Rufus Wainwright hangs with Elton John, thinks next album
As busy as life can be when you’re writing a Broadway musical, Rufus Wainwright has still found enough free time to remind us just what makes the piano-loving songwriter so gosh darn appealing.
For example, on Saturday, the 35-year-old Canadian-American took a pause from writing compositions for his forthcoming opera, Prima Donna, and essentially headed next door in order to join another well-known piano based performer for a benefit concert at New York’s New Amsterdam Theatre. “Elton John & Friends,” as the evening was billed, saw the legendary Brit return to Broadway for a one-off performance celebrating the 35th anniversary of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Wainwright, who was just one of the many big names who made their way onstage during the concert:
The night began with an elaborate dance number set to “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” by Broadway vets Melissa Hough and Lerry Keigwin. The crack house band led by pianoist Tom Kitt recreated the haunting instrumental number with perfect precision and made it feel like the beginning of a as-of-yet unmade (but inevitable) Elton John jukebox musical. The first killer performance of the night came four songs in when Rufus Wainwright delivered a powerful “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” His one-time tourmate Ben Folds came out next and lead the band through faithful versions of “This Song Has No Title” and “Grey Seal.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the evening, or all of Wainwright’s recent goings on for that matter is the fact that the singer/songwriter plans to the exact opposite when he finally begins work on his next studio album sometime next summer. In an interview with Billboard, Wainwright revealed he plans on toning things down a bit:
“I’m planning at the moment — and I really want to stick to this — that the album will just be a solo piano/voice, just sitting in the studio alone and making it about the music.”
He says it’s a reaction to the big production of his latest releases — 2007’s “Release the Stars” and “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall” — as well as his forthcoming opera, “Prima Donna.”
“After all that, it’s an opportunity to have this slight moment of intimacy with me — which I know everybody wants,” he says.
The aforementioned opera is currently scheduled to premier on July 10, 2009 in Manchester, England. Wainwright is writing both the show’s music and libretto, which will be in French.
Rufus Wainwright 2008/2009 Tour Dates:
11/07 - Melbourne, FL @ King Center for Performing Arts
11/08 - Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore
11/09 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Kravis Center
11/22 - Peekskill, NY @ Paramount Center for the Arts
02/12 - Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
02/13 - Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
02/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Kimmel Center
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