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Houston Symphony with Linda Eder was not the best it could have been.
By
DAVID DOW BENTLEY III
“The
People’s Critic”
(The Courier
07.15.01) | Regular
readers of this column know that I tend toward finding the
positive aspects of the entertainments I review, but do not
hesitate to declare the problems as well. Last Saturday night's
Linda Eder / Houston Symphony concert at the Cynthia Woods
Mitchell Pavilion had some problems-"Big time!" as
Vice-President Cheney might say. But first, the good news:
The program opened in great form with conductor, Mariusz Smolij
leading the full symphony in a dreamy and exciting performance of
Gershwin's "Cuban Overture." It had the rhythmic flavor
of "West Side Story," and was perfect for a summer
evening. Next, the symphony performed a majestic series of
selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The King and
I." It was superb from start to finish, and featured a
bounding and glorious "Shall We Dance" that evoked
memories of a proudly prancing Yul Brynner as king. Next came the
symphony's tribute to composer, Leroy Anderson with his delightful
"Sandpaper Ballet" and sensuous "Blue Tango."
The first part of the program concluded with Ron Nelson's
"Savannah River Holiday," which seemed to capture the
many moods of the river.
Ms. Eder arrived onstage following the intermission. She has a
stunningly beautiful voice. I learned that several years ago when
a friend gave me a pre-production recording of the forthcoming
"Jekyll and Hyde" musical I would later see in Houston
and on Broadway. The talent of Ms. Eder was unmistakable. The many
fans and "groupies" who know that were out in force
Saturday night, and they had a good time at this concert.
In 1967 I had the pleasure of attending Judy Garland's Opening
Night at the Palace in New York. (In a happy accident, singer
Connie Francis was seated beside me in the audience.) Several
years earlier, I was fortunate to see Barbra Streisand on her
closing day (Christmas) in the original New York production of
"Funny Girl." I mention these episodes because Ms. Eder
has been favorably compared to both singers. In many ways, I think
the comparisons are justified. But on Saturday night none of that
mattered, because sound engineering at this concert was a scandal.
This beautiful woman, with her extraordinary voice, was so
over-amplified I really felt angry. Even the microphone she held
was not above suspicion. There were songs where lyrics were so
distorted as to be unintelligible. I am at the Pavilion often
enough to know that the sound engineering is consistently first
class, so I am at a loss to explain how this happened. Did someone
important call in sick? Was there an unannounced employee strike?
Or did Eder's talented, longtime Musical Director, Jeremy Roberts,
get carried away with conducting Ms. Eder's onstage musicians and
the fine symphony orchestra that supported them? The bottom line
is that both the noise and the music overwhelmed the beautiful
voice of Ms. Eder. This did not happen when I saw Garland and
Streisand, and it did not happen when I enjoyed reviewing Cher's
fabulous concert here at the Pavilion. Eder deserved better!
There was an embracing "Come Rain or Come Shine" that
could have reached perfection with better audio. Better still was
the smooth and pleasing "I Don't Know How to Love Him."
Eder sparkled in her glittering, sand-colored evening gown. Her
diamond necklace was equally radiant. Yet another gem was "On
the Street Where You Live," with wonderful saxophone solos
from Larry Sleazak. From her holiday album, Eder showed her skill
as storyteller in "The Bells of St. Paul." She gave the
audience a sampling of the musical "Havana," now being
developed by her husband, composer Frank Wildhorn.
Fans heard a powerful "Man of La Mancha," and there was
a soaring "What Kind of Fool Am I?" after which Eder
confided to the audience, "I don't think I've ever been so
hot in my entire life!" It was a warm evening at the
Pavilion, but the audio engineering was not so hot!
E-Mail
David Dow Bentley III
Bentley’s columns, featured in newspapers
from the East Coast to the Gulf Coast, may be viewed on the website at
www.ThePeoplesCritic.com
while E-mail may be addressed to
ThePeoplesCritic@earthlink.net
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