Page 4, Portland Observer, July 6, 1988
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BROADW AY BOUND
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“ In The Spotlight”
Brenda Phillips - “Mamie”
In Simply Heavenly'
REPORT
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SSL
■■■
Taste Of History: New Orleans
ments with a beautiful vocal-like
warmth. As one New Orleans
trumpeter expressed it, the idea is
t the dawn of this century a
to “ play pretty for all the people."
new music was born in New
The tune is not obscured by
Orleans. It was a "good tim e” mu
harmonic padding and com
sic to make the people happy. Its
plicated arrangements, for these
appeal was so immediate that the
musicians know that the secret of
music soon swept over the whole
true excellence in music, as in life
country and then circled the
itself, lies in simplicity. New Or
globe. It was not some much a
leans Style has never encouraged
kind of music as a style of playing.
the hectic rushing and frantic,
Essentially it was simply a way of
hysterical screaming that passes
“ playing a melody with a beat.”
for jazz in many places. Instead,
New Orleans musicians learned
moderate, relaxed tempos to
to work together to produce the
which people can dance or march
loose, relaxed beat which is so ir
even in a hot climate are chosen.
resistible that one cannot help
New Orleans music has always
but dance, or at least sway and
been functional. To this day the
pat one’s foot to its swing. The
business cards of most musi
easy going, almost hypnotic
cians read “ music for all occa
rhythm at times seems to run ef
sions” — not just dances, parties,
fortlessly by itself. In this style of
and parades, but for everything
music, where the musicians
from christenings and dedi
strive to help each other rather
cations to funerals.
than grab the spotlight, it is natur
A New Orleans “ band of music”
al for in ir 'ovised ensemble
can be of almost any size and
choruses to be a feature. Working
instrumentation. Traditionally the
together harmoniously can gener
groups most favored have con
ate a feeling of power. The en
sisted of five to seven pieces with
sembles often build with cumula
a more or less standard instru
tive effect and surging momen
mentation. Each instrument has
tum to thrilling climaxes.
its own special role in building
New Orleans musicians seem
the final musical structure. Usual
by nature to be a friendly lot. It
ly the trumpet (or cornet) is the
takes only a minute to get to
musical if not nominal leader. He
know true New Orleans musi
may call the tunes, except for re
cians. The friendly warmth and
quests; he stomps off the tempo
enthusiasm with which they work
to start the band; but mainly he
together is part of their life. Their
plays, or rather sings, the melody
audiences cannot help having a
(the "lead” ) in as beautiful and ex
good time, because the band is
pressive a manner as possible
having such a grand time.
and helps drive along the rhythm
In New Orleans Style the
of the band. The trombone, big
melody is always clearly heard.
brother of the trumpet, also can
The melody is never disguised
sing a melody or a counter-
but is sung by the various instru-
by Jazz Historian Bill Russell
A
by Garland Lee Thompson
urrently featured in the Port
land Repertory production,
“ A ... My Name Is Alice,” actress/
singer, Brenda Phillips is “ on a
roll.” This veteran player on Port
land theatre stages is giving audi
ences another good "turn of the
screw,” as she puts “ the Phillips
screwdriver” method in motion
and high gear at the Rep's new
(Post Office), or somewhere to
space. She is singing well and is
stay “ alive and well” at the end of
wonderful with a good company
the Union Pacific railroad line in
of actresses; Suzanne Irving, Rae
Portland, Or. "Go for it,” Ms. Bren
Randall, Adair Chappell, Jayne
da, and sing out, "Did You Ever
Muirhead, under Musical Director,
Hear The Blues,” one of the hot
Teresa Metzger and Brenda Hub
songs in, “ Simply Heavenly,” that
bard, the Rep’s artistic director,
made Claudia McNeill, "a star” in
directing the show. Indeed, Ms.
the original Broadway production.
Phillips adds more than just
Yes, she's “ Broadway Bound” at
“ color” to the show.
this “ Report.”
The show is billed as an “ adult
“ A n g ry H o u s e w iv e s ” C a s t
musical,*’ dealing with women’s
R e u n io n A t S to re fro n t T h e a tre
issues in the '80 s, that came out
Yes, the “ Angry Housewives,”
of the Women Project of the
are still “ angry” as they hookup
American Place Theatre in New
an original cast reunion with,
York. It’s a “ Saturday Night Live,"
Nancy Benner, Wendy Wester-
revue-type format, without the
welle, Kathy Philpott, Sharon
guys, with the girls really “ stick
Knorr, Randy Knee, Greg Tam-
ing it” to “ the dudes.”
blyn, R. Dee and the gang. I took
This past season, Brenda Phil
twelve of our Upward Bound Pro
lips’ fans have seen her “ fine
gram students from Portland
theatrewares” in "Little Shop of
State University, to see the pro
Horrors,*’ at the Portland Civic
duction, which we first saw Sum
Theatre (This oldest of Portland’s
mer before last (1986).
community Theatres might yet
The show is Portland’s longest
survive if they did more to keep
running
“ hit” and is still a "rio t”
her around).
