Savion Glover

Hi everyone,

If you think you're not a fan of tap dancing, Savion Glover will change your mind. I first became aware of Savion Glover in the late '80s and '90s when he showed up dancing in Coke commercials. He became more well known after meeting mentor Gregory Hines and winning a Tony for his choreography for the Broadway show Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring In 'Da Funk. You can even find him in some films like Tap, costarring Gregory Hines, and Bamboozled, directed by Spike Lee. If you want to hear more about his life and work, check out this video, in which he talks about his start and mission.

Savion Glover dances like no one else and to see him perform in person is always an unforgettable experience. By now, I've seen him a few times in the D.C. area. He once performed at Howard Theatre with jazz pianist McCoy Tyner accompanying him. After Trayvon Martin was killed, Savion Glover provided an intense, emotional performance at Warner Theatre that commented solely on that tragic event. Most recently, I saw him in two equally amazing, entirely different shows.

Savion Glover, Howard Theatre, Washington, D.C., August 23, 2014

Yeah, I was this close.

For this general admission show, I arrived about an hour ahead of time. Those of us who were early and waited in line in the lobby for the doors to open were treated to hearing Savion Glover practice his routines up to two minutes before the doors opened. 

Because I arrived so early, my seat was in the front row, center, flush with the stage. I'd never been so close, looking up at the dancer as he stares into space and sweats like an athlete. Savion Glover gets in the zone! When he first came out, he picked up a microphone to welcome us but instead started to dance. He continued for at least 20 minutes, holding on to that microphone. When he finally stopped, he greeted us with, "I guess I should say something now." 

During another piece, he and the drummer battled. The drummer played increasingly complicated beats and Savion Glover repeated them perfectly through tap. Another tapper, Marshall Davis, Jr., joined him once in a while during this show, but for the most part, Savion Glover danced solo.

I shared my table with some friendly fellow fans who somehow talked their way into meeting and getting photos with the man! Can you believe I was in with that cool crowd?

         

STePz, Strathmore, Bethesda, Maryland, February 6, 2015

Six months later, on February 6, 2015, Savion Glover performed at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland. For this show, titled STePz, my seat was about six rows from the stage. While the other show seemed more improvised, this show felt slick and polished. Set to a variety of recorded music, each piece covered different dance styles, such as jazz, tango, and ballet, and nodded important moments in dance history, including tributes to Bill Robinson and Michael Jackson.

Photo © Lois Greenfield

Compared to the previous show, this one more prominently featured other tappers Marshall Davis, Jr., Lisa LaTouche, Robyn Watson, and Sarah Savelli and group performances, some of which didn't even include Savion Glover at all.

Toward the back of the stage, a center platform with three steps leading up to it was flanked by two pyramid-style steps on either side. In one piece, Savion Glover and Marshall Davis, Jr., took on the pyramid steps, having a conversation through their taps. In another piece, the ladies saluted Broadway and jazz in glittery costumes with a routine featuring the stairs. Savion Glover shined during his solo tribute to Bill Robinson, during which he mimicked the hoofer's signature dance moves and walk. During another piece, he and the other dancers stood in a line spanning the stage while dialogue played on the stereo, he tapped with one foot at warp speed without moving the rest of his body. (It wasn't until at least half way through that I realized who was doing the tapping.) The show culminated with the entire group dancing to Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke" in a routine that ended with all of them in a super-hero pose – one arm stretched high, punching the air and striving for higher ground.  

I can pick more adjectives, like spectacular, exhilarating, magical, and awesome, but you have to see this guy for yourself. While video can barely capture the energy in the room when experiencing Savion Glover in person, here's a taste of STePz:

YouTube video, © Savion Glover Productions, Savion Glover's STePz: https://youtu.be/EDC8U0k1nNg. 

What are you waiting for? Go see Savion Glover when you can! He'll change your life for the better.

