Michael Cavanaugh in Concert: The Music of Billy Joel and More!, with the Akron Symphony Orchestra (Conducted by Christopher Wilkins)
12 February 2011: EJ Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
I almost saw Billy Joel in concert once. It was August 1994 and Central Florida was being brutalized by a nasty storm. My buddy John was working, so his then-girlfriend (someday-to-be wife) Jenn and I decided to head over to the Citrus Bowl and see about picking up some scalped tickets for the Billy Joel/Elton John show that night. We circled the stadium in my 1983 Honda Civic for what seemed like hours in sheets of rain. People showing up for this open air show already looked miserable and drowned. I don’t know that Jenn and I ever even ended up getting out of the car that night. We – wisely, I think – abandoned our quest.
I’m not a huge Billy Joel or Elton John fan, but I like both of these artists and still wouldn’t mind seeing either of them live at some point. Born in 1970 and raised a child of the ’80s, there is something familiar and comforting about their music.
I had never heard of Michael Cavanaugh prior to Tracy weaving her contest winning magic. Courtesy of 91.3 The Summit, she came up with a pair of tickets to see Cavanaugh at EJ Thomas Hall, and after some cursory digging about the show, we figured it sounded like a potentially good time.
We discovered Cavanaugh was handpicked by Joel to star in the Broadway production of Movin’ Out and has since continued to cash in on that ticket. I would never begrudge him that, but Tracy and I both came away from the show Saturday night a little disappointed in Cavanaugh probably because of the expectations that path to stardom and endorsement entail.
Cavanaugh is from Northeast Ohio, which is cool. My civic pride swells a bit more every time local people do well. But the link goes deeper than that. Cavanaugh’s first full time musician gig was at the Blazing Pianos bar in Orlando. If I’m reading his biography right, he worked there during the same time I was living there. That means there’s a pretty good chance I saw him perform once or twice back in the day, having spent a few nights in my twenties at the various piano bars around Orlando with friends.
Regardless of any cool connections, it’s hard to get past the execution of Cavanaugh’s symphony orchestra collaboration. It’s a case of the performer being crushed under the expectations set by the hype. Tracy and I anticipated more from Cavanaugh’s voice and stage presence based on what we’d read about him. I thought his saxophone player John Scarpulla had more charisma, and it was impossible not to watch his drummer (another Northeast Ohio native, and who played the drummer in Almost Famous) Johnny Fedevich play.
The selections were interesting, in that many times the band only seemed to play parts of songs and often resorted to medleys of Joel songs. The best Joel song of the night was, by far, “Goodnight Saigon”. Cavanaugh’s cover of Elton John’s cover of The Who’s “Pinball Wizard” was also interesting. When he covered Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode”, Tracy and I both went into full ’80s pop culture overload and could only think of Dennis Quaid, Top Gun, and Back to the Future. Sad, I know.
The two orchestra only pieces from Joel’s 2001 classical album, Fantasies & Delusions – “Opus 2. Waltz #1 (‘Nunley’s Carosel’)” and “Opus 10. Air (‘Dublinesque’)” – were excellent. As was their work during the cover of Joel’s “Pressure”. As a bonus, it was cool to see our son’s drum instructor – second chair percussion with the orchestra – do his thing.
The night struck me as striving to fall somewhere between the artist/orchestra collaboration of Pink Martini and the Cleveland Orchestra we saw a year ago, and the Beatles cover band perfection of RAIN last month. But Cavanaugh never quite succeeded on either front. The Akron Symphony Orchestra deserves a lot of credit for their efforts, but Cavanaugh’s song selection didn’t lend itself well to interpretation. And Cavanaugh wasn’t a close enough approximation of Joel or Elton or any of the others he covered (vocally or from a stage presence perspective) to put him anywhere near the caliber of RAIN.
Regardless, though, I had a nice night out with my wife. And I almost saw Billy Joel in concert once.
Showing posts with label EJ Thomas Hall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EJ Thomas Hall. Show all posts
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Come Together
RAIN – A Tribute to the Beatles
23 January 2011: EJ Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
Honestly, when we purchased our season subscription to Broadway in Akron, none of us were entirely sure what RAIN was, other than something involving the Beatles. Although, in reality, it’s nothing more than a tribute band show, that’s selling it a bit short.
