October 2010 Archives

The New York State Theater -- recently renovated and renamed the David H. Koch Theater in the wake of a $100 million gift from that billionaire philanthropist -- has been known primarily as a home for ballet and opera since it opened in 1964, but the venue also has an honored history of American musical theater productions. In its early years, the Music Theater of Lincoln Center under the leadership of no less than Richard Rodgers offered acclaimed stagings of several beloved shows there, including Rodgers' own South Pacific and The King and I plus such other classics as West Side Story and Kismet, not to mention a smash-hit revival of Annie Get Your Gun with the one and only Ethel Merman recreating her original role.

Over the years, the theater's two resident companies, New York City Opera and New York City Ballet, have each done their part to blur the lines between the various art forms: NYCB has often revived Fancy Free, the Bernstein-Jerome Robbins ballet that served as the basis for the musical On the Town, as well as the popular West Side Story suite of dances; and NYCO's musicals have ranged from Sweeney Todd to 110 in the Shade to The Pajama Game.

All of which is meant to make the point that City Opera's 2010-2011 season, dedicated largely to the music of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Schwartz, is part of a grand tradition. Beginning tonight (October 27), the company revives Bernstein's only full-length opera, A Quiet Place; and on Saturday, November 6, a starry gala celebration titled Leonard Bernstein: Lucky to Be Me will pack the theater. In April-May, NYCO will give us the New York premiere production of Schwartz's first opera, Séance on a Wet Afternoon; and on April 21, the company will field another starry concert, this one titled Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz. I recently spoke with George Steel, NYCO's new general manager and artistic director, about all this excitement.

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BROADWAYSTARS: The State Theater, now the Koch, is a large hall with about 2,700 seats. The general opinion is that some musicals have worked beautifully there, whereas more intimate works have not. What are some of the pluses of presenting musical theater in this venue?

GEORGE STEEL: Well, for one thing, New York City Opera is able to field an orchestra of a size that you'll never hear on Broadway. That's a wonderful experience for the right kind of music. Also, depending on the show, we can present it unmiked, as will be the case with both A Quiet Place and Séance on a Wet Afternoon. There's a kid in the Schwartz opera who may get a little reinforcement, and there's a jazz trio in the Trouble in Tahiti section of the Bernstein that's supposed to be miked, but for the most part, those performances will be acoustic. In the Bernstein and Schwartz concerts, the show music will be sung on mike by the Broadway people.

STARS: Can you give us an update on the guest stars for the Bernstein concert?

STEEL: We have Victoria Clark, Christine Ebersole, Kelli O'Hara, Donna Murphy, Michael Cerveris, Darius de Haas, Cheyenne Jackson, and Michael Urie, plus some of our own best singers, our chorus and children's choir, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and of course, the New York City Opera orchestra. It's an enormous show. We'll be doing music from Wonderful Town, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, On the Town, West Side Story, and more, as well as sections of the Kaddish Symphony, Mass, and Songfest. Ted Sperling is directing the show, and George Manahan will conduct.

STARS: You brought up the subject of orchestral forces. There has been such a marked diminution in the size of Broadway orchestras over the past few decades...

STEEL: Yes, it's heartbreaking. When I see a musical on Broadway with nine or ten musicians and someone asks "Who orchestrated this show?", I always say, "The producers."

STARS: Do you think there will always be a market for enjoyment of full orchestras at places like City Opera and the Met?

STEEL: Absolutely. That's what we're in the business of doing. And it's the first thing we do, not an add-on. When you're focusing on musical values, you cannot synthesize or replace a real orchestra. But the answer may be that, in the future, really top-flight orchestra playing will thrive in the not-for-profit sphere, because in the commercial theater, the money is being spent elsewhere; it seems you can have A and B but not C, or A and C but not B. You can't have all three.

STARS: Do you think that musicals will continue to have a place in the New York City Opera repertoire?

STEEL: Yes!

