COMFORT YE

Baritone Mark Rucker

Lauren Flanigan's annual fundraiser to benefit the homeless was held Monday in its new home--the acoustically superlative St. Paul's Church on 86th and West End Ave.  Admission to this star-spangled event is by donation of blanket, warm coat, groceries, or cash. Audience members are treated to one gorgeous aria after another performed by Ms. Flanigan's many friends, most of whom are stars from the Met, as is the fine coach/accompanist Kamal Khan who serves as Music Director.

As if this were not enough, the Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble, directed by Bettye Forbes, was there to raise the roof with their spirited song stylings. The audience responded to "Go Tell it on the Mountain" with rhythmic applause.

New this year was a fine group of young singers Ms. Flanigan calls The Flaniganizers, nine lovely young women, each one of whom had something special to offer, each telling about how Ms. Flanigan had helped her career before launching into her aria. They were all delightful!

Ms. Flanigan herself performed the intense scene from Act II of Puccini's Tosca, in which poor Florio Tosca must listen to poor Mario Cavaradossi (Raúl Melo) being tortured offstage while she builds up enough hate for the evil Scarpia (Louis Otey) to want to murder him. If anyone can do "intense" better than Ms. Flanigan, we'd like to hear about it!

Mr. Melo also gave us a fine aria from Puccini's La Fanciulla del West and baritone Mark Rucker, accompanied beautifully by his wife Sadie, shone in "Nemico della patria" from Andrea Chénier, showing every ounce of disdain for his ironic sentence.

There was yet more Puccini as soprano Jasmine Muhammad sang "Donde lieta usci" from La Bohème.

Among so many splendid performances we also enjoyed tenor Brian Anderson's performance of "De' miei bollenti spiriti" from Verdi's La Traviata and tenor Ryan MacPherson's "Parmi veder le lagrime" from Verdi's Rigoletto. 

Ms. Flanigan was the welcoming host for the evening's entertainment and Stewart Desmond, Executive Director of the West Side Campaign Against Hunger, spoke briefly but movingly of his campaign's successes. In a remarkable move for a food pantry, the hungry get to enter this pantry and select the foods they like, as if they were in a grocery store.

We couldn't help thinking that Mayor DiBlasio would have done better to hire Mr. Desmond as consultant instead of paying a quarter of a million dollars to the fella that wasn't doing his job in the first place. We'll put our faith in the private sector any day of the week!

(c) meche kroop

JAZZ NATIVITY AT CHELSEA OPERA

David Gordon, Emily Gu Siegel, and Larry Long

We all know where great matches are made; Chelsea Opera joined forces with Kindred Spirits to produce a fine family-oriented Christmas entertainment--Bending Towards the Light...A Jazz Nativity.  Chelsea Opera is well known to us and has been reviewed by us many times; we have spent many evenings enjoying their productions.  Kindred Spirits is new to us; it was created to educate through music. Their Children's Jazz Choirs educate inner city children, teaching them songs of the great American composers.

The jazz artists on the program, although unknown to us,  seem to be famous in their field and the source of a great deal of energy, shaking the rafters of Christ and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. We spotted drums and piano, trombone and trumpet, and more types of saxophone than we ever knew existed.  They seemed analogous to the several fachs of the human voice. Moreover, we spotted a teeny tiny trombone! We even witnessed some wildly competitive tap dancing.

This was a highly American version of the nativity story. When we first arrived in New York, we recall attending Dave Brubeck's "La Fiesta de la Posada".  Lo and behold, there was Brubeck's arrangement of "God's Love Made Visible" played on the piano by Adam Asarnow.

But the loveliest song was "Bending Towards the Light".  Early in the program it was sung by Chelsea Opera's own Leonarda Priore, substituting for the absent Deborah Voigt who could not have sung it any better. We think of Ms. Priore as an opera singer but she clearly has a way with jazz as well, in this arrangement by Anne Phillips who also conducted and performed as a Guardian Angel.

An adorable youngster, pictured above, gave it a second hearing.  Music by Bob Kindred, lyrics by Henry Timm and Anne Phillips. It's penultimate iteration was sung by the company and the final one was performed by the band. We were glad that this jazz was pre-Ornette Coleman and quite listenable. We heard some fine scat-singing as well.

