Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page 87

it New album a marketable labor of love for Estefan Ran few 19 THE HARTFORD COURANT THURSDAY NOVEMBER 11. 1993 By FRANCISCO PEREZ RIVERA Associated Press Some sweet music at Toad's, courtesy of Matthew Sweet I -V; i Sweet's songs are a welcome change from much of today's so-called alternative music. His song-writing and musicianship are a delight to the pop-rock devotee. Sweet seemed relaxed during the performance, which started about 10:20 p.m. He sipped beer and talked to the audience.

He didn't speak often, but he was the only band member who said anything. He revealed one interesting fact in the video "Ugly Truth," that's his own 1970 Dodge Charger he's driving. Sweet has a sonorous voice that was easily understood over the jangly guitar and rock riffs. The sound quality overall was clear the bass, drums and Lloyd's speed-of-light solos could all be differentiated. The crowd of several hundred is singer-songwriter Jon Secada, who started his career as a backup singer for Estefan.

She attributes the record's success to "the fact that it comes right from the heart." "We did it with love, as something very special, and those things come through into the performance. When something is done like that, people can feel it," she said. When she sings the title song "Mi Tierra" (My Homeland), she said she indeed is referring to Cuba, adding: "But that particular song was written by a Colombian so for him it meant something else. We wanted something that could catch the feeling of nostalgia felt by every Hispanic immigrant, no matter where he comes from." According to Epic Records, "Mi Tierra" was certified gold only eight weeks after its release the fastest that a Spanish album ever reached sales of 500,000 units in the United States and it seems headed for platinum (a million sold). Estefan was born in a Havana suburb on Sept.

1, 1957, and has lived in Florida since her family arrived in the United States in May 1960. She went to school in Miami and grew up in a bilingual environment, as did most Cuban-American children of the time. She met another Cuban-American, Emilio Estefan, and joined his band, called the Miami Latin Boys. They married in September 1978, and two years later had a son, Nayib. The band, which changed its name to Miami Sound Machine, released its first album for a small local label in 1976.

Acouple of years later the group signed with CBS International and recorded several Spanish albums for that label before switching over to Epic Records, which released their English-Ian- Gloria Estefan's latest album has been on the Billboard charts for weeks and looks like it'll go platinum. Not surprising for the pop songstress whose hits include "Bad Boy" and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" except for one detail: this one's in Spanish. "I am very, very happy with the success of 'Mi because of all the albums that I have done this is my favorite, this is my most personal project," the 36-year-old Estefan said in a recent interview. Her first Spanish-language album as a solo performer is making chart history in the United States and abroad. It made its debut on the Billboard Top 200 at No.

41 the highest-charting debut of a Spanish-language album. On the Latin chart, it opened at No. 1. In the United Kingdom, "Mi Tierra" hit No. 11, the highest first-week showing for a Spanish-language album.

And VH-1, for the first time, has put an all-Spanish-language video into heavy rotation. The record-setting album evokes the feeling of Cuban music rhythms of the 1930s and '40s, though all of the songs are originals. "We considered this project for about five years," she said. "We wanted to have something that evoked the past, that gave us a way of bridging the past while writing new music." "The actual working time on the project itself, though, was two years. When we got into the studios everything was ready." The Cuban-born singer co-wrote many of the songs with her husband Emilio, who also arranged many of the numbers.

Another collaborator By STEPHANIE RIEFE Courant Correspondent atthew Sweet gave a flawless pop-rock performance at Toad's in New Haven Tuesday. Sweet's 18-song set was broadcast live over WPLR-FM, which meant no breaks and two encores. One of the most amazing things about Sweet's performance was that for the 90 minutes he played, Richard Lloyd played. Lloyd, who played on several tracks on Sweet's last two albums, is part of Sweet's touring band. A former member of Television, Lloyd took over the lead-guitar duties and delivered perfect pop licks.

If that wasn enough, the drum mer was former dB band member Will Rigby. Rounding out the group was Tony Marsico on bass. bweet played almost exclusively from the albums "Girlfriend" (1991) and "Altered Beast" (1993). He played two cover songs "I Want You," and Neil Young's Don't Cry No Tears." The Young song was fitting because the band sometimes sounds a bit like Crazy Horse. If there was anything lacking in the performance, it was musical in terpretation.

Sweet played almost all of his songs note for note from the recorded versions. Before he left the stage the first time, he performed "Girlfriend" with a rougher edge, and during the second encore, Holy war was whipped into a frenzy, but that was it. But however they are delivered. 8 it Gloria Estefan New Spanish album is her favorite guage "Primitive Love" in August 1985. That album, now certified double platinum, included the band's first megahit, "Conga." Then came "Let It Loose" (1987), "Cuts Both Ways" (1989), "Into the Light" (1991) and the compilation "Greatest Hits" (1992).

