I realize this entry comes about a month late. My apologies.
While the event Gloria and I attended wasn't necessarily the actual theatrical production of Broadway scenes, there were definitely some theatrical elements that were downright amazing from the singing. Indeed, acting is something we all do everyday. We tailor our voice and our movements based on those around us. Theatre is found everywhere, including in singing performances. This entry is an interdisciplinary approach to theater as will be many other entries soon to come.
The university, Tecnologico de Monterrey, is one of the most prestigious universities here in Guadalajara, Mexico. On 2 September 2011 they held a special event in their new Salon de Congreso.
This notice says that the "Exatec" choir and Classical Orchestra will hold a concert "Broadway Memories." There will also be the campus of Guadalajara in participation. The Exatecs are the alumni of this university.
This is one of the side views of their new building-Centro de Congresos
The front view is beautiful with a facade of glass.
There are either 3/4 entries into the building through glass doors through these pillars on the left. Gloria and I rode the bus, the 629-B up to the campus. Here are a few pictures of our adventure.
My lovely wife. I don't know where I'd be right now without her.
Of course, this wonderful bus ride was very entertaining. The guy in the white shirt decided to play his music so everyone could here it.
While this may look crowded, this is NOTHING compared to how the bus usually is in the morning. Think of about 30 more people and that's how the buses usually are in the morning and after work hours.
The room in which the performance took place was rather small. It was a make-shift conference room turned into an auditorium. The room consisted of two sections of seats, and platforms with chairs for the orchestra and room for the singers. Two screens were positioned on the sides of the singers to display the Broadway show and during the performance photos would be displayed that pertained to that particular show. Here are some pictures of the performance space.
The room wasn't that full when the performance began, but there were a considerable amount of people. I had a friend, Karen Cano, who performed the flute in the performance, and another friend who sang the lady's part of "Master of the House" when Les Miserables began. Here is a list of the songs performed in the show.
The truth, in terms of singing, the presentation was spectacular. The vocalists who performed solos and the one duet, were absolutely amazing. They brought together musical-acting techniques to their voices and filled the room with their performance. The one song I was most impressed by was Maria. The person who sung this song was Exatec, or an alumni, who recently graduated. He sang with such technique! I was blown away as he sang high notes, stuck his tongue out and showed his teeth. That sounds a little weird, but if you know anything about singing techniques, then you know how wonderful it was to see that. If you want another example of this, look to Wicked the musical and watch Idina Menzel sing the final notes to "Defying Gravity" on Youtube. I think her performance at the Tony Awards is the one I'm thinking about.
The evening was wonderful. The instruments were in tune, and the lighting affects kept the performance interesting. The performers were dressed formally, as seen in the following picture.
Something I find interesting is the fact that in Mexico, Broadway has made an impact into their popular entertainment. Here in Mexico, especially Guadalajara, there is a lot of theater, and a lot of entertainment. It's a big city, so there's a lot more at your disposal. The thing that gets me, though, is that they sang in English. I know there are translations into Spanish of the musicals, although I haven't heard one yet. The Broadway favorites continue in English in Mexico. That's interesting to me. It just shows the major influence the United States holds over Mexico. This was one performance I understood completely! Though I do hope one day they can hold a concert in their university in Spanish in regards to the arts. I would enjoy to see that as well.
Bravo to a wonderful show! The vocals were outstanding and the orchestra was wonderful. When we left we had our first experience in a Taxi. It wasn't that bad, in fact it was quite enjoyable. I explained to the taxi driver that in America things are a lot more expensive than here, so our money doesn't go as far as they think. We're not all rich in the United States, but when we come to Mexico our money surely goes much farther. We stepped out and walked home. It was too late for the buses to take us the rest of the way home.
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