Sunday, June 6, 2010

George Gershwin sparks a frenzy

Posted by Erica Jackson on Sun, Jun 6, 2010 at 6:00 PM

Gershwin_George.jpg

I should have known that George Gershwin would draw a big crowd in Charleston. When I decided to check out the World of Jewish Culture’s Highlights from Porgy and Bess at KK Beth Elohim Synagogue, I thought I’d be sharing the place with a small handful of elderly Gershwin fans. What I found was a madhouse.

When I arrived 10 minutes before the show, a long line was waiting outside in the brutal sun. Sounds from within suggested that the previous concert — Gershwin: Remembrance and Discovery — was still going on ... and continued to go on for more than 20 minutes (nearly an hour after it was scheduled to end). We overheard frantic organizers saying that pianist Richard Glazier had not responded to efforts to get him off the stage. So we had to wait it out. (After the show we overheard one woman saying it was the best thing she’d ever seen. We’re glad someone was happy.)

Fun fact: Standing in the June afternoon sun waiting for a Gershwin concert really brings out the worst in people. Southern ladies attempted to lie and charm their way into the air conditioning. Line-breakers were called out by an irate man in a seersucker suit, after which everyone crammed even closer together to protect their place. When we finally got inside, it was obvious the event had been over-sold, and people scrambled for seats. When Ellen Dressler Moryl made the welcoming announcements, several people in the back of the room yelled at her when they couldn’t hear her.

After all that excitement and drama, the show itself was a bit of an afterthought. After a brief history of the opera, we were treated to a performance from several chamber musicians along with soprano D’Janis D. Whipper-Lewis, bass-baritone Daniel Washington, and (my favorite) tenor Matthew Jones. The earlier drama seemed to be forgotten soon after the music started, with songs like “Summertime,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and “A Woman is a Sometime Thing.” Gershwin just has that effect on people, I guess.

Topics: Spoleto

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You should have checked out Gershwin: Remembrance and Discovery . It was one of the best shows I have seen at Piccalo-Spoleto. Glasser's attatchment and passion of Gershwin was obvious. The entire audience was contected to Gershwin through him. While Highlights from Porgy and Bess was entertaining. It lacked the passion of Glasser's program. The blame belongs to whoever scheduled the two performances. More time was needed between them. I felt Mr. Glasser was insulted by being rushed off the stage. He certainly wasn't treated with the Charleston manners we are so famous for. I just hope he will return next year so we can hear th entire show as he planned it and he is given enough time for his entire performance.

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Posted by charlestowne2 on June 6, 2010 at 10:44 PM

BRAVO TO RICHARD GLAZIER FOR A STELLAR MULTIMEDIA MUSICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE STORY OF GEORGE AND IRA GERSHWIN AS PART OF PICCOLO ON SUNDAY! His audience did not want to let him go! It is unfortunate that circumstances beyond his control led to misunderstandings and inconveniences of others. We hope he comes back to Charleston soon!

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Posted by gterrys on June 7, 2010 at 8:22 AM

hum.important pointers about the que and so forth.take note ppl

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Posted by lostprophets on June 9, 2010 at 12:53 PM
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