Ten Questions for Tom Andersen

Tom Andersen has been called 'simply the finest male vocalist in town' by Time Out New York, and in Manhattan, he has played Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, the Algonquin, the Russian Tea Room and Tavern on the Green. He has headlined at the Kennedy Center, and won five MAC Awards and three Backstage Bistro Awards for his singing, songwriting and recordings.

This ASCAP member has had his songs sung throughout the world, most notably his AIDS ballad, 'Yard Sale.' Andersen also has shared the stage with Tony Bennett, Betty Buckley, Michael Feinstein, Liza Minnelli and Stephen Schwartz, and his Web site is at www.tomandersen.com. He has received rave reviews for his previous two albums, 'Far Away Places' and 'The Journey,' and he has just released his latest, 'Who Knows?' It's available through www.footlight.com and www.originalcastrecords.com. 

Q: What inspires you to compose?

A: A light just goes on in my head. I look around in wonderment at the world around me. That's how I came to write 'Another Tuesday.' A friend of mine told me the story of how she had a child years ago as a teenager, but had to give it up for adoption, and how that child tried to find her and know her. I thought it was such a fascinating story that it would make a great song. Because her birthday was coming up, I wanted to wrap up that story as a song and give it back to her as a gift. And when she got it, she was very moved by it and cried. Every song is its own story. I wrote 'Then Again' because I've been in a relationship where it's over, but nobody knows what to say and this was my way of dealing with it.

Q: What do you look for in other composers' work as a singer?

A: That varies from song to song. I'm attracted to a song if I wanted to hear it again immediately. I love love songs, but 'Storybook' is a confessional one and I love the sweep of it. Actually, Frank Wildhorn, who wrote 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' with Nan Knighton, suggested it to me. And I've been fortunate that it's become a signature song for me. I was singing in the clubs years before the show even made it to Broadway. Another song that is fast becoming a crowd-pleaser is Willy Welch's 'Right Field.' It's a song I Sing about how awful I was in Little League. I play a little kid who's trying to catch a ball. Whether or not you've ever played baseball, everyone can relate to that. It's about facing your fears. Come to think of it, it's theatrical and it's fun to act, just like 'Storybook.'

Q: Who were your influences as a performer and as a songwriter?

A: I love so many great performers: Kenny Loggins, Tony Bennett, Kenny Rankin, Patti Austin, Celine Dion, Betty Buckley. As for songwriters, there are too many to choose from, but off the top of my head, there's Jule Styne, Oscar Hammerstein, Richard Rodgers. There's such a sense of economy and purity in what they did. You could throw a rap beat behind a Rodgers & Hart song and it would still sound great. Billy Joel is brilliant. So are Stephen Sondheim and Stephen Schwartz. I love Hugh Prestwood. He's a real craftsman, and that's why I've recorded two of his tunes: 'Once I Was' and 'Ghost in This House.' Among my contemporaries, there's Tim DiPasqua, Julie Gold and John Bucchino, to name a few.

Q: Your albums have a wide variety of music. For example, 'Who Knows?' has many songs with a country feel. How do you make a good blend that doesn't sound completely random, but still keeps the listener on his toes?

A: I think it has to do with the instrumentation and the arrangements. For instance, take 'A Lovely Night' on this CD. It's from Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Cinderella.' It's a musical-theater piece, but we picked up the tempo, added a jazz guitar and threw in a fiddle. Now it's country swing, and that's how I've always heard it in my head. You have to take chances and be original. I heard Patsy Cline's 'I Fall to Pieces' on the radio one day and thought, 'Gee, I'd like to take a stab at it.' Even though her version is a classic, why not? It's a great song.

Q: Would you say that each of your albums has a theme? If so, what are those themes?

A: I don't think in terms of themes. It's too bad we don't call them 'records' anymore because that's what each CD is. It's a record of what I wanted to express at that time, what was going on in my life and who I was working with. It's like a time capsule.

Q: What do you want people to come away with from listening to your music?

A: I hope they come away knowing a little more about me, and maybe a little more about themselves. I'm happy for whatever they get out of my music.

Q: What changes have you noticed in the cabaret world since you began performing?

A: I think cabaret has opened up to all kinds of music, and that's great. Cabaret isn't just showtunes anymore. It's country, originals, pop, comedy, rock. And it's really exciting.

Q: What was your proudest moment as a performer or as a songwriter?

A: I've been lucky enough to play many fine places, like Carnegie Hall or the Kennedy Center, and I've had the pleasure of working with lots of wonderful people like Stephen Schwartz and Michael Feinstein. But I'm really proudest when everything comes together in a show. I also enjoy completing a song and performing for the first time for an audience.

Q: What advice do you have for the next generation of composers and cabaret artists?

A: Just stay true to yourself. It's that simple. When you're young, it's tempting to try to do what other people are doing. Just because something works for them, doesn't mean it'll work for you. So let the music 'happen' to you and experience it. Then you'll make it your own.

Photo courtesy of David Morgan

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