The musical specter of Harold Arlen haunted the Savannah Center. Arlen died in 1986, but on Tuesday, Arlen’s musical spirit, took about 600 Villagers to a special place where happy little bluebirds fly — over the rainbow.
The remarkable “Journey Over the Rainbow” revue by Smash Productions – directed by Barry Corlew – proved once again that the music Arlen composed will never die.
This was a show filled with riveting songs, stellar performances and –like all of Arlen’s creative work – plenty of heart and soul. Part of the proceeds went to The Jewish War Veterans and also Villagers For Veterans.
Janice Swartz set the tone for the evening with an elegant and aching vocal on “Stormy Weather.” Lena Horne immortalized “Stormy Weather” but Swartz more than did justice to the classic.
Bonnie Williams who teamed with harmonica maestro Phil Caltabellotta on a gritty and explosive “Blues In the Night.” Williams sang from the gut in a glorious, wrenching style.
Caltabellotta, meanwhile, was blowing a hot harmonica at a torrid pace. Put these two together you have the down and dirty blues that digs into the soul.
All those gutsy, soulful sounds came from a Cantor’s son named Hyman Arluck who grew up in Buffalo, New York.
It doesn’t matter what his name is or where he came from because, “when you hear Harold Arlen’s music, you hear authentic blues and feel heartfelt emotion,” Janice Swartz said after the show.
Billie Thatcher once again displayed her vocal dexterity. Thatcher can sing just about any song in any style. In the first half of the show, Thatcher poured out heartache and anguish on “The Man That Got Away.”
That song is another Arlen standard, but in the second half, Thatcher came back with a song that is not as well known: “Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe.” Ethel Waters sang that song in a 1943 movie, “Cabin In the Sky.”
Thatcher found just the right tender touch on the number. She expressed the faith and hope that Arlen put into so many of his songs.
One example is “I Love A Parade,” and the whole cast had fun with that one, prancing and dancing on stage.
Arlen also had his dark side.
Bill Davis reveled in Arlen’s boozy, melancholy, mood, singing the sad saloon song, “One For My Baby.” Davis sat at a bar downing shots while his baby – a slinky and sexy Molly McCarthy – vamped her way through a dance nearby.
Mark “The Skipper” Finkle teamed with Janet Maloney on a fancy-free romantic number, “Let’s Fall In Love.” Bill Krone provided laughs when he donned a Groucho Marx moustache and cigar, and strutted around the stage singing, “Lydia The Tattooed Lady.”
Frank Ardino displayed a warm, embracing style on “Anyplace I Hang My Hat Is Home” and “That Old Black Magic.”
Carolyn Hoffman – who with Susan Feinberg produced the show – offered an operatic and classy take on “I Had Myself A True Love.” She also sprinkled in some soul on “Sleeping Bee,” a song Arlen composed with Truman Capote.
The highlight of the night, came when the entire cast went on stage to sing a medley from “The Wizard of Oz,” movie. Arlen composed those songs with Yip Harburg.
The medley fit in with the theme of the production: opening night for the “Oz” movie in 1939.
The singers were gathered in a club to celebrate the opening. The Kevin O’Connell Orchestra provided live musical backing that enhanced the production and the songs.
The cast lined up on stage after singing songs from the movie – except one number. Then they seemed to freeze in place. Hoffman, wearing a gold and white lame’ gown and holding a golden scepter, suddenly appeared on stage, singing the intro to “Over the Rainbow.” She looked like Glinda the Good Witch, come to life.
As Hoffman sang, she waved the scepter over each cast member who magically came to life. Then they all joined in to sing “Over the Rainbow,” as the audience stood and cheered. Some were had tears in their eyes.
It was the kind of transformational moment that defined the genius and immortality of Harold Arlen’s music.
