Rufus Wainwright, Cast Party, and an annoying cold
Hello all!
I'm just about to hit the hay after a long day...well, Tuesdays are always long, since I don't get home from Cast Party until about 2 a.m. and then have to be into work by 9, but today seemed longer than most since I'm just getting over a cold...but I'm getting ahead of myself! Let me backtrack to LAST Tuesday, which was long, yes, but I hardly noticed, because I went to see the fabulous Rufus Wainwright at the Blender Theater at Gramercy. I'm a longtime Rufus fan, and I'd seen him about 6 times before, but he never ceases to amaze me. His music is so unique, it's very hard to describe unless you've actually heard it. He somehow manages to fuse classical music, gorgeous lyrics, lush harmonies and pop sensibilities with an indeniable flare for the dramatic, and each time I see him, he manages to put on an even more incredible show. He was performing with his band, which included 3 horn players, who, among them, played flute, soprano sax, alto sax, recorder, trumpet, English horn, French horn, and guitar, two guitar players, a bassist, a piano player, and a drummer. Rufus himself at times played piano, at times played guitar, and at times simply sang. While his voice may not be to everyone's liking (personally, I'm a fan!), what cannot be denied is his incredible musicianship and heartbreakingly beautiful compositions. At times, the sheer energy and volume radiating from the band on stage seemed as if it would blow the roof off of the theater, and at other times, it was just Rufus sitting at the piano, delivering a touching ballad as if he were in a room as small as the Duplex. His new album is called "Release the Stars," and it contains some of his most complex, intricate work to date - if you haven't heard him before, I urge you to check him out! And please, by all means, when he comes back to town, go see him!!
Wednesday and Thursday of last week found me back in the studio, working on putting the finishing touches on the album. For all intents and purposes, the recording portion is done; what we were working on last week, and what we will be working on for a few more hours still, is getting the final mixes *just* right. Man! I had no idea how crazy you could drive yourself by sitting in a studio and listening to the same songs over and over and over and over again, tweaking the volume of the bass here, the piano there, the backup singers here, the lead vocals there. It's exhausting and exhilherating, and I can't wait for the final product!
I think my body went on slight overload from all of the long hours in the studio, though, because by Friday, I was apartment bound with a pretty nasty cold...so there's not really too much for me to report about the weekend! Last night, though, I was back in action at Cast Party. I didn't sing, because my voice was not feeling quite up to snuff, having spent the weekend doing a lot of coughing, but I did have a terrific time watching everyone else and socializing! Jim Caruso was out of town (touring with Liza Minelli!), and Christine Lavin did a terrific job of filling in as guest-hostess. She took her duties seriously, organizing a wonderful tribute to the great Ervin Drake, and a number of performers honored Mr. Drake (who was sitting front and center with his wife) by singing songs that he had written. Richard Skipper, Lodi Carr, David Goldman, Christine Pedi, Sue Matsuki, and Jenny Lynn Stewart were among those who paid tribute in song to one of America's most beloved songwriters. If you're in the city, come by next week - Christine Lavin is guest-hosting again, and we're planning on having a ball!
By the way, if you're interested in opera, the Met is putting on free performances of La Boheme and Faust in city parks over the next few weeks - what a great way to spend an evening! Check out their website for the details.
And now, I must say goodnight - check back for more updates soon!
I'm just about to hit the hay after a long day...well, Tuesdays are always long, since I don't get home from Cast Party until about 2 a.m. and then have to be into work by 9, but today seemed longer than most since I'm just getting over a cold...but I'm getting ahead of myself! Let me backtrack to LAST Tuesday, which was long, yes, but I hardly noticed, because I went to see the fabulous Rufus Wainwright at the Blender Theater at Gramercy. I'm a longtime Rufus fan, and I'd seen him about 6 times before, but he never ceases to amaze me. His music is so unique, it's very hard to describe unless you've actually heard it. He somehow manages to fuse classical music, gorgeous lyrics, lush harmonies and pop sensibilities with an indeniable flare for the dramatic, and each time I see him, he manages to put on an even more incredible show. He was performing with his band, which included 3 horn players, who, among them, played flute, soprano sax, alto sax, recorder, trumpet, English horn, French horn, and guitar, two guitar players, a bassist, a piano player, and a drummer. Rufus himself at times played piano, at times played guitar, and at times simply sang. While his voice may not be to everyone's liking (personally, I'm a fan!), what cannot be denied is his incredible musicianship and heartbreakingly beautiful compositions. At times, the sheer energy and volume radiating from the band on stage seemed as if it would blow the roof off of the theater, and at other times, it was just Rufus sitting at the piano, delivering a touching ballad as if he were in a room as small as the Duplex. His new album is called "Release the Stars," and it contains some of his most complex, intricate work to date - if you haven't heard him before, I urge you to check him out! And please, by all means, when he comes back to town, go see him!!
Wednesday and Thursday of last week found me back in the studio, working on putting the finishing touches on the album. For all intents and purposes, the recording portion is done; what we were working on last week, and what we will be working on for a few more hours still, is getting the final mixes *just* right. Man! I had no idea how crazy you could drive yourself by sitting in a studio and listening to the same songs over and over and over and over again, tweaking the volume of the bass here, the piano there, the backup singers here, the lead vocals there. It's exhausting and exhilherating, and I can't wait for the final product!
I think my body went on slight overload from all of the long hours in the studio, though, because by Friday, I was apartment bound with a pretty nasty cold...so there's not really too much for me to report about the weekend! Last night, though, I was back in action at Cast Party. I didn't sing, because my voice was not feeling quite up to snuff, having spent the weekend doing a lot of coughing, but I did have a terrific time watching everyone else and socializing! Jim Caruso was out of town (touring with Liza Minelli!), and Christine Lavin did a terrific job of filling in as guest-hostess. She took her duties seriously, organizing a wonderful tribute to the great Ervin Drake, and a number of performers honored Mr. Drake (who was sitting front and center with his wife) by singing songs that he had written. Richard Skipper, Lodi Carr, David Goldman, Christine Pedi, Sue Matsuki, and Jenny Lynn Stewart were among those who paid tribute in song to one of America's most beloved songwriters. If you're in the city, come by next week - Christine Lavin is guest-hosting again, and we're planning on having a ball!
By the way, if you're interested in opera, the Met is putting on free performances of La Boheme and Faust in city parks over the next few weeks - what a great way to spend an evening! Check out their website for the details.
And now, I must say goodnight - check back for more updates soon!
posted by Jenna @ 10:02 PM
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