Green, Green Grass of Home

 

After the brief Amtrak ride from Detroit I arrived into the Ann Arbor station and was thrilled to spend a couple of days in a town that I so dearly love and miss.  Outside of my home town of Crockett, Ann Arbor is the town in which I have lived the longest, having spent four years and two degrees at the University of Michigan.  (Note: though I did do four years at Baylor, one of those semesters was spent abroad… sorry Waco! [Actually, I'm not sorry in the least.  It is Waco, after all :-/ ])

Needless to say I had a lot of catching-up/eating to do in a quite a short amount of time. I was fortunate enough to have my old pal and landlord, Larry, pick me up and let me stay at the old house for a couple of nights.  

SUMMIT HOUSE 2012!!  (Incidentally, the house rests at the top of Broadway and is the highest elevated point in Ann Arbor… hence the nickname)

 

There are very few things that I never managed to check off of my "Do in Michigan Before Moving to Texas" list, and visiting Maya Lin's Wave Field was fairly high atop it.  Lin, most famously known for her design of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington D.C., describes the piece as:

…pure poetry. It is a very gentle space that exists on a very human scale. It is a sanctuary, yet it’s playful, and with the changing shadows of the sun, it is completely transformed throughout the day. ‘The Wave Field’ expresses my desire to completely integrate a work with its site, revealing the connectedness of art to landscape, or landscape as art. (from the UM Architecture, Engineering & Construction website)

Commissioned by the Association FXB in memory of Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (‘82 Aerospace Engrg.), and gift of his mother, Countess Albina du Boisrouvray. A pure earth sculpture occupying a 90’ square space and representing a naturally occurring wave pattern [see link above]

 

Even with its close proximity to the school of music and the house I, for some reason, never ventured quite far enough to find it.  Larry admitted himself that in all the years he had lived in Ann Arbor he had yet to visit the field, so I'm glad we both got to see it for the first time!

 

Top image via U of M / Bottom image featuring LARRY!

 

I can't say how grateful I am to Larry for all his kindness and generosity over these last few years.  So glad we got to check out this place together!

 

Artist: Johnny Cash / Album: At Folsom Prison

That’s Entertainment

 

I spent another one of my days off in Ann Arbor exploring some of my favorite haunts around State Street, beginning with seeing two movies (The Tree of Life and The Trip) at the gorgeous Michigan Theater on Liberty. 

  

 

In addition to appreciating the fact that they show independent and art films I also LOVE that they still have an operational organ that is played before each movie.  I arrived at one show just in time to catch the last vestiges of one such performance.

 

Though the news is a couple of weeks old, when I first got back the news broke that Borders Bookstore was being liquidated.  Ann Arbor is the corporate headquarters and home to store #1 so I felt it only fitting to stop by and check out the sale.  It was still in its infancy then (only up to 40% at that point [lame]) but I did make my final Borders purchase in the form of Jane Austen’s Persuasion… because I know you care and all.

  

 

Also in the nearby vicinity is one of my absolute favorite Ann Arbor spots: Encore Records.  I used to go there about once a week and troll through the immense selection of records in hopes of adding to my own.  Luck was with me this time as I found yet another Martin Katz collaboration with Frederica von Stade!!

 

All in all I’d say it was quite a perfect day by Ann Arbor entertainment standards!

 

Artist: Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz / Album: The Bandwagon

A Happy Place

 

(So I fully realize it’s been just about three weeks since I’ve updated the blog!!  My apologize to the four of you who regularly check… there’s been a lot going on since getting back to Texas and I’m actually currently writing from Bloomington, Indiana [more on that in a later post].  Just a couple of more Blue Lake posts and I should be up to date!)

In between the round of concerts at Hill Auditorium and the Blue Lake homecoming concerts I had about a week off, during which I was able to spend some free time in my former hometown of Ann Arbor.  Any trip to the city wouldn’t be complete without a jaunt to Kerrytown, and I spent the large portion of a day re-visiting this charming neighborhood.

 

Kerrytown is home to many of my favorite places in the city, ranging from Kerrytown Concert House to Hollander’s Paper Store—and let’s not forget that divine delicatessen, Zingerman’s!!  Brian, who was my “host family” for a couple of nights, and I ventured to the deli for lunch and I was not surprised in the least to see that lines were still forming around the corner despite some new construction under way.