The program was first presented in 1985 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church and since that time has been performed at St. Bartholomew's, the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, Avery Fisher Hall (a name we choose to preserve in spite of the renaming), Birdland, B.B. King's (in Spanish), and venues all over the United States.  Last night it was co-produced by Ms. Priore, Lynne Hayden-Findlay and Ms. Phillips.

It was quite a celebration and a perfect example of synergy, when forces combine to create something that is unique and greater than the sum of its parts.

(c) meche kroop

A TALE OF TWO FATHERS

Sarah Mikulski, Joshua Arky, Brian Michael Moore, Young Kwang Yoo, Maestro Thomas Muraco, Yulan Piao, Woo Yong Yoon, Edwin Davis, and Ü Lee

One doesn't generally get to hear a Verdi opera at a music conservatory, but last night we were fortunate enough to hear Luisa Miller at Manhattan School of Music. Presenting a Verdi opera with such a young cast was a risky enterprise but the risk paid off in spades. The evening was a stunning success with first rate musical values.

The opera had its premiere in 1849, thus belonging to the earlier portion of Verdi's "middle period", before his success with Rigoletto. The libretto by Salvadore Cammarano was based on Friedrich von Schiller's play Kabale und Liebe (Intrigue and Love).  It is not part of the standard repertory but we admire it greatly. Like so many operas composed by Verdi, there is a strong emphasis on a father/daughter relationship.

The two fathers could not be more different, but they share one important feature.  Each loves his child and wants the best for him/her. Miller want his daughter to be happy and his only concern is whether the man to whom she pledged her love will be honest and faithful. The Count de Walter wants his son to be privileged and powerful. He has chosen Rodolfo's bride--The Duchess Federica, and will stop at nothing to tear his son away from Luisa, Miller's daughter.

The opera is overflowing with gorgeous melodies. There are arias aplenty and duets for all possible  fach combinations, plus stunning trios and quartets to bring the acts to a close. As the innocent Luisa, soprano Yulan Piao sang with  terrific technique and enough dramatic intensity to get us to care about her character. She has a brilliant instrument and fine Italianate phrasing. The coloratura was so impressive we were thinking "There's a budding Queen of the Night!"

As her lover Rodolfo, Woo Yong Yoon was ardent and used his lyric tenor well, without any of the pushing that bothers us so much in young tenors. His love duets with Ms. Piao were marked by singular harmonic beauty.

As the Duchess that Count de Walter wants his son to marry, mezzo-soprano Ü Lee was resplendent both vocally and dramatically.  Her rich chocolate instrument was employed to great dramatic effect as she created a multi-dimensional character--a woman who has loved Rodolfo since childhood and is suffering a major disappointment that he loves another woman, and yet not at all vengeful toward her rival. The facial expressions and gestures she used as she went through a panoply of emotions were arresting; one could not take one's eyes off her. This gifted artist is also a coach, conductor, pianist, and composer. Additionally she is developing music software.  She is an alumna of MSM, while the other artists are all graduate students.

We were also impressed by baritone Young Kwang Yoo who played Miller, the devoted caring father of Luisa. Their duets were no less fine than those of Gilda and Rigoletto. He has a nice full baritone and an effective stage presence.

As Walter, the sneaky manipulative and threatening father of Rodolfo, bass Joshua Arky showed admirable vocal flexibility for this fach. The only thing that would take his performance to the next level would be some physical flexibility. Even a character we hate has to move around the stage with grace.

As the nasty henchman Wurm, bass Edwin Davis succeeded in creating one of those characters one loves to hate. His bass has a juicier sound than Mr. Arky's and the contrast between the two basses was one of those casting miracles that we love.

Soprano Sarah Mikulski sounded lovely in the small role of Laura and Brian Michael Moore stepped in for an ailing Timothy Lanigan in the other small role of Un Contadino. Please note that the casting for Friday night is different and that Mr. Moore will be singing Rodolfo--ensuring that the experience will be as fine as last night's was.

Maestro Thomas Muraco did a fine job of preparing these young artists for the performance. The maestro conducts with his expressive hands and one can observe him breathing along and silently singing along with them. The score was arranged for two pianos four hands (Jeremy Chan and Jonathan Heaney) with parts taken by the keyboard (Jia Jun Hong doing the organ stuff) and clarinet (Adam Gallob). The melodic lines given to the clarinet were wonderfully played.

