NEW CD
"A Long and
Winding Road "

on
PS Classics

ORDER YOURS TODAY
at
www.amazon.com
or
www.maureenmcgovern.com




 


January 2012

 

 
Broadway World Logo
PS Follies' HOT!HOT!HOT! Lives Up To Its Title
 

McGovern

 

Incredible to believe but the Palm Springs Follies is in its 21st season with an all new production called "Hot!Hot!Hot!" Equally unbelievable is the fact that I have seen and reviewed 10 of these shows since 2005, which means I've returned sometimes twice in one season. I'm really hooked on the Follies. You know why? It's one-of-a-kind. There's nothing like it anywhere. It has beautiful ladies - and none under 60. It has stunning gentlemen - the youngest ... 58 years young. These folks can dance and sing and lead the parade as if they were still in their prime. Well, I guess they are, and age, like the saying goes, is just a state of mind - at least if you look that good. Their music includes the good old standards of the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s-songs that they truly know how to sing, because they grew up listening to and singing them.

 

 

 

And of course, those glorious costumes are simply gorgeous to look at! The performers, the music, the costumes - is that enough? Hell, yes!

Hot!Hot!Hot!, tributing summer music madness of the 50s and 60s, hardly falls short of its colorful apparel in lovely shades of orange, pink and purple. And the blue/green sequin outfits in Act II for the dance tribute are to die for. The blue sequined baseball uniforms for a tap sequence in honor of America's greatest pastime at the end of Act I ain't too shabby either to the strains "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Shoeless Joe" from Hannibal Mo. Praise to Joan Palethorpe for her resourceful staging and choreography.

Guest star Maureen McGovern is truly one of our greatest singers with an instrument that has been compared to a Stradivarius. What a range! The voice soars on "Over the Rainbow" and then gets down and gritty with "Blues in the Night." It's such passionate artistry, you could listen for hours, so bring her CDs home with you! She's there through March 10: don't miss her! Ventriloquist Brad Cummings and his mini dinosaur Rex are back again due to popular demand. Pre-hysterical!! These two acts certainly contribute to making this edition of the Follies live up to its title "Hot!Hot!Hot!"

Follies creator Riff Markowitz' stand-up comedy - no matter how many times I have heard the same jokes about Palm Springs being a haven for gays and the aged ... "You all come here eventually ... to die!" - remains a dependable laughfest. His inimitable way with audience members is uniquely entertaining. Hot!Hot!Hot! is a great show. Will I be back next season? You'd better believe it.

Visit: www.psfollies.com for tickets and further info, as show plays through May 20!

 

November 2011
 

Tanglewood celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2012 with a spectacular lineup of musical guests and programs

Boston, MA (PRWEB) November 17, 2011

Tanglewood, one of the world's most popular music festivals and the famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) located in the beautiful Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts, celebrates its 75th anniversary season, June 22-September 2, with a spectacular lineup of musical guests and programs that spotlight Tanglewood's rich tradition of presenting summertime concerts at their best since 1937.

Highlights include Tanglewood's 75th Anniversary Gala with appearances by John Williams, Keith Lockhart, Andris Nelsons, James Taylor, Yo-Yo Ma, Peter Serkin, and Anne-Sophie Mutter, performing with the BSO, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestras (July 14), a special John Williams 80th Birthday Celebration (August 18), an all-Beethoven (BSO opener on July 7) and an all-Wagner program (July 21), replicating two programs from Tanglewood's first season in 1937, and eight world premiere performances.    

Tanglewood's 75th anniversary season will present James Taylor (July 2, 3, 4), Yo-Yo Ma with his Silk Road Ensemble (June 22 and 24); Joshua Bell (July 7); Jean-Yves Thibaudet (August 5); Mark Morris Dance Group (June 28 and 29); and Chris Botti (August 5). Bernadette Peters (July 8) and Maureen McGovern and Brian Stokes Mitchell (August 24), make welcome returns with the Boston Pops. Details about new media initiatives, including international radio broadcasts and major new streaming offers, free to a worldwide audience, as well as information about Tanglewood's new lecture series, Concerning Music and Society, are available at tanglewood.org.

