"Another Op'ning, Another Show" could be easily a nickname for 2016 Songbook Academy Finals. Like every year, we can see and hear many talented young people who seem to have it ALL. Here is a brief info about this year´s Songbook Academy finals and all winners...
Sam Mulligan, Brighton Thomas, Matt Hoffman
All forty
finalists performed in Songbook Academy Finals. They
opened the show with "Starting Big", a medley of Maltby &
Shire's "Starting Here, Starting Now" and Steve Allen's
"This Could Be the Start of Something". To close the first
act, the finalists were joined by program founder and emcee Michael
Feinstein for a rousing rendition of Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer's
"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive". The final number of the
show was André Previn and Dory Previn's "You're Gonna Hear From
Me". Jerry DePuit accompanied the choir's performances and
directed the Songbook Band.
Prior to the presentation of
awards, 2015 Songbook Academy winner Lucas DeBard gave his farewell
performance as Songbook Youth Ambassador, singing Meredith Willson's
"Till There Was You" and Fred Ahlert and Joe Young's "I'm
Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter".
Lucas DeBard - "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter"
I interviewed Lucas last year - our interview is available on the link below:
At
the end of the night, a number of finalists were presented with
awards.
Joie Bianco - Most Promising Young
Artist Award
Elizabeth Ross - Songbook Mentors' Award
Casey
McCreary - Most Improved Performance Award
Caleb Freeman -
Songbook Spirit Award
Matt Hoffman - Songbook Celebration
Award
Sam Mulligan - Songbook Inspiration Award
Brighton
Thomas, a senior at John Burroughs High School in Burbank, CA was
named the 2016 Songbook Youth Ambassador. She performed Isham Jones'
"It Had to Be You" and Milton Ager and Jack Yellen's "Happy
Days Are Here Again". Brighton's musical director was Daryl
Kojak, and her coach for the week was Lynne Rothrock.
Brighton Thomas - "It Had to Be You"
Matt
Hoffman and Sam Mulligan will receive the opportunity to perform with
Michael Feinstein at one of his events throughout the country. In
addition to performance opportunities, Brighton Thomas will represent
the Great American Songbook Foundation for one year.
Musical
directors for the 2016 Songbook Academy were Tex Arnold, Jerry
DePuit, Daryl Kojak, and Beckie Menzie. Kathleen Hacker, Elaine
Moebius, Lynne Rothrock, and Catherine Walker served as vocal
coaches.
Mentors and presenters for the 2016 Songbook
Academy included:
Janis Siegel, The Manhattan Transfer
Catherine
Walker, University of Michigan
Rebecca Risser, The Voice Clinic
of Indiana
Sylvia McNair, Indiana University
Marc Cherry,
television writer and producer (Desperate Housewives, Devious
Maids)
Micki Stirsman and Luis Alvarez, Salon 01/Aquage
Ellen
Kingston, the Center for the Performing Arts
Fran Morris Rosman,
Executive Director of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable
Foundation
Jarrod Spector, Broadway actor (JERSEY BOYS,
BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL)
Joie Bianco, Elizabeth Ross, Sam Mulligan, Brighton Thomas, Matt Hoffman, Casey McCreary, Caleb Freeman
ABOUT THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK FOUNDATION Five-time GRAMMY
nominee Michael Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook
Foundation in 2007 with a mission to inspire and educate by
celebrating the Great American Songbook. The Center for the
Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana is the home of the Songbook
Foundation. Tania Castroverde Moskalenko serves as the President/CEO
of the organization. The work of the Foundation includes:
The
Songbook Academy®
Library,
Archives, and Gallery Exhibits
Great
American Songbook Hall of Fame
Educational
and outreach programs
PERFECT
Harmony, music therapy based program for individuals with
Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
To learn more
about the Songbook Foundation and its programs, please
visit TheSongbook.org
My friend Annette Helen loves everything old-fashined! If you are interested in the history of the Hollywood movies, Annette is the girl to know! Her blog Hometowns to Hollywood and her facebook page is filled with interesting info about actors and actresses that you perhaps didn't even know about... She was very kind to answer a couple of questions for our web.
