An Addition to Category 1
Well I've got another addition to Category 1 of my little system. I got to go and see Mandy Patinkin at the Opera House last night. We were in the second row centre and it took me a while to get over the fact that MANDY PATINKIN was standing a metre away from me singing. I mean this is the man who originated a lead role in Sondheim show (Sunday in the Park with George) as well as originating the role of Che in Evita on Broadway (opposite Patti LuPone)!
Well, he was amazing, of course. The two hour concert was just him and his long time music director Paul Ford playing an upright Yamaha piano. It's so amazing to see a performer who is so in control of what they're doing and knows exactly what they are doing. He knows when to unleash and 'sell' a song - like he did with an extraordinarily angry version on 'Oh What a Circus' - but he also knows when to pull back and let a song speak for itself - like he did with a sublime version of 'Send in the Clowns'.
There were a LOT of highlights - 'If I Loved You' and 'Sililoquy' (from Rodgers & Hammerstein's best score by far!), 'Being Alive' and a medley of 'You Have to be Carefully Taught' and 'Children Will Listen' accompanied by didgeridoo! There was also lots of obscure Sondheim which kept me happy :)
And after a number of encores he struck up a fencing pose and did his line from "The Princess Bride". Ha, ha - the crowd went nuts!!
Well, he was amazing, of course. The two hour concert was just him and his long time music director Paul Ford playing an upright Yamaha piano. It's so amazing to see a performer who is so in control of what they're doing and knows exactly what they are doing. He knows when to unleash and 'sell' a song - like he did with an extraordinarily angry version on 'Oh What a Circus' - but he also knows when to pull back and let a song speak for itself - like he did with a sublime version of 'Send in the Clowns'.
There were a LOT of highlights - 'If I Loved You' and 'Sililoquy' (from Rodgers & Hammerstein's best score by far!), 'Being Alive' and a medley of 'You Have to be Carefully Taught' and 'Children Will Listen' accompanied by didgeridoo! There was also lots of obscure Sondheim which kept me happy :)
And after a number of encores he struck up a fencing pose and did his line from "The Princess Bride". Ha, ha - the crowd went nuts!!