American Icons - George Gershwin & Richard Rodgers

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Yesterday morning, thewingedone and I attended a closed rehearsal of the Boston Pops. They were preparing a program titled "American Icons - George Gershwin & Richard Rodgers," starring Kathleen Brett and Ron Raines. Great music and great fun. We both really liked To Keep My Love Alive, which was very funny. Keith Lockhart got to grab the 'bloody' knife from Kathleen Brett and then conduct with it. I wasn't thrilled with the arrangement of The Surrey with the Fringe on Top, though I did like the trumpet's neigh at the end. There was a lovely alto sax solo in The Man I Love.

We sat as close to the front as possible so we could see the behind-the-scenes work, which is fascinating. It turned out that Oh, What a Beautiful Morning was the film version, and higher than the singer preferred. To make To Keep My Love Alive even funnier, they added a (whistle) slide and (drum) thump after the dive off the balcony.

Here's the full list of what was on the program:

TRIBUTE TO RICHARD RODGERS

Shall We Dance, from The King and I
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning, from Oklahoma - Ron Raines
The Sound of Music from The Sound of Music - Kathleen Brett
I Have Dreamed from The King and I - Kathleen Brett and Ron Raines
The Surrey with the Fringe on Top from Oklahoma
To Keep My Love Alive from A Connecticut Yankee - Kathleen Brett
I'll Tell the Man In the Street from I Married An Angel - Kathleen Brett
Soliloquy from Carousel - Ron Raines
Carousel Waltz - Keith Lockhart decided to skip this (after playing the first chord)

TRIBUTE TO GEORGE GERSHWIN

Love is Sweeping the Country from Of Thee I Sing
By Strauss from An American in Paris - Kathleen Brett
Love Walked In from The Goldwyn Follies - Ron Raines
Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off from Shall We Dance - Kathleen Brett and Ron Raines
An American in Paris - Keith Lockhart decided to skip this
The Man I Love - Kathleen Brett
S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin! - Kathleen Brett and Ron Raines