Ford Amphitheatre (Hollywood, CA)
Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award winner Stephen Schwartz presents a sneak peak of his new opera Seance on a Wet Afternoon, and the Upright Cabaret All-Stars interpret some of his hits from productions such as Pippin and Wicked. Featuring acclaimed soprano Lauren Flanigan, three-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann, Tony nominee Valarie Pettiford, Grammy Award winner Nathan Lee Graham, Elizabeth Brackenbury, Matt Cusson and more.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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I absolutely adored every second. Loved it. The best part, actually, was Stephen Schwartz himself, sitting down at the piano and singing "For Good" from Wicked (my favorite song from that show). It was a musical theatre lover's perfect night. The opera excerpts in the beginning were just gorgeous. Stephen Schwartz has been writing in the Musical world for almost 40 years and just keeps getting better.
Wow! What a magical night at the Pilgrimage, especially that second act with the Upright Cabaret interpreting the songs of SS. One of the best events of the summer!
I don't think many in the audience enjoyed the Act 1 excerpts from Mr. Schwartz's new opera. I do enjoy opera and a couple of the songs were nice, but taking excerpts out of the opera context (not all were arias) did little to help me appreciate his new work.
The second act was very enjoyable, and most singers quite talented. Of course, there was the crazy man who sang - excuse me, SHOUTED - "No Good Deed" after making his entrance by running down the hillside. My guess was that he was the comedy relief.
The evening left me pondering what ever happened to the art of diction.
Tips are provided by Goldstar members and Chris Isaacson & Shane Scheel Present. Goldstar is not responsible for their content or accuracy.
The 1241-seat outdoor Ford Amphitheatre is set against a backdrop of cypresses and chaparral in the Hollywood Hills. It is relatively intimate: no patron is more than 96 feet away from the stage. Music, dance, film, theatre and family events are presented during the summer months. The Ford Amphitheatre Season is a program of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award-winning lyricist and composer of Wicked, Pippin, Godspell and Disney’s Enchanted, presents a sneak peak of his new opera, “Séance on a Wet Afternoon,” that will have its world premiere at Opera Santa Barbara this fall. Followed by a second act extravaganza featuring Upright Cabaret All-Star performers interpreting Schwartz’s most popular songs, including “Defying Gravity,” “The Wizard & I,” “Popular,” “Day by Day” “Corner of the Sky,” “Magic to Do”and “Morning Glow,” among others! Directed by Broadway/Recording star Billy Porter Presented by Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel as part of Upright Cabaret's Wicked Summer Nights series at the Ford Amphitheatre.
With performances by Opera star Lauren Flanigan, Michael Arden (Broadway: Times They Are a Changin'), Elizabeth Brackenbury, David Burnham (Broadway: Light in the Piazza, Wicked), Matt Cusson, Grammy winner Nathan Lee Graham, Audra Mae, 3x Tony Nominee Terrence Mann (Broadway: Beauty and the Beast, Cats, Les Miserables), Katy Mixon, Nicole Parker, Tony Nominee Valarie Pettiford (Broadway: Fosse), Tami Tappen, Ty Taylor (CBS's RockStar INXS), Tracie Thoms (Broadway: Rent, TV: CSI), Jennifer Leigh Warren (Broadway: Little Shop of Horrors, Big River, Marie Christine), Brenna Whitaker, and many more!
Chris Isaacson & Shane Scheel Present
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