Best,

Leaders in American Song: George Gershwin and Cole Porter

Hi everyone,

Because I grew up watching movie musicals, I love all those old songs. For the last few years, I've noticed that the Smithsonian hosts lectures on songwriters and performers of that era. I wrote about their Ella Fitzgerald event last year. In addition to that one, I attended two lectures about American songwriters George Gershwin and Cole Porter, both hosted by pianist Robert Wyatt.

Gershwin, By George!, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian, March 27, 2015

My love for George Gershwin (1898-1937) probably stems from my love for An American in Paris, the 1951 Best Picture Oscar winner with an exclusive Gershwin soundtrack. I also saw Hershey Felder's inspiring one-man show George Gershwin Alone at Ford's Theatre in 2003.

George Gershwin was an amazing composer and musician, a prodigy who accomplished so much in his 37 years, from classical works and piano solos to musical theatre scores and film songs. Together with his lyricist brother Ira, they formed one of the best known songwriting teams of the 20th century. I bet you know some of their songs [click on the titles to hear them]: "But Not for Me," "Embraceable You," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "They Can't Take That Away From Me," and "Someone To Watch Over Me."

When George Gershwin first started complaining about headaches, his friends assumed he was being overly dramatic to get attention, but he died of a brain tumor shortly thereafter. About that, the composer's writer/friend John O'Hare appropriately said, "George Gershwin died on July 11, 1937, but I don't have to believe it if I don't want to."

What attracted me most to Robert Wyatt's event, Gershwin, By George!, was that it included his performance on piano of Gershwin's orchestral masterpiece "Rhapsody in Blue." You can't get much better than this piece of music, which is always associated with the vibrancy of New York City living. Hearing it live is a treat! While I waited for it, I learned some things about George Gershwin during Mr. Wyatt's informative lecture:

• George Gershwin's parents bought a piano when George was 10. He sat on the bench and began to play it before ever having a lesson, so his parents found him a teacher, Charles Hambitzer, who later said, "I have a new pupil who will make his mark if anybody will. The boy is a genius." 

• Growing up, he loved listening to ragtime composer/pianist Scott Joplin. 

• He wrote the opera Porgy and Bess, based on the book by DuBose Heyward. Although not a songwriter, the author wrote lyrics to some of its most memorable songs, including "Summertime," "A Woman's a Sometimes Thing," and "My Man's Gone Now," but George's brother Ira got all the credit. 

• He wrote "An American in Paris" before ever having gone to Paris and played it in Carnegie Hall, New York, in 1928. (Click the song's title to hear George Gershwin himself performing this piece.) 

• "Our Love Is Here to Stay" is the last song George Gershwin ever wrote. Knowing that makes his brother's lyrics all the more poignant, don't you think? Below, hear the song, performed by Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron in An American in Paris.

"Our Love Is Here to Stay" from An American in Paris (©1951, MGM). 

Cole Porter: Sophisticate of American Song, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, July 22, 2014

My love for Cole Porter (1891-1964) doesn't come for a specific musical but a bunch of them, like Kiss Me Kate (1953) and Silk Stockings (1957). From there, I checked out MGM's 1946 Cole Porter biography Night and Day, starring Cary Grant, though it's pretty inaccurate in that Old Hollywood sort of way. A better biography is De-lovely (2004), starring Kevin Kline. 

Born into wealth, Cole Porter never needed money. He pursued music and found success as a composer in musical theatre. Although gay, he married friend Linda Lee Thomas, and – content with their platonic relationship – they lived lavishly and traveled abroad. A horse-riding accident in 1937 led to 33 operations on his legs and constant pain for the rest of his life. Some of his many popular tunes include the following [click on the titles to hear them]: "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love," "Night and Day," "Anything Goes," "I Get a Kick Out of You," "It's De-Lovely," "I've Got You Under My Skin,""My Heart Belongs to Daddy," "So In Love," "I Love Paris," "All of You," and "True Love." 

