My life in Moscow is new and different. Lots of my friends left and we moved to a whole new part of the city. Now I am struggling with where to find groceries, how to say no to activities, and where or when it is appropriate to sneak out of my house in my pajamas to take the trash out. These are real concerns.
Anyway, I felt like the material I had to work with was somewhat mundane. Until this weekend. We attended a fancy-pants fundraiser at the Ritz Carlton for our church. There was a silent auction and a live auction (which featured a good friend's unique, inspiring piece) as well as dancing, food, and music. The music is where I will begin the fun.
The Emcee introduced a Russian pianist who looked directly out of a stereotypical cartoon: frizzy hair, black tails, tall, thin, and generally unattractive. His musical ability certainly compensated for his fair looks. As he pounded away at Rachmaninov, I was very impressed and struggled to look anywhere in the room but at the black and white keys. After two songs played from memory, he put on his glasses and pulled out sheet music. A few measures in, I heard an operatic voice entering the room and heading toward the stage.
It sounded like the range I would sing, so I expected to see a woman. He wasn't. Despite the ponytail, he was extremely masculine, well dressed, and expertly trained by the late Pavarotti. He beautifully sang "Ava Maria" and then moved into a jazzier genre. This is where it got interesting. I immediately recognized the music as "Summertime" made so popular by Porgy and Bess. Then I realized, he wasn't actually singing any words. He was sort of humming and blowing the tune through his nasal passages. I started to eat my meal until I was forced to look up to see his new talent.
My husband leaned over to me and says, "He's playing the harmonica." Somebody else at the table leaned in and said, "No, he's not. He's playing his hand." I kid you not. He was wah-wahing his hand over his mouth like it was a makeshift coronet. I wonder if Luciano taught him this. We all expected him to beat-box next. Quite possibly the best entertainment ever at a fundraiser.
I promise to get back to regularly posting. This stuff is just too good not to share.
