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NY Pops – 33rd Birthday Gala – Do You Hear The People Sing
Photos by Richard Termine
by Stewart Schulman
Expectations would run high for an evening of music honoring the creative partnership between Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, creators of some of the most successful and memorable international musicals of all time. Suffice it to say that any possible expectations were more than exceeded by The New York Pops 33rd Birthday Gala concert Do You Hear The People Sing honoring the long-time collaboration between lyricist/librettist Boublil and composer Schonberg. “One of the best Pops concerts ever!” is a descriptive phrase that comes to mind.
The evening was divided into five segments—each dedicated to selections from a different one of their musicals. Miss Saigon and Les Misérables, their two most famous shows, bookended the brilliant evening. Sandwiched in-between were lesser-known selections from Martin Guerre, The Pirate Queen and La Révolution Française.
The orchestra, backing up a cavalcade of stellar guest artists, was conducted by Maestro Steven Reineke—with Judith Clurman conducting the massive Essential Voices USA chorus. Joining the company were the Camp Broadway Kids, Children of Ronald McDonald House New York, and Kids On Stage—who are twenty gifted young music students enjoying the rare opportunity of playing on the stage of Carnegie Hall with the fabulous NY Pops.
The evening included two orchestral selections—an overture cleverly arranged by Mr. Reineke, and comprised mostly of selections from Miss Saigon and Les Mis, and an Irish-Bluegrass-toned Entr’acte “The Wedding Ring” from The Pirate Queen, in which the Kids On Stage played along with the band—a unique highlight.
Although the truth is it’s impossible to delineate highlights, as the entire evening was one big highlight from start to finish. Eva Noblezada, the current star of the West End revival of Saigon soloed with her lilting pop belt on “I’d Give My Life For You,” then got to introduce her idol/inspiration and sing a duet with Lea Salonga, who originated the role here (sounding as good as ever) on “The Movie in My Mind.”
Jeremy Jordan brought his potent acting chops and beautiful tenor to “Why, God, Why?” Surprise guest/seasoned pro Terrence Mann titillated and amused with “The American Dream. ” Steven Pasquale, another surprise guest, closed out the Saigon segment with his stirring pop-rock belt on “Bui Doi,” joined by the Essential Voices USA and the Camp Broadway Kids.
Hugh Panero, an original Martin Guerre in the American premiere of that show, sang “I’m Martin Guerre” with a voice that seems to have only gotten better with time. Montego Glover, Laura Osnes, and Kyle Scatliffe joined Mr. Panero on “In the Land of the Fathers” another Martin Guerre selection. And Stephanie J. Block offered up a soulful yet defiant rendition of “Woman,” from The Pirate Queen.
There were two selections from La Révolution Française, a 1973 pre Les Mis rock-opera collaboration between Alain and Claude-Michel. “Parisians, Awake and Rise/ Française, Française,” a rousing call to arms, was sung by Montego Glover, Jeremy Jordan and Kyle Scatliffe with Essential Voices USA. “Un petit matin/In the early morn…” a gentle mournful ballad, was hauntingly sung in both French and English by the original Parisian Cosette, Marie Zamora.
The final Les Mis segment, in an evening where it appeared all the stops had already been pulled out, managed to ‘pull out’ even more—making this concert one of the most thrilling in recent memory. Marie Zamora remained on stage after her ballad and was joined by Lea Salonga in a stirring duet arrangement (in both English and French) of “Mon Histoire/On My Own,” the first song the composers wrote together for their Les Mis collaboration. It began quietly with Maestro Reineke himself accompanying the two women by himself on the piano. It ended with Ms. Salonga belting into the stratosphere on one of the song’s penultimate notes.
Speaking of belting into the stratosphere, Norm Lewis, took the house down with his rendition of “Stars”—his final note soaring effortlessly toward the heavens and remaining there for quite some time. Patti Lupone and Jesse Tyler Ferguson entertained with the ever-amusing “Master of the House.” (Jeremy Jordan deliciously being their ‘prop’.) Laura Osnes and Marcus D’Angelo, (the current Broadway Gavroche), sang a charming “Little People” along with the Children of Ronald McDonald House New York. And in a surprise singing turn, Steven Reineke did an impressive Jean Valjean vocal duet with Norm Lewis’s Javert on ”The Confrontation.”
And as if the evening weren’t already spectacular enough, just about then it soared over the moon. “I Dreamed a Dream” was ingeniously orchestrated as a trio with stirringly beautiful harmonies and counterpoints for Stephanie J. Block, Patti LuPone and Lea Salonga—with Essential Voices USA.
“Bring Him Home” became a quartet for Eric Kunze, Robert Marien, Hugh Panero and the current Broadway Valjean, John Owen-Jones, whose vocal range is a miracle to behold.
And then the full concert cast, the Pops orchestra, the Essential Voices USA chorus and the Camp Broadway Kids closed the show with the rousing Act 1 finale “One Day More.” After a lengthy standing ovation there was an encore of “Do You Hear The People Sing?” Which we did. And it was a thing of beauty! Happy 33rd Birthday, New York Pops!
Purchases can be made at the Carnegie Hall Box Office (57th Street and 7th Avenue) or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800. Visit http://www.carnegiehall.org for more information. MUSIC DIRECTOR STEVEN REINEKE
LEADS THE ORCHESTRA < 
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