This is one of the most precious recordings in my possession. It’s from a performance quite a few years ago with James Schatzman and the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. I portrayed Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner- and in a cast of luminaries, I was especially privileged to sing opposite a true legend in Milwaukee’s music scene: mezzo soprano Marlys Greinke. She was about as beloved as a singer can possibly be- an exceptionally gifted singer who also delighted in showcasing the talents of others. In addition to her extensive solo work and church work, she also founded the Master Singers, a superb vocal group that is still going strong (now under the leadership of Maestro Eduardo Garcia-Novelli) with her son Ross as one of its current officers.
I had sung at least once before with Marlys in a performance of Handel’s Messiah several years earlier. At the time that this particular performance took place, Marlys was already deep into her battle with cancer- and if memory serves me correctly, she passed away less than a year later. But even under these circumstances she was a woman of immense good cheer and vitality.
This recording captures us in dialogue together – followed by me singing the classic baritone solo “Tit Willow” – with Maryls joining me in the last line. In this particular moment in the show, Ko-Ko (for reasons way too complicated to go into here) finds that he must feign romantic interest in the fierce, frightening Katisha in order to avoid execution. But then, somehow along the way, his faked affection becomes something a little more real. We also sang a fun full-fledged duet in the show and I hope I can someday uncover that recording as well and share it. In the meantime, with her son’s blessing, I’m happy to share this little tidbit from the vast musical legacy of the great Marlys Greinke. (By the way, she died when she was just 58 years old – the same age as my mother when she unexpectedly died back in 1988. Maybe that’s one more reason why I feel such a special affection for her, even after all these years.)