I find it fascinating that the Broadway reviews of RAIN all seem to talk about it being another way for aging baby boomers to relive the glory days of the Beatles and their catalog. While the show at EJ Thomas Hall was primarily boomers, there was a healthy 19-and-under contingent in attendance – including my kiddo. Tracy has been under the weather, so I took Jack with me. He’s been to concerts before (The Black Keys, Bob Dylan, Jake Shimabukuro), he’s been to theater productions before, and he digs the Beatles, but this was a funky little mix of all those things.
Beginning with their arrival on American soil for the historic Ed Sullivan Show appearance and using the musicians’ costume changes as signposts, the show moves in rough chronological order through the Beatles career. And, as proven repeatedly throughout the years, it’s difficult to find a Beatles tune that isn’t instantly recognizable, so nearly every song was a sing-along affair.
In the same way it’s difficult to comprehend how The Greatest Generation literally saved the world, I struggle to wrap my head around just how seismic the musical paradigm shift was when the Beatles arrived. In context of the times, it’s amazing to think about these teenagers’ minds being completely blown by an aesthetic and sound that had never been seen or heard previously, and what that experience must have been like. I don’t know that there will ever be another popular cultural revolution like it. You could argue things like the rise of personal computers or the internet, but those weren’t specific moments in time to our collective conscience. We can accurately point to the Beatles’ first appearance on Ed Sullivan as the exact instant at which music changed.
The timelessness of the Beatles catalog is as impressive as its near-universal familiarity. The entire hall was rocking throughout, singing along, clapping, people standing up and dancing. While perhaps not as fervent as a true Beatles show back in the day, the night crackled with energy.
The sparse sets were unobtrusive, with the focus primarily on the musicians and music, and the three projection screens to enhance the experience. From the Ed Sullivan period, the performers took the audience through the Shea Stadium concert, the Sgt. Pepper era, the Abbey Road and rooftop concert years, and more.
The Fab Four of RAIN did a great job approximating their respective Beatles. Our seats were just far enough away to help maintain the illusion that they just might have been the real Beatles up on the stage. Along with our John, Paul, George, and Ringo, there is also a fifth on stage each night on keyboards to supplement the show. In the RAIN franchise there are three to four different John, Paul, George, and Ringos who tour or perform on Broadway, along with a pair of keyboardists. In a nice hometown touch, our “Paul” was a Northeast Ohio native, Robert “Mac” Ruffing.
With half of the original group now gone and already multiple generations past the group’s working period, it’s easier to make the argument for this tribute band than for something like a KISS or Aerosmith tribute band because there is simply no other way to hear Beatles music live. And while I’m sure it’s possible, you’d have to work pretty hard to come up with a crappy setlist. (Although the kiddo desperately wanted RAIN to play “Yellow Submarine” – they didn’t. But I think the “When I’m 64” sing-along helped smooth things over for him.) I guess you’re pretty much guaranteed a standing ovation if you’re doing it right, and that’s just what the cast of RAIN got when they came through Akron.
23 January 2011: EJ Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
Honestly, when we purchased our season subscription to Broadway in Akron, none of us were entirely sure what RAIN was, other than something involving the Beatles. Although, in reality, it’s nothing more than a tribute band show, that’s selling it a bit short.I find it fascinating that the Broadway reviews of RAIN all seem to talk about it being another way for aging baby boomers to relive the glory days of the Beatles and their catalog. While the show at EJ Thomas Hall was primarily boomers, there was a healthy 19-and-under contingent in attendance – including my kiddo. Tracy has been under the weather, so I took Jack with me. He’s been to concerts before (The Black Keys, Bob Dylan, Jake Shimabukuro), he’s been to theater productions before, and he digs the Beatles, but this was a funky little mix of all those things.
Beginning with their arrival on American soil for the historic Ed Sullivan Show appearance and using the musicians’ costume changes as signposts, the show moves in rough chronological order through the Beatles career. And, as proven repeatedly throughout the years, it’s difficult to find a Beatles tune that isn’t instantly recognizable, so nearly every song was a sing-along affair.
