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News From VHSource, LLC Vol 5 May 2017

Another Milestone!

2) Ted Sperling of MasterVoices (the former Robert Major Goals Attained Shaw Collegiate Choral) teamed his organization with the wonderful Orchestra of St. Luke’s to end their 75th hat a magnificent end of April we just lived! season with Herbert’s Babes In Toyland at Carnegie When we look back over a time line for the steps Hall in New York City. Voila! in along the way to returning Victor Herbert to his W Carnegie Hall. Not since Dino Anagnost and the rightful place as the acknowledged major foundation of the Little Orchestra Society were presenting Herbert in American , we will remember this month. Avery Fisher Hall (now David Geffen Hall) and Alice April 2017. Tully Hall has Herbert been performed in such a major venue in New York City. This movement has been underway since 1995 when we first heard the composer’s music up close and personal in the Dino Anagnost conducted Little Orchestra Society of New York studio rehearsal of Herbert’s Babes In Toyland. It was our first exposure to the beauty and magnificence of Victor Herbert. It was 2 ½ hours of shimmering orchestral excellence, and it hooked this artist big time. So much so that the past 22 years have been devoted to jogging everyone’s memory of and/or introducing everyone who would listen to an appreciation of Victor Herbert’s massive body of work.

This past month Victor Herbert’s music became a destination event in New York City – a major reason to L-R: Barry Centanni, percussion; Judith Sugarman, String Bass & come east or south or north. A wonderful number of people Personnel; William Hicks, piano; Sheryl Henze, flute/piccolo; Philip Wharton, violin; Scott Ballantyne, cello; showed up just to hear Herbert - what an achievement! Michael Thomas, Conductor New Victor Herbert Orchestra Multiple goals were achieved the last week of April: photo by Jill LeVine The first Herbert Destination Week has now been 1) VHRP LIVE! debuted its own orchestra, the New achieved, attended and reviewed. Wow, that is quite a Victor Herbert Orchestra (NVHO), when it opened its statement when you think about it. In 1995 few people 100th Anniversary Production of Herbert’s 1917 . had any idea who Victor Herbert was. Perhaps vague Those two events served as the end of VHRP LIVE’s 3rd memories of grandmother and/or grandfather humming Season at Christ & St. Stephens Church in New York City. a haunting tune crossed the older folks’ minds, but That’s certainly a landmark all by itself. young people? Wasn’t wise to even go there. 2 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 5 May 2017

Interestingly, last week there were a large number of New (1903). It really could not get much better than that, York University students and American Musical and except it did. The Eileen audience members attending Dramatic Academy students in attendance at Eileen. In Babes quickly spotted two of five NVHO musicians addition, the audience at Carnegie was refreshingly mixed playing with Orchestra of St. Luck’s. NOTE: By the in ages. Not to worry, all! There will be more – we promise. way, Victor Herbert personally conducted on the Carnegie We are not done by a long shot. Hall stage on many occasions: first with his Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1900 and 1901, then with his Victor The excitement for both events had been building in the Herbert Orchestra (1904-1924) many times. Herbert community for months, and it cannot be overstated that both events delivered on that excitement big time. The Our personal Herbert journey began with Babes and Eileen production drew great audience reaction as it set has now come full circle with a simply glorious Babes attendance records on both Tuesday, April 25th and in the most major concert hall in New York City. The Wednesday, April 26th – this despite having moved its excitement and thrill of 1) looking out from the balcony performance dates backwards so the VHRP LIVE! over an almost sold out Carnegie, and 2) contemplating Company could attend Babes In Toyland. The production that fact that that audience was gathered specifically for also had to weather a huge flooding downpour beginning Victor Herbert’s music – all made the experience all roughly an hour before the doors were to open on the 25th. the more sublime. Still they came in record numbers, excited to be in attendance on this particular opening night. It was obvious that both orchestras reveled in performing Herbert’s scores and amazed their audiences with the beauty of the composer’s music. Yes, the performers were wonderful, the stagings were very good and of course, the voices were spectacular, but the bottom line was the beauty and wonder that emerged from Herbert’s orchestrations or should we say the composer’s genius.

There were definitely those of us in the audience who really didn’t much care whether anyone sang or danced spectacularly – we were there to hear the music and boy, did we hear the music.

