Keith Lockhart Conducts A Little Night Music at Tanglewood
Concert Version of Stephen Sondheim's Hit Show
By: Charles Giuliano - Jul 09, 2008
A Little Night Music (1973)
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by Hugh Wheeler, Suggested by a film by Ingmar Bergman, Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), Conducted by Keith Lockhart.
Starring: Bonnie Steinbach (Madame Armfeldt), Christine Ebersole (Desiree Armfeldt), Katie Henney (Fredericka Armfeldt), Ron Raines (Frederick Egerman), Ashley Logan (Anne Egerman). Zachary Wilder (Henrick Egerman), Matthew Worth (Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm), Katherine Growdon (Countess Charlotte Malcolm) Rebecca Jo Loeb (Petra) With Fellows from the Tanglewood Music Center. Boston Pops at Tanglewood Series Sponsored by Cunard Line. Performed Tuesday, July 8, 2008
There was indeed "A Little Night Music" in an evening under the stars at Tanglewood with Keith Lockhart conducting the Boston Pops in a concert version of the 1973 Broadway musical . The Tony Award winning production (Best Original Score by Stephen Sondheim and Best Book for a Musical by Hugh Wheeler) was inspired by the dark and droll 1955 film, "Smiles of a Summer Night" by the Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman.
It is not surprising that Sondheim would choose to set music to a comic masterpiece by the auteur Bergman. Their spirit and personas are aptly combined. Bergman the darkest, most complex and daunting filmmaker of his era wonderfully finds his equal and sublime collaborator in Sondheim. With both of these great artists it takes intense concentration to follow the nuances of their complex characters with their twists and turns. One emerges from an experience such as this feeling both psychically exhausted, put through an emotional wringer, particularly the convolutions of the music and lyrics of Sondheim, and also profoundly moved.
With the exception of the standard "Send in the Clowns," which brought the house down in a stunningly rich and lyrical rendering by the actress of a certain age, Desiree Armfeldt (Christine Ebersole), one did not come away from this musical whistling a catchy tune. The music and lyrics are more invested in advancing the plot and difficult characters than in belting out typical Broadway hits. The fact that "Send in the Clowns" became such an enduring classic is almost inadvertent. Over the years we have heard many jazz and cabaret artists take on the challenge of its poignant but dark and sublime poetry. It has served as the perfect vehicle when the best performers aspire to present their emotional depth and vocal range to an audience. Last night, Ebersole more than rose to the occasion. There was a wonderful reprise when she was joined by her former lover Frederick Egerman (Ron Raines).
In 1955, when I first saw "Smiles of a Summer Night" at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge which featured foreign films, although just 15 at the time, I sensed experiencing something truly magnificent. Then and now I feel it is one of his greatest films. Of course, as a teenager, I had an entirely different response to its issues of love and physical passion than now. Last night, for example, I identified with the character of Frederick, the lawyer, and the delicate relationship to his child bride, Anna (Ashley Logan). After 11 months of marriage she remains a virgin. In a poignant duet there are separate motives as he expresses his patience and desire while she articulates innocence and romance. Sondheim often sets in play two and three different characters and emotions in the songs. Add to this a version of a Greek Chorus represented by several players who weave in and out of the action.
There are wonderful characters and roles in the Sondheim play. The grandmother Madame Armfeldt (Bonnie Steinbach) is the mother of an actress daughter, Desiree, and guardian of her out of wedlock granddaughter, Frederika (Katie Henney). She is wise and sarcastic with a diffident world weary response to the foibles of love and passion transpiring among guests who clash at her chateau during "A Weekend in the Country." Rebecca Jo Loeb was most effective as Petra the earthy maid who comically arouses Henrick (Zachary Wilder) the innocent and religious son of Fredrik. Petra has a fling with another servant at the chateau and is on her own when Anna and Hendrick find true love and run off. The crafty Petra lands on her feet winning over the audience with her plans to marry "The Miller's Son."
Of course Frederik is a love besotted old fool to have married the innocent Anna. As a child, when he visited her family, she had referred to him as "Uncle Frederik." He is better suited to the actress Desiree with whom he had a dalliance more than a dozen years earlier. As an actress, and woman of the world, she has had many lovers. Seeing her at the theatre, during a late night rendezvous after Anna has gone to bed, has rekindled the old flame. But Desiree (such an apt name for the promiscuous temptress) is having an affair with a smarmy dragoon, Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Matthew Worth). Their clash ends in Russian Roulette with a comic result. His long suffering wife, Countess Charlotte (Katherine Growdon) evolves as a confidante of the naive Anna.
Laced through the evening were Swedish jokes. They appeared to strike home and greatly amuse a gentleman in front of us. In general, Bergman was responding to the fact that in Sweden there is little or no daylight in the winter and almost full days of sunshine during the summer. It appears to make the Swedes quite bonkers. So this play is all about that nocturnal madness creating a heady concoction when combined with the libidos of the characters. At the end of the play Frederika, who seems the least changed by the chaotic events of the evening, sits on the stage and stretches out her hand to greet the dawn.
In what is becoming a Tanglewood tradition this is the second year in which Lockhart has led the Pops in a staged musical. Last year this was initiated with a superb version of "Carousel." While that was most enjoyable we applaud Lockhart for taking on the far more challenging work by Sondheim. It was a unique experience to hear that dense and resonant music so richly rendered by a renowned orchestra and superb singers. This experience allowed us to concentrate on Sondheim as a magnificent composer and lyricist. It is interesting to note that this work continues in concert form with symphony orchestras, but despite Tony Awards in 1973, has yet to be revived on Broadway. Thanks Keith, we needed that.