Broadway Talents Celebrate Richard Rodgers

SUPPLEMENT TO THE ASPEN TIMES MONDAY, JULY 26, 2021 VOL 31, NO. 5

Broadway Talents Celebrate Richard Rodgers

SHANNON ASHER

Festival Focus Writer

It’s said that somewhere in the world Richard Rodgers’s music is heard on stage every night of the year. Without him, the Broadway musical as we know it would have been something else entirely. To celebrate the works of this legendary composer, the Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) and Theatre Aspen are joining forces to present The Sweetest Sounds: The Music of Richard Rodgers, August 2 and 3 at the Benedict Music Tent.

This two-night tribute celebrates the musical output of Rodgers and his two most frequent collaborators: Oscar Hammerstein II and Lorenz Hart. The sheer volume of works created by these pairings—Rodgers & Hart and Rodgers & Hammerstein—is unmatched by any other Broadway composer.

This year’s co-presentation between the AMFS and Theatre Aspen builds on the success of 2019’s collaboration, South Pacific, and reunites leading Broadway music director and conductor Andy Einhorn and the Aspen Festival Ensemble with Tony-nominated stage director Lonny Price.

Featuring timeless tunes from The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, State Fair, and more, the music is “as good as it gets,” says Einhorn. Whether it’s “My Funny Valentine,” “Blue Moon” (made famous by Elvis), or practically anything from The Sound of Music—so many of these songs are embedded into our cultural DNA. “He was so incredibly prolific,” Einhorn says. “There was a love language between Rodgers writing the music and the lyricist that he worked with, where the songs really spoke to us, to our heart directly, and to our core.”

The evening highlights songs that Einhorn and Price feel celebrate the human spirit. “We’re going to give some good historical background on who Rodgers was as a person, as well as the shows that he’s written,” Einhorn explains. “I think the audience is going to come in for 90 minutes of pure healing, celebration, and joy and will leave with a smile on their face. They’re really going to get the chance to go down memory lane.”

To transport audiences into the world of Rodgers, the songs will be performed by top Broadway talent: Christy Altomare (Anastasia); Tony-nominated Brandon Victor Dixon (The Color Purple, Hamilton); Tony-winner Santino Fontana (Tootsie); and Mandy Gonzalez (In the Heights, Wicked).

“They’re all wonderful people and they’re going to be terrific interpreters of the music,” Einhorn notes. “I love finding spectacular voices who also have great personalities who can really showcase, not only their own talent, but also elevate what is in the music and words.”

Though this will not be a fully staged theatrical production, Einhorn says the major story elements from each of the selected musicals will be evident: “There will be some particular sequences where it’ll definitely be like we’re excerpting a bit from the show.”

Although some of the songs are now more than 70 years old, Einhorn thinks the reason the music remains timeless is that “They are full of heart, full of love, and full of the most gracious wisdom that I could ever imagine. Every time you hear one of these songs, I equate it to being in Aspen on a snowy day with a great fire in front of you, and you’ve never felt so good in your life.”

Citing the composer’s particular skill at interweaving lyrics with melodies in an unforgettable way, Einhorn says, “For some reason, every time Richard Rodgers did it, we seem to remember it. The lyrics are simple but not simplistic. They’re not overly psychological. They’re actually the language of love and sound like normal people speaking, which is why we’re able to relate to it.”

Einhorn continues, “There’s always something still to be discovered with this music. I think that’s a big thing that we’ve all lost out on in the last 16 months, is that real ability to connect with people. I feel like this new material will really speak to people and will be a wonderful healing moment for all of us.”

Broadway music director and conductor Andy Einhorn conducts the Festival Symphony during the 2019 season’s joint AMFS–Theatre Aspen production.

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