The duo of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein has left an indelible legacy in American music. Indeed, they created the golden age of Broadway musicals and a canon of songs still performed in choruses and by acting luminaries on Broadway and beyond. The magic arrived at Millennium Park on Friday, July 25, with "The Magic of Rodgers and Hammerstein." The magnificent Grant Park Symphony, under the direction of Conductor Lawrence Loh, and the Chorus, directed by Christopher Bell, provided the soundtrack for three outstanding singers who lit up the stage with their beautiful voices. It was a highlight of the annual Grant Park Music Festival, which also features performances of great classical composers to appreciative crowds every summer.
Soprano Lisa Vroman enchanted Broadway as Christine in Phantom of the Opera for over 2000 performances. Her pure and velvety soprano has been in musicals and operas all over the world. Vroman has a stage presence that grabs at the heart and pulls you into the world of whatever she is singing. Vroman opened with "It's a Grand Night for Singing," from State Fair, followed by Mamie Parris giving a fun zip to "All the Things You Are," from Very Warm for May.
Mamie Parris is a delightful soprano. Her voice is perfect for the staged musical, with a good range and expressive demeanor. Parris is an excellent counterpoint to Vroman's more operatic style, and then enters tenor John Riesen, who appeared as a finalist on America's Got Talent. Riesen has that Broadway or opera stage magnetism that entrances an audience. The trio went on to sing from the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit parade of musicals. South Pacific, Carousel, The Boys From Syracuse, and my personal favorite, The Sound Of Music. Vroman told a story about how much she admired Julie Andrews and wanted to sing like her. It was thrilling to hear her take on "Do Re Mi" and get the audience to sing along. She does have that Julie Andrews gamine thing going on, and all we needed was a backdrop of the Swiss Alps.
I loved Riesen's "Soliloquy" from Carousel, one of the darker-themed musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It was an adaptation of a tragic Hungarian play by Ferenc Molnár transplanted to America. Riesen reminded me of George McCrae in looks and voice. Mamie Parris did a rambunctious rendering of "June Is Bustin'Out All Over." Parris has the ideal Broadway musical presence with a smile and mischief in her voice. Her version of "Johnny One Note" from Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's Babes In Arms takes a page from the Betty Hutton school of comedic acting.
The Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus played the overture to South Pacific and "Waltz" from Carousel. I got goosebumps when the chorus joined in on "Climb Every Mountain." It is a song of self-realization and features an incredible swell and crescendo that lets everyone know the Von Trapps have arrived in Switzerland, so your personal Alps journey can be conquered. The orchestra played "Shall We Dance" from The King and I with majestic rhythm so much that I imagined Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr spinning around the palace of Siam. Conductor Larry Loh was in command of the baton and did a masterful job of conducting legendary Broadway songs.
The concert finale featured the trio singing from Oklahoma, including "People Will Say We're In Love" and the title song. The crowd gave them a standing ovation in the pavilion and on the lawn. They performed an encore of "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel, a song that has been sung on stages and in churches, in my experience. It was the perfect encore and message for the audience in these challenging times. American musicals are the voice of the nation in every era, from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Jagged Little Pill. Rodgers and Hammerstein had a formula, like other great composers and lyricists. They took the pulse of the nation and made their musicals relevant for every generation's obstacles, heartbreak, and triumphs.
The Grant Park Music Festival's The Magic of Rodgers and Hammerstein was a magical experience. Even the rain that was threatened cooperated and sent a cool lake breeze our way. I highly recommend that every music lover take a blanket, insect repellent, and a nice spread of nibbles to the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. For those who don't remember, Grant Park was the original site of the Chicago festivals and still hosts some fun times. A particular Lollapalooza festival will occupy both parks, and next week, the Grant Park Music Festival will be staged at the Harris Theater, adjacent to Millennium Park.
The Grant Park Music Festival takes place every summer in Chicago, from early June through mid-August. It's great music and it is free. Get yourself there and relax in the beautiful surroundings of Chicago's skyline and Michigan Avenue.
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