I`m in Heaven with the voices of Il Volo!

                                                      

Once in a century, music is turned on its ear by a new sensational group. This year, the group is Il Volo, It has hit the world like a big pizza pie flying into the air, sending amore vibes into everyone`s ear. The sound that comes from these young men's voices is indeed heavenly. It is hypnotizing. Their average age is 17. They are untrained but they are managed by two producers who are closely aligned with Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion.

Luck brought me Il Volo

I ended up one night at their show in Montreal held in Place des Arts. I had neither ticket nor any plan to see them. A woman named Sarah who was in charge of concert audience management and the Meet and Greet folks - all of whom had paid big bucks to go backstage and meet the three gorgeous guys, insisted I attend and take part in meeting them too. Sarah saw my journalist credentials hanging off my neck. I was returning from the Montreal World Film Festival, and so she thought it a good thing I hear them.
Not being interested in pop Italian opera, I expressed a passing  interest, but once she handed me the ticket and looked earnestly at me saying their manager would love me to go backstage and meet them and hear the concert, I agreed. I really did not wish to disappoint Sarah. I am so glad I did! I have never been so excited and thrilled by the music and spectacle that dazzle my ears and eyes.

Elegant and suave, their sonic beauty was heightened by lighting and projections on the back walls of scenes from a Charlie Chaplin movie (when they sang ‘Smile’), and watercolour animations of love images.
These darling young fellows put on a splendid show, joking and making comments with their thick Italian accents to members in the audience, but it is their voices, alone and together that make you believe there really is a heaven - one ringing with celestial romantic songs and upbeat ones too that stir the soul and sizzle the body. They are hot!

No matter the song, each singer mastered the phrasing, pitch and emotion with passion and impeccable timing.
I will not list the songs they sung, but if you go to their albums and check out You Tube, they are all there. My favourite for the evening was El Reloj (a song about eternal love being bound up in time passing). I did not want this concert to end. I wanted all time to stop. I was exhilarated by my evening of magnificent surprise, intensified all the more when Sarah called my name to meet them backstage in a little room where she insisted my picture be taken with them. ''Gianluca, Piero and Ignacio - having you near me made me feel light headed.'' I was flying high for the rest of the week!

                                                                          Gianluca

Piero

                                                                              Ignacio

Jersey Boys

A Marvellous Musical! about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

High Voltage Volume and Energy Deliver a Powerhouse Story

Reviewed by Nancy Snipper

Wow! This frenetically fabulous musical dazzles us as it charts the rise of Frankie Valli and his three talented friends: composer, Bob Gaudio, long time sketchy go-getter and gambler Tommy DeVito, bass boy, Nick Massi and the group’s lyricist, Bob Crewe.  Spectacular harmonies blend to bring to life this iconic 50’s group that spilled out hit after hit. The production offered a back screen animated with comic book images and names of the various clubs that the group performed in, such as the Strand in 1953.

 
 The Silhouette and the Sea Breeze Diner Club; they lit up the back like marquees to highlight the group’s stage gigs and the pictures vividly created the innocence and tenor of the times. The set was framed in a huge metal grid that sported a staircase.

The story of the Four Seasons is one wherein the singing boys traveled together through deep valleys of setbacks, but undeterred they eventually soar to high performance mountain peaks.

What I loved about the production was the zippy non-stop presentation of the story within a musical framework that left no stone unturned. Medley after medley imbedded itself into the various episodic segments of this group that endured decades while others had one-hit wonders and faded into oblivion. 

Dance numbers, a great band and the superlative staging and direction by Des McAnuff created the success as the hyper lively pace superb music showed off the stellar acting and musical talents of all: Drew Seeley, Keith Hines and Nicolas Dromard. Hayden Milanes was Frankie Valli incarnate. What a voice! His stamina was truly a feat of nature, as he was constantly acting, singing and moving. He even pulled off a fast out-of-nowhere James Brown splitz. 

All were great: These veteran actors have appeared on Broadway and toured onto a slew of prestigious stages rocking the world with their musical talents. The Jersey Boys is one of these feel-good productions that have you singing Sherry, Sherry Baby as you leave the theatre. Get ready to keep up with the electrifying pace as the story about this timeless – The Four Seasons and their main star, Frank Valli is revealed like never before.

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RUFUS WAINWRIGHT'S PRIMA DONNA PREMIERS MAGNIFICENTLY!

Jazz Festival Concert: Place des Arts, Salle Wilfred Laurier, July 2, 2016

PRIMA DONNA CONCERT

Prima Donna is Mr Wainright's first opera; and because of it, we discover yet another brilliant side to the singer/composer's artistic expression. What moving music! Highly French in flavour, this interesting creation highlighted a lyrical melody which seemed to echo the spirit of Bizet and Delibes. Several passages climaxed in melodic crescendos, poignantly pointing to Verdi, Puccini, and the darker parts to Prokofiev and Richard Strauss.

Thematically, the subject is a tasteful and highly stylized tribute to "Woman" and the "Feminine" as she lives through the inevitable sadness of ageing - how it affects her outward appearance, her own doubts and insecurity.