Annette, you have been a great fan of
old classic Hollywood movies and great stars of the screen . When did you first
realize this was the IT you wanted to concentrate on and learn about?
I have been a fan of Golden Age
films for as long as I can remember, but my actual "involvement" in
them did not begin until I was an undergraduate student. While I possess a deep
passion for them, I did not really contribute to conversation about them until
about 2010, when I started to get involved in a local library‘s classic film
series. I was sort of a novelty--a 20-year-old with a fanatical knowledge about
classic film--so, my guest lecture spots and writings helped draw in
younger audiences. While I was in graduate school, I also began a blog,
entitled, "Hometowns to Hollywood"
(https://home2hollywood.wordpress.com/), which chronicles my trips to the
hometowns of various Golden Age stars. I am fascinated by the genesis of their
creativity, as well as how their legacies have been cemented within their
hometowns. This has led to several exciting opportunities and retired Hollywood
Golden Age star meetings for me, and I have a pretty solid following
as a result. I'm excited to have a unique niche in my passion for Golden Age
film, and have since started a classic film series of my own!
I have been a follower and a great fan
of your Hometowns to Hollywood facebook page. You have almost 1500 followers!Facebook
page is linked to your lovely web where you have published interesting articles
and inside info about hometowns of famous actors and actresses. Can you please
tell us more about this project?
While
many film historians focus upon a star’s life after he or she gained fame, I
take a unique step further into the past and illustrate a star’s life before
Hollywood. Because I actually travel to these hometown locations, I am able to
credibly discuss how a specific legacy is evident within the star’s hometown. I
am thrilled to offer audiences this especially significant “walk” in the star’s
footsteps through photos, videos, and captivating stories. My blog is the main
hub for all of my hometown travels. At present, I have covered the hometowns of
Gloria Swanson, Jack Benny, Carole Lombard, James Dean, Red Skelton, Frank
Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Jack Lemmon, Tyrone Power, Irene Dunne, Katharine
Hepburn, the Barrymores, Oliver Hardy, Lana Turner, Anne Baxter, Cole Porter,
Phil Harris, James Stewart, and Frances Farmer.I took
"Hometowns to Hollywood" on the road, so to speak, as my first
endeavor at manning my own film series. This series is hosted at the Arlington
Heights Memorial Library. I screen a set of three films on a seasonal basis.
Each film screening is preceded with my presentation about the the star's life,
hometown, and an exploration of how his or her legacy is documented within his
or her hometown. I bring in items to display that were either owned or worn by
the star of the film that night, or memorabilia relating to the film or star at
hand. I kicked off my first showing in early September of 2015, which was a
success. I also work to involve special guest appearances at least once per
season. In October of 2015, I interviewed Tyrone Power’s daughter, Taryn
Power-Greendeer during one of my screenings. You can read about that experience
here: https://home2hollywood.wordpress.com/editorials/a-powerful-legacy-my-afternoon-with-taryn/ I am so thrilled to share my enthusiasm and
passion for Golden Age cinema with others, and am excited for the second round
of my series to begin in April 2016. Nothing rivals the communal
experience of watching a film on the "big screen."
Who are your favourite Hollywood
actors / actresses? I am sure you must
have met some of them in person. Or perhaps their children to discuss lots of wonderful
and interesting stories...
I have so
many favorites! I am fond of Judy Garland, Jimmy Stewart, Eleanor Powell, Jean
Arthur, William Powell, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Eleanor Powell, and so many
more! I am especially a fan of musicals and screwball comedies, and have a huge
respect for „triple threat“ actors and actresses. I have met Jane Powell and
Mitzi Gaynor in person through TCM’s „Road to Hollywood“ events in Chicago. I
have also met Irene Dunne’s granddaughter, and one of Tyrone Power’s daughters.
