Pops Gallic Capers at Descanso
MUSIC REVIEW
On a beautiful and warm evening, Rachael Worby, conductor of the Pasadena Pops Orchestra, offered splendid musical meal of French cuisine in a Gallic romp that blended the talents of orchestra members with the vocal strength of Karen Akers as Parisian songstress Edith Piaf, the piano accomplishments of two young pianists, Yangfue Fang and Hunter Noack heading a cast of principal players in an entreé spiced with the capers of actor Steve Connell as narrator in the centerpiece number, Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals”. At the end, the soufflé was George Gershwin’s “American in Paris”.
The Pops program opened with the overture to “Orpheus in the Underworld” the music that Jacques Offenbach incorporated the familiar “Can-Can” melody. Rose City Ballroom members literally kicked off the evening with the famed can-can dance. Karen Akers followed in the first of two sets bringing her sultry mezzo-soprano voice to the stage in a riveting performance reliving music moments from the incredible career of Edith Piaf the Parisian songstress of the 1940s. In both turns, Akers presented songs from her Cabaret Record CD album, “Under Paris Skies” in impeccable French incorporating all of the tunes Piaf is known for. Throughout the evening, Akers included Piaf’s 1946 signature song “La Vie en Rose” (lyrics were by Piaf), “Milord”, “Non, Je Regrette Rien”, “Padam Padam” and others. Akers, who has a long list of motion picture, Broadway, television, stage, concert hall and cabaret credits on her résumé, held her ground firmly in place as she belted the torch songs with ease, maintaining both excellent voice quality and suitable emotion. The orchestra offered substantial backing in smooth arrangements. The orchestra’s accomplished pianist, Alan Steinberger, set the mood and pace at the beginning of most of Akers songs.
Alan and Lin Vlacich of South Pasadena; Waynn and Holly Pearson of Pasadena enjoy the evening at Descanso Gardens
The substantial portion of the program came just before intermission in the over-two-hour (including intermission) concert with the Pops and Worby turning their abundant individual talents into a showpiece as they presented Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals”, the 14-section composition that musically teases the stereotypical nature of several beasts. Adding to the talent pool were pianists Yangyue Fang and Hunter Noack each of whom sat at separate upright pianos to elegantly perform the difficult portions of the score—the best of which, of course, was the 11th, “Pianists” (another form of miserable animal) with each discordantly pounding the keyboard with the scales, but resolving into, let’s say, more normal sounds, Saint-Saens’ wonderful re-creation of a music school practice hall. They were both wonderful throughout. Fang is currently studying piano at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles and Noack is in his second year at USC’s Thornton School of Music. Both, according to program notes, study with John Perry.
Each animal is identified by particular instrument and it needs to be reported that all soloists performed appropriately, although I would count the bass section’s elephant motif as the most wonderfully whimsical.
But it was the irrepressible Steve Connell, reciting the narration written by Ogden Nash, written in 1949 for a recording of the piece by Andre Kostelanetz, and words spoken by Noel Coward on that record, that made the evening whole. Connell performed the difficult jumble of wordsmithing Nash wrote without a script in front of him. Performing from memory allowed Connell to range freely among orchestra members which he did prodigiously, standing on a chair at one point, tousling the hair of pianist Noack, hugging conductor Worby, and intimidating (humorously) clarinetist Donald Foster. His high-pitched, feigned-drunk act was a marvel to behold. But then, with lines like: “of mammoth polkas and mazurkas, pterodactyls and brontosauruses, sang ghostly prehistoric choruses…” it would be pretty difficult to not go to the top and keep from going over. But, seriously, folks, Connell is a National Poetry Slam Champion whose work has been heralded on national television as both a writer and performer. He starred in “the Beat” and is seen currently in “Blues”.
The balance of the program included Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre with concertmaster Aimee Kreston tuning the E string of her violin to an E-flat on stage to demonstrate the weird sound of “death” the composer envisioned. Kreston was right-on both here and in her leadership throughout the evening. An overly bland version of Cole Porter’s “I Love Paris” in a Nelson Riddle arrangement did nothing to serve the cause of loving France. And at the end of the evening, Worby’s super-slow tempo on Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” pretty much allowed the soufflé to fall.
“Star-Crossed Love” is the theme of the next Pasadena Pops musical romp at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge on Friday and Saturday nights, Aug. 14 and 15. Lots of Romeo and Juliet plus soloists soprano Angel Blue and tenor Robert MacNeil in tough love numbers. Information: (626)) 793-7172, ext. 16.
By Bill Peters
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