Although Robert Wyatt didn't play piano during his lecture, Cole Porter: Sophisticate of American Song, he provided some great archival footage and trivia. Here are some interesting things that I learned:

• Cole Porter was very smart. Originally from Peru, Indiana, he went to school on the East Coast and didn't contact his family the entire time he was there. He was valedictorian of his class at the Worcester Academy in Massachusetts. He went to Yale University, where he participated in lots of extracurricular activities but didn't bother with his studies. Then, he was nearly expelled from Harvard Law School but was transferred to music school instead. 

• He was very good friends with composer Irving Berlin, but composer Lorenz Hart was not a fan. He also didn't like Frank Sinatra's versions of his songs. 

• He wrote at least 800 songs, and "Love for Sale" was his favorite. 

• After he wrote "Your the Top," everyone asked him to add more verses to it; he added 300 lyrics  in a week. (Click the song's title to hear Cole Porter himself perform it.) 

•  After his horse-riding accident, he named his left leg Geraldine and his right leg Josephine. (Hallelujah for his sense of humor!)  

• In 1948, his musical Kiss Me Kate became the first to win the Tony for best musical. Below, hear the song "Too Darn Hot," performed by my favorite tap-dancing lady, Ann Miller, from the film version of Kiss Me Kate. 

"Too Darn Hot" from Kiss Me Kate (©1953, MGM)

Where would we be without these two prolific composers' astounding contributions to music? Don't you feel grateful to them – and in the mood for an MGM musical marathon right now?

Twice the Sting

Hi everyone,

Did you know that Sting has the flu with a high fever? Under doctors' orders, he's canceled two shows in New York this week. It's a good thing I waited a year to talk about these concerts to hold you over until he's feeling better.

You all know how devoted I am. Last year, he planned two different local shows two days in a row, so it was my best week ever. First up was a charity performance he shared with "very special guest Paul Simon" at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, which benefited the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. The next night, Sting and Paul Simon performed at Verizon Center in D.C. in support of their On Stage Together tour. I was torn about going to both shows: Must I? Will they be the same? Will it be worth it? Of course!

The first show was on Wednesday, March 12, and I came down with a cold two days before the event. I gave myself a deadline to be rid of it before the first concert. Wednesday morning, though, I was unsure whether I could get out of bed, never mind to Bethesda! But I did get out of bed, put in a full day of work at home, and miraculously felt pretty healthy by afternoon. That's it: Sting has magical powers!

The Performance Series of Legends for the Duke Ellington School  of the Arts: Sting and Very Special Guest Paul Simon, Strathmore, Bethesda, Maryland, March 12, 2014

When I arrived, through hurricane-level rain, I was greeted with a program. The cover read, "Sting and very special guest Paul Simon and [previously unannounced] legendary musician Stevie Wonder." I nearly fainted. It was short-lived delirium, though: at the start, they announced that Stevie Wonder had to cancel his appearance in order to attend a funeral. That's an understandable excuse. Then the music started and I forgot that I was disappointed.

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts serves 9th to 12th graders who are immersed in a full academic course and an arts major, which could be dance, literary media and communications, museum studies, instrumental or vocal music, theatre, technical design and production, or visual arts. While this annual event is a wonderful and worthy cause, the organizers really drilled it into our heads that they wanted more money from us than the cost of our ticket. They reminded us before, during, and immediately after the show, which killed a bit of my concert-induced euphoria. I started to feel like I was watching PBS during pledge week or attending an amateur high school fundraiser. But they have to do what they have to do: the arts are essential, so support this amazing school!

Strathmore provides a beautiful blonde-wood-filled concert hall with fantastic acoustics. Despite its three levels of seats, the space is intimate with great views from any spot. My seat was in the second row of the top level, and I still felt relatively close to the stage. Let's get to the main event!

To start things off, the students of the Duke Ellington School for the Arts performed in an orchestra, sang in a small choir, and danced on stage through two of my favorite Police songs. "Demolition Man" included a spectacular guitar solo and four dancers. "Synchronicity" had 20 dancers performing on stage, at first, in pitch black to show off their glowing, blinking shoes. These kids were so bright and joyful, they lit up the room, lifted our spirits, and let us know what made this evening so special.

