Mercoledi Musciale

While thumbing through the little book of Nerman sketches I was surprised to come across a drawing of Zarah Leander, the Swedish actress-singer. Her life and career have been the subject of much controversy because of her work in Germany during World War II. But that is not what surprised me - it was her association with that most gemütlich of operettas The Merry Widow. I have a hard time imagining her voice which verged on being baritone singing Vilija!!!!

My first memory of hearing her would have been on one of Otto Lowy's early radio programmes singing Cole Porter's Wunderbar from Kiss Me Kate. It become a bit of a signature piece for her after the war and I remember my mother wondering who that man was singing.



She continued to perform - as did many of those incredible European women who became household names in the years between, during and after World War II - as late as 1975 appearing as Madame Armfeldt in a production of Sondheim's A Little Night Music and reprising the role in the 1978 Stockholm production. It was during that run that she suffered a stroke and was forced to retire from the stage at the age of 71. Here she is singing, the most known number from that musical or any other of Sondheim's works for that matter.



Perhaps its is her age, perhaps her circumstances that give this version an added poignancy. She had come a long way from the light hearted widow that Nerman captured back in 1931.

20 ottobre - LGBTQ Spirit Day

Mercoledi Musicale

Okay I'm not doing this to upset any of my friends back home but we've been sweltering here in Italy for the past few weeks. Here in Rome it reached 39c yesterday and 38c today with more to come. Even late at night you can feel the heat radiating off those "romantic" cobblestones and if it cools down to 30c you're happy. By the seashore at Pesaro it was bearable but here in the city its just bloody miserable. In fact if you ask me "Its Too Darn Hot!"


I was looking for the movie version of this number from Cole Porter's Kiss Me Kate as I recalled it became a big dance number for Ann Miller. But I came across this clip from the London 2001-2002 revival. In the original Broadway show the number featured a fairly minor character called Paul - here played by the very talented Nolan Frederick. They do say that the best way to fight to heat is to work but a sweat and boy does he work up a sweat!

And to my friends in North America - particularly in the East, sorry about the rain! Did I mention it was going to be 38c and sunny tomorrow... and Friday.. and Saturday... and okay I'll shut up now.

19 agosto - San Giovanni Eudes