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Known for his deadpan “Saturday Night Live” skits and comedies like Stripes, Meatballs and Groundhog Day, Bill Murray may seem like an odd performer to pair with a trio of classical musicians. But according to celebrated German cellist Jan Vogler, the actor has diverse interests.
Vogler, violinist Mira Wang and pianist Vanessa Perez will join Murray to perform “New Worlds,” a show which combines classic American literature, show tunes and dance numbers, on Tuesday, April 17, at the Riverside Theater.
The group began the tour in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 4, and will perform “New Worlds” in 15 U.S. cities throughout the month, before taking the tour overseas in June. Vogler believes blending spoken word with show tunes, classical pieces by Maurice Ravel and Camille Saint-Saens, and songs by Van Morrison, George Gershwin and Stephen Foster, help spice up a traditional classical concert, which he feels can be boring.
“Bill and I are very much about surprise,” Vogler said. “There are so many elements in the show. It’s really a bridge between many genres, the best stuff written in Europe and America in the last 150 years.”
The Berlin-born Vogler grew up in a musical family and was committed to playing his instrument from a young age. At 20, he became the youngest-ever principal cellist for the Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra. “That was the best job you could have in East Germany,” Vogler said. He later moved to New York City, where he has resided for the last two decades.
Although Vogler may be known for his performances of pieces of traditional classic composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms, he doesn’t shy away from experimentation. Along with “New Worlds,” Vogler has performed works from a wide variety of composers, including Antonín Dvořák, Benjamin Britten and contemporary Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian. He is the director of the Dresden Music Festival and Moritzburg Festival—opportunities for young musicians to collaborate and perform unique interpretations of chamber music.
Vogler said his willingness to branch out led him to his project with Murray. The two met on a flight from Berlin to New York. “He was wondering how I would get my cello on the plane,” Vogler said. “We wound up sitting next to each other on the flight.” Murray, a classical music aficionado, was eager to discuss music with Vogler, and the cellist was intrigued by the actor’s career. “When you’re curious about each other’s work, that leads somewhere,” Vogler said.
At the end of the flight, the pair exchanged phone numbers, and “after that, our friendship blossomed,” Vogler said. Shortly after their meeting, he and Murray decided to create a “weird” production. “I texted Bill one day and said, ‘We should do a show.’ He said, ‘I love it,’” Vogler recalled.
Although people might have misconceptions about the spoken-word and literature hybrid performance being somewhat “high-brow,” Vogler assures us that it’s not. Murray’s irrepressible comedic talent shines through—particularly in his rendition of the “West Side Story” number “I Feel Pretty.” “Even with all the talent, you need a good program,” Vogler said. “In the end, people are really crazy about it.”
He noted that he and Murray haven’t quit their day jobs to perform “New Worlds.” Murray is still acting, and Vogler has a number of other work commitments. Supportive of each other’s art, Vogler attends Murray’s movie premieres, and the actor frequents the cellist’s concerts. According to Vogler, the “New Worlds” quartet works well together. “We are there to give people a good time, not to feed our egos,” he said. “The show is a lot of fun.”
Bill Murray, Jan Vogler and Friends play the Riverside Theater on Tuesday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.
