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October 8, 2013 | What Did You Think?,
What did you think of BARITONES UNBOUND:CELEBRATING THE UNCOMMON VOICE OF THE COMMON MAN?
Thank you so much for joining us. We would love for you to take the time to answer any or all of the following questions:
- What did you think of Baritones UnBound?
- What did you enjoy most about the show (favorite moment or song)?
- How did you learn about Baritones UnBound?
- What did you expect to see and experience prior to attending the show?
- How did your expectation differ or change with your experience of the show?
- How would you describe this show to your friends, family and colleagues?
- Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share with us about your experience at the Baritones UnBound show you attended? We always want to hear from you.
Thank you for answering these questions. Let us know if there is anything we can do to enhance your experience. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
LOVED the show. First saw it promoted on the back of “The Shakespearean Jazz Show” program from the July ArtsEmerson performances and it caught my eye. Then was reminded through ArtsEmerson e-mails. Bought tix for me, my husband and my 89-year-old mother for her birthday and I’m so happy that I did. The concept is inventive and interesting. The singing and playing were great. The performers are very charming. My mother was thrilled — “one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.” The Richard Rogers and Cole Porter tunes were among my favorites — how could they not? — but really got a kick out of the presentation of “Figaro.” I have posted a recommendation on FB!
I loved it. But the “intricate history of the voice” was lost in the speed of the patter. Although it might add a few minutes to the show, I would very much have enjoyed a brief tour through early church music through samples of polyphony (which three baritones could do very well) and harmony before jumping into Mozart. The balance between information and fun was generally good, the songs were well chosen, and who could not enjoy an evening of fine singing? The occasional muff of a line will clear up. The only real problem was that the historical linkage does not come through clearly.
Really enjoyed the performance! Lots in intersting information (I learned a lot), and excellent singing. The guys had great personalities, and it was fun to watch their interaction. Nice local touch, to end with Sweet Caroline 🙂
The show had me on the opening bars of Some enchanted Evening. Absolutely loved it. A friend came up from CT to see it with me and we kept talking about it today. I expected just a bunch of show tunes to be sung, not all the background and history. If the show/program is expanded I would love to know how ethnomusicologists view it. Is there a cross-cultural definition (or non-definition) in other music traditions. do other cultures group and train singers by range/ are there personalities associated with different voices?
As one of those who is old enough to remember Paul Robeson, I can’t remember 7 questions now that they’re no longer on my screen. So I’ll answer the one I do remember: How did the performance differ from expectations?:
I tagged along to be nice to my wife, because I expected a stiff, formal performance by a bunch of stuffed shirts. Instead I had fun from beginning to end, and deeply regretted that the evening came to an end so soon. The guys are funny and engaging, and they’re able to shift the mood from light to serious and back effortlessly. My only criticism is that when the beers were handed out, those of us in the audience weren’t included.
Loved the evening!!!! Great voices and the historical placement gave form to the program as well as being very interesting. The accompanist was excellent – was always “there” and NEVER was overpowering.
The person giving the introductory remarks from the stage at the beginning of the evening, should use a mike in order to be heard everywhere.
I thoroughly enjoyed the show, from beginning to end. I read the positive review in the Boston Globe and that sparked my interest.
My only disappointment was that there weren’t more people when I saw the show (Sunday matinee) since the performance was so superior that I think it would appeal to a wide audience. The voices were terrific — different enough to be distinct yet all appealing in different ways. And I thought the approach was inventive and the interaction among the baritones smooth and not overdone. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable musical evenings I’ve had in a long time. Perhaps some more aggressive advertising would garner the larger audience it deserves. Congratulations for putting it on.
IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THEATER EXPERIENCES I HAVE HAD1111111111
One regret is that we did not have an additional hour. It’s hard to pick a favorite moment. These baritones (and their accompanist !!) are exceptional talents. There are mechanical prerequisites to any artistic performance, but interpretation is what sets the great apart from others, and that’s what made these performers so special. Were I to venture any criticism, the last part was flatter than the rest. I would have preferred something better at the conclusion, even if meant an abandonment of the show’s historical progression and its message that good music for baritones is absent in the last few decades. Uh oh, one other thing, and maybe only for those with an intense dislike of Neil Diamond. Although the audience participation stunt at the end pleased much of the audience, the show did not need that. it was a tiny step back from the otherwise high quality of Baritones UnBound, which gets highest marks.
My Wife and I went the October 13 Sunday show for our Anniversary. It was a very enjoyable 2-1/2 hours. Parking in the nearby garage was convenient and the Sunday fixed price of $15.00 reasonable for downtown Boston. The show was great and I have already recommended that it be seen to many of my friends and co-workers today so that they can see it before it ends is Boston run next Sunday. Now to answer your questions:
1.
