By Tina Bueche
Cole Porter was born wealthy in Peru, Indiana, while Noel Coward grew up poor in southwest London, but the two men had a good deal in common. Both composed immortal songs for musical theater, and were among the small handful of greats to write both words and music. They were suave and cosmopolitan –as the theater critic John Lahr has pointed out, the image of the tuxedoed Englishman was essentially Coward’s invention. Both were gay men. Porter and Coward were friends and rivals, well acquainted with one another’s songs. When Coward performed in Las Vegas, he wrote bitchy new lyrics to Porter’s “Let’s Do It”; Porter, in turn, wrote a dead-on Coward parody song for the play The Man Who Came to Dinner.
Mark Hartman, a pianist, singer, composer, conductor and arranger with Broadway credits, two-time winner of the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs Award, made his San Miguel debut in September 2019 with a sold-out Gershwin tribute show. The concert was a sensation, and only the advent of COVID-19 has delayed his long-awaited return. Hartman’s new tribute show, “Noel & Cole: The Lyrics and Music of Coward and Porter,” will be performed on Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5, at 7pm, in the second floor Miguel Malo auditorium at Bellas Artes, on Hernandez Macias. This Steinway Series concert is a benefit for Libros para Todos, the nonprofit organization that inspires children, particularly Mexican students in the campo, to read. Hartman will perform with some musical guests, among them Lady Zen, who was responsible for bringing him to San Miguel two years ago.
Hartman has such a long resume of accomplishments that one wonders if he has ever taken a day off in the past three decades. He was musical director for Avenue Q, the Broadway musical that swept the Tony Awards in 2004. He has conducted, accompanied, and arranged for Chita Rivera, John Cullum, Ben Vereen, Rosie O’Donnell, and Jeremy Irons (in a production of Camelot), among many others.
Playing the Bellas Artes’ Steinway concert grand, and singing and narrating –Mark is also a skilled raconteur– Hartman will perform classic Porter songs such as “You’re the Top” (in a duet with Lady Zen), “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and “It’s De-Lovely,” along with Coward standards such as “If Love Were All,” “Mad About the Boy,” and “Nina (from Argentina).”
Because of COVID safety protocols, half of the 194 seats in the Miguel Malo auditorium have been blocked off, and the use of face masks is required. The auditorium has 18 rows. Tickets for the first six rows are 500 pesos; then 400 pesos for the next six; and 300 for the back six rows. All seats are reserved, and may be purchased for cash or with a credit or debit card at Boleto City, Mercado Sano, Ancha de San Antonio 123, first floor, Monday through Saturday, 11am to 5pm; or online at boletocity.com.
CONCERT
Noel & Cole: The Lyrics and Music of Coward and Porter
With pianist/singer/narrator Mark Hartman
Special guest star: Lady Zen
Fri. & Sat., Mar. 4 & 5, 7pm
Miguel Malo Auditorium, Bellas Artes
Tickets: 500/400/300 pesos
Boleto City, Mercado Sano, Mon. – Sat., 11am to 5pm
Online etickets: boletocity.com
