The rain refused to stop and the audience refused to go
home. Harry Belafonte said to give it a half hour, and then a half hour more
and that’s what we were going to do. Strange as it sounds, the indoor seat holders weren’t
as resolute as we lawn-seating ticket holders—they were getting restless and
letting it be known. Mr. Belafonte held
firm and even they had to admit that an hour was worth it for the chance to see
and hear such a multi-talented performer and speaker of truth to power. Yes, once upon a time, he had been dubbed the
‘King of Calypso’ but at this point in his career people of all ages knew his
dominions reached many more categories of music, films, TV, and the world of
civil rights as well. It promised to be
a great show and, if the accumulated vast desire to see it had anything to do
with it, the weather should just retreat.
And so it did.
An hour and a few minutes late, the show began and the first
thing this handsome, quiet-spoken man did was thank those of us on the lawn for
not leaving when it looked pretty iffy that the show would go on beyond the
enclosed theater. He then dedicated the
performance to us. It felt special to be
recognized that way, but I knew it was undeserved for me because I was ready to
leave when the storm was at its worst. It was my best friend who asked me to
hang in there because she was the great Belafonte fan. Sure, I enjoyed his
musical talent—fine voice and delivery—and appreciated what I knew of his
politics. Chris, though, had longed to see him in person and this was it and she
left me with no doubt she would have stood soaking wet listening at the crack
of a closed theater door, daring to hitch a ride home if I’d left.
So I stayed.
Sometimes the sweetest joys of life are the most unexpected.
This was one of the finest performances I’ve ever had the extreme pleasure of
catching. He didn’t just sing wonderfully, he shared sometimes funny, sometimes
touching vignettes that gave the songs extra depth and the historical perspective
of his life. He didn’t just charm as a lot of good entertainers can, he
endeared himself to us with a graciousness and love of entertaining others that
was there in every single song and story. The musicians and accompanying
singers were, also, of the highest musical quality. Trust me, if an occasional sprinkle
swept in, it was ignored. By the time the last encore was bestowed and the
cheering finally faded, the night had cleared. I put it down to even the
heavens choosing to listen to a talent so fine.
Check out this performance of “Turn the World Around” and I
think you’ll feel what everyone from a Muppet Master to a Lion King and so many
of us mere mortals have felt from his passion and performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlPjUvOxAf0