*Sigh* … the memories (and dollars) I have spent here

 

  

L: Brian waiting patiently in line.   R: It’s the light at the end of the tunnel!!!  (except in this case it’s not so much a “light” as it is free samples of their mac 'n cheese or smoked meats from around the world)

 

My regular order: #73 Tarb’s Tenacious Tenure: “All-natural turkey breast, fresh avocado spread, Wisconsin muenster cheese, tomato & plenty of Zingerman’s Russian dressing on grilled farm bread” (Russian dressing on the side with) add Honeycup mustard, cucumber-y pickle and an iced cold brew coffee.  DE-LECKER!!!

 

Another favorite spot, and I know my mother would agree, is the Treasure Mart, an antique store just down the cobblestone street from Zingerman’s.

“Excuse me… can you ship these giant stained glass windows to Crockett, TX?”

 

Ann Arbor is also a great city for book lovers and Kerrytown is home to several really great independent book stores.

 

 

And finally, while I failed to get a final picture with Brian, I do have this one from one of our nights out in Minden that I haven’t put up yet.  Even though I knew him only peripherally last year on tour I must say I am very happy to count him among my close close friends.  I will miss you!!

EBONY AND IVORY, 2011

 

Artist: Katie Melua / Album: The House  

A Sort of Homecoming

 

One of the parts of the whole tour I was looking forward to the most was the return to Ann Arbor for a series of concerts appropriately entitled “Experience Blue Lake.”  An overwhelming swath of campers for the program comes from a 100 mile radius of Ann Arbor and one of the feathers in the tour’s cap are the performances at gorgeous Hill Auditorium. This was my first time being back in my home for four years since I moved last August and it was a treat to be back.

 

Just like last year (LINK), the Brahm’s Requiem was broadcast live on Blue Lake’s very own public radio station (LINK) for the entire WORLD to hear. 

The back of Hill with the satellite and equipment trucks parked in full view (with a bit of bell tower in the background thrown in for good measure)

 

Joining us once again to conduct the Requiem was Carole Dr. MaestrA Ott.  She had the thankless task of preparing the choir and orchestra for the European tour without the benefit of actually getting to conduct us while overseas.  Needless to say it was an immense pleasure to get to work under her baton again, not only because her musicality and expression were unrivaled by any of the guest conductors in Europe but because I consider her a dear friend as well.  Even though she conducts and teaches in North Carolina I am dependent upon the very small musical world that we live in to bring us back together collaboratively in the future. 

Three very content divas

 

Sabrina and I were also joined by a very special guest in the audience in the form of John Nevergall, who long time blog readers will remember was the tenor soloist in last years Elijah (broken glass during his aria, anyone?!).  Though he lives in Ohio he drove up for the concert and I am so grateful to have gotten to see him, if only for a short time after the performance.

“Bist du’s Elias?!?!?!”

 

I also must give a special shout out to my host “moms” for this portion of the tour.  Mom of course being in quotation marks because they were actually my friends Kristin (who, though a mom in her own right, is absolutely nowhere near near near old enough to claim that title over me) and then later Cynthian. 

Like John before, some of you may remember Kristin from our sharing the stage in Le nozze di Figaro, Armide, and Albert Herring as well as, you know, being kind of a kick ass friend.  Unnnnnfortunately I was stupid and failed to get a picture with her and her darling Alyssa before getting away so I leave you with a picture I pilfered off of her facebook profile. 

 

Cynthian and I have also had the pleasure of performing together in Albert Herring and Eugene Onegin and is also a member of that wundermusical family the Brundages—as in, Julia of the Singing Seargeant’s fame and Mary Anne and David of my utterly fabulous vacation weekend to Washington D.C. this past February.  Cynthian actually commented that I had basically seen everyone in her family more recently than I had seen her, so I’m glad we could rectify that situation!

Enjoying sangria at Ann Arbor’s popular summer drinking destination, Dominick’s

 

Artist: U2/ Album: The Unforgettable Fire

Put Your Records On

 

This last Saturday across our great land was “Record Store Day,” celebrated by hipsters and audiophiles alike in musty smelling shoebox sized buildings masquerading as retail establishments. 

