by Steven Blier | Jan 11, 2019 | Blier's Blog
Today I invited my friend Jack Viertel to come watch some of our rehearsal. Jack comes from the highest reaches of the theater world. He’s written a masterful book called The Secret Life of the Broadway Musical (a must-read for anyone who loves American musical...
by Steven Blier | Jan 10, 2019 | Blier's Blog
There is a certain thrill—and a certain terror—to watching a beloved song receive a new, honest-to-god staging. I’ve seen these pieces acted as solos by a cadre of great artists in recital and cabaret settings, but this is the first time I’ve seen some of them turn...
by Steven Blier | Jan 9, 2019 | Blier's Blog
Kurt Weill’s Berlin went into rehearsal today. This is the show I chose for the 2019 NYFOS@Juilliard concert, a program I’ve done a couple of times before—in 1998 and 2004, when it starred Peter Kazaras, Kim Barber, and Connie Hauman. I’ve known some of the songs for...
by Steven Blier | Aug 27, 2018 | Blier's Blog
It never ceases to amaze me how significant a concert can be, especially in an intimate environment away from the urban hurly-burly. When we make music in Orient—way out at the eastern end of Long Island’s North Forth—we feel the immediate reward of feeding people who...
by Steven Blier | Aug 25, 2018 | Blier's Blog
A little picture gallery today: Orient doesn’t have much of a business district. There’s a post office and a general store. One art gallery. And…a pie shop. We were given a gift certificate there, a Brooklyn outfit called 4 and 20 Blackbirds. I don’t eat pie, but...
by Steven Blier | Aug 24, 2018 | Blier's Blog
When I first did “The Art of Pleasure” at Wolf Trap I shared piano duties with a man I treasure, both as a musical partner and friend—Joseph Li. He’s an almost intimidatingly beautiful artist, versatile and virtuosic. In Orient, alas, I am going it alone, which makes...
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