Tanglewood is only two and half hours from both Boston and New York City and presents culturally rich vacation offerings during the summer season for families, couples, or travelers looking for an experience beyond a usual country retreat. Tanglewood is within driving distance of charming inns, local artisanal food shops, and fine dining restaurants, destination spas, as well as art galleries and such cultural institutions including Jacob's Pillow, Shakepeare & Co., the Clark Museum, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, Williamstown Theater Festival, and the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Tanglewood Tickets to the 2012 season, priced from $9 to $117 for regular season concerts, go on public sale Sunday, January 29, through http://www.tanglewood.org or by calling SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200. Tanglewood offers free lawn tickets to young people age 17 and under and a 50% discount on lawn tickets to college and graduate students.

For an online press kit with full season details about the 2012 Tanglewood season, including downloadable photos and video, program listings, artist photos and biographies, and a Tanglewood 75 timeline and history, click here.

One of the most popular and acclaimed music festivals in the world, Tanglewood attracts an average annual attendance of more than 300,000 visitors each season, and has a $60 million impact on the Berkshire economy each summer. Tanglewood presents orchestra concerts by the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and visiting ensembles, featuring many of the greatest classical musicians of our time; recital and chamber music concerts in the intimate setting of Ozawa Hall; programs highlighting the young musicians of the Tanglewood Music Center, the BSO's prestigious summer music academy; performances by some of today's leading popular artists; and a season-ending Labor Day Weekend festival.


Wall Street Journal
Maureen McGovern: 'Dangling Conversations'


 

 


Alan Nahigian

 
aMaureen McGovern sings the songs of Paul Simon, Laura Nyro, Jimmy Webb and others at Birdland.

Maureen McGovern began her career by singing some of the most insipid Oscar-winning songs in an often grating era of pop music--the early '70s. But it wasn't long before she proved herself capable of singing more substantial music, and up to now she has done her most satisfying work when applying her formidable chops to the Great American Songbook. However, this latest phase of her career, driven by the idea of doing the best American songs of the last 50 years (as on her superb 2008 album "A Long and Winding Road") is both the most personal and the most rewarding. At Birdland, Ms. McGovern continually surprises by bringing a personal interpretation to songs that I never previously imagined could stand up to the stress, like "Up, Up and Away." Throughout, she gives us the best of all possible Maureen McGoverns, and we can't ask for better than that.

Birdland 315 W.44th St., (212)581-3080 Through Saturday


Maureen McGovern's dangling conversations at Birdland

Posts by Charlene Giannetti
13 Oct 2011

Maureen McGovern to Play Endicott Performing Arts Center in October

Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four? John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Remember when those lyrics seemed like an amusing hypothetical situation? In her wonderfully nostalgic cabaret show at Birdland, Maureen McGovern (herself "62 and change") reminds us that, yes, time has passed, but we're still here and the songs that we loved in the 60s are still relevant and enjoyable now that some of us are in our sixties.

While Thursday night's sold out crowd at Birdland included many Baby Boomers who grew up with McGovern (remember "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure?), there were many new fans present, too. McGovern can still belt out a song, taking us soaring with "Up, Up and Away," the breezy tune made famous by the Fifth Dimension, then switch gears and deliver an emotional ballad like Joni Mitchell's "Help Me" or Laura Nyro's "And When I Die."

In between songs, she held those "dangling conversations," expounding on everything from marriage, to kids, to growing up and moving on. The subtitle of the program, "Looking for Time and Love in the Digital Age," was best represented by Paul Simon's "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover." After her energetic presentation, McGovern mused that breaking up via Facebook and Twitter must now be added to the list.

A show stopper was McGovern's rendition of "If I Had a Hammer," that timeless anthem to protest movements, no matter the cause or the decade. Including the song near the end of the program guaranteed that the evening would finish on a high note and give us much to think about for days after.

Maureen McGovern
dangling conversations
Jeff Harris, piano
Jay Leonhart, bass
Birdland
315 West 44th Street
212-581-3080
Friday, November 11, Saturday, November 12, 2011

"For me, McGovern's rendition of Paul Simon's "American Tune" was unbearably poignant. The song is so relevant today it's almost heartbreaking." D. Toppeta


Defiance With a Demure Smile and Tunes of the
'60s and '70s


New York Times
By STEPHEN HOLDEN

As Maureen McGovern sang a forceful rendition of Jonatha Brooke's ballad "The Angel in the House" on Tuesday evening at Birdland, I had a vision of Ms. McGovern as the traditionally perfect woman and the pop-jazz singer rolled into one, and the limitations of perfection.

