May 29, 2005

Broadway comes to Montgomery;
Fine singing results

By Marcus Kalipolites
For the Times Herald-Record
   
Montgomery – Four veterans of the Broadway stage shared some of their favorite songs with a receptive audience at Wesley Hall Saturday night. Sponsored by Broadway Concerts Direct and the Town of Montgomery Cultural Alliance, "Voices of Spring" consisted of 24 songs.

Accompanied by Sue Anderson at the piano, the foursome included sopranos Sarah Rice ("Sweeney Todd") and Claudine Cassan-Jellison ("Closer Than Ever"), tenor Cris Groenendaal ("The Phantom of the Opera") and baritone Andre McRae ("Ragtime").

After the full ensemble opened the show with a bouncy "Spring Is in the Air," the singers performed mostly in solo but occasionally in consort as well.

McRae's selections ranged in mood from reflective to defiant. With brassy boldness and jazzy licks, he insisted "T'ain't Nobody's Business if I Do" (party and beat his wife, that is). His resonant voice and rapid run of words overcame the negative message in "Everybody Says Don't." With an upbeat performance, his faith in miracles came across.

In "Where's the Girl?," he emoted a sense of desperation while recalling fond memories and lost love. Especially powerful was McRae's exultive "Free at Last" intoned in gospel fervor and defiant shaking of his head while chanting "Praise God Almighty."

Leaving no doubt as to her operatic training, Rice turned in a glorious rendition of "Voci di Primavera" as her voice ranged from vibrant to high-floating falsetto. In a more serene mood and with a sense of longing, she urged "Steal Me, Sweet Thief." In comical reprises, she sashayed through three versions of "To Keep My Love Alive."

Among the most touching episodes in the presentation were heartwarming exchanges between a dejected Groenendaal and an assuring Rice (earlier deceased) as they deal with the problems of "Where in the World/How Could I Know."

Groenendaal not only expressed concern for his own children, but in "Don't Put Your Daughter on the Stage" he also emphasized his speak-sing advice with finger-pointing accents. In a highly expressive and lyric tenor voice he hoped to find the "Land Where the Good Songs Go," a song he enjoined with "Over the Rainbow," which ended on a haunting note. In a more lighthearted mood, Groenendaal did a comical routine in "Virtual Vivian," a spoof in which he faulted his computer companion for a virus.

Groenendaal had a more endearing experience in "Sailing," a romance ballad he shared with Cassan-Jelllison. For her part, Cassan-Jellison soloed through a frolicking "Sous le Ciel de Paris" and an exuberant "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart."

For an encore the full ensemble returned with a glowing "Scarborough Fair."

Directed by E. Katherine Kerr, the show sparkled with spontaneity, switched moods constantly and moved along at a well-measured pace.



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