STARS: You know, the Tonys are looking for a new venue, now that Radio City Music Hall is unavailable....

STEEL: They should absolutely come to Lincoln Center. That's a great idea.

STARS: Bernstein's A Quiet Place was not well received in its premiere production by the Houston Grand Opera, but maybe it's time for a reassessment.

STEEL: It takes my breath away to think that people can come to our theater and hear three hours of a Bernstein opera that has never been done in New York. What an astonishing gift that is. The score is beautiful. It's not Broadway; it's opera. But it's extraordinarily wonderful music.

STARS: Would you care to speculate on why the opera wasn't successful when it premiered?

STEEL: It's not hard to imagine that in Houston, Texas during the Reagan '80s, people were not ready for an opera about a dysfunctional family with a gay main character. Also, it was the curse of Leonard Bernstein that a lot of people came to his works with an expectation of what they were supposed to sound like, and were irate when they heard something else. You know, "I came for West Side Story, and what I got was art music." It was incredibly courageous of Bernstein to stick to his guns and produce the music he believed in very deeply. He didn't pander. That's the sign of a truly great artist.

STARS: As for the Stephen Schwartz opera, what are your thoughts?

STEEL: What's amazing is how well he adapted to the operatic idiom. It's a very strong piece with a great story. And it's appropriate that it will bookend our season with the Bernstein opera, because one of Stephen Schwartz's first gigs out of college was to work with Bernstein on Mass. Also, Bernstein's sister Shirley was Schwartz's agent for many years, so they had a long-standing relationship.

STARS: I didn't get to NYCO at all last season, so I haven't been in the theater since the renovation. I'm excited to see and hear what's been done.

STEEL: I think there's sort of a canard or a myth in the public mind that the theater was built for dance and therefore can't be good for opera, which is just nonsense. The great thing about the stage for dance is that it has a permanently installed, sprung dance floor, so the noise of footfalls isn't created in the first place. I think what really happened is that the theater was actually too reverberant when it opened -- they were doing spoken theater here, as well as musicals -- so they put in all this stuff to dry up the sound, including floor-to-ceiling carpet on the back wall. We've finally torn out the carpet and fixed the place up. Now it sounds wonderful.

[For more information about the New York City Opera season, or to purchase tickets, visit nycopera.com]

If you're an opera singer today, you have to be ready for your close-up. The ever-growing popularity of opera on home video and in cinecasts has greatly increased the demand for sopranos, tenors, mezzos, and baritones who are beautiful to look at as well as to hear, in addition to being able to act.

Vittorio Grigolo has all of those bases covered several times over. Commenting on the photos of the young, lean, and handsome tenor included in the booklet that accompanies his debut opera recital CD from Sony, a friend of mine said, "This looks like his modeling portfolio." But here's the truth: Grigolo's voice is so breathtakingly gorgeous that he would be assured a stellar career even if he were 100 pounds heavier and had a face that only his mamma could love.

Born in Arezzo, Italy, Grigolo has just made his hotly anticipated debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Rodolfo in La Bohème. I initially became aware of his talent by way of a 2007 studio recording of West Side Story on which he sings the role of Tony with glorious tone and great feeling. Only recently did I learn that the 33-year-old's resume includes a hit "popera" album and even a brief association with Il Divo, along with the impressive repertoire of operatic roles he has sung all over the globe. I had the golden opportunity to speak with opera's new golden boy the day after his second performance in Bohème.

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BROADWAYSTARS: You sang beautifully last night, Vittorio. Everything I've read about you has stressed that you're a lyric tenor, but your voice fills the house and really rings.

VITTORIO GRIGOLO: Thank you so much. Maybe it's a lucky house for me. Different houses respond to different voices, so maybe the Met is good for my voice.

STARS: I hope you enjoyed the audience response to your performance.

VITTORIO: Incredible. I didn't expect such a noise. I hope it's all part of what I give onstage and not because of the article [in The New York Times] that comes before the performance. I think most people come to the Met because they love opera and they want to enjoy themselves. We don't need people who come only to hear if the singers make mistakes!