I’ve recently become close with an actress named Lyn Wilde, who was part of a
twin act with her sister, Lee. I’m currently working on an article about Lyn’s
experiences working in Hollywood, as she basically starred in the first „Parent
Trap,“ which was actually a film called „Twice Blessed.“ Lyn has worked with
the likes of Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, June Haver, and so many more. In
addition, she was good friends with Judy Garland. She’s a wealth of information
still, at the age of 93, and I’m so lucky to know her. I look forward to
publishing her story as soon as possible.
Annette with the one and only Michael Feinstein (2015)
I also know you are a teacher. Can you
tell us where and what you exactly teach your students?
I am an
English and Film Studies teacher at Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette,
Illinois, which is essentially located in Chicago’s north shore. The subjects I
teach are Advanced Placement English Language and Composition, American
Literature, Creative Writing, College Writing, and Film Study. In particular,
I’m delighted to be teaching the „first run“ of my Film Study course. The
course is taught chronologically, but I plan on featuring shorts, silents,
noirs, screwballs, musicals, and so much more. I am especially excited to
familiarize students with the idea of the studio system and to emphasize that
before there was a Hollywood, there was Chicago. I worked for Essanay Studios
Chicago throughout graduate school, which is where stars like Charlie Chaplin
and Gloria Swanson got their start. It's one of the last remaining silent film
studios. While the film industry moved West for the steadier climate, we are
still in a critical location regarding film history, and have fantastic
archives nearby that document its importance. I also want to emphasize how
cinema is constantly building. One technique makes way for the next over and
over again until we come to what is familiar to us in the present day. However,
I have a deep love for early cinema, and will remind my students that almost
every part of it is groundbreaking. After all, these were the pioneers who were
experimenting with just about everything for the first time, and their craft is
both phenomenal and inspiring. So much of their work has aged well and has
certainly shaped the film industry. While we may be used to the modern, it is
so crucial that we do not dismiss the old. There is a certain glamour to
Hollywood’s Golden Age that just cannot be replicated today.
You have even been introducing films
on TCM (Turner Classic Movies)? Can you tell us more about your work for TCM?
TCM
periodically reaches out to its fans via social media, seeking audience members
with "interesting, funny or poignant stories about their relationship to
classic films." Simply mentioning which film you would like to see is not
enough--they want to know why fans love a film. Upon seeing their posting, I
submitted my entry via TCM.com. I selected the 1936 screwball comedy, Theodora
Goes Wild, for a number of reasons. First off, I admire the film's leading
lady, Irene Dunne, for probably being one of the most down-to-earth stars to
come out of Hollywood. I previously co-screened the film as part of a
local library’s classic film series in May of 2014, which showcased
lesser-known films of Hollywood's Golden Age. Upon coordinating with Irene's
granddaughter, Ann-Marie Streibich, I was able to invite her to speak at the
screening. I remember feeling moved when I heard the many stories she shared about
her grandmother, and felt so lucky to be able to view this film alongside
someone so closely connected to the lead actress. Finally, I met my boyfriend,
Don, at that screening! I think TCM enjoyed that factor most of all, so I
received an email informing me that I was selected to introduce and offer
commentary about the film on the air. You can view my pre-film and
post-film interviews here: https://home2hollywood.wordpress.com/tcm-publicity-and-i-oh-my/
It might be a difficult task but can
you name your Top 10 favorite movies and why are they the best in your eyes?
This is an
extremely difficult task, but I will try my best!
The
Wizard of Oz (1939)
This film turned me into the film fanatic I am today! Judy Garland provides her
iconic portrayal of Dorothy, and is supported by an equally immortalized část.
„Over the Rainbow“ is easily my favorite song.
Gone
With the Wind (1939)
Vivien Leigh shines as the cutthroat Scarlett O’Hara, alongisde a legendary
část. There are just so many elements to this film that the story behind its
making is just as terrific! The costumes and scenery are breathtaking and
inimitable.
