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Posted: |
Oct 23, 2016 - 12:40 PM
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By: |
Morricone
(Member)
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I usually abstain from announcing the monthly Kritzerland shows here because they are Broadway centric but this time I have multiple reasons to bring up the Sunday November 6th show entitled "Take Me to The World... The Songs of Stephen Sondheim".
1) This is only the second time in 6 years he has done a repeat of a previous show and, if memory serves me, he included in that first show songs from THE SEVEN PER CENT SOLUTION, REDS and DICK TRACY, as well as the musicals that DID make it to the big screen (INTO THE WOODS, SWEENEY TODD, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, GYPSY, WEST SIDE STORY).
2) Many who have enjoyed the film composer shows we have done at my house yearly must know Maegan McConnell, who makes her Kritzerland debut. I don’t know her actual octave range but anyone who can do the high vocalese of the STAR TREK theme to the number of male songs she has tackled (WALK ON THE WILD SIDE, THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE) has quite a wide one. Then Broadway veteran Robert Yacko, who tackled Morricone favorites in our Ennio concert like METTI UNA SERA A CENA, A GRINGO LIKE ME and REVOLVER (in French yet) will add his magic to the proceedings amongst a number of other stellar talents. Last but not least, that “I must read from the paper” guy himself, our own Bruce Kimmel will give background and wit to the array of songs. You may also grill him about future releases and he does let out a title or two from time to time.
3) After years of not getting any new FSMers to come to these I hit the jackpot with the anniversary show where 4 FSMers showed and unanimously praised it to the skies. Add that to a few other FSMers like Preston Neal Jones, Clafong and Dringmissdaisy, all who have quite a wide range in tastes, gives me renewed confidence in recommending these shows to you. Indeed the likes of composer Richard Sherman and STAR TREK writer DC Fontana showed up once for these and have become regulars. THAT is how good they are.
4) Finally there is Stephen Sondheim. Like film composers, I prefer older composers of musicals from a classic era but Sondheim is the one remaining living one that still is high up there for me. He is not to everybody’s taste but, like Morricone, he is a genuine genius and has done work that separates him from any composer who ever lived. AND he has had an affinity for film since he was a kid. He was a clapper boy on John Huston’s BEAT THE DEVIL, he co-wrote the brilliant all-star mystery THE LAST OF SHEILA, did a “Twilight Zone” style musical for TV EVENING PRIMROSE (on Kritzerland) and wrote SWEENEY TODD inspired by the music of…Bernard Herrmann. Bruce mentions he is even including things I never heard of like " a song from Sondheim's aborted film musical Singing Out Loud to a song he wrote for an unproduced version of Jules Feiffer’s Passionella".
As I have said to everybody who I have brought to his shows, you have got to try it at least ONCE. Usually it ends up once is not enough. Here is the link to get tickets:
http://sterlingsupstairs110616.brownpapertickets.com/
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Okay already - I'll BE there. 
It is funny that there are a couple of LA folks who've never come - I think they'd prefer a trip to the dentist. It's odd to me, but then a lot of stuff is odd to me.
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I'd definitely be there were it not for the paltry 3962.81 km that separate Montreal from LA 
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A bump for this fantastic show.
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I attended my first Kritzerland show in September with the help of some very good friends. I had always wanted to attend one of these shows since hearing about them on the FSM board, but of course living in the UK it was not as easy as all that. But when I was lucky enough that a trip to LA for Fans of Film Music 7 coincided with the September Kritzerland show I jumped at the chance to attend. Myself and Tobias from Sweden headed over to the venue on the Sunday night (thank you GPS!) and entered the cool bar for a drink before proceeding to ‘Sterling’s Upstairs’. Everything about the experience was treat. The venue was great. The food was delicious. The company was excellent. And this was all before the show even started! As an unexpected extreme highlight Bruce brought Richard Sherman over to the table and introduced us. As always Richard is an absolute delight and signed for us and posed for photos. A real wow moment that will stay with me forever. As the show started we settled in for the real deal. Performances were top notch, song selections were brilliant and the host delivered the goods! I can’t speak of the experience more highly. I wish it had gone on for hours. Laughs and joy in equal measure. I very much hope to make another one of these shows in the future. Attend if you can! Also I would jump at any chance to hear Meagan McConnell sing live again. That girl is AMAZING.
All the Best,
Gareth
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Posted: |
Nov 6, 2016 - 11:26 AM
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By: |
Morricone
(Member)
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A bump for this fantastic show.
..............................................................................
I attended my first Kritzerland show in September with the help of some very good friends. I had always wanted to attend one of these shows since hearing about them on the FSM board, but of course living in the UK it was not as easy as all that. But when I was lucky enough that a trip to LA for Fans of Film Music 7 coincided with the September Kritzerland show I jumped at the chance to attend. Myself and Tobias from Sweden headed over to the venue on the Sunday night (thank you GPS!) and entered the cool bar for a drink before proceeding to ‘Sterling’s Upstairs’. Everything about the experience was treat. The venue was great. The food was delicious. The company was excellent. And this was all before the show even started! As an unexpected extreme highlight Bruce brought Richard Sherman over to the table and introduced us. As always Richard is an absolute delight and signed for us and posed for photos. A real wow moment that will stay with me forever. As the show started we settled in for the real deal. Performances were top notch, song selections were brilliant and the host delivered the goods! I can’t speak of the experience more highly. I wish it had gone on for hours. Laughs and joy in equal measure. I very much hope to make another one of these shows in the future. Attend if you can! Also I would jump at any chance to hear Meagan McConnell sing live again. That girl is AMAZING.
All the Best,
Gareth
Thanks Gareth! Ironic the only FSMers who came down there during that show were from foreign countries like England, Sweden and Utah. Anyway I think I will reiterate that the first Kritzerland show I ever attended was simply to give moral support to Bruce Kimmel's new project. I did not intend to come for another show. But after just a few shows I became addicted. And I don't like cabaret! And may I add to the myriad reasons to come above and over the years I have given in these threads, there have recently been heavy hitters from behind the scenes showing up a lot. Including Oscar winning directors of animation, special effects people, current series stars and, of course, musical theaters celebs. So join the likes Preston Neal Jones (who keeps bumping into fellow film related authors), clafong (who points out prominent studio musicians to me), Drivingmissdaisy (who was delighted to get Lea Thompson's signature) and score collector Jeanne Jones (who always is equipped with things to sign) who have attended before and come TONIGHT. You have got to try this just once before Kimmel decides to move on to something else. Make sure Bruce knows you are a first timer and FSMer to get some special attention.
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