Tuesday 27 September 2011

SEPARATED AT BIRTH? Yet More Classical Musicians and their Lookalikes

I think I'm on a roll, but here are positively the last of classical musicians and their lookalikes... until I think of some more. Many thanks to my friends for some helpful suggestions!


Sargent Bilko (Phil Silvers) has engineered a scam by masquerading as some Russian emigré cellist Mstislav Rostropovich to gain entry into the White House.

Still on cellists, and thanks to Loke Hoe Kit, his teacher American cellist Nathaniel Rosen has fans for the 'tached look in Freddy Mercury and Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen).


Gidon Kremer as Paganini. Top marks to his hair-stylist for making a balding man look positively hirsute.


When Van Cliburn retired from performing, he left Texas for Hawaii 5-0, changed his name to James McArthur, and became immortalised in Steve McGarrett's favourite catchprase "Book him, Vanno."


Should they ever make a movie on the Philadelphia Orchestra years of Wolfgang Sawallisch, they ought to get Jack Nicholson to play the lead.


The secret to leading orchestras, football teams and an entire nation is to develop a high forehead and a strong chin, as Valery Gergiev, Dr Mahathir Mohamed, Robert Casteels and Fabio Capello have demonstrated.


The next movie about Frédéric Chopin has to feature Tartarstani pianist Rem Urasin, himself a finalist in the Chopin International Piano Competition.



A pianist friend suggested that the respected Italian pianist Benedetto Lupo resembled Pee Wee Herman, but I thought he had the eyes of Il Duce, Benito Mussolini. It least they love pasta!


Manchester-born organist, pianist and conductor Wayne Marshall must be chuffed that English international Ashley Young just joined the Red Devils.


The difference between sacred and profane: Kam Ning vs Vanessa Mae, both fiddlers. Still wondering if she did the shoot topless...


The resemblance is scary: Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Director Bernard Lanskey and the friendly and cuddly Sully from Monsters Inc.


Since we're still on the subject of furry and cuddly, here's Chewbacca (Star Wars), Harry (Bigfoot and the Hendersons) and Hagrid (Harry Potter). Should they open the Hogwarts Faculty of Magic and Witchcraft on the Kent Ridge campus of NUS, you know who to call...


Maverick cellist and maverick pianist: Singapore's Leslie Tan (T'ang Quartet) and British pianist James Rhodes.

Part 3 of the Musical Hobbits: Conductor Joshua Kangming Tan, pianists James Rhodes and Sergio Tiempo, and cellist Leslie Tan.

Have I gone too far? Or do you want more? Let me know!

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