Weekend with John Kander

Well, not exactly.  But I did have a weekend filled with John Kander's music!  :) 


Saturday night, I was very fortunate to score a ticket to the developmental lab production of John Kander's new musical, The Landing.  His lyricist and bookwriter on this project is a young playwright, Greg Pierce.  Since the show is in development, and since critics weren't even allowed to attend, I won't offer a real review (not that I'm a critic - you know what I mean), but I will say that I think the piece is very worthy of more development.  As of now, it's three small unrelated pieces, comprising one musical evening.  I found two of the pieces gentle, haunting and sad, with lovely music and thought-provoking dialogue.  I hope to see them in full form sometime soon.  If the third piece didn't reveal itself to me, oh well.  Thanks to the Vineyard for giving John Kander a place to play.  And thanks to John Kander for continuing to stretch himself and make challenging musical theater.

Sunday night, the Dramatists Guild Fund had their 50th Anniversary Celebration honoring John Kander.  It was a star-studded night at the Mandarin Oriental on Columbus Circle. 

I think I first heard John Kander music when I was in college.  I was woefully ignorant of American musical theater and only started to catch up with the classics after I'd been in school for a few years.  Anyway, my undergrad program was performing Chicago and it was a fantastic production.  I believe I went to see it two or three times, because I thought the show was so great - it was so much more tuneful, sophisticated and fun than any other musical I had ever seen.  In the many years since then, I've seen a lot more of his work and loved it all.  Yes, I've loved some more than others, but that's the nature of the beast.  Since Chicago was the first I saw, it holds a special place in my heart, but I tell you, I was so thrilled by The Scottsboro Boys last year, it ranks right up there.

The Mandarin Oriental is a lovely place for a celebration like this.  The view is spectacular from the ballroom, the table set-up was comfortable and intimate, the food was tasty and the champagne was flowing.  :)  The program of performances to honor John was a serious who's who of American theater.  Each and every performance was a thrill and I'm so grateful I got to experience it from right there:  first, Joel Grey did a little bit of "Wilkommen" and I got a little bit verklempt; Karen Mason did a gorgeous "Colored Lights" from The Rink; Rita Gardner broke my heart with her "You Could Never Shame Me" from Kiss of the Spider Woman; musical director Paul Bogaev was great (though sadly at the mercy of his wayward mic) doing "The First Time" from Zorba; Howard McGillin, one of my super-uber-faves, did an amazingly stellar "I Miss the Music" from Curtains; Debra Monk killed it with "Everybody's Girl" from Steel Pier (I remember when I saw the show - I thought that Kristin Chenoweth was going to be a star and Debra Monk would win a Tony for that number. I was close, but no Tony win, darn it...); Joshua Henry delivered a soulful and moving "Home" from The Scottsboro Boys (I treasure my signed CD from that show, and I treasure listening to John himself sing that song. Gorgeous); Bebe Neuwirth and Karen Ziemba were electric in "Nowadays" from Chicago; Stockard Channing was nervous, but performed a lovely "A Quiet Thing" from Flora the Red Menace; the incomparable Chita Rivera was, well, incomparable doing "There You Are" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and, hello, Liza Minnelli was on it, doing a few of her signature numbers written by John.  The evening concluded with, of course, "New York, New York" and everyone joining John on the stage. 

Other speakers included Gretchen Cryer, Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, Christie Brinkley, Stephen Schwartz and Terrence McNally.  What was most lovely was hearing all of them speak about the kindness and generosity of John Kander.  As they all pointed out, in a profession that can sometimes be less than kind, how wonderful to work with a man who wants nothing more than to collaborate and share his talent.  To know that everyone, working together, will bring out the best in each other.  It was a good lesson for the room.  I've saved a couple of very sweet e-mails that I've received from John over the years, so I can attest to his being a great guy, too.  But it's always nice to hear it resoundingly across the board.

Last night was truly an amazing evening, filled with love, respect and great music.  And a tasty spring pea risotto with mint.  And champagne.  I'm so lucky to have been there.  May John Kander write for another 50 years!  :)