Ms. Brooke's song is inspired by the 19th-century British poet Coventry Patmore's narrative poem exalting his selfless, submissive first wife, Emily, as the Victorian feminine ideal. Her lyrics are a feminist critique in which she expresses her frustration at living under the long shadow cast by that influential poem, which reflected her parents' marriage and her own ambivalence about making nice. "Even in my wildest heart, I cannot kill the angel in the house," she admits.

Vocally Ms. McGovern, now 62, is a pop-jazz embodiment of that ideal. Unfailingly demure, unabashedly romantic, with a voice as strong and flexible as Barbra Streisand's, she can go anywhere she pleases. It is a voice especially well suited to songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

In her Birdland show "Dangling Conversations (Looking for Time and Love in the Digital Age)" Ms. McGovern, accompanied by Jeff Harris on piano and Jay Leonhart on bass, roughs it up, sort of. The show consists mostly of soft-rock songs from the 1960s and '70s sung with an attitude of cheerful defiance. Its righteously upbeat tone is distilled in three folk songs by Pete Seeger.

But that's not all. At Tuesday's opening-night show Joni Mitchell's "Help Me" was taken further into the jazz realm, as Ms. McGovern vocalized the instrumental riffs. For the Beatles' "When I'm 64" she affected a modified gramophone voice and humorously commented on how the words resonate with baby boomers. The torchiest number, J. D. Souther's "Faithless Love," found the beauty of her voice harnessed to a tune with the flavor of a cowboy lament. The wittiest number, Mr. Leonhart's " Double Cross," was an absurdly complicated film noir parody; the most sobering, Paul Simon's wistfully prescient "American Tune."

The show's bookends were two Laura Nyro songs, "Time and Love" and "And When I Die," in which Ms. McGovern let go and wailed.

Maureen McGovern performs through Saturday at Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton; (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com.


October 2011
 

Maureen McGovern Will Offer 'dangling conversations...' in November at Birdland

By Andrew Gans
13 Oct 2011

Maureen McGovern to Play Endicott Performing Arts Center in OctoberSinger, actress and award-winning recording artist Maureen McGovern will bring her latest concert act, Dangling Conversations, which celebrates the second half of the Great American Songbook, to Birdland in November.

Grammy Award nominee McGovern will play the Manhattan venue Nov. 8-12.

Audiences can expect to hear songs by Paul Simon, J. D Souther, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Laura Nyro, Bruce Springstein, Jimmy Webb and Pete Seeger - including "Help Me," "The Dangling Conversation," "Faithless Love," "An American Tune," "Time and Love," "Turn, Turn, Turn" and more.

McGovern will be accompanied on piano by her musical director Jeffrey Harris and on bass by Jay Leonhart.

Maureen McGovern's performing credits are numerous and varied. She appeared on Broadway in Little Women, Nine, The Pirates of Penzance and The Threepenny Opera, and her many recordings include the Grammy nominated "The Pleasure of His Company" and the Academy Award-winning song "The Morning After." She was also seen in the films "The Towering Inferno," "Airplane!" and "The Cure for Boredom," and she appeared at the Sundance Theatre in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Jerry Herman's Dear World.

Show times are Tuesday-Saturday at 8:30 PM and 11 PM.

There is a $40 music charge for all performances. Full dinner menu available. For reservations visit www.birdlandjazz.com or call the club, which is located at 315 West 44th Street, at (212) 581-3080.

 

August/September 2011
 

Maureen McGovern to Play Endicott Performing Arts Center in October

Maureen McGovern to Play Endicott Performing Arts Center in October

August 15, 2011

Endicott, N.Y. (WBNG Binghamton) -- The Endicott Performing Arts Center announced Monday that Grammy and Oscar nominated artist Maureen McGovern will appear in concert at the Robert Eckert Theater on October 15 at 8 p.m..

McGovern's new show "dangling conversations" will offer audiences an intimate evening of classic songs by iconic singer/songwriters including Paul Simon, J. D. Souther, Joni Mitchell, Don Henley, Laura Nyro, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Webb and Pete Seeger - including "Help Me," "The Dangling Conversation," "Faithless Love," "An American Tune," "Time and Love," "Turn, Turn, Turn" and more...

