Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music was a 1981 Broadway musical revue written for and starring American singer and actress Lena Horne. The musical was produced by Michael Frazier and Fred Walker, and the cast album was produced by Quincy Jones. The well received show opened on May 12, 1981, at the Nederlander Theatre and after 333 performances, closing to go on tour on June 30, 1982, Horne's 65th birthday. Horne toured with the show in the U.S. and Canada and performed in London and Stockholm in 1984.
Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music
1981 Broadway poster
Productions
1981–1982 Broadway 1982–1983 US National Tour, Canada 1984 West End, Stockholm, Sweden
Lena Horne (1917–2010),[1] is an American singer and actress. Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a band singer and nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood where she had small parts in numerous movies, and much more substantial parts in the films Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather (1943). Due to the red scare and her progressive political views, she was blacklisted and unable to get work in Hollywood. She returned to her roots as a nightclub performer. In the 1960s she participated in the March on Washington and performed in nightclubs and television. She announced her retirement in March 1980 and performed a two-month farewell tour of the United States.[2] Director Arthur Faria discarded the multi character script called Lena's World and conceived for her a one-woman show which became Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music-
Formatedit
Throughout the show Horne sang and danced to Tin Pan Alley songs, jazz standards, music from films in which she had appeared, and songs written for her. The show sought to portray Horne's life from her beginning in show business to the present. During the show she spoke of the racism that she had encountered, describing how Hollywood producers told her she opened her mouth too big when she sang and devised a makeup for her, Light Egyptian, which was applied to white actresses such as Ava Gardner and Hedy Lamarr, who took roles that Horne could have possibly played.
Horne performed her signature song, "Stormy Weather", twice in the show, the first time more subdued than the second.[3] She was accompanied by dancers and backup singers. Costumes were designed by Giorgio di Sant' Angelo.
Responseedit
Critical receptionedit
The Broadway production opened at the Nederlander Theatre on May 12, 1981, after thirteen previews, and met with a positive critical response. Stephen Holden, reviewing the album of the show in Rolling Stone, wrote that Horne had "turned the conventions of the one-person extravaganza inside out...Instead of a self-glorifying ego trip, her performance is a shared journey of self-discovery about the human cost (to the audience as well as the singer) of being a symbol", adding that Horne's singing "hits peaks of ferocity, tenderness, playfulness and sheer delight that would have seemed unthinkable in her glamour-girl days...her performance here is a sustained cry of affirmation, and because that affirmation acknowledges the bitterness, cynicism and toughness of the world, it's exceptionally moving in ways that conventionally optimistic musical celebrations rarely are".[4]
Newsweek described Horne as "the most awesome performer to have hit Broadway in years",[2] while The New York Times said she "transforms each song...into an intensely personal story that we've never quite heard before".[3]
^"Lena Horne – About the Performer | American Masters". PBS. 2005-09-12. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
^ abJames R. Parish and Michael R. Pitts (2003). Quoted in Hollywood Songsters: Garland to O'Connor. Taylor & Francis. p. 386. ISBN978-0-415-94333-8. Google Book Search. Retrieved on February 3, 2010.
^ abRich, Frank (1981-05-13). "Theater: 'Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music'". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
^"Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music". Rolling Stone. 1981-11-26. Retrieved 2010-02-03.[dead link]
lena, horne, lady, music, 1981, broadway, musical, revue, written, starring, american, singer, actress, lena, horne, musical, produced, michael, frazier, fred, walker, cast, album, produced, quincy, jones, well, received, show, opened, 1981, nederlander, theat. Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music was a 1981 Broadway musical revue written for and starring American singer and actress Lena Horne The musical was produced by Michael Frazier and Fred Walker and the cast album was produced by Quincy Jones The well received show opened on May 12 1981 at the Nederlander Theatre and after 333 performances closing to go on tour on June 30 1982 Horne s 65th birthday Horne toured with the show in the U S and Canada and performed in London and Stockholm in 1984 Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music1981 Broadway posterProductions1981 1982 Broadway 1982 1983 US National Tour Canada 1984 West End Stockholm Sweden Contents 1 Background 2 Format 3 Response 3 1 Critical reception 3 2 Awards 4 Musical numbers 5 Soundtrack 5 1 Track listing 6 Personnel 7 References 8 External linksBackground editLena Horne 1917 2010 1 is an American singer and actress Horne joined the chorus of the Cotton Club at the age of sixteen and became a band singer and nightclub performer before moving to Hollywood where she had small parts in numerous movies and much more substantial parts in the films Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather 1943 Due to the red scare and her progressive political views she was blacklisted and unable to get work in Hollywood She returned to her roots as a nightclub performer In the 1960s she participated in the March on Washington and performed in nightclubs and television She announced her retirement in March 1980 and performed a two month farewell tour of the United States 2 Director Arthur Faria discarded the multi character script called Lena s World and conceived for her a one woman show which became Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music Format editThroughout the show Horne sang and danced to Tin Pan Alley songs jazz standards music from films in which she had appeared and songs written for her The show sought to portray Horne s life from her beginning