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Friday, Jul 04, 2008
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Bits & Bytes |
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| Eartha Kitt rocks this week at Jazz Alley, Seattle Opera readies Wagner's Dutchman | |
| by Milton W. Hamlin -
SGN A&E Writer It's another great week for Emerald City entertainment fans. August promises to be a month of terrific contrasts-the ageless Eartha Kitt turns Jazz Alley into a roaring Las Vegas supper club, Seattle Opera brings Wagner's shortest and most romantic opera, The Flying Dutchman, back to delight local music fans, local theaters all seems to have new openings this week. Bits&Bytes says: read on. LEGENDARY EARTHA KITT ROCKS JAZZ ALLEY WITH FIVE MORE PERFORMANCES Eartha Kitt returned to Jazz Alley Tuesday night with a rousing high energy performance that delighted a virtual capacity crowd that greeted the legendary performer with a standing ovation as she entered the room and an even longer standing ovation as she finished her generous, lively set. Kitt, admitting to age 80, continues to be a powerhouse performer. Still a vital stage personality, she mixes Broadway appearances, club dates, voiceovers, guest appearances on TV and concert stages. To her many fans-Gay, straight, young, old-she simply can do no wrong. Count Bits&Bytes as one of those many fans. This year has been a rocky year for the "ever young" Kitt. A little-discussed major illness sidelined her momentum for a few months, but a full recovery and a return to her beloved audiences show the legendary "sex kitten" in full power. A big, behind-the-scenes question at Jazz Alley (and, undoubtedly, at other venues on her touring schedule) was "what will she be like this time?" The answer-strong and vibrant-is Eartha is Eartha is Eartha. Shakespeare wrote it first-"Age cannot wither her nor custom stale her infinite variety." The Bard was writing about Cleopatra, another legendary sex kitten and historical "material girl," but he might as well as been writing about Kitt. Her act turned the handsome Jazz Alley into a Las Vegas supper club, if even for only a few hours. Kitt mixed her early hits, American songbook standards, plaintive ballads and comic routines with as easy manner. Her timing, as always, was perfect. The word "legendary" is often overused-but it is the right word to describe the powerhouse known as Eartha Kitt. Kitt entered in a red velvet ensemble, wrapped to her chin in a vivid scarlet. Her close-cropped hair style signaled a new image-but then the red velvet wrap slid off and revealed Kitt in a stylish red velvet sheath. Long sleeved, low cut, cut "up to there" to showcase her legendary legs. Rhinestones sparked over all the fabric, catching the boundless energy of her stage movements-a bump there, a grind there, a bit of the Charleston at just the right moment. "High Energy" simply does not describe the Kitt experience. In great voice, Kitt launched into "Come On A My House," the Rosemary Clooney classic, but sang it in Japanese. In one of many, many telling anecdotes, she revealed that when she toured Japan "decades ago," she met a singer/translator who "covered" American pop singers in Japanese recordings-Kitt and Clooney being two of the biggest sources. So, the always adventurous Kitt learned "House" in Japanese. "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby" found Kitt on the prowl with a tongue-in-cheek ringside seduction. Her growls, her purrs, her coos, her blatant seduction-always an excuse to show off her sexy figure and long, long legs-went (as usual) without success. "Next time, bring your father," she quipped to the table of mixed age men. Much later, she teased the same group of men-"No wonder I can't find a man-you guys have them all. Let me know when you go straight." She howled, the men howled, the audience went wild. Kitt knows how to work a room. And work it she does. Kitt has "always" had a strong following of Gay men. In an SGN interview with Bits&Bytes several visits past she openly discussed her Gay following. "After the White House incident (when Kitt controversially criticized Lyndon Johnson's support of Vietnam to Lady Bird at a White House luncheon for influential American women), I couldn't get a job in America. Only the Gay men stood by me. They have always been there for me, and I will always be there for them." Taking her career to Europe (where it started when Kitt was a teenage dancer in Paris), Japan, New Zealand, Australia, South America and other foreign markets, Kitt played no major U.S. dates for nearly a decade. "The Gay men welcomed me back to their clubs, their concerts" and gradually Kitt returned to center stage. And to Jazz Alley. "I Wanna Be Evil" put Kitt in the sex kitten spotlight, a trip down memory lane for many in the audience. "Ain't Misbehavin'" showcased a rocking Kitt-an up tempo outing with classic tune. Kitt's wide, infectious smile and raucous laugh ended the Fats Waller hit. A quiet, sorrowful "La Vie en Rose" quickly hushed the cheering crowd.. An untypical Latin beat brought Nat "King" Cole's "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" back centerstage with a twist-and another Kitt anecdote. "When I was headlining in Las Vegas, Nat started his famous TV show." (Kitt did not explain that the African American superstar was one of the first black entertainers with his own show-a milestone in the history of integration in America.) "To help him succeed, I flew to Las Angeles every day for the live broadcast. When I returned to the casino, my room was always full of red roses and an impassioned thank you note