Often called "The Stradivarius Voice," McGovern has been thrilling audiences on world-wide concert stages, on Broadway and on recordings throughout a career that has spanned over 40 years. Her current PS Classics CD, A Long and Winding Road has been praised by The New York Times as "... a captivating musical scrapbook from the 1960s to the early 70s. Ms. McGovern's vocal technique is second to none."

Grammy nominated for "Best New Artist" (1973) and "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance" (1998), McGovern's recording career began with the Oscar-winning International Gold Records "The Morning After" (Billboard #1) and "We May Never Love Like This Again." She is a guest artist on the Grammy winning CD, "Songs From The Neighborhood: The Music of Mister Rogers." Maureen has recorded more than 25 albums, including songwriter tributes to George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Richard Rodgers, and Marilyn & Alan Bergman. In 2008, she received the MAC Lifetime Achievement Award and the AMEE Award from the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists for her life's work in television, radio and recording.

Tickets are $35, all seats reserved. A limited number of $50 tickets are available for a special "Meet and Greet" fundraiser following the performance in the EPAC Cafe'. The "Meet and Greet" price includes admission to the concert and a wine & cheese reception with McGovern in attendance following the concert.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit EPAC's educational programs. For tickets, call EPAC at 607-785-8903, or visit their website at www.EndicottArts.com.


From: Lou Ligoun, Executive Director,
Endicott Performing Arts Center
Re: MAUREEN McGOVERN

"dangling conversations..."
In Concert
Jeffrey Harris, Piano

I received a phone call on September 13 from world renowned vocalist and performer Maureen McGovern and her tour manager Jennifer Howe. As you may know, Maureen McGovern will be appearing in concert here at EPAC on October 15 at 8:00PM.

They heard about our flood troubles here in the Southern Tier and Maureen has very generously decided to donate her fee, after expenses to the local area flood relief. In the event of a sellout, that means that we would be able to donate almost $5000 to assist local area flood victims.

Maureen & Jennifer heard about the flood from Jill Weston,a local performer who is a big fan of hers and is actually the person who asked me to see about bringing Maureen in to EPAC originally.

Tickets for the Maureen McGovern concert are $35, all seats are reserved and are available by calling the EPAC Box Office at 607-785-8903,in person at EPAC (102 Washington Ave., Endicott) Mon - Fri. 9am to 5PM or at the EPAC web site at www.endicottarts.com.

To quote Mel Torme: "Maureen McGovern is, quite simply, the most glorious singer to come down the pike in several months of Sundays. Possessed of one of the finest vocal instruments in the world... it's easy to understand why she is a world-class performer."

"That she is a singer with an astonishingly versatile instrument is no longer news. Nor is it headline information that she can range from Gershwin to Faure to Mann and Weill with ease. What is continuously fascinating about McGovern is the intelligence and perspective she brings to her performances...
" Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times

Stephen Holden in The New York Times wrote: "Maureen McGovern is a singer who moves comfortably from jazz to soaring movie themes and from classical pop standards to operetta... a coloratura jazz singer at ease in any medium."

Please join us on October 15 at 8PM. for an incredible night of world class entertainment benefiting local area flood relief.


Maureen is scheduled to perform in two slots this evening, Sunday, between 6:00-7:00 PM PST and again in the Finale, between 11:00-Midnight PST. Those not on the West Coast, please adjust your time.

The 46th annual MDA Labor Day Telethon is getting ready to squeeze 211/2 hours of entertainment, awareness-building and fundraising into six prime-time hours on Sunday night, Sept. 4.

The shorter show, which is expected to draw more viewers in its prime-time slot, will be fast-paced and jam-packed with top-notch entertainment.

In addition to the shorter national broadcast, each hour of the local Telethon will feature two local segments of seven and eight minutes each.