in show business to the present During the show she spoke of the racism that she had encountered describing how Hollywood producers told her she opened her mouth too big when she sang and devised a makeup for her Light Egyptian which was applied to white actresses such as Ava Gardner and Hedy Lamarr who took roles that Horne could have possibly played Horne performed her signature song Stormy Weather twice in the show the first time more subdued than the second 3 She was accompanied by dancers and backup singers Costumes were designed by Giorgio di Sant Angelo Response editCritical reception edit The Broadway production opened at the Nederlander Theatre on May 12 1981 after thirteen previews and met with a positive critical response Stephen Holden reviewing the album of the show in Rolling Stone wrote that Horne had turned the conventions of the one person extravaganza inside out Instead of a self glorifying ego trip her performance is a shared journey of self discovery about the human cost to the audience as well as the singer of being a symbol adding that Horne s singing hits peaks of ferocity tenderness playfulness and sheer delight that would have seemed unthinkable in her glamour girl days her performance here is a sustained cry of affirmation and because that affirmation acknowledges the bitterness cynicism and toughness of the world it s exceptionally moving in ways that conventionally optimistic musical celebrations rarely are 4 Newsweek described Horne as the most awesome performer to have hit Broadway in years 2 while The New York Times said she transforms each song into an intensely personal story that we ve never quite heard before 3 Awards edit At the 1981 Drama Desk Awards Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music was nominated for four Drama Desk Awards winning one It lost the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical to The Pirates of Penzance Arthur Faria was nominated for the Outstanding Director of a Musical and Thomas Skelton for Outstanding Lighting Design Horne won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical In 1981 she won a special Tony Award at the 35th Tony Awards a special award from the New York Drama Critics Circle 5 and the City of New York s Handel Medallion 6 At the 24th Grammy Awards Quincy Jones and Horne won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album and Horne won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female 7 Musical numbers edit From This Moment On I Got a Name I m Glad There Is You I Want to Be Happy Copper Colored Gal Raisin the Rent As Long as I Live The Lady with the Fan Where or When Can t Help Lovin Dat Man Just One of Those Things Stormy Weather Love Push de Button The Lady Is a Tramp Yesterday When I Was Young Deed I Do Life Goes On Watch What Happens The Surrey with the Fringe on Top Fly Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered A Lady Must Live That s What Miracles Are All About I m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter If You Believe Soundtrack editLena Horne The Lady and Her Music nbsp CD album coverSoundtrack album by Lena HorneReleased1981Recorded1981GenreTraditional popVocal jazzLength102 44LanguageEnglishLabelQwestProducerQuincy JonesLena Horne chronologyLena A New Album 1976 Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music 1981 The Men in My Life 1988 Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllmusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp link The soundtrack of the show was produced by Quincy Jones and released by Jones record label Qwest Records At the Grammy Awards of 1982 Quincy Jones and Horne won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album and Horne won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance Female Track listing edit Overture 3 23 From This Moment On Cole Porter 2 08 I Got a Name Charles Fox Norman Gimbel 4 00 I m Glad There Is You Jimmy Dorsey Paul Mertz 3 07 I Want to Be Happy 2 50 Copper Colored Gal 1 24 Raisin the Rent 0 55 As Long as I Live Harold Arlen Ted Koehler 2 15 The Lady with the Fan 1 11 Cotton Club to Hollywood Dialogue 1 05 Where or When Hollywood Sequence Richard Rodgers Lorenz Hart 2 10 Can t Help Lovin Dat Man Jerome Kern Oscar Hammerstein II 2 33 Hollywood Dialogue 1 36 Just One of Those Things Porter 0 38 Stormy Weather Pt 1 Arlen Koehler 2 39 Love 1 54 Broadway Dialogue 1 22 Push de Button 3 18 The Lady Is a Tramp Rodgers Hart 2 57 Yesterday When I Was Young Her Encore Charles Aznavour Herbert Kretzmer 5 44 Deed I Do Walter Hirsch Fred Rose 4 10 Life Goes On 3 33 Watch What Happens Norman Gimbel Michel Legrand 3 09 The Surrey with the Fringe on Top Rodgers Hammerstein 3 46 Fly 5 30 Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered Rodgers Hart 6 33 A Lady Must Live 2 36 Love This Business Dialogue 1 53 That s What Miracles Are All About 3 58 Early Career Dialogue 8 13 I m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter Fred E Ahlert Joe Young 3 19 Stormy Weather Pt 2 4 50 If You Believe 2 23 Stormy Weather Curtain Music and Bows 1 42Personnel editLena Horne vocals Grady Tate drums Steve Bargonetti guitar Bob Cranshaw double bass Cecil Bridgewater Glenn Drewes Frank Foster Peter Gordon Craig S Harris Jack Jeffers J D Parran Jr Roger Rosenberg Mort Silver Warren Smith Linda Twine Harold Vick Sherman Sneed Fred Walker Michael Frazier Clare Bathe Vondie Curtis Hall Tyra FerrellReferences edit Lena Horne About the Performer American Masters PBS 2005 09 12 Retrieved 2010 03 16 a b James R Parish and Michael R Pitts 2003 Quoted in Hollywood Songsters Garland to O Connor Taylor amp Francis p 386 ISBN 978 0 415 94333 8 Google Book Search Retrieved on February 3 2010 a b Rich Frank 1981 05 13 Theater Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music New York Times Retrieved 2010 02 03 Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music Rolling Stone 1981 11 26 Retrieved 2010 02 03 dead link Past Awards Dramacritics org Retrieved 2010 03 16 Lena Horne closes successful Broadway show on birthday Sarasota Journal July 2 1982 24th Annual Grammy Awards 1982 Rock On The Net Retrieved 2010 03 16 External links edit Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music at the Internet Broadway Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lena Horne The Lady and Her Music amp oldid 1217448349, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
