JAM Orchestra Brings The Chills With Nathan Gunn And Friends

Beloved Broadway with Nathan Gunn and Friends was a music-filled evening featuring the JAM Orchestra. With intricately chosen numbers that highlighted both the versatility and range of the orchestra and the magnificence of the voices, expect to see much more of these musicians in the future.

When it comes to musicals as a genre, people tend to either love them or hate them. Roger Taylor from the band Queen is famous for saying that he is not a musical theatre person, although he warmed up to We Will Rock You, as it centers around Queen songs. Just because you are in the world of music doesn’t mean that you connect with musical theatre itself.

When the likes of Show Boat, Oklahoma!, and Carousel were introduced to the world (in 1927, 1943, and 1945 respectively), the conversation around how a story could be presented changed for good. Using a combination of orchestra, lyrics, book, voices, and choreography, a story could be told with a combination of takes on opera, ballet, and symphony. And so, the modern musical took off.

The Beloved Broadway with Nathan Gunn and Friends performance with the JAM Orchestra recently set out to highlight some of the great changemaker pieces from the Golden Age of Broadway. With a group of six talented performers (including Grammy award-winning Nathan Gunn, Dr. Lara Brooks, Lisa Buhelos, Maya Cornejo, Ryan Bryce Johnson, and Eldon Warner-Soriano) and a 35-member orchestra conducted by Aaron Kaplan, select pieces were chosen to underscore the developments made in the world of musical theatre.

The performance opened with the “The Carousel Waltz” from Carousel. This was one of the best pieces chosen to exemplify the strength of the JAM Orchestra. With a rich and dynamic building of orchestral intensity over 7 1/2 minutes, this is an intricate symphony that makes one feel as if they are riding on a carousel. By the end, the resonance of the music filled the entire space and I had full-body chills. A brilliant beginning to the evening.

With lovely and rich vocal performances from shows like “The Secret Garden,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” and “A Little Night Music,” there were a few songs that stood out the most. Nathan Gunn and Dr. Lara Brooks’ “If I Loved You” from Carousel was enchanting and tender as Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan realize their feelings for each other.

Maya Cornejo and Lisa Buhelos’ “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love” from West Side Story was pained and heartfelt as Anita discovers that Maria has been with Tony after he has killed her own brother. Lisa Buhelos’ “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide was an operatic marvel as Cunegonde deals with temptation and the entire cast’s performance of “Ice Cream Sextet” from Street Scene was a lot of fun centered around the sweet treat.

For a performance like this to come together, the orchestra must be as strong as the vocal performers and the performance pieces chosen. In this case, they truly were. JAM Orchestra, situated on the stage behind the vocalists who took turns with the microphones, was passionate and professional. With frequent visual coordination by Maestro Kaplan, the ensemble was always prepared, musically expressive, and in sync with the vocalists.

Founded in 2018, this Chicago-based orchestra “aims to put a new spin on the “pops orchestra” model by not only performing works with original orchestrations, but also by connecting these works to other genres of music as well as exploring lesser-known works and composers.”

JAM Orchestra recently played in Uptown Theatre’s Les Misérables (a powerful and majestic performance that only a skilled orchestra could undertake) and have had other engagements around the Chicagoland area. With the versatility to provide the audience with everything from an ethereal feeling to dark and imposing, I expect to see much more from this talented orchestra in the future.

So just like I would have said to Roger Taylor, if musical theatre isn’t your thing, give it a chance every once in a while – I say the same to you. Musical theatre is always developing and growing, and one day the right orchestra or musical piece might just change your mind.

JAM Orchestra – JAM Orchestra performances can be found on the JAM Orchestra website. Check there for future entertainment opportunities.