The chorus sang well. There was no attempt at costuming or sets. They would have been superfluous. The evening was about the music and we consider it a 100% success. You have one chance to experience this rare treat on Friday night at 7:30, IF you can get tickets. Last night the standby line stretched all the way down the hall. Word must have gotten out!

(c) meche kroop

CHANSON FROM MANNES--AND A SPECIAL TREAT

Faustine de Mones, Jiin Jung, Dorothy Gal, and Brianna Han

Last night at Mannes School of Music we heard An Evening of French Music, performed by Voice Major and Collaborative Piano Students. We are familiar with evenings coached by Christina Stanescu who directs the Collaborative Piano Department at Mannes. The performances are always topnotch. The recital began with a singing of "La Marseillaise"!

Soprano Faustine de Mones is a native speaker of French while soprano Dorothy Gal is not. A native speaker of French might have been able to tell the difference; we could not. We have been listening to Ms. Gal for some time since she has studied at Glenn Morton's French immersion program L'Art du Chant Francais. She just keeps getting better and better.

She sang Debussy's "Beau Soir" with fine diction and lovely phrasing; the warmth of her instrument lent a special flavor to the text. She continued with Duparc's "Chanson Triste" during which we noticed the fine arpeggios of collaborative pianist Brianna Han who has a light touch on the keys, just right for delicate French chansons.

Moving from chanson to aria, the pair performed "Allons, il le faut...Adieu, notre petite table" from Massenet's Manon, an aria filled with regret and misgivings.  No misgivings about the performance however!  Quite lovely, especially when Ms. Gal's singing became more expansive. Additionally, the aria offered her the opportunity to express the feelings by means of dynamic variation.

While Ms. Gal is a rather self-contained artist, Ms. de Mones is quite expressive. She opened with Trois poèmes de Louise de Vilmorin, set by Poulenc. The text is a bit more obscure but we enjoyed the suggestive conclusion of "Le garçon de Liège". Ms. de Mones also chose an aria from Manon--"Je suis encore tout étourdie" from Act I.  In this aria, Manon is still an innocent girl on her way to the convent and our singer succeeded in conveying the excitement of her first trip. This young lady has a lively personality and a winning onstage presence. Jiin Jung was her fine piano partner.

Tenor John Ramseyer (who left before the group photo) has a fine vibrato that lends an interesting texture to his voice. He kept up the long delicate line of Duparc's Phidylé right until the climax on "ton meilleur baiser"when he opened up his voice. We further enjoyed "Adieu, Mignon" from Ambroise Thomas' Mignon, an opera based on Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Lehrjahre, which also inspired settings by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, and Wolf. Mr. Ramseyer conveyed the sensitivity of a tender farewell.

And what was the special treat we alluded to in the title? The famous Thomas Grubb, educator, coach, collaborative pianist, and author of Singing in French: a Manual of French Diction and French Vocal Repertoire, performed L'histoire de Babar le petit elephant; he gave a dramatic reading of the text by Jean de Brunhoff, punctuated and enhanced by Poulenc's piano interludes. If we want to talk about impeccable French, this was it. His delivery was spellbinding.

We didn't always see the connection between the text and the music but definitely preferred the more lyrical interludes when Babar rode on his mother's back, when he was adopted by the old lady, when he remembered his mother, when he hosted his cousins, and when he bid farewell to the old lady. We also liked the dance music for his wedding and the peaceful music at the end when night fell.

Mr. Grubb's illustrious presence can be credited to the Art Song Preservation Society which is aptly named. Artists and audiences alike are well served by their activities.

(c) meche kroop

A GOYISHE CHIRSTMAS TO YOU

Joshua Breitzer, Donna Breitzer, Alex Mansoori, Miles Mykkanen, Lauren Worsham, and Theo Hoffman

By now we know what to expect from a NYFOS cabaret at Henry's Restaurant--a warm welcome from host Henry, lively patter from Steven Blier, cleverly curated songs, and delicious performances from talented young singers. An extra measure of joy can be had when we bring a newbie or two just to share their delight in experiencing the event for the first time.