In the same way it’s difficult to comprehend how The Greatest Generation literally saved the world, I struggle to wrap my head around just how seismic the musical paradigm shift was when the Beatles arrived. In context of the times, it’s amazing to think about these teenagers’ minds being completely blown by an aesthetic and sound that had never been seen or heard previously, and what that experience must have been like. I don’t know that there will ever be another popular cultural revolution like it. You could argue things like the rise of personal computers or the internet, but those weren’t specific moments in time to our collective conscience. We can accurately point to the Beatles’ first appearance on Ed Sullivan as the exact instant at which music changed.
The timelessness of the Beatles catalog is as impressive as its near-universal familiarity. The entire hall was rocking throughout, singing along, clapping, people standing up and dancing. While perhaps not as fervent as a true Beatles show back in the day, the night crackled with energy.
The sparse sets were unobtrusive, with the focus primarily on the musicians and music, and the three projection screens to enhance the experience. From the Ed Sullivan period, the performers took the audience through the Shea Stadium concert, the Sgt. Pepper era, the Abbey Road and rooftop concert years, and more.
The Fab Four of RAIN did a great job approximating their respective Beatles. Our seats were just far enough away to help maintain the illusion that they just might have been the real Beatles up on the stage. Along with our John, Paul, George, and Ringo, there is also a fifth on stage each night on keyboards to supplement the show. In the RAIN franchise there are three to four different John, Paul, George, and Ringos who tour or perform on Broadway, along with a pair of keyboardists. In a nice hometown touch, our “Paul” was a Northeast Ohio native, Robert “Mac” Ruffing.
With half of the original group now gone and already multiple generations past the group’s working period, it’s easier to make the argument for this tribute band than for something like a KISS or Aerosmith tribute band because there is simply no other way to hear Beatles music live. And while I’m sure it’s possible, you’d have to work pretty hard to come up with a crappy setlist. (Although the kiddo desperately wanted RAIN to play “Yellow Submarine” – they didn’t. But I think the “When I’m 64” sing-along helped smooth things over for him.) I guess you’re pretty much guaranteed a standing ovation if you’re doing it right, and that’s just what the cast of RAIN got when they came through Akron.
Monday, December 13, 2010
We Eat Ham and Jam and Spam a Lot!
Monty Python’s Spamalot
09 December 2010: EJ Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
Along with our good friends Greg and Karen, Tracy and I are Broadway in Akron subscribers. We still see shows up at Playhouse Square regularly, but we are always happy to have and support theater a little more locally in Akron. It’s a short, four-show season at EJ Thomas Hall on the campus of the University of Akron, but the selection this year is great.
Because of work travel back in October, I missed the first show of the season, A Chorus Line, so Tracy ended up taking her mom as her date with Greg and Karen. This month, however, there was no way I would be missing the show… Monty Python’s Spamalot! Tracy and I had seen the show back in 2006 up at Playhouse Square, and the production has retained every bit of its irreverence and humor.
I know the source material backwards and forwards – it was (and still is) a staple of my everyday lexicon. But I had forgotten much of the musical in the four years since I’d last seen it. Where The Producers (another fine movie and adapted musical) is Mel Brooks’ skewering of Broadway, Spamalot is the Python’s – or, more specifically, Eric Idle’s – take on the Great White Way. Oh, sure. The roots of the movie and the parody of Arthurian legend remains, but make no mistake this musical is poking more fun at the theater than the off-the-street Python fan might be expecting walking into the show blind.
It’s kind of Python-lite. Sure, there’s a little something to offend everyone in there, but it’s designed for mass consumption. And Python has always been an acquired taste, particularly in the States. Act 1’s “Knights of the Round Table” features a monk and a nun in a seductive dance counterbalanced by act 2’s “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” roast of Jews. But by and large, it plays broad.
New this tour is the insertion of local references into the show based on the city the performance is taking place in. Falling somewhere between your favorite band shouting “Thank you, [insert city name]! Good night!” and Bono referencing a long-gone dive bar the band played in your town 30 years ago, it’s still a nice touch that makes the show unique to each city the tour hits.