Cactus Music even got into the spirit with live music!

 

One of my prized possessions is a record player I got several Christmases ago.  When I informed my parents it was what I wanted they seemed perplexed.  “You mean… … … like vinyl?”

It’s like the iPod version of a record player

 

One of the best things about this one is that it is completely portable and can work off batteries if needed.  It has it’s own speaker so in a pinch you don’t have to plug into anything else to listen.  I have many great memories on the screened-in porch at the Broadway house in Ann Arbor with this lil’ biscuit providing the entertainment. PLUS, I can hook it up to my computer and digitally transfer the record into mp3’s which is buh-mazing because a lot of the records I have aren’t available on CD at all.

Very appropriate, I might add, seeing as how all my friend’s Facebook wall’s in Michigan have been lighting up because of the recent snowfall there this week!

 

I’ve amassed a nice little collection since then and take any opportunity to at least peruse stores when in another city. Ann Arbor had a really great store, Encore Records, and when visiting Jeremy, Clinton, Nate or Jamison I always reserved at least three hours for Cheapo Records.   Luckily, Houston has a handful of them and I spent several hours just hopping across the city and looking at their choices. 

There are some albums that I will ALWAYS buy, and on the top of that list is anything that Martin Katz has played on.  For those of you not in the know—Martin Professor Maestro Katz, called “the gold standard of accompanists” by the New York Times, is the professor of collaborative piano at the University of Michigan.  Oh, and he’s played with basically every great opera singer of the last thirty years, written a book, and is basically a musical genius (and I’m not just throwing that word around willy-nilly). In the four years I was a student at Michigan I had the privilege of taking every one of his song classes and being conducted by him in two operas (Puccini’s La boheme and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin).  Needless to say, any chance I see one of his records I snnnnnnatch it up, and on this most recent trip I got TWO!

  

                  It’s the return of Flicka!!!!!                             Martin Katz + Stephen Sondheim= BUH-LISS!!

 

One of the other reasons I really wanted to get out on this day was that Adele was releasing a special edition remix of some songs from her album just for “Record Store Day.”  I’ve extolled my love for her before (here and here) so it should be no surprise that I was on the hunt for the disc! The first three places I visited had sold out and it was at the last stop that I was able find one—and it was their last copy!!! 

 

And, if anyone out there is making a list—though to be fair, I am still waiting on that watch—if you ever run across Astor Piazzolla records puh-lease get it for me and I’ll pay you back.  The guy who owned Encore in Ann Arbor was a big fan and would always hoard them away for himself whenever someone brought one in!

 

Artist: Corinne Bailey Rae/ Album: Corinne Bailey Rae

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

 

I’m not sure if you’re all aware, but apparently it’s a bit cold out there.  I mean, it’s supposed to snow in Houston tonight, so, you know, I hope everyone’s alive in the north.  I’ve often been heard saying how much I enjoy the cold weather and miss the snow in Ann Arbor, and I do… but most of that is for nostalgia’s sake.  There’s something to be said for how quiet the world seams to get with a fresh dusting of snow all around, but I don’t miss trying to decide where exactly the lanes were on Plymouth road.

Whenever it gets unbearably cold I outside I usually take the opportunity to put in one of my favorite movies: Fargo.  It’s sort of a reminder to myself: “You may think it’s cold here, but at least you’re not in Fargo or Minneapolis… and being murdered in a wood chipper!”  I’ve actually felt the utter bleakness of having to chip away at a windshield encrusted with 20 carats worth of ice in a snowstorm. IT SUUUUUCKS!  Actually, the first time I ever watched this was with my friend Nate and Jamison IN Minneapolis.

 

I could wax on and on about the different things I love about this movie, but above all other things it is because of Frances McDormond’s faaaantastic performance.

“Oh… I just think I’m gonna barf!”

 

So tonight you will most likely find me snuggled up in bed with a cup of hot chocolate watching my favorite Coen bro’s film thinking to myself: “Well, I guess it’s not that bad out there…”

 

Artist: James Taylor, Natalie Cole/ Album: At Christmas

Woman on the Tier

OR: In which I make a fool of myself in front of Joyce DiDonato… twice.

