| Dear Friends & Family!
Greetings! Welcome to the 4th issue of InsideThe Music Room! As my family will testify, it doesn't take much for me to start singing a song at the mere suggestion of a lyric. That very phenomenon happened to me while I was writing these articles, and so you may notice that each headline is the title of a song. Of course, you'll have to read further to discover its meaning!
While you're looking for great live entertainment in this upcoming holiday season, you won't want to miss CANDIDE. The Gilbert & Sullivan Musical Theater Company is excited to present their production of Leonard Bernstein's musical adaptation of Voltaire's satirical novel. Two shows ONLY will be performed at the Bardavon on Nov. 23rd and 24th. See Glitter and Be Gay! for more info.
Also, join G&S for their holiday promotion at Barnes & Noble Bookstore on Rt. 9 in Poughkeepsie on Thursday, November 29th from 9 am - 11 pm. I'll be singing in the evening hours along with the stars of CANDIDE and performers from other G&S shows. Join us there and hope to see you at the theater!
Barbara
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Autumn In New York |
 What glorious weather we had in October! Now that November has arrived, it finally feels like Fall, and the colors of the leaves and their abundance on the ground let us know that this most special season is alive and well here in the Hudson Valley. Hope you are enjoying driving around the area as much as I am!
Every year without fail, when I feel that first nip in the air, a song comes to mind. Of course!
Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?
Autumn in New York, it spells the thrill of first nighting
Composer/lyricist Vernon Duke was referring to NYC, a city that he admits to "hate and adore!" During the 1980's when I lived in the City, one of the 'first nighting' events was the arrival of Mel Torme to Michael's Pub, a favorite eastside nightclub of the jazz/cabaret crowd. For those of you also fortunate to have seen him there, you will remember his impeccable singing and swinging, always with a top-notch trio. He was funny, exciting, musically untouchable, and always dazzled the audience with his amazing vocally acrobatic arrangements. I surely miss those days of hearing Mel live and enjoying the wonderful old chestnuts, as he used to refer to the songs he sang. But, as Vernon Duke reminds those of us who love New York and this time of year:
Dreamers with empty hands may sigh for exotic lands;
It's autumn in New York, it's good to live it again.
Hope you, too, are living this autumn season with a song in your heart! |
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A Weekend in the Country |
One of my favorite end-of-Act I ensemble numbers in the American Musical Theater is "A Weekend in the Country" from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music. I was so enamored by it, that I once used it as a finale, changing the lyrics slightly and with apologies to Mr. Sondheim (and my accompanist) gave a great attempt to impart the joy and cleverness of this wonderful piece to the audience...all by myself! Of course, living in the country makes it that much more delicious as one can't help identify with a thing or two in the lyric. It starts with an invitation:
Look, Ma'am, an invitation, here, Ma'am
delivered by hand.
And, Ma'am, I notice the stationery's engraved
and very grand.
After the intended guests all realize that their destination, as the invitation suggests, is a very grand chateau in the country, they burst into joyous song, albeit with great restraint:
A weekend in the country, how amusing, how
delightfully droll
A weekend in the country, while we're losing
our control
A weekend in the country, how enchanting
on the manicured lawns
A weekend in the country, with the panting and
the yawns.
It builds and builds, of course, until all characters are revealed, the plot is set up for Act II, and everyone heads for intermission singing, "A weekend in the country!" I bring this all up, because when the weather is inviting and nature calls us to take a walk in the beautiful countryside, it reminds me of those days in the city when a visit to the country was much anticipated and very welcome, especially on the weekend. The "country" pictured above is the field in back of my home, Blythewood, which overlooks a lovely farm with views of the Catskills in the distance. After nearly 25 years of being my home, it is now on the market. Certainly a most wonderful spot to spend a weekend (or any other time) in the country! For more information, check out this link. Blythewood |
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It's Been A Long, Long Time |
The title song of my new CD, It's Been A Long, Long Time, was perhaps one of the most popular songs of its day, written in 1945 by composer Jule Styne and lyricist Sammy Cahn and made a great hit by big band leader, Harry James. The lyric trumpeted (pun intended) the end of WWII and the return of soldiers to their wives, girlfriends, families, and homes. It was a sentimental, heartfelt song that resonated with audiences following a long and difficult war. When I re-recorded it in the 1980's in NYC, I updated the meaning of this theme to reflect my 'new' album of songs: wonderful melodies and lyrics that hadn't been heard in a "long, long time." Songs that had been at the top of the charts for weeks in their day, but that had virtually faded from popularity in the standard repertoire of American popular song. Such songs as "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm," "Be Careful, It's My Heart," "They've Got An Awful Lot of Coffee In Brazil (The Coffee Song)," and "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me," swing with a 65-piece orchestra and strings! It's a great homage to those wonderful songs of the 1940's and a chance to hear them again in a new musical setting. To order, click here or go to my website, BarbaraRankin.com.
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Put On Your Sunday Clothes |
 Put On Your Sunday Clothes may be one of the lesser known songs from the popular musical HELLO, DOLLY!, but it certainly describes the style and attitude of my mom, Jan Rankin, shown at left, wearing a cape from J.Belle Designs, her collection of capes, shawls and scarves. The unmistakable message is this: You really feel great when you're dressed up in your "Sunday best" (an old-fashioned term nowadays!). In the words of Jerry Herman:
Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and out
Dressed like a dream, your spirits seem to turn about
There'll be no blue Monday in your Sunday clothes.
As many of you know, Mom has been designing and making these beautiful accessories for the last several years and has been selling them at trunk shows, clothing boutiques, and design fairs. On Saturday, December 1st, she'll be featuring her collection at a trunk showing from 2-6 PM in Millbrook for a festive pre-Holiday sale. For information, call 845-677-0370, and get ready to shine in your Sunday best for the Holidays and all year long! | |
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Thanks so much for your kind words about the newsletter. I look forward to sharing more from InsideThe Music Room very soon!
Enjoy!!
Barbara Rankin
InsideThe Music Room |
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Glitter And Be Gay! |
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Glitter And Be Gay! I always thought this was a clever title, but never realized part of the melody of this marvelous song from CANDIDE, Leonard Bernstein's comic operetta, was at one time the theme song of the Dick Cavett show, a late night talk show in the 1970's. Am I dating myself? Several years ago on Labor Day Weekend, the Gilbert & Sullivan Musical Theater Company added a lovely newcomer to their Highlights from the Footlights performances. Talented soprano, Katie DeFiglio, dazzled the audience with "Glitter," a coloratura tour de force indeed! Now she is reprising the aria as Cunegonde, the ingenue role in the G&S production of CANDIDE with a marvelous cast of talented singers, actors and members of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic at the Bardavon on Thanksgiving Weekend. This delightful musical will be a first in the Hudson Valley, so for those of you who live here, you won't want to miss this wonderful performance right in our own back yard. TWO SHOWS ONLY on Nov. 23rd & 24th at 8 PM. For tickets and information, call the Bardavon at 845-473-2072 and check out the G&S MTC website! See you at the show! G&S Website |
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