Next, they accompanied Sting as he sang three of his songs ("Englishman in New York," "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," and "Driven to Tears"). Impressed, he suggested that they help him out tomorrow night too, but they left the stage, and Sting played with his own band. Paul Simon shared the stage with him sporadically. They sang some songs as duets, like Sting's "Brand New Day" and Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer." They also traded songs; for example, Paul Simon sang Sting's "Fragile," and Sting sang Paul Simon's "America."

That was one of my favorite parts: Before singing "America," Sting reminisced about coming to this country, aiming for stardom with The Police. He felt driven but uncertain, anxious, and excited about the future. "America," which was playing on the radio during that time, captures all those feelings for him. He sang a quiet, acoustic version of it, which was beautiful and moving, and then he transitioned into a fully electric version of "Message in a Bottle." The Police have arrived!

All that emotion was released during the next song, "Desert Rose," which Sting infused with Bollywood sounds. I loved this new arrangement, but the best part of this song on that night was watching a lone fan – a big black guy who was built like a football player  dancing up a storm in one of the front balconies.

After that, the choir kids returned and sang "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with both Sting and Paul Simon. During this song and "The Boxer," their harmonies blended beautifully. The woman next to me, who was clearly a big Paul Simon fan, got very excited when this song started, and her friends all knew that this was her moment. When the kids began singing its chorus, the song transformed into gospel, and she burst into tears and cried through the rest of it. She even got Kleenex out of her purse.

Sting and Paul Simon ended the show with another duet, "Every Breath You Take." Always a crowd-pleaser, this song capped off an inspiring night! As we gathered our coats, I wanted to ask the woman who cried if she was all right, but instead I asked if she enjoyed the concert. "So much!" she said. "Just seeing them with the kids, it's like....The kids are amazing!" Agreed! That's what it was all about.

Here's a short synopsis about this charity event, which gives you a glimpse of how it went:

Courtesy of Branden Kownacki, You Tube video: https://youtu.be/GakfTI7kZwQ

Paul Simon and Sting: On Stage Together, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C., March 13, 2014 

The next night, I felt even healthier. The Verizon Center is a huge stadium, where the Washington Wizards and other sports teams play. These stadiums are pretty impersonal but I go when necessary.

Singing together at Beacon Theatre, New York, 2011

I was immediately struck by how different this performance was compared to the night before. It was bigger and better to fit the enormous space and satisfy the massive crowd. Sting and Paul Simon have been New York neighbors for years, and the idea for touring together came to them after they performed together at Sting's 60th birthday concert at Beacon Theatre in New York, a charity event which benefited the Robin Hood Foundation. (I was there!) Sting described their On Stage Together tour as a musical experiment that merged their bands and musical styles together. Both of their bands shared the stage. This combined group of excellent supporting musicians excelled in the energetic atmosphere, creating music that was full, all-encompassing, and infectious.

As they did the night before, Sting and Paul Simon sang duets and traded songs. While last night's show was more Sting-centric, Paul Simon sang many more of his songs during this concert, balancing out the number of compositions between the two of them. The distinction between Paul Simon fans and Sting fans was much more prevalent too: Groups of us danced and cheered during Sting songs while others sat stone-faced, quietly waiting for a Paul Simon song, and vice versa. Some of Paul Simon's songs were new to me, but I knew most of them, so I sang and danced through it all. This concert was like a joint greatest hits celebration.

On the Sting side, new from the previous night were: "Fields of Gold," "Hounds of Winter," "They Dance Alone," and "Roxanne." I was so excited about "They Dance Alone," a slow song about political prisoners that Sting includes on his 1987 ...Nothing Like the Sun album. I know what you're thinking, but it's an amazing, uplifting song that changes tempo toward the end to signify hope and resilience. Amid my sea of oblivious Paul Simon fans, I longed to be with a group of girls I saw in the middle of the stadium who were dancing in the aisles – as you should by the end of that song.