 

Last night* marked the beginning of Houston Grand Opera’s winter season as well as the mid-season return of our favorite Bravo TV reject reality hit, Joseph Roberts: Party Crasher (or perhaps you know it by it’s working title, Who the Hell is He and What the Hell is He Doing Here?)

For their 2011 inaugural opener HGO put on a spectacularly moving production of Jake Heggie/Terrance McNally’s Dead Man Walking, based on the true-life story of Sister Helen Prejean.  Yes, it’s based on the same story as the movie. Pro: the male protagonists name is JOSEPH!!!  Con: Oh yeah, he’s kiiiiind of a rapist and murderer.

 

As with my last two outings to the Wortham Center (here and here), I was joined by my dear friend, Jennifer, under the auspices of the Patty Q. Whalen Charitable Arts Foundation.  As if the insanely talented created side of the show weren’t enough, let’s just take a second to break down the cast list, shall we?:

Joyce DiDonato (Sister Helen Prejean): The delightfully down-to-earth mezzo (aren’t they all) who famously broke her fibia during a performance of Il Barbieri di Siviglia and finished the night on crutches—THEN went on to finish the run in a frickin’ wheel chair.  You know the last person who bade her “break a leg” feels like a reeeaaal ass. And, as I’m always up for some fellow blog promotion, check hers out here! Also, if you’re in the Fort Worth area on February 8th, she’s giving a recital at the Bass Performance Hall.  GO SEE HER!!!

Geeez, sistah must really have something against her understudies.  YOU’RE IRREPLACEABLE, JOYCE, TAKE THE NIGHT OFF!

 

Frederica von Stade (Mrs. Patrick de Rocher ): Or Flicka as she is so often referred to, is a multiple (6!!) Grammy award winner, an officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France’s highest honor in the Arts), and fans of a little known sports game known as the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics might remember her as a featured performer during the opening ceremonies.  Most often regarded as the 20th century’s Cherubino, she is also a fierce advocate for new works.  In fact, she originally created the role of Mrs. Rocher at the premier ten years ago and has chosen this role in Houston as her farewell to the operatic stage, marking the end of a decades spanning career. I have already mentioned previously that her performance in Montiverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (also at HGO) is in my top handful of things I have seen live.

From neither Figaro or Dead Man… showing us that mezzo’s have all the fun.  Also, I’m pretty sure the character this is based on is a customer at our store.  Her name is Chantal.  And she is fabulous.

 

Measha Brueggergosman (Sister Rose): The only other time that I have seen her live was in Ann Arbor a couple of years ago when she performed a concert of William Bolcom songs with the composer at the piano. (A perk of having him on faculty at UM at the time!) .  Like, Flicka, Measha has also performed at an Olympic opening ceremonies (Vancouver 2010)!  Oh and Jan, she was a guest judge on an episode of Canada’s Project Runway. She gave the designers one stipulation: “I like to perform barefoot, so make sure the gown is absolutely floor length.”  If I remember correctly, every one of them made one that showed her feet and diva was not pleased

 

Philip Cutlip (Joseph de Rocher): I didn’t realize until reading the program after the performance that I have also seen him perform before.  My friend, Jamison, was the pianist for Toledo Opera a while back and Mr. Cutlip played Tarquinius in their performance of Britten’s The Rape of Lucrecia.  SO GOOD!  I had never seen that show before and at the moment it’s my favorite Britten piece.

During intermission I went to get a much needed coffee and ran into Stephanie unexpectedly, which was a nice surprise!

 

As the final bows were being held I thought to myself at one point: “these have been going on for longer than I expected, all the singers are onstage—oh, who’s that coming on from stage left?  Hmmm, now who’s this guy?  And this woman would be…?” 

Naturally the first thing I did while leaving was text Stephanie:

Me: Was that Jake Heggie onstage?

Stephanie: Yeah, and Terrance McNally. And then Sister Helen.

Me: WHAAAAATTTT!!!!

The Composer, the librettist, two original cast members, the conductor of the premier!!!