Free Trade and the Misty Moon Sean Regan - center (Jovani McCleary) We have made tremendous contacts over the twenty- two years this journey has encompassed so far. If we There is something very valuable and visceral in being in were to list them all, we’d definitely forget someone such close proximity of both an orchestra of any size and a and that would be horrible. Just know that there are cast in an intimate space. The NVHO consists of only 6 major Herbert friends and contributors in California, musicians, all of whom are extraordinary. Audience Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New members loved being able to pick out and hear the cello or Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, the violin. It was a triumph! Washington State, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin, as well as Great Britain, Ireland, Russia, Germany, Having been up close to the NVHO in warm cozy Christ & France, Australia and Canada whose names floated in St. Stephens, imagine the thrill of our company and many and out of our mind as we sat in Carnegie this past audience members as they attended Carnegie Hall on Thursday. Some were even sitting in the hall sharing Thursday, April 27 at 7pm. The NVHO had been replaced the experience first hand. by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in a typical Herbert configuration (31), and Herbert’s lush score for Babes In So is this the end? Heavens, no! There is so much Toyland reverberated through the wonderful Hall (1891) more to come with the biggest goals being: built a tad more than a decade before Herbert wrote Babes 3 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 5 May 2017

1) At least ten years of the VHRP LIVE! Company – now . Purchase your tickets on the OLO moving into our fourth season. Companys surviving ten website. years in New York City are considered successful – so they say! Tuesday, June 6, 8pm, VHRP LIVE! will present a lecture with vocal excerpts entitled The Politics of 2) Herbert revived on Broadway with original music intact American Grand : Intrigue and Revenge. This – PLEASE – no new arrangements, God forbid! Producers evening will introduce attendees to Victor Herbert’s be aware that a wonderful selection of Herbert’s grand opera , the atmosphere into which it first orchestrations (particularly Naughty Marietta, Mlle opened in 1911, and its resulting reputation. This event Modiste, and Eileen) are ready to go – you just need a great will take place at the National Opera Center, 330 librettist and great voices. You don’t even have to worry Seventh Ave (between 27th & 28th streets on about permissions or residuals for the composer! Although Broadway), 7th Floor. Tickets ($10) are only available you will need to rent the orchestrations from their owners. on-line at VHRP LIVE Box Office or at the door.

3) A Victor Herbert Festival Weekend in New York with VHRP LIVE’s Americans Abroad Season, one rarely heard , one orchestral concert and one of November, March, & April. VHRP LIVE! will the big twelve Herbert gems. produce its fourth season with (1906) in November, a concert built around the theme If you choose to dream - dream big or as Herbert was want Americans Abroad in March 2018, and ending the to say – “May your greatest desire be the least of what you season with The Enchantress (1911) in April. Victor obtain.” Herbert wrote eight /musical comedies featuring Americans either stranded or working in Do you doubt? Shame on you! Europe. All dates are TBA. Tickets will appear in the VHRP LIVE! Box Office when exact dates have been booked. Upcoming Herbert Events Alyce's Musings . . . Summer of 2017, , Steven Daigle, Artistic Director, will present Victor Herbert’s 1912 o say Victor Herbert had a extravaganza Lady of the “Great Day Tonight for the Slipper as part of its 39th Irish” is a total season. Dates have now T understatement. In fact, Herbert been set: Wednesday, July was in the news and on the radio 26, 2pm - Opening; solidly for the past two weeks. Sunday, July 30, 2pm; How glorious is that? Wednesday, Aug 2, 2pm; Saturday, Aug 5, 2pm; Let’s start with Eileen: and Wednesday, Aug 9, 2pm - closing. VHSource Click HERE for OperaWire.com interview regarding will be attending the the idea of launching an orchestra. NOTE: We are aware Saturday, August 5, 2pm of the author’s error in stating Eileen was 100 in October - performance. Please note working on getting that fixed. Click HERE for the that ALL Lady of the OperaWire.com review of Eileen. Slipper performances are matinees. Other offerings Click HERE for Voce di Meche’s review. will be Willson’s The Music Man; Porter’s Anything Goes; Gershwin’s Primrose; Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Click HERE for Forbes on Film & Footlights review. Pinafore; Romberg’s The Student Prince; and Kalman’s 4 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 5 May 2017

Then there are two more fascinating Herbert events from the world of radio:

Here is a LINK to a discussion aired on April 15, 2017, featuring Dr. Marion R. Casey and Alyce Mott hosted by Dr. Miriam Nyhan, and the Glucksman Ireland House regarding Victor Herbert’s political experiences leading up to the opening of Eileen.

Here’s yet another LINK to a wonderful radio discussion of Victor Herbert’s “Indian Summer” on WNYC. There is even a perfect extra: Will Friedwald The cast of Eileen on the impact of Victor Herbert's death. However, I must confess I couldn’t figure a way to open this one. If anyone figures it out or finds Friedwald’s remarks, Here are links to the Reviews garnered by Babes In please let me know. I would really like to read that one. Toyland:: So there you have a capsule look at the most important Click HERE for more wonderful pictures from Babes In step forward for the Victor Herbert revival to date. Toyland posted on Broadway World. Those of us who attended everything are a bit tired as you might imagine. But what’s a little fatigue when it Click HERE for NY Theatre Guide’s review (one of the serves such a wondrous cause! best). See you next month! Click HERE for the Huffington Post review.

Click HERE for Voce di Meche’s review.

Jonathan Freeman (Barnaby), Christopher Fitzgerald (Alan) and Bill Irwin (The Toymaker) Photo Credit: Erin Baiano