Search - Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Association, Anita Gillette :: The Great Waltz (1965 Los Angeles Civic Light Opera Cast)

IF I COULD GIVE IT 10 STARS, I WOULD . . . . . . .

J. T Waldmann | Carmel, IN, home to the fabulous new Regional Perf | 05/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Within 30 seconds you'll know that this is no ordinary musical. Huge orchestra (no synthesizers); huge chorus; authentic divas with great, non-amplified voices; wonderful Strauss melodies.



I was fortunate to experience this wonderful musical during the inaugural season of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. What an evening! The Civic Light Opera Association spared no expense. Lavish sets and costumes, multiple chandeliers, a full Viennese orchestra which magically appeared on stage for the finale, and absolutely wonderful voices: Georgio Tozzi (Rossano Brazzi's voice in SOUTH PACIFIC); Metropolitan Opera soprano Jean Fenn; New York City Opera's leading tenor Frank Porretta (II); and Anita Gillette, sporting a fine soprano voice she never really got to use in ALL AMERICAN or MR. PRESIDENT.



WALTZES FROM VIENNA, with musical adaptations of Johann Strauss (Sr. & Jr.) melodies by the "brilliant young Viennese composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold," was first presented in Vienna in 1930, with great success in Europe and England. (Fleeing the Nazis in 1938, Korngold settled in Hollywood, where he wrote some of the silver screen's classic scores: "The Sea Hawk," "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "King's Row," "Of Human Bondage," etc.) In 1934 Moss Hart wrote a new book for the production, now called THE GREAT WALTZ, that opened the Center Theatre in the "new" Rockefeller Center. Four years later, MGM gave it a new story line, new musical arrangements by Dimitri Tiomkin ("The Alamo"), and new lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, II. Finally, in 1949, Edwin Lester of the LACLO produced the show with Korngold again doing the musical adaptation. Robert Wright & George Forrest (KISMET, THE SONG OF NORWAY) provided new lyrics, with additional lyrics by Forman Brown. The highly successful production was repeated in 1953.



The 1965 production again has a new book, this time by Jerome Chodorov (WONDERFUL TOWN). Wright & Forrest supplied some new musical adaptations and, along with Forman Brown, wrote some additional lyrics. Although the book and some of the lyrics are truly silly, as befitting an operetta, the overall effect is magical: Strauss waltzes (and the "Radetsky March") sung and played by glorious singers and a marvelous orchestra. Who could ask for anything more?



Run - don't walk - to your nearest record store or log on to amazon.com and snap up this DRG Broadway Collector Series CD before it goes out of print. Turn up the volume (I guarantee louder is better here). Sit back and relax. I defy you not to enjoy THE GREAT WALTZ.

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