The computer screen sits there.
The arts writer intended to write about San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops program titled “Broadway Rocks!” (heard Aug. 3), but the woman still has a headache from overload of belt and amps.
Tell her that if she expects bel canto she should go to hear Donizetti at the Civic Theatre rather than conductor Randall Craig Fliescher and company at Embarcadero Marina Park South; but speaking of Broadway, whatever happened to the beautiful singing we used to hear back “in the day”? Perhaps the arts writer merely grows old and crotchety.
She remembers “Carousel” and “Camelot” and “West Side Story” in the glory days when they were new. But she’s also up-to-date enough to enjoy “Phantom of the Opera,” “Rent” and “Hairspray.” Belt-singing came in long ago (they say with Ethel Merman) and then came belt-singing with body mikes.
There was one beautiful note Friday, and it was Anne Runolfsson’s crystal-clear high note in the duet with Doug LaBrecque, “Phantom of the Opera.” The evening, which began with the overture from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” ended with LaBrecque’s seductive, well-done performance of “Music of the Night” from “Phantom.”
In between there were 17 additional numbers that occasionally had a restful moment of lovely singing, such as Runolfsson’s rendition of “You’ll Be in My Heart” from “Tarzan” and “The Wizard and I” and Susan Egan’s “Home,” the latter two from “The Wiz.”
Newcomer Rob Evan (a member of the fabulous rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra) is a primarily a rock singer. His voice is quite similar in timbre to LaBrecque’s, and an anthemic duet of some kind seemed in order, but Evan sang Pete Townshend’s “Pinball Wizard” from “Tommy” and “Gethsemane” from “Jesus Christ Superstar” instead. Evan and Egan sang “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” a nice song from Jim Steinman’s failed “Dance of the Vampires,” which ran only two months.
So, that was the state of “Broadway Rocks!” Guess the operative word was “rocks” with an exclamation point. Someone was heard to remark from the stage that the show drew a larger crowd than the previous evening’s show with American Idol Clay Aiken. Because “Broadway Rocks!” did not draw even near capacity attendance Friday, one becomes alarmed for the future of Summer Pops, especially in light of the cancellation of the Sycuan Concerts by the Bay rock programs due to noise complaints.
In all fairness, San Diego Symphony has done its best to cope with traffic congestion due to the nearness of the Convention Center and the Q. There are traffic alerts and parking suggestions on the Web site. If one doesn’t mind paying $10 for parking in the garage at 8th and Marina Park Drive there is usually not a problem, even on a Comic-Con or ballgame night, and there’s a free, handy tram to take one right to the Pops gate and back.
Upcoming: Aaron Neville, “Down the Mississippi to New Orleans,” Friday-Saturday, Aug. 24-25; baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell Thursday, Aug. 30; and “1812 Tchaikovsky Spectacular,” Friday-Sunday, Aug. 31-Sept. 2. All programs begin at 7:30 p.m. with gates open at 6.
For tickets and information, visit www.sandiegosymphony.com or call (619) 235-0804.