Easter
Parade (1948)
You just can’t beat these Irving Berlin tunes. I remember seeing this film on
VHS for the first time and playing back the tape to record all of the songs on
cassettes. Thank goodness for CD soundtracks. This film also has such a dream
cast—and a good few of them weren’t even signed on to do the film initially!
Judy Garland and Fred Astaire are accompanied by the amazing Ann Miller and a
crooning Peter Lawford in some gorgeous period costumes.
Easter
Parade trailer
Gold
Diggers of 1935 (1935)
Two words: Dick Powell. I enjoy watching musicals, and I do adore the crooners!
Additionally, Gloria Stuart is such a delight in this film. It’s fun to see her
at the height of her 1930s career, long before her appearance in Titanic!
Born
to Dance (1936)
I love to see films which showcase moments when studios just didn’t know what
to do with some of their newly acquired stars. I think of Jimmy Stewart here,
in particular, who croons several tunes along the way. The studio had him learn
dance routines for Born to Dance, but
ultimately decided he wasn’t. Luckily, Eleanor Powell was! Frances Langford,
Una Merkel, and Buddy Ebsen also offer wonderful performances.
Sons
of the Desert (1933)
I highly admire the old comedy teams, and I think that this is the best Laurel
and Hardy film. It’s a riot from beginning to end!
It
Happened One Night
(1934)
I adore Frank Capra’s work, and this film is one of his best. Both Claudette
Colbert and Clark Gable thought that this film would flop, but it wound up
being a hugely successful moment in both of their careers! My Frank Capra
Collection came with me to undergrad, and I had so much fun sharing this film
with my roommates.
Strike
Up the Band (1940)
I think that the Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland films are such a treat. I hold
a soft spot for this one, since this was the first film in which I spotted Judy
Garland outside of The Wizard of Oz. I
caught it on TCM one day and have been hooked on the channel ever since.
Strike Up the Band trailer
The
Thin Man (1934)
I’m a fan of witty exchanges, and William Powell’s banter with Myrna Loy does
not disappoint. Who doesn’t want to be Nick and Nora?
Singin‘
in the Rain (1952)
It should not come as a surprise that I enjoy musicals, but this is THE
musical. What’s not to like? Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and the hilarious
Donald O’Connor give their best performances in this film.
What interesting places have you
visited recently?
I completed
several hometown travels in Wisconsin pretty recently. Stay tuned! I covered
two Hollywood stars, and am planning on going back soon to cover Ten
Chimneys—the home of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontaine just for fun. I also visited
the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research to work with original Edith
Head sketches and to view their Melvyn Douglas collection. Expect updates soon!
Are there any ‘’
hometowns’’
you’d like to visit in the future? Perhaps even in Europe?
Cary Grant’s Bristol, Liz Taylor’s and Bob Hope’s London? Any other?
Absolutely!
There are certainly no limits to hometowns! All of the ones you mentioned are
high on my list, along with the hometowns of Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin in
England, Maureen O’Hara in Ireland, Greta Garbo in Sweden, and so many others.
There are plenty in the United States that I still wish to cover, including the
hometowns of Ava Gardner, Ginger Rogers, Jean Harlow, and Myrna Loy. Also, I
have never been to California, so covering the „to Hollywood“ portion of my
blog would be a dream come true!
For more info, please visit Annette's great web and facebook page:
The 18-year-old Lucas Debard is the winner of 2015 Great American Songbook Competition! Last week we talked a little about 2015 competition and all talented students that were part of it. Lucas was kind to answer a couple of questions for our website...
Can you
please us more about your singing begginings? Who was your musical inspiration
while you were growing up and when was the fist time you were introduced to
Great American Songbook?
I started music as a drum set player. I started
playing when I was in kindergarten so music has been apart of my life ever
since I can remember. I began to sing in middle school when I picked up guitar.