The annual Xmas cabaret--"A Goyishe Christmas to You!"--comprises yuletide music by Jewish composers. We loved it last year and we loved it even more this year. Lucky are those who discovered it five years ago!

The eponymous Henry introduced the evening with a few words about ecumenism. The Upper West Side includes people of every persuasion. This event brings the community together in celebration of the holiday season and spices it all up with a sense of humor.

Steven Blier curates and arranges the songs and shares fascinating tidbits about the composers. The singers, who rightfully adore this icon of the musical world, put heart and soul and a little extra into making the evening a rousing success. The stresses of the world outside dissolve in a puddle of good will. Everyone leaves grinning.

The Rodgers and Hart song "Sing for Your Supper" from the 1938 hit The Boys from Syracuse opens every NYFOS After Hours show at Henry's.  This time it was sung by Thomas West.

We heard songs serious and songs silly, each one delivered with passion and panache. On the serious side, Felix Mendelssohn's music for a cantata provided for the harmonious quartet of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". 

Baritone Theo Hoffman invested each verse of Tormé's "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire--THAT Xmas song) with vibrant color while Mr. Blier's piano dazzled us.  Cabaret star Lauren Worsham led the company in a beautiful arrangement of Irving Berlin's "White Christmas".

But it was the silly songs that stole the show.  Our favorite was "Candle in My Window"by Howard Levitsky and Marc Miller (who were in the audience), hilariously performed by Alex Mansoori. This song spoofs Jewish people who celebrate Xmas and the justifications they come up with.  The best line is "Bless the Christian and the Jew, bless the other guys too, and God Bless the Christmas Jew". Knowing laughter rippled through the audience.

Mr. Mansoori was equally funny in David Friedman's "My Simple Christmas Wish" when he sang about wanting to be rich, famous, and powerful--without making any efforts. We might add that Mr. Mansoori was equally effective in Livingston and Evans' "Silver Bells". Maestro Blier let us in on the fact that Jay Livingston was born Jacob Levinson and the song refers to the Salvation Army bells and references the fact that Jews are known for their charity towards the poor. He also made sure we heard the bells in the piano.

Husband /wife team Cantor Joshua and Donna Breitzer sang a funny version of Frank Loesser's "Baby, It's Cold Outside"--in Yiddish! This miracle of translation was accomplished by one Binyumen Schaechter and Mr. Blier made sure there was a funny spin put on it. Mr. Breitzer also sang "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in Yiddish, cracking up the audience. This Johnny Marks song was arranged by Kugelplex and Breitzer himself and was accompanied by Alan Kay playing a very Klezmer inflected clarinet.

Speaking of funny spins, it would not be a Steven Blier event without a gay tweak to the program. In this case it was the pairing of tenor Miles Mykkanen and baritone Theo Hoffman singing a very gay version of Bernard and Smith's "Winter Wonderland". It was clever.  It was romantic.  We loved it. They made a swell and harmonious couple, LOL.

Mr. Mykkanen has an outsize personality and a unique timbre to his voice that made his rendition of Loesser's "Let it Snow" quite an event.  Mr. Kay accompanied on the clarinet.

Every recital should have a Tom Lehrer song and this one did--"Hanukkah in Santa Monica" with Breitzer and Kay taking the lead and the company contributing funny lines we wish we could remember.

Breitzer and Worsham did a funny duet that was new to us--Roy Zimmerman's "Don't Let Gramma Cook Christmas Dinner". The multi-talented Breitzer accompanied on the guitar. It reminded us of relatives who try very very hard but are just lousy cooks. The song employed hyperbole to great effect.

We don't want to forget Ms. Worsham's plaintive delivery of Loesser's 1947 hit "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve" in which she bent the notes to fine emotional effect. Mr. Kay made fine contributions on his clarinet and Blier shared a very personal and touching reminiscence of a highly special New Year's Eve in his life--a warm and fuzzy story. 

Perhaps next Xmas you will attend and hear this story. We are keeping it close to our heart!

(c) meche kroop

AMERICAN FINE ARTS FESTIVAL

Carmine M. Alfiero and Marisan Corsino

We just spent over 2 1/2 hours (without intermission) listening to budding artists at Weill Recital Hall in a winner's recital produced by the American Fine Arts Festival, now in their twelfth year of providing performance opportunities by means of audition.

