Just out., July 15, 2005, Page 34, Image 34

MUSIC
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He's the top
just out visibility
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huge.
Cole Porter festival comes to Eugene
by
F loyd S klaver
Thomas, an older, wealthy
he city of Eugene is known as a world of
Birkenstocks and tie-dye. But for two
divorcée who was considered
weeks this summer, it hosts an event that
among the most beautiful
evokes a world of sable coats and tuxedo
women in the world. Thomas’
tails. From Aug. 1 to 13, the Oregon Festival of
first husband had been abu­
American Music presents Cole Porter: Night and
sive, so she welcomed the
Day, an apt name for a collection of musical
friendship and companionship
experiences that explore the wide range of rhe
that Porter offered. Porter, of
composer’s artistry.
course, appreciated her
The only child of a shy druggist and dazzling
income, which allowed them
debutante from Peru, Ind., Porter was named
to travel in the loftiest social
after his mother, whose surname was Cole. His
circles. Even though Thomas
mother recognized and encouraged his talents
knew Porter was gay, they set
from a young age. An excellent student, he
up a lavish apartment where
wrote the music and lyrics for his first operetta
they entertained wildly and
when he was just 10. Of course, the fact that
remained married for 35
sexless years until her death
Kate falsified school records when he was 14 to
make him two years younger helped him seem
in 1954.
“extra bright for his age.”
By the middle of the
It was at the prestigious Worcester Academy
Roaring ’20s, Porter decided
boarding schixil that Porter met the greatest
to take another shot at the
influence on his musical career, Dr.
Great White Way. He and his
Abercrombie, who taught him that “words and
wife moved to New York,
music must be so inseparably wedded to each
where his second musical
other that they are like one.”
opened in 1928. Paris featured
After Worcester, Porter went to Yale, where
one of Porter’s most memo­
he wrote a staggering 300 songs, including the
rable tunes, “Let’s Do It (Let’s
still-famous “Bulldog” fight song. When it was
Fall in Love),’’ and established
time to choose a graduate sch<x>l, however, his
his reputation for witty,
domineering grandfather, the wealthiest man in
urbane and highly suggestive
Indiana, insisted that he study law instead of
lyrics. The next year, another
Cole Porter was the first New York songwriter who was not
music. To ensure the checks kept coming, the
musical opened, this one fea­
afraid to write about sex.
pampered Porter agreed and attended Harvard
turing “You Do Something to
Law, but he switched to music during his sec­
Me” and “You’ve Got That Thing.” Porter’s
physical health deteriorated.
ond year without telling his grandfather.
distinctive blend of sophisticated lyrics, clever
Fortunately, his creative powers remained
Upon graduating, Porter set his sights on
rhymes and a little naughtiness was firmly
better than ever. His remedy to the pain was to
Broadway and made his debut at the age of 25
cemented.
lose himself in his work, and in 1948 he created
with See America First, which flopped after just
A contemporary of George Gershwin,
one of his greatest stage successes, Kiss Me Kate,
15 perfonnances. One critic called it a “high-
Richard Rixlgers and Jerome Kern, Porter broke
which ran for more than 1,000 performances.
class college show.” Demoralized, Porter fled to
from the simple sentimentality that dominated
Considered his masterpiece, Kiss Me Kate
Paris, where he immediately embraced the free­
Tin Pan Alley at the time, and he was the first
proved Porter could write an “integrated” musi­
wheeling lifestyle of a libertine. However, since
New York songwriter who was not afraid to write
cal in the post-Rodgers & Hammerstein style.
Grandpa Cole was still paying the bills, Porter
about sex. The public responded enthusiastically.
Using William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the
created a pretense of respectability, even going
In the 1930s, Porter produced eight hits for
Shrew as the starting point, Porter cleverly
so far as to make up tales about his military
the stage, including Anything Goes. Considered
incorporated his sophisticated style by devising
involvement with the French army and French
the prototypical Cole Porter show, Anything
a love story within the love story. He followed
Foreign Legion. He maintained the ruse
Goes was the first starring role for the young
Kate with Can-Can, Silk Stockings and the film
(including fake war injuries) for the rest of his
Broadway belter Ethel Merman and is the one
High Society starring Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby
life and, apparently, had quite a chuckle when
Porter show from this era that has endured.
and Frank Sinatra.
his war stories were acted out by the elegant
More than 70 years later, the musical still
Porter died in 1964, but his songs continue
Cary Grant in the 1946 biopic Night and Day.
delights with its screwball comedy plot and
to thrill audiences and challenge artists of all
(In actuality, Porter’s nights and days were filled
timeless hits like “You’re the Top,” “I Get a
kinds. His blend of high culture and mass
with parties, gay sex, cross-dressing and an
Kick Out of You” and the title song.
appeal lends itself to a variety of interpreta­
abundance of recreational drugs.)
When Hollywixxl beckoned, Porter headed
tions, and Cole Porter: Night and Day, the 14th
In 1919, Porter met and married Linda Lee
west and continued his string of successes.
summer offering by the Oregon Festival of
Hollywood was Porter’s
American Music, will showcase many of them.
kind of town. With lots
The festival kicks off with a gala concert
of money and beautiful
featuring renowned jazz pianist/composer Dick
men everywhere, he
Hyman and vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway
became more open
(who wrote and sang the title song for TV’s The
about his sexual life,
Nanny). There’s also a solo concert by classical
which irritated his wife,
singer and two-time Grammy Award winner
who was concerned for
Sylvia McNair, and a concert version of Kiss
his reputation and her
Me Kate. Perhaps the highlight of the festival is
own social status.
Anything Goes, starring Portland musical the­
But his life was
ater favorite Susannah Mars Johnson and fea­
upended in 1937 when,
turing local gay performer/director Ron Daum.
while out riding, his
With 10 concerts, five musical theater per­
horse reared and fell,
formances, three youth concerts, five classic
crushing both of his
films, seven public talks and assorted other
legs. For a man as
events planned, Eugene is the place for
obsessed with looks and
American music lovers this summer. jm
sexual conquests as
Porter was, the results
For a complete schedule of events for COLE
were devastating.
P orter : N ight and D ay visit www.ofam.org.
Despite months in the
Cole Porter may he the top, hut FLOYD SKLAVER
Ann Hampton Callaway (left) and Sylvia McNair are among the performers hospital and 30 surger­
ies,
his
mental
and
is a bottom.
scheduled for Cole Porter: Night and Day from Aug. 1 to 13 in Eugene.
T