today Show" on morning television, and he's written books.

Wow.

This was quite a show, tonight, and much more than I'd expected.

Many thanks to David Friedman for being a storyteller and entertainer!

Also, happy 75th birthday, as this year is a special number for him. 

Many thanks to the six singers of his songs - Eric, Ina, James, Samantha, Ashley Nunez (not visible in the photo), and Peter - for bringing out the heart in those songs!

Many thanks to the Savannah Voice Festival for allowing me to be a volunteer!

 

And many thanks to Asbury Memorial Church - and especially to Randy - for making this an easy, and beautiful, venue for SVF13, even on this rainy day!

Right place, right time...

i thank You, God.

bday90 party with aarp!

Remember that "AARP Happy Hour" party that I went to on July 18?

Yeah, the one at Savannah Technical College that no one else attended.

Well, as it turned out, I had the date wrong.

That meant I was double-booked for the real date, which was today.

What to do, what to do?

Well, I did what any busy, vibrant woman would do: I attended both events!

(smile!)

I started off at Eckburg Auditorium, and even had my photo taken!

That's because the AARP Georgia chapter was present, as well as other attendees like myself, unlike that other rainy afternoon.

Hooray!

That photo of me looks pretty good, doesn't it?

I was dressed in my 'blue daisies' dress, with my hair plaited to the right, all ready for my volunteer usher duties at SVF13.

I said I was overbooked, didn't I?

My plan was to celebrate with these folks, then head downtown.

After all, there was food here, and dance music, too!

It was all for the 90th birthday of the Social Security Act, which will actually be on August 14th.

Thank you, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the 74th U.S. Congress!!!

All of us at this shindig, and millions more, would be in deep poverty without that public payroll savings program instigated back in 1935.

That got us in line with other industrialized nations, so that was good.

I wish I could have stayed for some of the games and trivia, but by 5:15 I was out the door, back into a light drizzle, and headed north to Unitarian Universalist Church for the second of two nights of opera at that location.

I'm glad those were Mock Mojitos for that soiree!

(smile!)

cabaret, a la opera!!!

I do so love a cabaret!!!

There's no telling what lyrics may spring forth!!!

Tonight, I laughed and laughed and danced in my seat!

That was in the back pew, situated between two instructors - Timothy Hall and Justin Havard - for the Savannah VOICE experience. 

At the SVF13 tonight, it was "Everything: A Classical Cabaret with Maria Zouves", with lots of contemporary hits from the radio and elsewhere!!!

There was even a fabulously funny farce about french fries that she wrote!!!

(I just had to add that alliteration!!!)

The funniest thing about that?

It's called "My True Love" - hahahaha!!!

But wait... don't I recognize that face of the man center stage?

Of course I do!

That's Richard Ochoa, the first name in violin in this seaport!!!

The fellow in the nice hat is Andrew Sovine, the guest guitarist for this gig.

He's talking to that very nice young pianist, Assaf Gleizner, I met in March.

The gray-jacketed man is the other pianist, David Friedman, who played when Maria was singing one of his songs, "You'll Always Be My Baby". 

(She actually sang two of his numbers tonight. I knew neither song.)

Then, barely visible along the right hand edge with his long white hair and black coat, is Marc Chesanow, the bass player that played with Knauer at the SMF36! 

So very nice to have a band for this cabaret!!!

They really helped round out the sound on the rock ballad (Journey's "Open Arms"!!!), the country ballad (Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me"!!!), the Johnny Mercer hit ("Come Rain Or Come Shine"!!!), the inspirational piece ("Get Happy"!!!), the modern showtune (Wicked's "For Good"!!!) - woohoo!!!

There were a few songs that were new to me.

Michael Ching even took the stage to play his melodica as Maria sang "It's Always Been You", a special composition written for the anniversary of Allan and Arlene Ratner.

How very nice that I actually know those people.

Arlene is a paternal cousin of mi amiga Sandy!

I've enjoyed talking with Arlene at the "Food For Thought" luncheons.

I need to start going to those again!

What a lovely thought from this concert tonight!!!

(smile!)

a season of numbers, like 90

Don't ask me who the other person is; I have no idea, as they were not the focus of my attention.

Sherrill Milnes is the one my camera was aimed at, the gentleman by the window at the Unitarian Universalist Church.

I'd like to think Elvis Presley would resemble that midwestern nonagenarian, if he were still alive.

After all, they were born two days apart in January of 1935.

Yes, Elvis would be 90 years old now, just as Sherrill is, and both are just a year older than my Daddy would have been in April.

What a thought!

At yesterday's opening show yesterday, Maria Zouves spoke of SVF13 being a celebration of numeric milestones (much as I speak of mileage markers).

The first number was '90', her husband's age.

The next was '60', the number of years since he started his operatic career.

(That also happens to be her age now.)

Then came '25', the numbers of years since the couple started the Savannah VOICE Experience to foster the growth of opera in young singers.

(Their son, Theo, is also 25 years old now.)

Those are all nice round numbers.

I like '13', though.

After all, this is the 13th annual Savannah VOICE Festival... and I am here, once more, as a volunteer to welcome folks to this music!

Right place, right time... and it's almost show time!

i thank You, God!