I was at Walt Disney Concert Hall last night, Dear Readers, for a repeat performance of the concert that Dear Reader Donald saw on Sunday by the Los Angeles Master Chorale. The program included pieces by Dear BK's good friend Mr. Stephen Sondheim, Mr. Jason Robert Brown, Mr. Ricky Ian Gordon and Mr. Adam Guettel.
Miss Megan Mullally and Mr. Brian d'Arcy James were the featured guest performers; Mr. Gordon provided piano accompaniment for several of his songs and Mr. Brown played piano and sang several of his numbers, as well. Neither Mr. Sondheim nor Mr. Guettel were present.
The concert came off as a big blah, in my humble opinion. First off, the amplification, which the fine people at WDCH have yet to get right at the hall, rendered most of the solo-performed lyrics unintelligible, thereby zapping to considerable degree the potential impact of what was sung. Songs out of context, several puzzling selections, and poor matching of talent to music here and there (Mr. James would make a fine Jamie in The Last 5 Years, from which he sang "Shiksa Goddess," but he was also put up to the task, not very successfully, of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd") made for a very disjointed program.
Mr. Brown and Mr. Gordon appeared in a brief discussion that preceded the concert. Mr. Brown displayed a wicked and dry sense of humor, and had some very unkind things to say about the business side of Broadway today. A glimmer of humility was revealed when he acknowledged that Parade was not quite the great work of art for the stage that Sweeney Todd is. Mr. Gordon came off as a highly energetic and witty sort of fellow. Sort of a gay Jewish leprechaun, which I say with only the most positive of intent.
