Who could do a 'Lady and Her Music" B'way show?

[David10086]

Once again I've been playing the "Lena Horne: Lady and Her Music" CD on my long drives this summer. I love every note of that recording, and can't believe she did her show some 37 years ago on Broadway (as I was graduating High School, was not at all familiar with Broadway, and less familiar with Horne's music - just knew she was making headlines in our local paper some 300 miles away).

So I wonder - nearly 40 years later - who can pull off this type of show these days? And what I mean is, who has the talent to talk, shmooze, sing, and dance while telling their life story (and it needs to be a life story interesting enough to be interesting in and of itself!).

Barbra Streisand is the first one to come to mind ( she did her 1994 'concert' in similar fashion), though I don't ever see her coming to B'way and do a show each night. Same with Bette Midler and Shirley MacLaine (both with interesting, entertaining lives to share in music and dance).

Cher is a possibility (yet 'The Cher Show' will probably nix that for any future), Diana Ross would be entertaining (and I'm afraid sugar-coated and fluffy, lacking the honesty of Horne), but  Vanessa Williams could probably carry it off (though not for as long as Horne).

Keep in mind I'm only focused on females in this post, though any suggestions of male artists are welcome, too (and with the current "Springsteen on Broadway" it would be a tougher one to sell these days - though many people I've spoken to who have caught his shows - and longtime fans - say he's more engaging in a bigger arena than a small theater). 

(Speaking of male artists - wouldn't it have been great if Sammy Davis Jr, or Dean Martin did a show like Horne back in the 80s on B'way? Especially Sammy! )

So any thoughts are welcome on who could do a show like Horne's! 

[BrodyFosse123]

Streisand’s 1999 New Year’s Eve concert TIMELESS was her retrospective concert — not her 1994 concert.

TIMELESS literally opens with a little girl playing her then Streisand takes over and goes thru all the milestones of her career.   She even performed sections of her 1962 Broadway debut showstopper “Miss Marmelstein” (in a swivel chair!).  

She did songs from her early night club days and went on to cover her entire career up until that point, giving anecdotes of everything she was covering.   

[Valentina3]

Debbie Reynolds and Elaine Stritch are honestly the first and only names which popped in my head. They did versions of this type of shows around the country but not on Broadway as far as I know. Such great talents with huge exciting lives! A few years down the line, I'd be curious to see Madonna actually take on something like this. I think she has been made irrelevant of late but her achievements are massive and she has an arresting presence on stage.

[Demitri2]

Petula Clark

Shirley Bassey

Judy Collins

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Debbie Reynolds and Elaine Stritch are honestly the first and only names which popped in my head. They did versions of this type of shows around the country but not on Broadway as far as I know.

Elaine Stritch's AT LIBERTY was indeed on Broadway.  It played the Neil Simon Theatre in 2002.  She also won a Special Tony Award for it (her acceptance speech was famously cut short).  

[faceleg]

BrodyFosse123 said: "Debbie ReynoldsandElaine Stritchare honestly the first and only names which popped in my head. They did versions of this type of shows around the country but not on Broadway as far as I know.

Elaine Stritch's AT LIBERTY was indeed on Broadway. It played the Neil Simon Theatre in 2002. She also won a Special Tony Award for it (her acceptance speech was famously cut short).

"

"A girl came up to me and said, 'I wanna be just like you'. I told her to wear comfortable shoes."

[uncageg]

Nancy Wilson

Aretha

[BWAY Baby2]

Bernadette.

[blacktie]

I feel as if Lena Horne's show worked because she was finally getting her due recognition after having a career without many accolades. At the time she didn't have any of the EGOT awards. With that said, I'd put forth Jenifer Lewis, who's stated in her autobiography that a one-woman show on Broadway is her ultimate goal (and she can still kick her leg over her head). 

Vanessa Williams could definitely do it and do it well with the multiple careers she's had. 

Eartha Kitt would have been a treat.

Diahann Carroll toured a similar show. With good production values, direction, and vocal coaching, she'd probably be able to pull off a limited run. She's nearly 20 years older than Lena was at the time of her run, but if Barbara Cook was planning to do a show...then maybe?

Leslie Uggams seems like the best bet if it were to happen now. 
 

[Jarethan]

The person has to have enormous talent, a story to tell, and still be able to perform it.  I think we have exactly two successes to point to: Lena Horne and Elaine Stritch.  The Debbie Reynolds show was actually a flop.

Twenty years ago, Angela Lansbury would have been a great candidate, I think, although -- as much as I have loved her since Mame in 1966 -- I am not sure she would have been as successful as Horne and Stritch, both of whom brought a 'fierceness' to the performance that I think was a significant contributor to their success.  