of laughs and gags that had me,
Now, Ms. Phillips is teaming up
sitting in the first row, pulling
again with actor/Blues singer,
“ Cornflakes” out of my hair long
Michael Holiday (the voice of “ the
after the final bows and our kids
Plant,” in “ Little Shop"). This
meeting the cast. “ Housewives,”
i “ dynamic duo” will now be fea
which started at the Pioneer
tured as "Mamie” and Water
melon Joe,” in the Portland pre-, Square Theatre in Seattle, Wa.
and the Organic Theatre, Chicago
miere of Langston Hughes’ won
(it opened and closed in New
derful musical comedy, “ Simply
York), is in its fourth year at the
Heavenly,” opening Thursday,
Storefront Theatre on S.W. Third
August 18th, 1988, 7:30 P.M., at
and Burnside (which reminds me
the Lincoln Hall Theatre of Port
a little of 42nd and Times Square
land State University.
in New York, with the street peo
The famed harlem playwright-
ple on the scene). Check out the
poet's internationally acclaimed
show, its great fun.
hit opened on Broadway and in
“ B lac k A n d B lu e ”
London, 1957-58 and Hollywood
D u e O n B ro a d w a y
In 1958. This is its first presenta
Speaking of Blues and Broad
tion on the West Coast in thirty
way, remember Ruth Brown, a vet
years since it played Los Angeles
eran of the Apollo Theater in the
io 1958 (I made my professional
1950's? Well she and Linda Hop
theatre debut in that production
kins, who won a Tony Award for
as “ the newsboy, John Jasper” ).
her performance in “ Inner City,”
So, “ the B P. Express” rolls on,
and headed for Broadway in
and to think, she, Ms. Brenda, is
“ Black and Blue," the Black musi
still doing all this “ showbiz” and
cal revue by Claudio Segovia and
theatre in “ P.O.” town, instead of
Hector Orezzoli, who created,
Just having to work at "the P.O."
C
"Tango Argentino,” that "blew
folks away” last season in New
York.
Also joining these “ big blues
diva” sisters, are choreographers,
Cholly Atkins of Atkins and Honi
Coles, Fayard Nicholas of the
Nicholas Brothers, Bunny Briggs,
Ralph Brown, Lon Chaney and
Jimmy Slyde, who I first met
years ago in Hollywood at the old
Rainbow Studios, the day I audi
tioned for the company that gave
me, my movie debut in “ South Pa
cific," at Twentieth Century-Fox
in 1957. Whoray for Jimmy!
“ Write On!”
T h r e e P o s ts O p e n A t
N e w R o s e T h e a tre
New Rose Theatre is seeking
applicants for three staff open
ings; a full-time managing direc
tor, with an application deadline
of July 15th, a full-time develop-
ment/marketing director, dead
line, July 31st, and a three-quar
ter-time costume shop manager,
deadline, July 8th.
Since New Rose Theatre has
been moving more into Black and
third world themes (“ A Raisin in
the Sun," color-blind casting in re
cent productions ("The Life of
Galileo") and a planned 1989 pro
duction of African Nobel Prize
winning playwright, Wole Soyin
ka's, play “ Death and the King's
Horseman,” it would be approp
riate to have some “ people of col
or” in the key administrative slots
also. So, please send a letter and
resume to the theatre's search
committee, 904 S.W. Main St.,
Portland, OR 97205. “ Write On”
and give it your best show!
Famous Faces 4 M L
T h e o rig in a l S m o k e y R o b in s o n & T h e M ira c le s .
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melody. Often he punches out a
bass-like rhythm ic part and
u tiliz e s the unique s lid in g
(glissando) feature of his horn.
The clarinet, most expressive of
all the woodwind family, can sing
voluptuously in the lower register
or slash out dynamically in the
upper range, but mostly the agile
clarinet is used to “ variate” and
embellish the melodic line.
Although all the “ blowing in
struments” of a New Orleans bas
ed are responsible for their share
of the bouncy, pulsating drive,
several other instruments are
specifically charged with supply
ing the steady fundamental beat
of the band. The drummer, of
course, is the “ time keeper” as
well as rhythmic powerhouse of
the group. He can also control the
dynamics of the band and inspire
its spirit and performance. Histor
ically the pianist of the New
Orleans band has frequently been
a girl. Capable of playing melo
dies as well as chording along in
a harmonic accompaniment, the
pianist can also double as a
vocalist. The banjoist can play
melodies with striking sonorities,
but is most useful in producing
the regular rhythmic pulse and
harmonic chordal foundation. The
bass viol, in modern times mostly
plucked and slapped rather than
bowed, can help produce a terrific
swing and bounce in a band.
The traditional musical mater
ial of New Orleans is exemplified
by a typical program. There are a
few old “ standards” — some of
the cakewalk, march, or rag-based
pieces such as Georgia Camp
Meeting, That’s A Plenty, or
Panama. But mostly there are just
popular songs of all ages, past
and present — the tunes the peo
ple like and want to hear, which
are transformed into the New
Orleans idiom. There are a few
hymns — Closer Walk, Just A Little
While To Stay Here, etc. Then
there is always a liberal assort
ment of wonderful blues — from
the fast stomp-like Dippermouth
to the slow moaning Freight Train
Blues with its marvelous off-pitch
blue notes. This music is a sim
ple, satisfying and direct form of
communication. Often its heart-
feld emotions are eloquently and
passionately expressed. Its di
rectness and simple integrity can
not be mistaken.
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H O W TO DO A C O LD W AVE
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