STARS: As a boy, you sang the role of the young shepherd in Tosca with Luciano Pavarotti at the Rome Opera. There's a video of that production. Are you in it?

VITTORIO: I think so. Is it a little, chubby guy in a shepherd costume? Then it's me.

STARS: In addition to your 50th anniversary recording of West Side Story, you played Tony at La Scala and on tour.

VITTORIO. What an experience, to sing that music and to do the Jerome Robbins choreography. I loved it. From an opera singer's point of view, we don't really know what's going on with the corps de ballet, but in West Side Story, you're a part of it all. In the morning, I did the exercises with the ballet dancers. For my body, it was the best time of my life.

STARS: Tony normally doesn't dance much in the show, but it sounds like you did more.

VITTORIO: Yes, I did the mambo and the ballet.

STARS: Was it a complete, fully-staged production of the show, with dialogue?

VITTORIO: Yes. My English was not so good at the time, so some people had something to say about my pronunciation and my accent.

STARS: You've also done Candide, but not the title role; you played the Governor and two other character parts. Other than West Side Story and Candide, what are some of your favorite musicals?

VITTORIO: I love Mary Poppins and The Lion King, which I saw in London. I saw The Phantom of the Opera in Las Vegas. It was amazing, with the chandelier and everything.

STARS: Have you and your wife seen any shows on Broadway yet?

VITTORIO: No, I haven't had time, and I don't go out that much. I need to rest my voice. This morning, after three interviews, my voice is like Darth Vader in Star Wars. Shut up, Vittorio!

STARS: You were a member of Simon Cowell's popera group Il Divo for a very short time, but my understanding is that you never actually performed with them. Did you learn anything from Simon?

VITTORIO: Yeah -- how to make money! But I'm still learning. I'm still poor.

STARS: Your debut opera recital CD is beautiful. It's a nice surprise that one of your selections is Rinuccio's aria from Gianni Schicchi. Tenors rarely program that piece in a recital or on an album --- I guess partly because it includes the melody of "O mio babbino caro" but only in the orchestra, so the tenor doesn't get to sing it. .

VITTORIO: Yes, but also, that aria is so tough. The tessitura is very high.

STARS: Opera singers are almost always booked very far in advance. What do you have upcoming?

VITTORIO: I will do Romeo et Juliette at La Scala. That will be my debut there. I have Manon in Valencia, and I will do a few concerts to promote the album. In January or February, I'm going to start recording my second album. I want to go back to the sacred music I used to sing when I was a little kid in the Sistine Chapel choir, but with my voice of today.

STARS: When do you think you might return to the Met after your present run in Bohème is over?

VITTORIO: I talked with Peter Gelb about next season, but I'm already booked and they have already cast everything. So I don't think I'll be back next season, unless somebody drops out of something and I'm available. I think I will be back in 2013.

STARS: You're all over the media, or maybe I should say the media is all over you. I saw you on Good Morning America a couple of weeks ago, singing "Una furtiva lagrima."

VITTORIO: And tonight I am going to be on this show Extra. I had an interview with Terri Seymour, the ex-girlfriend of Simon Cowell. She was cute!

STARS: Well, thanks for this interview, and welcome to New York.

VITTORIO: Thank you so much. It's a really Big Apple, but I think I am taking a little bite of it.

[Vittorio Grigolo has three more scheduled performances of La Bohème at the Met this season, on October 28 and November 1 and 5. For more information, visit metopera.org.]

Originally from Canada, Craig Ramsay has lately been spending most of his time on the Left Coast, working as Jackie Warner's co-fitness trainer on the hit Bravo TV reality series Thintervention. (I know, the title is silly -- but the show is awesome.) Before that, Craig was a pumped and ripped presence in the New York theater community, training actors and other clients even as he was appearing on Broadway in such shows as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Fiddler on the Roof. I recently caught up with him at a Starbucks in Hell's Kitchen while he was in town for some meetings.