My Wife and I went the October 13 Sunday show for our Anniversary. It was a very enjoyable 2-1/2 hours. Parking in the nearby garage was convenient and the Sunday fixed price of $15.00 reasonable for downtown Boston. The show was great and I have already recommended that it be seen to many of my friends and co-workers today so that they can see it before it ends is Boston run next Sunday. Now to answer your questions:
1. Overall, we loved it. A big 4 of a possible 4!
2.
A great show. Kudos to the three baritones. Rate this a 4.0 – Grade is “A”.
But . . . where can we get a copy of the list of songs that were sung? That would have been nice to see. I had to spend an hour or so last night trying to find the song “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime since I loved Ben’s inspirational rendition of this song that I was not familiar with and simply HAD to find it once I returned home.
Again, this was a show that my Wife and I were very pleasantly surprised to be so damn good! As a singer (baritone, by the way) who is taking singing lessons at the South Shore Conservatory of Music in Hingham, I had a very great appreciation for the techniques of the three baritones and the fact that they led off with Some Enchanted Evening (that I sang in my High School Variety Show) and Stars (which I am working on singing in our Town’s local Variety Show in this upcoming January) was just frosting on the cake.
In short, a great time – get the word out – it’s a night of fun and music as well, as I might add, a good history lesson presented in the most entertaining manner.
What more can be said – GO SEE IT BEFORE IT CLOSES on this coming Sunday.
My husband and I loved the show. I, too, would have enjoyed a little more “church” music. The fact that the show was not amplified was an added bonus. The Paramount Theatre is beautiful and I was surprised when taking pictures of the walls and stage before the performance I was asked to stop. All in all, we enjoyed every minute of this wonderful performance.
I loved the show. There were 3 of us who attended and we were unaimous in praise. None of us had any idea what to expect; we thought it might be like the “Three Tenors”, but, having also read a review in the Boston Globe that morning, we knew it wasn’t quite the same. What was pleasant was that the review was positive and gave a good description of the show. It ended up being pretty much as expected (in all the best ways) based on the review. We especially enjoyed how it was structured as well as the versatility of the performers. As for a favorite moment in the show, it’s too difficult to pick out. In some ways, one of the best parts was sitting there beside one of my friends who didn’t know some of the selections and watching him emotionally respond to the music, some things that he knew and some that he didn’t. I learned about the show through an e-mail from Akiba Abaka. I have been telling friends about it and giving glowing positive feedback and support. I hope Arts Emerson continues to present such innovative, educational and thoroughly enjoyable fare. Congratulations on this show. It’s a winner!
Saw the show last night. It was wonderful. Of course, my favorite was the show tunes, especially “I Am What I Am.” The baritones are fabulous artists and actors. Highly recommend. Must add that hearing about the Red Sox win and singing “Sweet Caroline” was a perfect encore. What a talented group of men – pianist included.
My teenage son and I are new members, and defiant of “school night” curfew, we attended the 10/16/13 jaw-dropping Baritones Unbound.
From our seats (D 109 +110) we could practically inhale the testosterone sodden vibe as the three gentlemen held forth generously. My son is newly inspired to sing, thanks to the sense of manly good fun employed to unleash the rich variety of vocal styles upon us –including the absolutely delightful finale’ with the Music Director joining in with a marvelously contrasting set of body movements and splendid vocals. We loved the sense of mischief and rakish camaraderie among Messrs. Kudish, Mattsey, and Davis; this served to bring the narrative and chronology into an arena accessible to my 15-year old who heretofore understood no real connection between mom’s favorite Gregorian Chants and our shared icon, Sinatra. My son’s and my favorite was Mr. Davis singing Sinatra. My only regret is that I’d have loved to have won the private dinner if only to hear one resonant riff of “Oklahoma”. Maybe some day: Perhaps when these three exquisitely talented Baritones are properly recognized and publicly hailed for reviving the vox that sends women swooning.
Meanwhile, thank you for the astonishing fun this evening. We are still chuckling and singing as we wish Baritones Unbound every success.
Kindest regards,
Ghia (and Jack)
Baritones Unbound is an invigorating, elegant mix of history, masterful performance and light-hearted fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I most enjoyed learning about musical history from 3 such talented vocalists and entertainers. I did not expect to have such incredible
talent before me, and I felt honored to hear their voices. The historical tour was excellent, as was the running translation of verses to
the operas on your beautiful set monitors….I felt invested in “baritones” by the end of the show, and enlightened about the history of vocal performance and composing in a way I had not been before.
What I have told all my friends is: HURRY UP AND GO SEE IT!! You will love the experience,and leave inspired and happy to
have been there. I thought the Sing a Long was a good addition to the end of the show, as it gave us all an outlet for the energy
the show had imbued in all of us. We all left smiling and humming “Sweet Caroline”….
