Arts
Rossini or Ganga Addara, he wowed the audience
It was a night full of genuine passion, emotion and immeasurable talent, as baritone Gehan Cooray performed at the Lionel Wendt on Wednesday, January 9, for ‘Classical And Cool’— a concert in aid of the Friends of Prisoners’ Children. All proceeds went to the charity set up by Rev. Sr. Immaculate De Alwis and Priyanthi Dissanayake to help the children of prisoners with their education through financial support and sponsorships.
Currently based in Los Angeles where he is pursuing a career in theatre and film, Gehan engaged his audience with his graceful stage presence and expert vocal ornamentation, making the works of Tosti, Gounod and Handel just as entertaining and accessible as the more contemporary hits he performed from Disney’s Aladdin, The Wizard of Oz and Fiddler on the Roof.
Joining Gehan on stage was renowned soprano Dinushka Jayawickreme, his childhood friend. The two were expertly accompanied on piano by their long-time mentors and collaborators Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu, Soundarie David Rodrigo and Neomal De Alwis respectively.
The first half of the concert featured operatic arias and classical pieces in Italian, French, Latin and English, while the second half was a more recognisable array of Broadway musical numbers and songs from the movies, including a local number ‘Ganga Addara’ from the film of the same name.
Gehan showcased his impressive range, not limiting himself by genre or by language. His first performance set the tone for the evening, as he took on one of Rossini’s famous pieces ‘La Calunnia è un venticello’ from The Barber of Seville. Gehan brought out the emotion behind the lyrics that dealt with themes like anxiety, slander and public opinion. Even though the piece was in a foreign language, its story was still felt by the audience — a feeling that was later echoed in his stunning performance of ‘Ave Maria’ by Schubert in Latin, clearly a crowd favourite.
Many moods and genres: Gehan Cooray (left) with Neomal de Alwis at the piano and (above), soprano Dinushka Jayawickreme. Pix by Ishanka Sunimal
Dinushka’s renditions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Wishing you were somehow here again’ and mash-up of ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ by Fats Waller and ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ by Tony Bennett showcased different sides of her vocal capabilities and brought out that much-needed theatrical element.
In the earlier segment the classical ‘Deh vieni non tardar’ from Mozart’s ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ brought out Dinushka’s powerful vocals.
A highlight of the evening was their duet of ‘You’re the Top’ from Cole Porter’s ‘Anything Goes’, a wonderfully energetic performance that left the audience with smiles on their faces. Their skill and talent, as well as the rapport and respect between the performers themselves resulted in cheers and applause, a successful concert for a very worthy cause.
All proceeds of the concert are in aid of Friends of Prisoners’ Children. For more information, donations and sponsorship, contact +94 112 691 871, +94 764540088, fpcwelhouse@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page