Soprano Rosa Lamoreaux is a musical chameleon. She may be heard presenting medieval songs by Hildegard von Bingen in a cathedral, singing snappy big band favorites to honor World War II veterans, or as soloist in a motet backed by the famous Bethlehem Bach Choir. She recently segued from the experimental harmonies of a Telemann cantata to songs from the 12th century highlighting monastery relics displayed at the National Gallery of Art. For this week’s romantic evening at Historic Dumbarton Church, she embraces love songs from great Broadway musicals, joined by baritone Robert Tudor, pianist Betty Bullock and David Jerrigan on bass.
| On stage |
| ‘A Broadway Valentine’ |
| Where: Georgetown’s Historic Dumbarton Church |
| When: 8 p.m. Saturday |
| Info: Tickets $22-$33 at 202-965-2000 or dumbartonconcerts.org |
“The human voice is an instrument and I’m fortunate to be able to adjust mine to suit many styles,” Lamoreaux said. “An opera singer learns certain roles and sings them for the rest of her life, but I’m different. I crave variety and I especially love working with these people. Betty and I have been good friends since we both began teaching at the Levine School. She transposes and creates beautiful harmonic progressions, so it’s always fun to sing her arrangements. Robert and I have been singing together for years and have presented theater songs many times, always with a story line. In this case, it’s a love story.
“Dumbarton has a wonderful ambiance for a theater night with great lighting and a half stage on the main stage. We’ll open by walking down the aisle singing Bernstein’s ‘Tonight, Tonight’ from ‘West Side Story’ followed by ‘It’s a Grand Night for Singing’ from ‘State Fair.’ As the story evolves, Robert becomes enamored with me, the older woman, and we sing ‘You’re Just in Love,’ the Irving Berlin duet from ‘Call Me Madam’ that Ethel Merman sang with a younger guy.”
Thus begins the musical relationship. After the entr’acte, the May-September romance struggles upstream through challenges. But by evening’s end, the couple’s differences are resolved. Best of all, the audience has been serenaded by some of the most beloved romantic numbers composed by Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe and their contemporaries.
“The music and lyrics we’ve selected will touch every heart in the audience and fill it with incandescent joy,” Lamoreaux said. “These songs are perfect for Valentine’s Day.”
