New Year’s Eve with Cleveland Pops @ Severance Hall 12/31
The atmosphere at Severance Hall was exuberantly festive even while the patrons were still in the lobbies. It didn’t calm down until well after heralding in the New Year, either! The capacity audience was prepared to have a great time, and so they did. Due to the nature of the event, each attendee was given a shiny cardboard horn, to be used for audience participation and other gaiety.
The first glimmer of an extra added attraction was the presence of Darth Vader and other members of the 501st Legion or ‘Vader’s Fist’— and the Rebel Legion, veterans of the "Star Wars" era. Many audience members were busily posing for photos with the obliging warriors. The stage went dark for the opening fanfare from Also Sprach Zarathustra, but then red lights on stage and in the house led into two sections of soundtrack from films: the Main Title from Star Wars, and the Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back, sometimes known as March of the Jedi. The Pops, led by Music Director Carl Topilow sounded rich and lush and much larger than you might expect, considering its size, compared to the spaciousness of the auditorium. Midway in the latter piece, the Legion came on stage, and when the leader took the baton from Mr. Topilow’s hand, the conductor promptly—and wisely—abdicated! Mr. Vader gave a good account of himself, holding a steady and authoritative beat, bringing the music to a rousing close, with all the musicians ending together!
Mr. Topilow returned for the Feuerfest Polka, in which the audience was encouraged to join in, either with horn-blowing or rhythmic clapping, which we all did very well. A medley of Irving Berlin songs followed: There’s No Business Like Show Business, God Bless America, Say it With Music, Alexander’s Rag-Time Band, Easter Bonnet, White Christmas, and a reprise of God Bless America, in which the audience enthusiastically sang along.
Joan Ellison is a wonder! The first of her solo appearances was You Can’t Get a Man With a Gun from Annie Get Your Gun by Berlin, and it was sheer bliss. She sings with complete security and intonation throughout her wide vocal range, imbuing each syllable with clarity and impeccable diction.
Following a medley from Guys and Dolls – Luck Be a Lady Tonight, I’ve Never Been in Love Before, Bushel and a Peck, Follow The Fold, If I were a Bell, and Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat, Ms. Ellison returned for a joyful and jazzy version of If I Were a Bell. The other Topilow in the Pops, Arthur, is a wizard on piano; he was ably assisted by the rhythm section and a gentle string obbligato, as they accompanied Ms. Ellison.
We didn’t quite know what to expect when Carl Topilow left the stage once again, but he quickly returned, carrying a clarinet. His red version is very well-known, but this time, it was red, white and green, in honor of the Theme from The Godfather ‘as you’ve never heard it before’ in his words. Also featured was a jazzy trumpet solo, an upbeat ending for the first half of the concert. The first two pieces on the second half weren’t quite as successful, overall, but not for lack of trying. First was a version of Old MacDonald Had a Farm featuring three of the orchestra’s percussion section creating various repetitious sounds. Part of the problem was the visual difficulty of seeing who was doing what. Musically, it was of the same high caliber as the rest of the program. The other piece presented Gordon Leigh Petitt as soloist in the Flanders and Swann comedic version of the 3rd movement of Mozart’s 4th Horn Concerto. Mr. Petitt is possessed of a fine operatic bass/baritone voice, and is a more than competent singer, but this piece will always remain firmly embedded in our ears as a nimble and witty showcase for a light tenor.
A medley from the recent Broadway hit Wicked was followed by another appearance by Ms. Ellison in Popular (from that same show), complete with malfunctioning or non-magic wand. The blue lights in the house offset her black dress, making it quite clear that she wasn’t so very wicked after all!
In two songs by Gershwin, Ms. Ellison was again accompanied by Arthur Topilow on the piano as she gave us both verse and chorus of I’ve Got a Crush on You and How Long Has this Been Going On. She is truly marvelous at conveying the meaning of these songs, and would be a pleasure to listen to for an entire evening.
More Star Wars music brought the more formal portion of the evening to a close. Battle of the Heroes from Revenge of the Sith featured a laser-sword duel to the death between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker on stage in front of the orchestra. The victorious Mr. Vader presented Mr. Topilow with a medal, after which a jazzy Klezmer version of Canteen Man from Star Wars allowed Mr. Topilow to entertain us with a blue clarinet. Two other members of the Legion danced happily in the area which had just moments before been masquerading as a battleground. Shortly after the audience vacated the concert hall, Splash played light rock music in the lower level Smith Lobby, while Mr. Topilow’s group entertained in the Grand Foyer. Free coffee and desserts were served on both levels while waiting for the countdown to midnight and the Balloon Drop at midnight. Horns blew all over the place! And a good time was had by all.
The next concert by the Cleveland Pops Orchestra will be February 9 in Severance Hall. For tickets or other information, call (216) 765-7677 or visit the Cleveland Orchestra ticket office at: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATadelphia.net
