Though this columnist's nickname has been Diva since a certain best friend gave it to me some years ago and it stuck like superglue, I have never thought of myself as a “Diva” persona; star of the show, difficult, demanding, hard to deal with. I bring this up because last night I had the pleasure of attending the Wicked Divas performance, part of the Pops Series, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, starring the Divas of the Broadway musical Wicked, Alli Mauzey and Julia Murney. As I watched and listened to these tremendously talented and lovely young ladies, I was struck again at how misused the word Diva has become.
The use of the word Diva began, I believe, in the land of opera, where a diva is no more than a principal singer possessing colossal talent and an intense presence on stage. Somewhere along the way (perhaps during Barbra Streisand’s reign?), the word has become a less loving one, portraying instead a woman who is a prima donna, problematic to work with, sometimes a not-so-safe-commodity to have around.
Then there are the fictional female characters in the said operas, plays and movies who are larger-than-life Divas whom we all love to hate or perhaps hate to love. Now to my point; I got the feeling last night that the two gorgeous women entertaining us with a plethora of show tunes and no less than five costume changes were most definitely Divas of the latter sort, not of the real-life kind. Both charming, witty and boldly egotistically to the point it was obviously a farce, the ladies were as entertaining on the innocent symphony stage as Elphaba and Glinda on the Wicked one.
With tunes such as “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady and “Think of Me” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, the evening couldn’t have been any sweeter. The Wicked Divas ended the show with songs from Wicked; "Popular", "Defying Gravity" and "For Good", bringing a little bit of Wicked to those few people in the audience who hadn’t seen the show; seven by their joking account and at least one orchestra member who will remain unnamed (as the Divas delighted in pointing out, didn’t they, Mr. First Violin?)
The Wicked Divas were most definitely the stars last evening, but to yours truly at least, there was another star shining almost as brightly in the person of Albert-George Schram, who has served as a resident conductor for the Nashville Symphony since 2006. Though Schram has conducted on all of the different series the orchestra offers, his primary responsibility is for the Bank of America Pops Series.
It was this reporter’s first time to a Pops Concert and first time to see Mr. Schram conducting. When first walking in to the Laura Turner Concert Hall at the Schermerhorn, you know that the night is going to be different; gone is the regular orchestra seating and in its place, intimate little tables that seat four, scattered all throughout the floor, all the way up to the very bottom of the stage, creating a jazz club atmosphere and a noticeably more relaxed one. In jazzy white coats, the orchestra even seems less formal, and definitely more animated, though I wonder if some of that has to do with the incredible charisma of the conductor of the evening.
From the moment Albert-George Schram steps onto the stage and onto his podium, he is all smiles and on the tip of his toes, bouncing to the music, full of vim and vigor; a pleasure to behold. As the evening progressed, it became apparent that I wasn’t the only one who had noticed his particular charm, as the Wicked Divas most definitely took advantage of Schram’s good nature and sweet character to flirt with him shamelessly, actions to which he responded most eagerly and adorably.
Schram, as a matter of fact, had the audience in stitches before the show had barely begun, taking the microphone in hand, and with his delightful Netherland accented voice, told the tale of Gypsy Rose Lee, from the production “Gypsy” and how she began with Vaudeville and moved on to Burlesque before finding her individual talents – and putting tassels on them.
The Symphony’s performance of the “Gypsy” overture was exquisite. With additional selections like “Over the Rainbow”, “I Hear a Symphony”: Symphonic Sounds of Diana Ross and Spamalot’s “Diva’s Lament”, the orchestra, under Schrams expert guidance, was definitely tuned in to give a fabulous performance last night.
Once again, if you just don't like classical music, Do Not let that keep you from the elegantly designed confines of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center; with concerts by Branford Marsalis, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Mathis and even events like the Ballet Folklorico de Colombia coming up, there is plenty to find that you will love, regardless of your musical preferences or your age.
For tickets and more information, visit the Nashville Symphony website.
Comments