Tenderly at Centerstage
A musical love letter at an annotated night club
by Michael Dresdner
As soon as I stepped into the Centerstage theater I felt
decidedly under dressed. The floor level area that normally serves as a stage
had been transformed (by set designer Ben Baird) into an early 1960’s night
club, right out of the Mad Men era. A blue and white checkerboard floor rose up
a short staircase to a wide stage whose back wall was draped with chiffon. An
eight piece dance band, with traditional display-front music stands, clustered
on either side of the stairway. That was the backdrop for Tenderly, a lovingly
annotated musical tribute to Rosemary Clooney.
Folks my own age may very well recall Clooney, whose
versions of popular songs were all over radio, records and movies. But don’t
worry if you are too young to remember her sweet, comforting voice and
bittersweet life story. Tenderly covers just that in a
format strikingly similar to the enthralling Ken Burns documentary Jazz.
The story of Clooney’s life is told in narration
interspersed with her songs, chosen to match the mood of the story line, the
chronology, or more often, both. A screen, placed high above the stage, carries
projections of still photos showing
Clooney and her associates to amplify and illustrate the story line. All told,
it’s an entertaining history lesson about one of my generation’s greatest
singers, done as a seamless and delightful evening of old style night club
music.
Both the narration and singing is handled by two superb
vocalists, sometimes singing together, as on Clooney’s famous duet Sisters
from the movie White Christmas, but more often singing solo. Katherine
Strohmaier, the younger of the two, covered the bulk of the songs in first of
two acts, her sweet, lyric voice and equally sweet stage presence perfectly
fitting the narrative of Clooney’s early career. A singing success at an early
age, Clooney’s star rose until a drug fueled breakdown in 1968, the perfect
spot for intermission.
The second half of the story, Clooney’s recovery and the decades
long resurrection of her career, was handled primarily by equally talented
Laurie Clothier. She brought the seasoned sound of a long time nightclub and
stage performer, which is what Clooney was by then. Both women were perfectly
suited to the task, working magic both as soloists and in several duets.
The whole was created and directed by Centerstage’s Resident
Musical Director David Duvall, who also leads the band and handles keyboards. At
one point, he surprised us all by picking up a microphone and joining Clothier
for a Clooney/Crosby duet, while Strohmaier adroitly slipped onto his piano
bench and took over the ivories.
The redoubtable perfectionist Duvall, whose musical skills
and instincts are truly nonpareil, crafted this seamless melodic flow backed up
by an amazing group of multi-instrumentalists; Rich Cole, Bruce Carpenter, Bud
Jackson, Bill Branvold, Don Miller, Cary Black, and Bruce Simpson. They created
a lovely background during narration and, of course, were the perfect dance
band to showcase the delightful Clooney clones.
Lighting by Amy Silveria, who also did the screen images,
was ideally suited to the times, with spot lights and travel spots on the two
women, and a multi-hued light show behind. The chiffon-like back curtain acted
as a semi-translucent scrim, its color changing with the music’s mood, often
several times in the same song. Ron Leamon and Donna McNeal were responsible
for the stunning period gowns worn by the two women. Knowing his penchant for
collecting costume jewelry, I suspect Duvall had at least a hand in the two
women’s sparkling adornments.
For a nostalgic, music-loving sap like me, this was a
delightful and comforting visit to my younger days. For younger viewers, it may
open a window onto a sonically sweet time in forgotten history. Either way,
it’s a treasure.
Tenderly
March 16 through April
1, 2012
Centerstage
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