My favorite thing about Paul Simon is his sense of humor. I think I remember him more from his stints on Saturday Night Live than from his music. This concert reminded me of all of his great classics and introduced me to some new one. Among the hits he performed that night were "The Boy in a Bubble," "Mother and Child," "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," "Graceland," "Still Crazy After All These Years," "Me and Julio Down By the School Yard," "Diamonds on the Soles of Their Shoes," and "Call Me Al."

Sting and Paul Simon shared the same duets as the night before, like "The Boxer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," but Strathmore's intimacy trumped Verizon's arena setting. Here, they also threw in some songs written by other people, like Paul Simon singing "Wheels" by Chet Atkins.

They performed the second of two encores without their bands. Paul Simon said, "The idea for this tour started with two voices and two guitars, so we felt the show should end that way." In honor of Phil Everly, who passed away in January, they sang an acoustic version of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved." After such a vibrant, energetic show, this quiet song reminded us of why we were all there. Blended together, these voices and combined musicianship guarantee an unforgettable musical experience.

Sting and Paul Simon's On Stage Together tour is in Europe right now. If they are coming to a town near you, get your ticket!

Feel better soon, Sting!


Credits: Duke Ellington School of the Arts benefit  poster: courtesy of Strathmore; video courtesy of Branden Kownacki; Image from Strathmore performance: Kyle Gufstafson/WashingtonLife.com; Beacon Theatre image: Andy Kropa, Invision/Associated Press; Image from On Stage Together tour show in Houston, Texas, February 2014: Kevin Mazur/WireImages; On Stage Together tour poster: LiveNation

Chaplin's still got it!

Hi everyone,

It may be Robert Downey, Jr.'s fault that I like Charlie Chaplin so much. Did you see his performance in Chaplin? He should've won that Oscar.

Actually, the guy who really got me into silent film comedies is Harold Lloyd. I should write about him one of these days because it seems Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin had better agents and publicists.

But Charlie Chaplin is the most famous of all silent movie stars. He did it all: he wrote, produced, directed, scored, and starred in his movies.

Every year, Strathmore celebrates Charlie Chaplin's birthday by screening some of his films with live orchestral accompaniment. Last February, I attended this event for the first time because 1) The Kid, my favorite Charlie Chaplin film, which has a moving, memorable score, was billed as the main attraction; and 2) Strathmore sent me an email, offering $85 center orchestra tickets for $20. Score!

First on the evening's program was one of Charlie Chaplin's short films, called The Idle Class, from 1921. This film was new to me and has some wonderful moments. In one scene, for example, his wife sends him a note, warning that she won't stay with him unless he changes his alcoholic ways. Check out his heartfelt reaction:

The Idle Class (crying scene): http://youtu.be/W5vdV6-T4KM

You can watch the full half-hour film online on the Internet Archive.

Also from 1921, The Kid is Charlie Chaplin's first feature-length film. In it, he plays his iconic character, The Tramp, who finds an abandoned baby. He raises the child until the boy's mother rediscovers her son and wants him back in her life. As you can imagine, this film is a mix of comedy, tragedy, and lots of heart. It makes me laugh and cry.

I can't find a singled-out favorite scene for this movie, but here's a compilation of clips that gives you a good taste. Keep in mind that the last clip shared in this collection is not the end of the movie; oh, the drama!

The Kid (medley of scenes): http://youtu.be/RUMDfIaCEu8

You can watch the full 53-minute film online on the Internet Archive.

What's great about silent movies is how universally understood they are and how they bring people together for a unique, shared experience. Watching a silent film isn't like watching a foreign one. Silent movies only use words to set up scenes, like "A lost boy looks for a home..." or "A city girl visits her uncle in the country..." Viewers can easily follow what's happening in scenes by just watching the actors. Everyone in the audience of these events is either a fan of silent films or someone being introduced to silent films by a friend who's already a fan. I was surrounded by people of all ages, from children to seniors, and we laughed together at jokes from nearly 100 years ago.

That's staying power, Charlie!


Credits: Chaplin movie poster © Tristar Pictures (1992); films and film clips © Charles Chaplin Productions (1921)