I never ended up hearing back from her so I walked Jennifer and Catherine out and headed back to the lobby for a quick bathroom break before my return to the west side.  (Now, you’re going to have to stay with me for the next part, as it’s about to get a bit socially circuitous).  Lo and behold I ran into a familiar face out of the corner of my eye in the form of an acquaintance I had made through a friend in Ann Arbor.  Logan, a voice student at the University of North Texas, had come down to see the show with an invitation from Jake Heggie, who was concomitantly working on a recital with the students at UNT.  With him were some friends Jamie, Laura and Keegan, the latter of which I knew I had met before but couldn’t quite place. Turns out they were going to crash the after party… and we all know how I have absolutely NO qualms about participating in a little social subterfuge.

SO!! Off to the soiree, greeted by white tuxedo clad waiters brandishing silver trays of vino vino vino, ladies dressed to the twelves, etc.  I was lucky enough to run into Mrs. Brueggergosman and wasted no time in extolling my love for her.  As it was just the beginning of the evening I didn’t really feel comfortable asking for a photo op, so I’ll just post the picture I nabbed with her at Hill in Ann Arbor.

Apparently 3 years ago I knew I would need to be wearing the same scarf and similar shirt for a future blog post’s continuity.  DAMN YOU STRIPED TIE!

 

Dinner time was accompanied by announcements from the general director acknowledging everyone from the singers to the stage crew.

 

At one point in the evening I ran into Logan and the gang again, and upon seeing Keegan again I couldn’t help but say:

Me: Yeah sooooo, how the hell is it that I know you?  I’ve been wracking my brain all night and just can’t place it.

Keegan: Wait, did you used to work at the Express in Waco?

Me: Ummmm yes.

Keegan: I’m pretty sure I’ve been to a party at your house.

Me: Yeah… probably.

Turns out we had a couple of mutual (non music, oddly enough) friends while at Baylor.  I’d say this was surprising, but as my mother always says: “You could be in any city in the world and probably know someone in a 50 mile radius.”

I also enjoyed getting to chat longer with Catherine and Michael, both members of the HGO young artist studio and both of whom I had met at Stephanie’s  ugly sweater party.  Michael performed the role of the police officer in the show and Catherine covering the role of Sister Helen (not that Joyce is letting anyone on that stage but herself!) 

 

Stars, all of ‘em!

 

Logan came over later to say Jake wanted to introduce him to Joyce, so naturally I clung onto his coattails with all the force of Charlie Sheen refusing to go to rehab, and of course she was gracious and charming and completely down to earth.  In fact, she was talking about her newest CD, Diva/Divo, and I interrupted her:

Me: Oh my God you should put it out on record… please!

Joyce: Right, it’s releasing Tuesday.

Me: Yeah yeah, but I mean on, like an album.

Joyce: That’s what I’m saying, the CD comes out Tuesday.

Me: Vinyl, I mean vinyl.  That would make me really happy.

Joyce: Oh, that … would be cool.

 

Blurry, I know, but it’s not like I can go up to her later on at the party and say something like “Hey Joyce… so that picture we took earlier—you look fantastic by the way—but it’s really blurry. Is it horrible for me to ask for another one?”  OR COULD I!!!!!!!!

 

As the night was winding down more and more people were heading out. I happened to be near the exit as Sister Helen was leaving and would have kicked myself if I didn’t at least introduce myself.  It is of course always exciting to meet famous opera singers but I was so honored to even just get to say hello to Sister Helen! I did manage to restrain myself from asking for a picture at 1:00 in the morning… I do at least have some modicum of decorum.

And, for one more parting shot, a group of us waiting for the valet:

Jamie, Joseph, Logan, Laura

As a bit of a post script, the next day I was off to Dallas to meet Benjamin for the first time and I stopped in the Woodlands to have coffee with Mallory at a Starbucks on i-45.  As I was leaving I heard a car honking at me and it was Logan, Keegan, Jamie and Laura.  WTF!? Stop following me!!!

 

Artist: Jake Heggie/ Album: Dead Man Walking

Matt and Joanie, this is just for you:

Did you hear a folk singer had to be put to death this past weekend?  Yeah… had to use an acoustic chair.

 

* I actually worked on this the day after the show but was waiting on some pictures I knew I would want to use.  Well… that, and I was hoping Chantal would make an appearance at the store and I could get a picture with her as proof.  IT WILL HAPPEN!