I started by learning pop and rock music and singing to myself in my room. When
I began high school, I found my favorite singer and inspiration, Mel Tormé
through a simple YouTube video. When I started seriously singing my freshman
year of high school, I started listening to his recordings daily. I developed a
love of the Great American Songbook through his music. After listening to him
and a lot of the songbook greats like Tony Bennett, Ella, Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan,
Rosemary Clooney and Nat King Cole, I started listening to modern singers like
Michael Feinstein, Gregory Porter and Kurt Elling. I took inspiration from
these singers and they made me want to pursue a career in performance and
education of the Songbook.
The
Songbook Academy is a wonderful program that brings together many talented
young artists to celebrate good old American popular music. How did you enjoy
working with your fellow artists and mentors Michael Feinstein, Laura
Osnes and Sylvia McNair?I had an amazing
and unique experience with them. I loved that these people that I listen to so
much were talking to me and helping me be a better singer and performer. Each
one of them brought something different to the table and they all have so much
to offer. It’s a once in a lifetime experience to be critiqued by someone you
were inspired by through their performances and recordings.
2015 Songbook Youth Ambassador, Lucas DeBard
What is
the most important lesson you have learned from The Songbook Academy? Something
I will always remember from the Songbook Academy is that the text will always
come first. These songs were meant to tell a story through music. Throughout
the week, I started connecting more with the text in the songs that I worked on
and heard from my peers. After learning what I did at the Songbook Academy, I
will always think about the text before I sing. My goal now is to make people
feel something when I sing. I want them to hear the story though the music and
see it through my performance.
Who are
your favorite vocalists / songs / movie musicals and why? Anyone you’d love to
sing a duet with?
Lately one song I can’t
stop listening to is Gregory Porter’s “When Love Was King”. Gregory Porter is
someone I have always loved and have learned so much from. I’ve always enjoyed
songs that speak to me and tell a story. That song in particular is one of my
favorite songs because of how beautiful the text flows as a melody. The message
of peace that he gives is something the world has always needed. There isn’t
anything more beautiful than that. Although Gregory Porter’s and my voice are
so different, I have been inspired by his way of phrasing and how each song is
sung with so much care. I could definitely give you a large list of people I
would love to sing with! Gregory Porter would be on that list. Our styles and
voices are so different, but I am a huge fan of his music.
Being a
fan of musical theatre myself, I was wondering if you go regulary to the
theatre to see musicals or even dramas and comedies? If so, which event did you
enjoy the most and what did you learn from it?
I haven’t attended as many shows as I would like, but
I remember a trip to New York with my choir when we saw the Broadway production
of Newsies. The first thing my eye was drawn to in the show was all of the
athletic dancers doing things I could never dream of. One of the things that I
loved watching was Jack singing Santa Fe. I was new to modern Broadway music
and hadn’t experienced the genre of music live or really in recordings until I
saw this show. I remember studying his posture and mannerisms as he
performed. Watching the character of
Jack in the show made me think about the way I walk and carry myself on and off
the stage. I heard the emotion in his voice but I also saw it in his body.
Do you
have other hobbies apart from singing and performing?
Although
it is another musical activity I absolutely couldn’t live without playing drum
set and percussion. I have played with my family and friends since I was in
kindergarten and It is almost like a first love I will never stop doing. Other
than music, I love being outside. Fishing is something I’ve always loved and
will continue to do. I love being on the
water in boats or riding wave runners with my friends. Shooting, fishing, and
being out on the water are what an Ideal vacation or relaxation time looks like
for me.
What are your
goals for the future?
My goal is to be a performer and a teacher. I love
both equally. My ideal career would be performing and teaching music from my
favorite era. The Songbook is something that means so much to me that I want to
make a career out of it. The majority of the most influential people in my life
have been either teachers or performers. I would like to share my experiences
that I have had and will have in the future with people who love music from the
Songbook as much as I do. The Songbook Foundation has changed my life and I am
honored and proud to be apart of it.