I enjoyed Spamalot and the night out with Tracy and friends, but I definitely felt a different sensibility about the production compared with what I remembered feeling last time. Maybe it’s too much of the “Mel Brooks Effect” – the penchant for movie property owners to turn their product into musical theater – that is coloring my response this time around.
09 December 2010: EJ Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
Along with our good friends Greg and Karen, Tracy and I are Broadway in Akron subscribers. We still see shows up at Playhouse Square regularly, but we are always happy to have and support theater a little more locally in Akron. It’s a short, four-show season at EJ Thomas Hall on the campus of the University of Akron, but the selection this year is great.Because of work travel back in October, I missed the first show of the season, A Chorus Line, so Tracy ended up taking her mom as her date with Greg and Karen. This month, however, there was no way I would be missing the show… Monty Python’s Spamalot! Tracy and I had seen the show back in 2006 up at Playhouse Square, and the production has retained every bit of its irreverence and humor.
I know the source material backwards and forwards – it was (and still is) a staple of my everyday lexicon. But I had forgotten much of the musical in the four years since I’d last seen it. Where The Producers (another fine movie and adapted musical) is Mel Brooks’ skewering of Broadway, Spamalot is the Python’s – or, more specifically, Eric Idle’s – take on the Great White Way. Oh, sure. The roots of the movie and the parody of Arthurian legend remains, but make no mistake this musical is poking more fun at the theater than the off-the-street Python fan might be expecting walking into the show blind.
It’s kind of Python-lite. Sure, there’s a little something to offend everyone in there, but it’s designed for mass consumption. And Python has always been an acquired taste, particularly in the States. Act 1’s “Knights of the Round Table” features a monk and a nun in a seductive dance counterbalanced by act 2’s “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” roast of Jews. But by and large, it plays broad.
New this tour is the insertion of local references into the show based on the city the performance is taking place in. Falling somewhere between your favorite band shouting “Thank you, [insert city name]! Good night!” and Bono referencing a long-gone dive bar the band played in your town 30 years ago, it’s still a nice touch that makes the show unique to each city the tour hits.
I enjoyed Spamalot and the night out with Tracy and friends, but I definitely felt a different sensibility about the production compared with what I remembered feeling last time. Maybe it’s too much of the “Mel Brooks Effect” – the penchant for movie property owners to turn their product into musical theater – that is coloring my response this time around.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Ten Dollar Experiment
Jake Shimabukuro
07 March 2009: EJ Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
Between a trip to the Islands and the opportunity to review a few of his past albums, I fell in love with Jake Shimabukuro’s music. But living in the Midwest, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the opportunity to see him live. But it’s a funny thing about expectations, they can easily be blown away. We are fortunate to live in Northeast Ohio, which has some strong musical roots and sturdy cultural leanings, so maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised when I found out Shimabukuro was going to be making an appearance at EJ Thomas Hall at the University of Akron.
My parents are huge fans of all things Hawaii, including ukulele music and Shimabukuro, so I knew they’d be up for the show. And, with cheap ticket prices (and no service charges when purchased at the box office), we couldn’t resist bringing the kiddo along with us too. Although only seven, he had a great time, was well-behaved, and announced after the show that he’d like to see Shimabukuro again next time he comes to town to play.
I love Akron. And I love what EJ is doing with their Stage Door series. It’s another example of outside the box thinking to keep things interesting with the economy doing what it’s doing and continue to bring different artists to town in a unique setting. Ten dollars a person, all general admission. But instead of the audience in the auditorium and the artist on the stage, everyone’s on the stage together... the artist and the audience. It ends up being a warm, nightclub-like setting with the darkened auditorium itself as the backdrop. Filled with black-clad tables and chairs, candlelight illumination, a cash bar and decadent desserts, the atmosphere is intimate and perfect for an artist like Shimabukuro.
Shimabukuro performed solo, without a full band. Just a guy, his ukulele, and 500 fans. The 13-song main set was supplemented by Shimabukuro’s engaging personality coming through in both the music and the friendly chatter with the sold out, standing room only crowd.