Specifically focusing on the late Maria Callas (portrayed with hypnotic intensity by Cindy Sherman), Callas -- the great Greek opera singer -- is a larger than life legend. Her unique voice and striking beauty captivated the world's attention - and this aspect carried through in Prima Donna by the use of close-up images. Cameo photos on the projected back wall screen in the film filled our own imagination. Baroque style settings and luscious costumed Cindy Sherman as Callas were richly highlighted in the film. 

Just as Callas inspired the world, she herself was captivated by Queen Regine, a bust of which is first shown in the film. It was directed by the Italian genius, Francesco Vezzoli , and it featured his inspiring soundtrack. Scenes of Ms. Sherman (portrayal alluding to Callas) at various stages of ageing, singing at the piano, taking off makeup and studying herself slowly, move across the screen enhanced by frequent fade-ins and fade-outs that beautifully flow in a synchronized, symbiotic manner to the emotionally rich terrain of the singing and the orchestral symphonic music -- perfectly performed by the a symphony orchestra under the baton of the vibrant American maestro, Jace Ogren.

The performance only featured some parts of the opera. Still, we glued to our seats. The artists who sang were sublime; their lush yet varied vocal totality along with their obvious connection to the characters they portrayed effectively claimed our admiration. 






Soprano, Kathryn Guthrie who reached notes that surely exceeded the highest upper C stunned us all.

Soprano, Lyne Fortin, who

 sang the lead, was exuberantly beautiful. Her deliciously round voice is rich, emotive and it was perfect for the part. 

Tenor, Antonio Figueroa was so tender, and his voice is sweet. 

The opera is a stand-out. It will surely mesmerize audiences in Paris where it will soon be performed.

Post-intermission, Mr. Wainwright shared the more familiar side of his musical artistry. Whether at the piano or in front of the mike, dressed in an elegant sparkly silver suit created by Zaldy, his musicality spills out in a non-stop flood of love. Head swaying, and arms moving gracefully to the fluid and periodic cleverly punctuated rhythms that mark his original songs showed how much music lives within him- his voice is so smooth - his range and his ability to hold a note for an eternity is astounding.

Charming and always humorously self-mocking when referring to his French, though he did hold his own in the language - as proven in his hypnotically beautiful song, "Les feux d'artifices t'appellent" which he played at the piano, as he did several songs: "Cigarettes and Chocolate" and a sonnet song from his latest album, Let All the Loves In:: Nine Shakespeare Sonnets. I loved, "Going to Town" and "Oh What a World." His sister, Martha joined him on one of his late mother's favourite songs - and she appeared on stage again with two cousins for the final encore number - the iconic - "Halleluja".

It was frustrating that such a complex concert offered no written program for the public; nor were there electronic super headings in either language as the opera (in French) played out. Thus the opera lost a vital concomitant element, and as one French couple said, "We caught only some words as they sung." (Regardless of language, opera librettos are often lost during a performance in "ear translation." 

One hopes everyone reading this will go out - if they haven't already - and purchase Prima Donna, currently playing at Montreal’s International Jazz Festival. 

How rare to hear an opera knowing the composer still lives within our midst!

ARCHER SETS THE TONE OF HOME-SPUN HONESTY

The singer, Archer, from Australia opened the evening. His vocal style is little bit skiffle and a little bit old time. His catchy vocal tremor is such a throw-back to days gone by. His songs about the outback, nature, death of a family mother, hobo days and kangaroos and cars were highly original. “The Greatest Symphony on Earth” about love-making surely showed his risqué sense of humour. Still, I was not sure if he was comfy in the theatre’s performance arena.

He was so low key, rather shy, and although his stage presence was interesting, his delivery might have been more appreciated at a café house. His songs are lyrically rich, but his diction seems to reside between his teeth; he was hard to understand. One suspects he is far more a songwriter than a singer. He’s the real raw deal, and for that, I admire him greatly as an artist.

WAINWRIGHT SISTERS: BORN TO SING TOGETHER

Théatre de Rideau Vert, July 7th, 2016

Although they live miles and miles apart, Lucy Wainwright Roche lives in New York, Martha Wainwright in Saint-Sauveur, these two sublime songbirds belong on the stage. Lucy has a voice as heavenly and as pure as Joan Baez’s. It’s pitch perfect and true folk. Martha’s voice is a mix of Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton and Bonny Raitt. The variety of textures in her voice is astounding. She is more kinetic on stage than her calm sister, but both hold us in their vocal grip.

the minor key; yes some were slow with lyrics about creeping shadows, but their haunting beauty and sometimes lonely and sad images were so beautifully rendered. Such moving melodies with perfect harmonic nuances -- the chance to slumber was overshadowed by awe.

In “Baby Rocking Medley,” they offer wailing newborns up for adoption willingly, while on a cover of Richard Thompson’s “The End of the Rainbow,” you feel -- yes this is what Lucy said – the most depressing of their medley. The song says: “There’s nothing to grow up for anymore,” and one believes this is the real song that hit the most morbid of lullaby songs in the repertoire delivered in the concert.