As a baritone myself, and a fan of musical history, I was intrigued when I saw the show listed in my email newsletter. We didn’t know what to expect and were pleasantly surprised. We LOVED IT! The un-amplified presentation was great but needed to be a little slower to be fully understood, but the singing and accompanist were outstanding. Found myself whistling all the way home and digging out my Broadway and “crooner” recordings the next day. KUDOS. BARITONES RULE!
We thought it was absolutely engaging and enjoyable. I did think, however that it ended a little weakly compared to the rest of the show but that did not detract from our overall enjoyment. The encore Sweet Caroline was a nice touch and a lot of fun. The warmth of the three singers and their on stage camaraderie were an important part of the feel. I did wonder why you could not come up with some other baritones like Yves Montand especially or some other European singers of 90’s music to round out you last 30 minutes.
Good luck with your tour.
I really loved the Baritones Unbound performance on Sat the 19th. What a lovely surprise. An evening full of joyful talent. So honest, full of ease and fun, it was uplifting. Just what arts are supposed to accomplish. The setting was as though it was a small party in a living room. It opened with my favorite song and I thought that was great, yet more and more wonderful renditions followed. Thank you again for one of my favorite theater experiences. I could see the whole performance immediately again. From new member , Carol L
First I want to thank Arts Emerson and Akiba Abaka for their generosity in donating us tix to see th show. This is the second show we have seen there and it is a treat for all of us. We were at the Saturday 19th evening performance.
The show was fun: the performers showed that they loved what they were doing, had fun with each other and with us.
I loved the immediacy and intimacy of the show.
I learned a lot about the voice and timeline of the baritone voice. I thought the performers did a great job presenting the historical material.
I thought Ben could have been less disgusted at receiving a kiss – had a touch of homophobia there.
The ending with Sweet Caroline, especially in view of Red Sox attaining the world series last night was a crowning touch. A blast!
very enjoyable. loved the opera numbers and elvis! thought the second act dragged on just a tad too long. or perhaps newest music just didn’t grab me as much as the chants, operas, earlier musicals and The King.
GREAT, GREAT, GREAT SHOW!!! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this show. We would ditto all the previously mentioned acclamations. A wonderful evening! Come back soon so more people can experience so much fun.
The wonderful piano accompaniment was above and beyond what I expected. We enjoyed being walked through a history of the baritone voice and especially liked the banter and the good acting of facial expressions. The outstanding voices we did expect and receive. An outstanding show which I’m sure will be very successful in cities across the U.S.
We first learned about the baritones through an e-mail, & because we have seen & enjoyed Mark Kudish in several plays, we had to see this show. My favorite songs were “The Pirate King” & “Old Man River” The man-cave was very clever, & my husband & I were recognizing many performers pictures on the wall. This show surpassed our expectations, & we highly recommend it to anyone who has heard any type of music from 650 A.D. on!
They were wonderful Enjoyed the history and of course the music. Thanks to Arts Emerson subscription plan. With no expectations I reveled in the great voices used so well and the interaction of the actors. Worth a repeat
I loved very much the final show on Sunday. Especially the cameo/drafting of James Barbour. that made the show 100 times better, made my day, my week. What was the name of the piece from Jane Eyre he sang? I was not familiar with the work, and could not remember it.
James actually sang the Beast’s aria from Beauty and the Beast. He called out Jane Eyre but Tim didn’t have the music onstage with him so they switched on the fly. How generous was all of that? James Barbour raising his hand from the audience, Marc inviting him on stage, and him just saying “yes!” and launching into it. Jet-lag and all! This show was a total delight to work on and I am so glad so many people have written to share their experiences of it.
Baritones Unbound was an incredible show! I am a huge fan of both Opera and Broadway, and so I was in my glory to be able to hear an aria from Rigoletto on the same evening as music from Showboat, Carousel and Sweeney Todd! Frankly, I don’t have a favorite moment, because it all was so wonderful (OK, maybe the Soliloquy from Carousel).
The versatility and musicianship of the three performers was outstanding, especially as they moved so effortlessly from opera to operetta to Broadway to the era of “crooners”! I thought the framework of chronologically following the history of music written for the Baritone voice was inspired. Who knew that “Ol’ Man River” was first introduced to the public as a sort of throw-away tune by Bing Crosby? The humor and interplay between the musicians just added to the fun. I also enjoyed that they invited audience participation to shout out ideas of recent Bartione music, and then sang it! Unfortunately, I saw the show towards the end of its run, and would have loved to see it again and bring a ton of friends with me. Here’s hoping they bring the show to Boston again soon!