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BROADWAYSTARS: Craig, you sure know how to order healthy at Starbucks, which is no mean feat.

CRAIG RAMSAY: Actually, it's easier to eat healthy in New York than in L.A. And they don't know how to line up people out there.

STARS: I'm sorry, do you mean...

CRAIG: ...how to line up people in a proper line. In L.A., four people can be waiting at Koo Koo Roo chicken, and somehow they're out the door and around the corner. It's horrible. I love living in L.A., but I miss New Yorkers.

STARS: Did you spend much time in L.A. before you moved there to do this show?

CRAIG: Yes. I had laid down the groundwork over the past five or six years, and I made the big decision to move about two and half years ago. I wanted to transition into full-time fitness training, because I had been splitting my time between performing on Broadway in the evenings and training people during the day.

STARS: I seem to remember that, a couple of years ago, you developed a fitness program with your brother.

CRAIG: Yes, it's geared towards men who want to keep in shape but don't have a gym nearby and are struggling with the demands of family and work. It's called "Daddy's At-Home Workout." But now, I'm in the realm of having a production company take over. Everything is happening: A book, DVDs, a clothing line, a protein shake. I'm gearing up to form a fitness empire!

STARS: How did you get the gig on Thintervention?

CRAIG: I auditioned, and I had six interviews. They wanted to know who I was and what I could bring to the table. They wanted to be sure that I would be the perfect yin to Jackie's yang, if you will -- that we could work as a good cop/bad cop team.

STARS: Which one are you?

CRAIG: I'm the good cop! Jackie has a reputation for being tough -- but, let me tell you, she has a beautiful, caring, soft side to her that I've been privileged to experience.

STARS: Are there any performers among the people you're training on the show?

CRAIG: Yes. Bryan Donovan is a theater performer, and so is Stacy Citron. Because of my theater background, I incorporate dance and movement into my workout regimes and programs more than any other trainer I know. I always focus on stretching, range of movement. On next week's episode of Thintervention, we have The Pussycat Doll Workout, which stresses fitness through dance.

STARS: The Pussycat Doll Workout?

CRAIG: Hell, yeah. It's a cardio blast!

STARS: When you were doing shows in New York, did you train any of your fellow cast members?

CRAIG: Sure. I never name my clients, because of privacy issues, but I've helped to grow a lot of biceps on Broadway. I did a whole program with the Broadway Bares boys; I showed them how they could work out safely and get results without injuring themselves and being unable to perform.

STARS: When you auditioned for Thintervention, were they specifically looking for an openly gay male co-trainer to work with Jackie?

CRAIG: I don't think that was a requirement; they just wanted someone who was comfortable being himself on reality TV.

STARS: In terms of getting the job, do you think it was a plus or a minus that you're openly gay?

CRAIG: The fitness industry -- not gym culture itself, but the industry -- is extremely straight and homophobic. My hope is that Jackie and I being who we are, and not shying away from that, is going to help the situation. To be openly gay in this industry could have its setbacks, but I'm demanding that they don't. I don't ever want to live a life away from who I am. Look at all the teenagers we've lost in the last few weeks. If I can be a role model for any of those kids, then I've done something of value on this earth.

STARS: What are the chances that you might come back to Broadway?

CRAIG: Who knows? I still do my vocal warm-ups and my stretches, just in case I get a call from Wicked! I am hoping to spend some more time in New York, and I definitely want to teach my Broadway Booty Camps here. They're specially designed for dancers. Broadway dancers definitely have the booty -- they have the core strength and the physique that a lot of the general public wants.

STARS: Would you care to name any Broadway performers who you think are in especially good shape?

CRAIG: Well, I will say that that there a few people I'd love to get my hands on!

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[For more information on Craig Ramsay, or to contact him, go to his Facebook page or visit craigramsayfitness.com.]