Laughter spread through the audience when Archangel, Martha’s little son, came out holding a violin and bow, tried to sit on the too-high stool, and then never really played. He just kept looking up at his mother, waiting for his cue. At the end, he took a bow, and we were so amused.

Both ladies were great at playing off one another, sharing funny anecdotes, and tell-all disasters, including one about their matching dresses which alluded to a dress story about Rufus; his garment gift to the two of them has gone into the garbage. Even their father Loudon Wainwright III was not off limits. He is an insomniac: “Shut up and Go to Sleep” (their last song for the evening), was totally appropriate for the theme of the evening. Cleverly comedic, Lucy has this low key drawl humour that is subtly delicious. She added just the right punch to Martha’s more intense stage presence and anecdotal candidness.

I loved this concert. 

Footnote: 

Press conference with Rufus and Martha Wainwright:













 



In 1985 I had the privilege to be called upon by the great Kate McGarrigle to live with Rufus and Martha while she toured... as long as I taught them piano.  I didn't even know them, nor she me. Their talent was obvious even at their very young age.

Imagine how nice it was to be reunited with them decades later during this press conference.

New York Asian Film Festival Delivers Excitement, Depth and Variety with Jaw-Dropping Appeal

                                 The festival runs from June 28th to July 14th

Tzu-Hsuan Hung Directs The Scoundrels ***

What a complicated gangster-good-guy plot! Hard to follow. In fact the many fight scenes almost steal the climactic effect of the whole film. Rui is a ticket car giver; but it wasn’t always that way. He was a star basketball player, but got dismissed due to a big fight he started on the court. He ends up working for a gang to pay the bills for the guy he had beaten up. But things go really bad for Rui when he sees a bloody body when he is issuing a ticket and feel a gun at his back. Rui is forced to comply with the raincoat robber – as he is called when he steals money from the private delivery  bank cars.

The guy ends up manipulating Rui and though Rui wants to escape,  but he can’t. The tables turn though when Rui decides not to be a patsy or loser anymore. He ends up following him to the finish. Bad guys don’t win in the end. This is Tzu-Hsuan Hung’s first feature and though terrible complex and hard to follow, he proves the Taiwanese are a force to contend with when it comes to film making.

                                                                         ___________________________

 MAGGIE (Directed by Yi ok-seop)




No oen shows up at the hospital after a compromising sex x-ray that hows no faces seems to embarrass the staff. Docotors fall sick and a lay boy friend fall thorugh one of the sink holes he himself is repariing. 



These holes are appearing everywhere. Nothing much ahppnes in this obtuse absurdist Korean film. Not one of their best, for sure.

THE FABLE (Directed by Kab Eguchi) **

He's a trained killer/assassin, and he's put to good use to rescue  a friend who helped him once when he was pretending that a gang really was getting the upper hand while beating him up. The Fable finds a way to rescue her but not without hurting a whole lot of people. he is not supposed to kill people though; his boss has told him to lay low for a year.


He's got a tender sweet side; he loves his new bird, and he not only draws his gun, but cartoons too.

This slam-bang action thriller with yakuza melodrama hits the mark when it comes to confusing us and even the characters in the film. But all the elements are there for high entertainment: a psychopath killer,  lots of great super-charged fight scenes, Osaka's underworld is as tense as a den of vipers.

                                                  _________________________

UNCLE AND HOUSE ***

A trio of loan sharks extract money from others, and things become bad for those owing. Against this, is a backdrop of laziness, fatigue and shop keepers who are not exactly as they seem. A quirky film for sure from Korea that sets quietude against the undercurrent of violence.

______________________________

Jinpa (Directed by Pema Tseden) ***

In the most barren frozen lands of  the Tibetan plains, a lorry driver travels. his delivery is cut short when he hits a big sheep and kills him. he feels terrible and spends most of his time trying to relieve his guilt. He is searching for a man eh picked up hitch-hiking who may hold the answer to meeting the man who can save his soul. Dreamy and out of this world, the slowness of the film and authentic feel works their magic over you. It's in Chinese and Tibetan language.

                                                    _________________________

MY FIRST FAREWELL (Directed  by Wang Lina) ****

They are Muslim children brimming with values of home, family, caring to their goats, cattle and chicken. But the pressure to learn mandarin (the village speaks Uighur)  is overbearing, and if a child  fails in this subject-- as the little girl did – she/he will be shamed along with the parents during teacher/parent meetings. Adives is sought from the elders.

 The time for picking cotton and trying to earn money is fast disappearing. City life is taking over their rural way of life. They must move to another city to improve their schooling. The film puts three children who ultimately have to leave their deaf. Mute mother behind in a home to make their own lives with their mom in a city. The lens gives us a touching day-to-day glimpse into one family whose conflicts and wise council come together in love and discord.  It is so authentic, one forgets this is a film. 

 The cinematography is stunning.The music by Xi Wen is mesmerizing. This is Ms. Lina’s first film. Bravo! The children are not actors, nor anyone else in this film. Amazing!