Sharing a Stage With Marvin Hamlisch

Can you name the two people who have won the an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama? One is Richard Rogers (think Rogers and Hammerstein). The other is none other Marvin Hamlisch, with whom the Seattle Choral Company had the distinct pleasure of performing a series of Christmas Pops concerts this past holiday season. I will confess: I honestly didn’t know who Marvin Hamlisch was – by name at any rate – before this concert run. Very quickly, however, I came to realize that I had been hearing his music all my life, whether I knew it was him or not. As his wiki indicates, the man has done just about everything one can do in music. The breadth of his writing is somewhat staggering, from writing A Chorus Line, to the music for the classic film The Sting, the theme song for Late Night with David Letterman, the soundtrack from the Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me….I could go on, but you get the idea.

For this performance, Marvin was conducting the Seattle Symphony in his role as Principal Pops Conductor (a role he fills with seven other major orchestras as well). To say that working with Mr. Hamlisch was a pleasure was an understatement. And a surprising pleasure as well. When the music was first distributed to the choir, there were many a groan as the music looked …. well …. cheesy. Basically, it was a collection of Johnny Mathis-worthy Christmas chestnuts. To my thinking, these kinds of things are usually better left to the aforementioned Johnny Mathis’s of the world and not to symphonic choirs, but hey, one should be open-minded, right?

Well, thank goodness we were. Upon rehearsing the material, it became evident that the genius of the music lie in its simplicity and ability to evoke a certain spirit. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t mean it still wasn’t a bit cheesy, but more in a very endearing and heartwarming way. It being Christmas season, what more could one ask for, really?

Given the high level of musicianship in the choir, learning the music was relatively simple. It wasn’t until we began rehearsing with Marvin himself that we truly gained an understanding of what it was he was going for, and that was spirit. Again – fitting for the season. Rehearsals were relatively loose and a great pleasure. It very quickly become clear why Marvin was as successful as he was – very affable, easy-going, but direct and clear with what he wanted. Not to mention a great musician with an excellent touch.

The real treat came during each of the performances. Marvin’s “shtick,” if you will, was amazing. After each night’s show, I came away smiling more than the previous, even though much of the act was the same. Let me put it this way: if Marvin ever decided to run for President, it would be a landslide. He has more charm than Pres. Obama, Clinton, and Kennedy combined. Not to mention his ease with making somewhat off-color ethnic jokes in front of a relatively politically-correct audience, his skill with children, and his ability to take the simplest of remarks and make it a running joke for the evening. I also had the pleasure of riding in the elevator with him and he was just as charming and welcoming then, as well. Truly an American Treasure and a goodwill ambassador extraordinaire.

As for the SCC, as a result of Marvin’s incredible spirit, the choir was brought to a high level of performance. In my humble opinion, I will say that we met or exceeded any and all of Mr. Hamlisch’s expectations. As always, it was a pleasure to perform with the Seattle Symphony, a world class orchestra that had just been nominated for a Grammy, which was announced during the concerts. This run of performances will undoubtedly be more clearly remembered, however, for Marvin Hamlisch’s musical talents, touch, humor, and wit, as well as his ability to touch at exactly what the Christmas spirit should be.

~James