Could someone like Diana Ross do it?  Liza Minelli probably has the story, but does she have the stamina, voice, self-awareness to pull it off?

How about Carole King or Cindy Lauper, both of whom have talent, a story to tell, and even big success on Broadway?

Bette would be great; and, let's face it, she wouldn't even have to sing that much...I was always amazed at how little actual singing she did in some of her shows...she was a comedienne, a story teller, etc., as much as a singer.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Jarethan said: "How about Carole King or Cindy Lauper, both of whom have talent, a story to tell, and even big success on Broadway?"

If The Cher Show rules out Cher, I think Beautiful has Carole King all sewn up.

[BrodyFosse123]

I think we can expect one from Liza eventually. She’s now starting up her live appearances again but sitting down so whatever she chooses to do from now on will be done in this intimate setting. She did sections of her shows in the past sitting in a director’s chair and sang, what she calls: chair songs.  Story telling songs with dramatic arches, etc.  She’ll basically tell her life story and sing her trademark songs but in this intimate presentation.  They’d used projections to show the material/footage/clips of work she no longer can dance.  

[BWAY Baby2]

Have seen Liza probably fifteen times or more in concert- and shows- even saw Flora when i was 13-  and she has been thrilling at times- most times- and I also saw one performance that was truly ghastly. If Liza can still sing- she can do it. She has told her story before- at least parts of it- in Minnelli On Minnelli- but if she really has the energy and commitment- I definitely see her again.

[John Adams]

I don't know what her voice sounds like these days, but I like Dionne Warwick.

...or maybe what I'd really like to see is a well-written Burt Bacharach tribute; perhaps with an all female cast that featured Ms. Warwick. Similar to how Leader of the Pack was constructed, and how Darlene Love was included in that show(?)

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

John Adams said: "I don't know what her voice sounds like these days, but I like Dionne Warwick."

Funny story... my team and I tried setting this up for her. We had pretty much reunited the Lady and Her Music creative team for it, too. Unfortunately, 'twas not to be...

[TNick926]

Shirley MacLaine did a show like this when she turned 50 - 1984 - I saw it at the Gershwin Theater - it was a FABULOUS show, a journey through her life and career up to that point...she made great fun of her "past lives" books and fascination with mysticism - she described arduously climbing to the top of a mountain in Tibet, encountering a great holy man sitting cross-legged, in deep meditation.  She addressed him and asked earnestly, "O Wise One!  What is the meaning of life"  She said he responded with a twinkle in his eye: (she began singing) LIFE IS JUST A BOWL OF CHERRIES!  DON'T TAKE IT SEROUS! IT'S TOO MYSTERIOUS"!    It was a FABULOUS show, and I'll never forget it! :)

http://www.playbill.com/production/shirley-maclaine-on-broadway-george-gershwin-theatre-vault-0000011049

[TNick926]

[TNick926]

Lena's show A LADY AND HER MUSIC was, in my opinion, in a class by itself.  No one knew until this show the magnitude of her singing and performing talent, alternatively wry, contemplative and fierce story-telling...I saw it twice when I first came to NYC (1981-82) and it was indeed Life-Changing!!  

As I'm sure anyone reading this knows, Lena's show was originally scheduled to run only 4 weeks, but blasted through the stratosphere and ran over a year and a half, and ended only when she said, "That's enough!"  A once-in-a-lifetime event!  Glorious....

[BrodyFosse123]

Lucky enough, the show was filmed on Broadway and for your viewing pleasure, here it is: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rpIfQQv_T0

 

[TNick926]

Thanks from all of us, BrodyFosse123!  I also have it on DVD...it's a real treasure, along with the Elaine Stritch - "At Liberty" DVD.  Wonderful, wonderful stuff........  

[TNick926]

Shirley MacLaine's show on Broadway in 1984 was not filmed as far as I know, but here's a clip from around that same time in her life, and she did this number, "Gypsy In My Soul" in her Broadway show, too... :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmdJDr9Vibc

[David10086]

Dionne Warwick (one of my all-time favorites) would indeed be a wonderful choice. I also think Gladys Knight would be rather entertaining. 

However, both of these women are not known as actresses, didn't have a dual career performing live on stage and on the screen like Horne did. Neither did many others mentioned above (although all good choices). Part of the magic of Horne's story was the new roads her life took from stage to screen and the hurdles she encountered. 

I have Stritch's DVD and CD - one of my favorites. Too bad MacLaine's show was years before I visited NYC in search of good theater...