Health & Fitness
Eric Jennings Thrilled The New Rochelle Public Library Audience Performing Three Songs During His Sondheim Talk on Sunday
Eric Jennings has delighted New Rochelle public library audiences with his engaging talks on operas, composers, lyricists and playwrights for several years now, but on Sunday the former Opera tenor outdid himself when he performed 3 songs during his Steven Sondheim lecture.
Emphasizing the significance of Sondheim’s long career (at 82 he continues to write for the theater) Mr. Jennings explained that the composer transformed musical theater as we know it by providing audiences with complex characters able express the depths of personal experience. Mr. Jennnings’ talks are filled with such insights, but the real magic of these sessions is the way he finds the best performances of just the right songs to illustrate the genius and joy of his subject.
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The most thrilling moments came with Mr. Jennings’ performance of three songs. Accompanied by a professional pianist, he started with a charming ode to young love from Sondheim's musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. His interpretation of Love, I Hear was seamlessly woven into the talk.
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His next song, Anyone Can Whistle from the Sondheim musical of the same name, was first performed in 1964. This same Sondheim musical launched the career of the yet undiscovered Angela Landsbury.
He continued with Take Me To The World, from the musical play Evening Primrose, a song with an iconic theme of retreat and discovery, and in this case, a tragic outcome.
The program ended with footage from Sondheim! The Birthday Concert, a musical tribute to the Broadway legend with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, which took place at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in March 2010, and featured stunning performances by Patti LuPone, Elaine Stritch, and others.
Mr. Jennings has a unique talent for engaging and entertaining his audience with original insights and enriching presentations. You won’t want to miss Sondheim Part 2 on November 24th in the New Rochelle Public Library.
