Who isn’t a sucker for show tunes? Well, you might be but I certainly have
the guts to admit that the catchy-ness gets to me in exponential form.
Sure, they can be campy and corny and melodramatic at the same time, but
you have to love `em.
The Knoxville Opera Company is hosting some really big tunes from some
really big shows by some really big names from the world of theatre.
“Music of the Night,” a performance featuring Broadway’s newest
award-winning hits, opens the 1994-1995 opera season July 15-17 at the
Tennessee Theatre. This is a second annual event.
“We were truly pleased with the overwhelming public response to our “Music
of the Night” concert last July, and are planning for an even greater
event with this year’s sequel,” said Robert Lyall, General Director of the
Knoxville Opera.
This show will give the non-musical goer a Showtunes 101 class, if you
will, that will base its repertoire on mastery of Leonard Bernstein, Frank
Loesser, Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The first half of the performance will open with sizzling jazz from
Bernstein’s wartime classic “On the Town” and Loesser’s award-winning “Guys
and Dolls.” Bernstein can also be seen in comedy hijinks from “Candide” and
“Wonderful Town.” 1993 Kennedy Center Award recipient Stephen Sondhiem will
also be honored with selections from “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney
Todd,” and “Sunday in the Park.”
The second half of the performances will be devoted solely to Webber,
whose artistry has surpassed all other composers in the world of popularity
in pop culture. Whether you like it or not, he’s the undisputed king of
musical theatre and “Music of the Night” is witness to his theatrical
kingdom. Probably his most popular song, “Memory” from “Cats” will be
performed along with songs from his Broadway hits “Phantom of the Opera,”
“Evita,” “Song & Dance,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Starlight Express,”
“Aspects of Love” and his newest blockbuster, “Sunset Boulevard,” now
playing in Los Angeles with star billing by actress Glenn Close.
Performers will consist of Tony Award winners, Broadway and Film stars.
Laurie Beechman has been so all over Broadway that The New York Times
dubbed her “the best young emotive belter in the dramatic tradition of Judy
Garland and Barbara Streisand.” She’ll be returning from last year’s
performance to sing her famous rendition of “Memory” from “Cats.”
Maureen Brennan won a Theatre World Award and Tony nomination as Cunegonde
in “Candide.” The resident of Boston was featured at Carnegie Hall in
performances of “No, No, Nanette,” “The Cat and the Fiddle” and the 1993
summer show, “Gay Divorcee.”
Winner of the Tony, Drama Desk, and Theatre World Awards for his heroic
portrayal of the student leader, Enjolras, in the original Broadway company
of “Les Miserables,” Michael Maguire is a soap opera star (“Loving”) and
film star (“Where the Day Takes You”).
Byron Nease started his theatrical debut starring opposite Angela Lansbury
in “Mame.” He has been in films with Harvey Keitel and George Kirby and has
recorded a CD, When I Fall in Love .
These four stars will showcase “Music of the Night” this weekend with the
most popular hits of the stage. Tickets for the performances range from $35
to $10 with a $5 student discount.