This is our first experience with AFAF and we are unable to find much information on their website and there is almost nothing in their program. Consequently we can say little about the performers, particularly since there were errors in the programming, not to mention misspelling of names. The young woman given the task of verbally announcing such changes was inaudible, even from the front row.  Never mind.  Let's get to the performances.

There were two standouts in the vocal area. Mezzo soprano Marisan Corsino, winner of the Russian Seasons Competition, demonstrated skills in both art song and opera. In what sounded to us like excellent Russian, she sang "The Soldier's Wife" by Rachmaninoff, a tale filled with grief. Ms. Corsino is a self-contained artist and used the colors of her voice, rather than gesture.  In Polina's aria from Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame, she employed her entire register all the way down to a deep affecting bottom.

Soprano Becca Conviser is a very different sort of singer, making ample use of facial expression and gesture. She has a big voice and tackled "Dich Teure Halle" from Richard Wagner's Tannhaüser. It was a rousing success. She also performed "Tutte nel cor vi sento" from Mozart's Idomeneo and did just fine negotiating the tortuous skips up from the very bottom to the upper register.

We also liked Shubhangi Amitkumar Das' coloratura in Händel's "Rejoice Greatly O Daughter of Zion", which she followed up with Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Think of Me" from Phantom of the Opera.

There were several other singers on the program, most of them not really performance-ready. We do understand that such recitals as these are meant to provide such experience but there are certain basics that should had been taught, even how to smile at the audience and how to take a bow. These youngsters rushed on and off the stage. There was nothing in the program to tell what age group they belonged to but we suspect that most were far younger than they appeared. Lavish gowns and high heels lead an audience member to expect a more polished performance. Furthermore, the pieces chosen (by whom??) for them to sing were often beyond their capabilities.

There were lots of instrumentalists on the program (over two dozen budding artists and their accompanists) and some of them were quite wonderful. It seems as if the voice is the most difficult instrument to master, since some of the instrumentalists were quite young and yet quite accomplished. The program opened with Lauren Elizabeth Kim playing Four Tales by Medtner. She appeared to be under 10 years of age but played with admirable assurance.

Young violinist Rhys Evans played "Sicilienne and Rigaudon" by Fritz Kreisler.  Not only did he play beautifully but we suspect that his accompanist was his sister. She had a touching rapport with him. We wished the program had been more explicit.

Natalie Lin delighted us with her cello performance of selections from Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococco Theme.  Julia Angelov was poised on the violin, playing part 3 of  Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1. 

Jacob Katz excelled in a couple of Chopin's challenging Etudes. Evangeline Gao tacked Liszt's Etude No. 3 and played beautifully.  Evgeni Petrichev drew some wonderful colors from an Etude by Rachmaninoff. We also heard a guest artist from Russia--Nikita Galaktionov--who polished off a pair of Etudes by Scriabin and won our heart with Prelude #2 by Gershwin, filling it with jazzy styling.

Finally we wish to call attention to a pianist from Russia who captured all the anxiety of Prokofiev's Sonata #3 in A minor, and managed to come up smiling. No one else smiled all evening; these youngsters were all so serious! It was heartwarming to witness one who enjoyed performing.

(c) meche kroop

A NUTCRACKER TO CHERISH

Dawn Gierling Milatin and Johnny Almeida in Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker  (photo by Travis Magee)

The ballet by Tchaikovsky presented around town every holiday season has an interesting history. The original source is a story by E.T.A Hoffman entitled "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King"; Alexander Dumas père adapted it as "The Tale of the Nutcracker". When Tchaikovsky was commissioned to write an opera and a ballet for the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg, he chose the Dumas tale to pair with his final opera Iolanta (which we recently saw at the Met with Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala). What a strange double bill that must have been!

Dumas' story had to be pared down. Marius Petipa was the original choreographer and at some point Lev Ivanov took over. They knew exactly what they wanted musically and Tchaikovsky delivered. It premiered in 1892 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theater. Although the music was beloved right from the start, the choreography was widely criticized.

Many choreographers have set the ballet since then but we are partial to the once created by Michael Chernov of the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet, of which he and Ms. Kirkland are Co-Artistic Directors. We have always found the New York City Ballet version, choreographed by Balanchine, to be somewhat tedious. The one we saw last night thrilled us and held our attention for a solid two hours. We first saw it last holiday season and couldn't wait for a second viewing.