They are all now either platinum or double platinum. On Saturday, the cable station VH-1 will air a half-hour special that takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "Mi Tierra." The special was shot during recording sessions at the Estefan's own Crescent Moon Studio in Miami, as well as at studios in Spain and London. Estefan, who's fully recovered from the near-fatal 1990 bus accident in which she broke her back, said she'll be touring to promote her new record and is even open to acting in movies. "They are sending me some scripts, and if I find something I like I'd take it. But I haven't seen any-thingyet of the sort," she said.

"I am basically a singer first. I want to enjoy my life." distinguished the adult cast members. Kevin McGuire's performance as the emotionally scarred Archibald Craven offered a sympathetic portrayal magnificently sung. Playing his villainous brother, Peter Samuel made Dr. Craven a chilling figure of fear.

His rich baritone created a harmonious contrast to McGuire's higher timbre in their impassioned duet "Lily's Eyes," a vocal highlight of the performance. From the Broadway cast, Romain Frug6 reprised his Dickon the gardener with angelic singing and beguiling charm. Playing his sister Martha, who befriends Mary, Amanda Naughton offered an endearing characterization sung with a bit of Broadway brass in her expressive voice. was a mix of young and old, male and female. There wasn't too much dancing or howling mostly enthusiastic applause.

The audience was so well behaved that when Sweet left the stage he would leave his guitar and sound pedal for the audience to play with. The song list included: "Dinosaur Art," "I Wanted To Tett You," "Ugly Truth," "Someone To Putt the Trigger," "Divine Intervention," "In Too Deep. "Time Capsule, "Evangeline, "Reaching Out," "Super Deform," "Devil With the Green Eyes," "Knowing People," "Girlfriend," "I've Been Waiting," "Does She "Holy War," "Don't Cry No Tears" and "I Want You." flicted upon them, they do sound jarringly unidiomatic. Visually, the production is a Victorian valentine with Heidi Landes-man's scenery and Theoni V. Al-dredge's period costumes creating an imaginative reality.

It was also gratifying to see so many children in the audience. "Thfi Swrfit fiarrfan will rmruir. formed at the Shubert Performing Arts Center in New Haven Tues day. Wednesday and Thursdav nights at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday nieht at 8 a.m.. Satnrdav and Sunday matinees at 2 n.m.

and Sunday niehts at 7 thmiiirh Mnv 21. For tickets, call 800-955-5566; tor information or group sales, call 624-1825. Music blooms, characters come to life in captivating 'Secret Garden' The cast's highest, sweetest soprano belonged to Jacquelyn Piro as the ghostly Lily, whose presence haunts the story as a beautiful spectre. Kevin Dearinger provided another exceptional voice and dashing presence as Captain Lennox, leading a mellifluous ensemble that included Andy Gale, Audra Ann McDonald, Jill Patton, Paul Jackel, Marc Mouchet, Roxann Parker, Cheryl Allison and baritone James Javore, familiar to local opera audiences. Simon's gorgeous score gives them music worth singing.

The songs naturally evolve from the text, almost operatically, but with a pop style ranging from soulful ballads to sparkling ensembles. Only in the phony British accents that the director Susan H. Schulman has in mote, Yorkshire mansion has engrossed generations of children and their parents. Norman's intelligently crafted script remains true to the novel but creates vivid characterizations of dramatic dimensions. In the central role of the orphaned aristocrat Mary Lennox, the production has an extraordinary leading lady in Lydia Ooghe.

Delightfully dour and plain, she perfectly embodied the "sour young thing" described in the book. She sang in a sweet, secure pop voice and dominated the stage with astonishing authority. Portraying her cousin, the invalid Colin, was another accomplished child actor, Yaniv Segal, who has a finely trained singing voice and natural acting ability. A sense of fresh spontaneity also By TONY ANGARANO Special to The Courant In competition with the recent film, the stage production of "The Secret Garden" opened a two-week engagement at New Haven's Shubert Performing Arts Center Tuesday night. But the stage version has assets the movie cannot match: Lucy Simon's enchanting music and a captivating cast that really bring the story to life in picture-book settings.

Of course, Marsha Norman's skillful, sensitive adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel provides the literary framework for this "Garden" to flourish. The story of an orphaned British girl sent from colonial India to live with her bereaved uncle in his re.