from Nat." Kitt paused dramatically, taking a sip of water as the tale took its toll. "That 'friendship' continued," she smiled, "until I got an unkind note from his wife asking me to stop 'helping' her husband. It was really one of the bitchiest notes I've ever read," she purred, giving the audience a look that suggested Kitt had received a number of notes from various wives. Kitt's classic routine with a young-very young-waiter followed. Always an audience favorite, a Jazz Alley waiter brings a bottle of champagne on stage with one glass. She looks him over, front and back and does double take after double take. He stands deadpanned, she flirts, she mocks, she asks his age. "21," he admits. "Just legal," a fan shouted out, an unnecessary observation as Kitt cooed, "What a ridiculous age to be-don't you know that no one is 21 anymore." As expected, the audience went wild. And, this scribe imagines, when Kitt is 90, the audience will still go wild. A meaningful, and untypical melancholy, ballad followed. It started with a memory lyric, "When I was a young girl&: The rueful tune ended with "&they grew old and they died." The sensitive song about past lovers quieted the capacity Jazz Alley audience as Kitt literally held the crowd in the palm of her hand. The sad, sad song reminded everyone of mortality-and the need to live life now. "What Is This Thing Called Love?" followed, again exploring "this mystery" of life and loving. The meditative, melancholy trio continued with "All My Life," an astonishing set that showed Kitt at her emotional height. For many, this trio of reflective songs was the emotional center, the all-important contrast, the needed anchor of the evening's spirited fun. Quickly abandoning serious reflection, Kitt zoomed into "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm," vamping the cheering crowd at ringside, tossing off quips like, "I may be 80, but I'm still burning." "C'est Ci Bon," one of Kitt's first big, big hits, brought the crowd back to memories of yesteryear. Prowling for "a millionaire," Kitt quickly updated her search to "a billionaire-inflation, you know," she laughed to the adoring audience. The comic outing ended with a heartfelt tribute to Seattle fans, "I'm so grateful you're so faithful,: she gushed "I'm so grateful to all of you in Seattle for keeping me alive." The "Seattle Earth Kitt Fan Club" of mature men at the far end of the stage, started the standing ovation. The crowd joined in. An unstated answer to an unasked question obviously filled the room for the "knowing" fans. Kitt's now traditional closing ended the show. "September Song," "It Was A Very Good Year" and "Here's To Life"-all reflective songs about the joy of life and the necessity of aging-brought new emotional significance to the powerhouse ending. A quick after-the-show stop at the Seattle Fan Club Table gave Bits&Bytes a chance to say hello and welcome Kitt back to Seattle on behalf of SGN and its loyal readers. "Thank you for stopping by," Kitt smiled. "Tell 'the boys' to come on down." Kitt continues at Jazz Alley with five more shows through Sunday. Tonight's two (Friday) shows and Sunday's single show at 7:30 p.m. are best bets for last minute tickets. Saturday's two shows were virtually sold out at deadline time, but cancellations "always happen' and "a phone call can't hurt." Details and reservations at 441-9729. THE FLYING DUTCHMAN DOCKS AT SEATTLE OPERA- WAGNER'S MOST ACCESSIBLE Wagner's most accessible-and certainly his most romantic-opera, The Flying Dutchman (Der Fliegende Hollander) returns to Seattle Opera tomorrow night for the first of eight August performances. Seattle Opera (SO) has not presented the extremely popular Wagner 1843 work since 1989. This month's staging is a revival of that controversial "modern dress" production. Staged only three times is SO's history, the limitations/weaknesses of the 1989 production will easily be outweighed by the strengths of the music and drama. "The black ship with blood red sails" remains in historical period as the doomed title character and his crew arrive in a modern day "Ballard." Because Wagner used then-modern Norway, circa 1843, as the setting for the original production, SO kept the concept but moved the modern elements to a blue collar Ballard where the women, who once worked at their spinning wheels, now work at an REI-type sewing factory, producing modern day parkas to the world famous spinning wheel music. A travesty to many Wagner purists, the "modern" setting proved popular with younger, more experimental opera fans. The casting for the revival should equally divide the audience. There is no doubt that the leads--Greer Grimsley, singing the Dutchman, Jane Eaglen, as Senta, and Jay Hunter Morris as Erik, Senta's beloved before the doomed Dutchman arrives-all have terrific voices and will bring Wagner's impassioned music vividly to life. As usual, the full-voiced, full-figured Eaglen is the casting question-only time will tell if Eaglen in modern dress ("jeans and boots" seems to be the expectation before opening) will convince the audience that she is the beautiful young Senta, worthy of the Dutchman's love. Watch SGN for a full review. The Flying Dutchman plays eight performances through Aug. 25 including one Sunday matinee, Aug. 19, always an incredibly popular performance-expect a sell out. SO has lowered prices this season, a wise, wise idea, and tickets now start at just $25 and top out at $130. Budget-minded music fans should check out various student/senior discounts and "rush" rates, usually half-price. Details at 389-7676. |
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