What made it special was not just the choreography and the dancing, but the intimacy. The company has found a new home in Dumbo and the comfortable seating with great sight lines permits the audience to feel involved in the heroine's family life. In this time period when we are best by chaos, fear, and anger, it was a special treat to be transported to a kinder, gentler world.

Mr. Chernov's version opens with the introduction of the members of Clara's family. Clara (Dawn Geirling Militan) is clearly a "good girl" and gets positive attention while her brother Fritz (Koki Yamaguchi) is naughty and jealous. Several charming details were created to get this across including a scene with the lamplighter. Fritz can be sulky and competitive. But how that boy can dance!

The family is having a Xmas party and the guests have dressed up for the occasion. The parents drink toasts, socialize, and dance with elegance.  Meanwhile, the children open their gifts--mostly dolls for the girls and tin horns and toy rifles for the boys. They play as children will. The boys are rambunctious and Fritz manages to annoy his grandparents (Alexandra Lawler and Samuel Humphreys) by tooting his horn. Frau Stahlbaum (Katrina Crawford) feels faint and is tenderly given smelling salts. Herr Stahlbaum (Simon Xu) is a gracious host.

Family friend and children's godfather Drosselmeyer (dance instructor Akop Akopian) arrives with a magic show--a large clock with figures that emerge and dance -- Columbine (Nina Yoshida) and Harlequin (Erez Milatin) as well as a Death figure, representing Mortal Time (Keisuke Nishkawa). The dancing is exciting, but made even more so by the dramatic background and the enchantment of the children by this "magic".

Clara is presented with a special gift, a nutcracker, which Fritz promptly breaks.  The kindly Drosselmeyer, obviously enchanted by Clara, fixes it for her and bandages the wound with a scarf.

After the guests leave and the toys are put away, Clara falls asleep under the tree with her special gift.

Utilizing what psychiatrists call the "day residue"--events from the day before that infiltrate and inspire the dream world--Clara's unconscious weaves a dream.  She is surrounded by some pretty scary mice but the nutcracker comes to life to defend her, utilizing an army of toy soldiers left in the cabinet.

He becomes a prince (Johnny Almeida) who takes her to a magical kingdom. This is the part in which we hear all the famous music Tchaikovsky composed--the very music that so greatly affected us when we were little and got us interested in classical music. Unfortunately, the price one pays for the intimacy of the production is the use of recorded music instead of the full orchestra which one would enjoy in a larger house. We were more than willing to pay that price!

Although the music is a suite and generally arranged according to the choreographer's intention, we are always happy to hear the Spanish Dance, the Chinese Dance, the Russian Dance (Trepak), and the Arabian Dance. These character dances were a delight to behold.

The Waltz of the Flowers and the Dance of the Reed Flutes were beautifully choreographed, as was the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy with its use of celesta and bass clarinet, lovely even on recording.

The corps danced magnificently and, being so perfectly in unison, gave evidence of rigorous rehearsal. In the Snowflake scene (choreographed by Vasili Vainonen and staged by Lyubov Fominich) the women floated like snowflakes.  Our only criticism is that they landed heavily and loudly, which may have been the fault of the floor.

As the lead couple, Ms. Militan and Mr. Almeida made a perfect couple. The choreography included several adagios and some challenging variations, all performed with precision and artistry. Ms. Militan is not only graceful and strongly centered but she is a superb actress. We were ready to believe that she was about 14 years old and fantasizing about her first love. Mr. Almeida was a reliable partner as well as a superb and technically accomplished soloist. There were all the classical moves and lifts that we love and miss in contemporary choreography.

There were so many special moments but we particularly enjoyed the corps of angels who glided smoothly across the floor, looking much like Russian icons.

The Costume and Set Design was adapted by Michael Chernov and we know not from what they were adapted by they were by all accounts splendid, particularly the costumes for the party scene and those for the character dancers.

It was indeed an incomparable evening, and well worth the trip to Brooklyn. There will be five more performances, one today and four next week--December 17, 18, 19, and 20. Although children will love it, you will not need a child accompanying you to enjoy this one.

(c) meche kroop