A young boy sitting on the floor next to a record player, looking up at a woman sitting in a chair behind him, both appear to be listening to music, capturing a nostalgic scene of mother and son bonding over music, resonating with themes of family, childhood memories, and the gift of music.
As Mother’s Day approaches, my thoughts turn, as they always do, to my mother. It’s been years since she passed, but this year, the memories feel especially vivid, particularly the intangible gifts she bestowed upon me. Of course, like all mothers, she provided the essentials – food, clothing, care during illnesses, and a comforting presence against the stricter hand of my father. But beyond these fundamental acts of motherhood, there’s a specific and profound gift that stands out, one that has resonated throughout my entire life: the gift of music. And more specifically, her gift to me was the enchanting world of Broadway show tunes.
Our home was always filled with music, specifically the vibrant sounds of Broadway shows emanating from our living room record console. From a very young age, I was immersed in the melodies and lyrics that brought my mother such joy. Our house in Skokie, Illinois, became a stage for the rich voice of Richard Kiley, singing the captivating songs from “Kismet” – tunes like “Stranger in Paradise” and “Baubles, Bangles and Beads.” We’d listen to Alfred Drake’s powerful voice declaring the optimistic opening of “Oklahoma!,” with “There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow…,” and chuckle at Lee Dixon’s character in “Kansas City,” marveling at how “everything’s up to date.” The excitement was palpable when we’d tear open the plastic wrapping of a new album, eager to experience Lerner & Lowe’s “My Fair Lady,” the Broadway sensation. Rex Harrison, with his spoken-word singing style, delivered lines like poetry, confessing, “I’ve grown accustomed to her face…” and then there was the fresh, captivating voice of Julie Andrews, making her Broadway debut, proclaiming she “could have danced all night.”
The magic of “South Pacific” filled our home with Mary Martin and Enzio Pinza’s voices. It was much later that I learned the amusing anecdote about Mary Martin, the quintessential song-and-dance performer, and Enzio Pinza, the classically trained opera singer. Apparently, she was hesitant to sing duets with him, leading Rogers & Hammerstein to cleverly structure their songs, like “Soliloquy,” to keep their vocal parts distinct. But perhaps the most unforgettable of all was Robert Preston as Professor Harold Hill in “The Music Man,” launching into the iconic “Well you’ve got trouble my friends…”
I absorbed every lyric, every note of these Broadway masterpieces and many more. My mother and I would sing along, our imaginations picturing the elaborate staging and choreography of these songs on the grand Broadway stages where they originated. This shared passion, this musical gift she gave me, wasn’t confined to our living room.
My mother believed that experiencing Broadway firsthand was essential, a cultural gift for the entire family. And so, we went. Our first Broadway show was the original cast of “The Sound of Music” at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre. Seeing Mary Martin live on stage, alongside Theodore Bikel and the adorable children, was a transformative experience. I was, as they say, hooked for life. This experience, this trip to Broadway, was another facet of the gift my mother gave me.
This gift of music, this love for Broadway, instilled in me by Joan Nigut, my mother, is something I cherish deeply. I still find myself singing those classic tunes, alongside the newer scores that have emerged over the years. I’ve continued the tradition, introducing our children to more contemporary classics like “Rent,” “Les Miserables,” and “Ragtime,” and they too have embraced the power of musical storytelling. While my tastes have evolved – I now often lean towards the intricate works of Stephen Sondheim and Adam Guettel, rather than purely jukebox musicals – my passion for great musical scores remains undiminished.
This Mother’s Day, my wife, Janece Shaffer, a talented playwright and an incredible mother herself, is in New York, working on her very first musical. Though she won’t be with us on Sunday, her creative endeavor feels like a beautiful full circle moment. My mother gifted me a life filled with music, and now my wife is creating music, keeping our family singing with joy.
Happy Mother’s Day Joan and Janece!
