You'll Never Sing Alone

Mr. Rip and I had what we consider the perfect plans for the Fourth of July.

We were staying home. Out of the hustle and bustle of the crowds and the parades and the fireworks.   We were having homemade pork goulash and spaetzle for dinner.  You know, typical Fourth of July fare.

The day started out with Mr. Rip fondly reminiscing about playing Benjamin Franklin in 1776 at Robert Morris University’s Colonial Theatre a few years back.  He was the best Benjamin Franklin ever. He posted his pictures from the show on Facebook, where they joined photos and remembrances of many of his fellow 1776 castmates.

I was a little envious that I didn't have photos from a patriotic show to post, but then I remembered that I sang in Salute! a musical revue celebrating our nation's military put on by RMU's Summer Colonial Theatre.  In a masterful argument to our ever-patient and flexible director Barbara, I made a case for including “You’ll Never Walk Alone” as a fitting tribute to our service men and women, and I proposed that I be the one to sing it.  Barbara saw the wisdom of my suggestion, or maybe she humored me.  Whatever, I have a photo of me wearing my favorite red dress while singing the song standing on a red, white and blue platform.  Perfect for a Fourth of July FB profile picture!

The evening brought our favorite part of celebrating the Fourth – watching the broadcast of A Capitol Fourth, the big concert at the Capitol, hosted by Tom Bergeron and culminating in a fireworks display.  We could join in the holiday fun from the comfort of our couch, moving only to refresh our drinks.

Tom kicked off the concert by introducing John Williams who was going to premiere his new cutting-edge arrangement of The Star Spangled Banner.  Uh, oh, I thought, I hope this isn't as badly received as Jimi Hendrix’s stunning instrumental guitar version that still give me chills every time I hear it.  I needn't have worried because it just sounded like The Star Spangled Banner.

 

I was relieved to see Kelli O’Hara seeming so healthy and happy as she shone singing a medley of patriotic songs in her glorious legit soprano voice.  See, I read this article that said she was absolutely devastated and disheartened that her show The Bridges of Madison County closed.  They said that Kelli would have done better if she had been born in another time, and lamented that the she had never won a Tony.  All I've got to say is “Cry me a river.”  She is a busy working actress and singer with five Tony nominations and she is only in her 30’s.  She’s already got her next show lined up.  I think she’ll be okay.

There was a parade of diverse, eclectic performers who mostly sang their own songs.  What, these professionals couldn't learn a nice version of “Yankee Doodle Dandy” to sing for the occasion? When Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons came out and belted out Grease is the Word,  You’re Just Too Good to be True (*SIGH*) and Just Hang On, I forgave him the non-patriotic songs because he is a National Treasure who has still got every bit of his vocal quality and charisma at the age of 70. 

Then came the tribute to the veterans who were wounded in the war.  Out trots American Idol Jordan Sparks in a red dress to sing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to those who were in the audience.  Wait one little minute here!  That sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?  Who did it first?  Was she in the audience at Massey Theatre when I performed it during Salute?  I’m not being judgmental or anything but she went flat on a couple of notes.  Mr. Rip assured me that I sang it better, but then added “of course a cat if you stepped on its tail would sound better than that,” so I wasn't too flattered. 

  

Patti LaBelle entertained us for a lot of reasons when she came out to sing Over the Rainbow looking more like the Witch than Dorothy.  She was dressed all in black with an enormous overcoat that she tripped over as she took the stage to sing a very different version of “Over the Rainbow” that I don’t know if I liked.  It was full of what Mr. Rip describes as melisma (the act of singing one syllable of text sung over several notes).  I am not one of these people that think that there can never be a successful reinterpretation of an iconic song, but Patti was no Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwo’ole (the Hawaiian guy who did it with the ukulele).

Throughout the evening the Choral Arts Society of America Chorus was rocking it– singing back up to the stars, clapping and swaying, but they still didn't sound as good as the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale when we sing The Star Spangled Banner at a Pirates game.