As much as I enjoy his covers (and his rendition of Lennon and McCartney’s “In My Life” is simply stunning), my favorites of the night were mostly original compositions. Songs like the road-trippin’ “Five Dollars Unleaded”, the playful “Me and Shirley T.”, and the Bruce Lee-inspired and Eddie Van Halen-influenced “Dragon” were all high-points.
The kiddo was particularly fond of a late-set three-song stretch that included Chick Corea’s “Spain”, Shimabukuro’s bluegrass flavored “Orange World” (my favorite tune of the night), and George Harrison’s "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".
The crowd was never shy about showing its appreciation of Shimabukuro, punctuating the night with whoops and whistles and spontaneous applause throughout the set and within single songs. The encore, a moving interpretation of “Ave Maria” followed by a crowd-requested, rollicking version “Crazy G”, seemed as spontaneous as I’ve seen in these days of preplanned sets and choreographed-within-an-inch-of-their-life shows.
Shimabukuro seemed genuinely surprised and appreciative of the multiple standing ovations over the course of the night. Afterwards, Shimabukuro walked off the side of the stage and hung around to sell some merch, talk with the crowd, sign ticket stubs and CD covers, and pose for pictures with anyone who asked. He comes off as a really nice guy who’s as amazed as anyone that he’s touring the world as a ukulele player.
07 March 2009: EJ Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
Between a trip to the Islands and the opportunity to review a few of his past albums, I fell in love with Jake Shimabukuro’s music. But living in the Midwest, I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the opportunity to see him live. But it’s a funny thing about expectations, they can easily be blown away. We are fortunate to live in Northeast Ohio, which has some strong musical roots and sturdy cultural leanings, so maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised when I found out Shimabukuro was going to be making an appearance at EJ Thomas Hall at the University of Akron.My parents are huge fans of all things Hawaii, including ukulele music and Shimabukuro, so I knew they’d be up for the show. And, with cheap ticket prices (and no service charges when purchased at the box office), we couldn’t resist bringing the kiddo along with us too. Although only seven, he had a great time, was well-behaved, and announced after the show that he’d like to see Shimabukuro again next time he comes to town to play.
I love Akron. And I love what EJ is doing with their Stage Door series. It’s another example of outside the box thinking to keep things interesting with the economy doing what it’s doing and continue to bring different artists to town in a unique setting. Ten dollars a person, all general admission. But instead of the audience in the auditorium and the artist on the stage, everyone’s on the stage together... the artist and the audience. It ends up being a warm, nightclub-like setting with the darkened auditorium itself as the backdrop. Filled with black-clad tables and chairs, candlelight illumination, a cash bar and decadent desserts, the atmosphere is intimate and perfect for an artist like Shimabukuro.
Shimabukuro performed solo, without a full band. Just a guy, his ukulele, and 500 fans. The 13-song main set was supplemented by Shimabukuro’s engaging personality coming through in both the music and the friendly chatter with the sold out, standing room only crowd.
As much as I enjoy his covers (and his rendition of Lennon and McCartney’s “In My Life” is simply stunning), my favorites of the night were mostly original compositions. Songs like the road-trippin’ “Five Dollars Unleaded”, the playful “Me and Shirley T.”, and the Bruce Lee-inspired and Eddie Van Halen-influenced “Dragon” were all high-points.
The kiddo was particularly fond of a late-set three-song stretch that included Chick Corea’s “Spain”, Shimabukuro’s bluegrass flavored “Orange World” (my favorite tune of the night), and George Harrison’s "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".
The crowd was never shy about showing its appreciation of Shimabukuro, punctuating the night with whoops and whistles and spontaneous applause throughout the set and within single songs. The encore, a moving interpretation of “Ave Maria” followed by a crowd-requested, rollicking version “Crazy G”, seemed as spontaneous as I’ve seen in these days of preplanned sets and choreographed-within-an-inch-of-their-life shows.
Shimabukuro seemed genuinely surprised and appreciative of the multiple standing ovations over the course of the night. Afterwards, Shimabukuro walked off the side of the stage and hung around to sell some merch, talk with the crowd, sign ticket stubs and CD covers, and pose for pictures with anyone who asked. He comes off as a really nice guy who’s as amazed as anyone that he’s touring the world as a ukulele player.
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