We have just finished a run of our latest show THOU SWELL THOU WITTY which was introduced in March, 2008. We previewed our new program on March 5th in a private cabaret performance at Fox Hill Village in Westwood MA and four days later, on March 9th, opened to the public at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA. The show featured our soprano, Mara Bonde, bass-baritone, David Ripley, and the Boston Musical Theater Trio: Dan Loschen, piano, Rich Appleman, bass and Bertram Lehmann, drums. We presented two guest performers: soprano, Jennifer Sheehan, a new talent from New York, and pianist Allen Bonde, the father of soprano Mara Bonde.
The organizing theme for THOU SWELL THOU WITTY was a celebration of the lyrics and the lyricists of the American Songbook with special emphasis on Rogders and Hart, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and Kander and Ebb.
After the American performances on March 5th and 9th, Mara, David, Dan, Rich, Bertram and Charlotte boarded a plane and headed for Seoul, South Korea where we spent a week as guests of the American Ambassador. It was a very busy week with incredible jet lag (a 13 hour time difference) but we presented two concerts, one in a new and beautiful public venue, Kumho Hall, and the other in the Ambassador's residence. The highlight of the trip, for most of us, was the two master classes we gave at the Dong-A Institute for Media and the Arts, and at Keimyung University, both a day trip out of the city of Seoul. We were hosted by the Presidents and Faculty of these institutions, learned how to work with an interpreter and brought back many souvenirs both tangible and intangible of this exciting experience.
We wound up the summer season repeating THOU SWELL THOU WITTY two more times: in Great Barrington, MA at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center on August 28th and in Northampton, MA at the Academy of Music Theatre on September 14th. We recorded live and hope to publish another CD within the year. Both of these theaters are acoustical gems about 100 years old and have been beautifully restored.
Our next program will be brand new and will be called THE FABULOUS FIFTIES - The Heyday of the Broadway Musical
. This is the decade that produced My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Kiss Me Kate, Guys and Dolls, Gypsy and countless other blockbusters. So stay tuned for announcements for Sunday May31st at 2 pm at The National Heritage Museum in Lexington. We guarantee you the same good time as usual.
Charlotte Kaufman
Director