How to Help > Donate

 

July 2011

 

Cape May Stage Presents Maureen McGovern
in DANGLING CONVERSATIONS, Opens 7/25

Cape-May-Stage-Presents-Maureen-McGovern-in-DANGLING-CONVERSATIONS-20010101

Cape May Stage, South Jersey's premier professional Equity theatre, is delighted to welcome another stellar Broadway performer into their ranks. On Monday, July 25th, Maureen McGovern lends her considerable talents to the Otto and Phoebe Haas Stage. Often called "The Stradivarius Voice", McGovern has been thrilling audiences in a career that's spanned over 40 years. Join her as part of Cape May Stage's Second Stage ‘Women of Broadway' Series as she enchants audiences at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse in an exclusive concert performance of her new show dangling conversations.

Celebrating the 2nd half of The Great American Songbook, Maureen McGovern's new show (and late Fall 2011 CD release) will offer audiences classic songs by iconic singers/songwriters including Paul Simon, J.D. Souther, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Webb, Laura Nyro, Don Henley, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Jonatha Brooke, and Burt Bacharach. "Help Me... I Think I'm Falling," "The Dangling Conversation," "Faithless Love," "If I Should Fall Behind," "An American Tune," "Anyone Who Had A Heart," "Time and Love", and "Turn, Turn, Turn," are just a few of the classic songs Maureen will include in this concert evening celebrating our lives through song.

McGovern, whose career spans 40 years, includes recordings, concerts, theater, film, television, radio and songwriting, all with a voice that defies categorization. Her PS Classics CD, A Long and Winding Road has been praised by The New York Times as "...a captivating musical scrapbook from the 1960s to the early 70s. Ms. McGovern's vocal technique is second to none."

Grammy nominated for "Best New Artist" (1973) and "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance" (1998), McGovern's recording career began with the Oscar winning InternationAl Gold Records "The Morning After" (Billboard #1) and "We May Never Love Like This Again". Maureen is currently touring with her one-woman show, Carry It On [formerly: A Long and Winding Road] for which she won Boston's Independent Critics IRNE Award. In 2005, McGovern returned to the Broadway stage, originating her Drama Desk nominated role of ‘Marmee' in Little Women, The Musical and reprised her role in the 32-city 1st National Tour. Maureen made her Broadway debut as ‘Mabel' in the 1981 production of The Pirates of Penzance, starred as ‘Luisa' in Nine with the late Raul Julia, and as ‘Polly Peachum' in 3 Penny Opera with Sting. Off Broadway, Maureen originated the role of 'Mary' in Brownstone and starred as 'Mrs. Anna' in the recent Broadway revival National Tour of The King and I. Maureen has also starred in Regional productions of The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Guys & Dolls (playing both 'Sarah' and 'Adelaide'), and I Do, I Do and the Bengal Tiger's Ball which she wrote the music, co-created, and starred. Feature films include Maureen's roles as the 'Nightclub Singer' in The Towering Inferno and 'Sr. Angelina,' the guitar strumming nun in the comedy classic Airplane! and Airplane II: The Sequel, which was a fitting and hilarious finale to her early "Disaster Theme Queen" decade. McGovern can also be heard as the voice of 'Rachel' in the DreamWorks animated video/DVD Joseph: King of Dreams with Ben Affleck.

Her television roles include One Life To Live, The Tracey Ullman Show, Pacific Blue, Duckman and Beyond Belief, and on radio, she spent three seasons as a frequent special guest on Garrison Keillor's American Radio Company of the Air.

Part of Cape May Stage's Second Stage Broadway Series, Maureen McGovern will appear Monday, July 25th at 8pm at the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at the corner of Bank and Lafayette Streets in downtown Cape May. Tickets are $75 and include an after party a t the Wine Bar at the Washington Inn, Cape May's new hip, relaxing, contemporary meeting place at the corner of Washington and Jefferson Streets. There, you'll have a chance to mingle with Ms. McGovern, while enjoying delicious complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a well-stocked cash bar. Call (609) 884-1341 for reservations and information or visit the theatre's website, www.capemaystage.com.

Cape May Stage's Second Stage Series is presented through the gracious support of Chris and Dave Clemans.

June 2011

 
Maureen McGovern in "dangling conversations..."
Her all new show!

Maureen McGovern"Like shells upon the shore 
You can hear the ocean roar 
In the dangling conversation 
And the superficial sighs, 
The borders of our lives. "

Maureen McGovern returns to the concert stage with a brand new show "dangling conversations..." featuring the classic song written by Paul Simon. Celebrating the 2nd half of The Great American Songbook, "Dangling Conversations" will offer audiences classic songs by iconic singers/songwriters including Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, J.D. Souther, Joni Mitchell, Jonatha Brooke, Burt Bacharach, Don Mclean and Pete Seeger.  "Turn "Turn Turn," "Suzanne," "Help Me... I Think I'm Falling" and "Anyone Who Had A Heart," are just a few of the classic songs Maureen will include in this concert evening celebrating our lives through song. This new show, stated to appear in NYC later this season, is a follow-up to the very popular and critical hit "A Long and Winding Road."  See an exclusive "workshop" preview performance in the intimacy of the Robert Shackleton Playhouse on the Cape May stage before it officially opens in NYC in November 2011.


May 2011

 

Listen to Interview on WGVU

 


Maureen McGovern - WGVU Broadcasting

May 9, 2011 Shelley Irwin|
SAUGATUCK - Grammy-nominated recording artist Maureen McGovern will perform her new show, A Long and Winding Road, for Mason Street Warehouse at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts as part of MSW's annual spring benefit, Starry Night, on May 14.

Tickets are $125 or $195 (which includes premium seating and a private cocktail party with the artist following the performance). For information and tickets to Starry Night,
please call
269-857-4898.



January 2011

 

Maureen McGovern, Jimmy Webb Dazzle at Landmark
The audience got twice its money's worth when a fabulous double bill of Maureen McGovern and Jimmy Webb -- two musicians so talented and versatile that they easily deserve an entire show to themselves -- took to the stage at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street on Jan. 29.

Maureen McGovern opened the sold-out show. Looking great at 61, McGovern sounds equally as impressive with a wide vocal range and a strong, pure voice. She's a consummate professional -- wooing the audience with stories, smiles and eye contact. Her set was aimed at baby boomers, and covered mostly songs of the 1960s and 1970s. I confess that I knew every song she performed, even though I was born in the very last year to be considered a baby boomer.

McGovern opened the show with Bob Dylan's "The Times They are a Changing," effortlessly accompanied by her musical director Jeff Harrison on piano. Harrison sang back-up vocals on her excellent rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "Feeling Groovy." McGovern also covered two other songs by Simon & Garfunkel -- "The Dangling Conversation" and "America." Other standouts from her hour-long set included The Beatles' "Let It Be," Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game," and Carole King's "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow."

McGovern was humorous and charming. "Want to sing along?" she asked at one point, then quipped "Please don't." Also humorous was her excellent rendition of Tom Leher's "Vatican Rag." She closed, very fittingly, by covering some songs by the evening's second act, Jimmy Webb. McGovern's performance alone was well worth the cost of a ticket.

After an intermission, Jimmy Webb took the stage, and the piano. I spent the next hour jabbing my husband in the side, repeatedly asking "Jimmy Webb wrote THAT song??" "He wrote that one TOO???" I left the concert, and remain today, in absolute awe of Jimmy Webb's songwriting abilities.

You may have known that Webb wrote "By The Time I Get to Phoenix," and "Witchita Lineman," both covered most notably by Glen Campbell, but did you know that he wrote "Up, Up, and Away" covered by The 5th Dimension? Or, most surprising to me, was the fact that Webb wrote "All I Know," the exquisitely beautiful song that was Art Garfunkel's first hit after Simon & Garfunkel broke up.

The show was a wonderful revelation of Webb's talent, not just as a songwriter, but as a singer and pianist as well. He spent a great deal of time talking about the inspirations for some of his songs, and his experiences working with such notables as Frank Sinatra, Richard Harris, and Linda Ronstadt. He was both casual and charming, giving the audience the feeling of sitting in his living room hearing stories and listening to songs.

Webb played many of his hits during the concert, including "Highwayman," "Witicha Lineman," "Didn't We," and a heartfelt rendition of "All I Know." Most impressive, and surprising, to me was his interpretation of "The Worst That Could Happen." The song was covered most notably by Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge, and I'd always found a bit sappy and schmaltzy. But Webb's pared down version was heartrending, touching and very viscerally real. Webb's finale was the perpetually perplexing "MacArthur Park," which has been covered by both Richard Harris, and the familiar disco version by Donna Summer. It's a fascinating song with unfathomable lyrics and a catchy chorus -- "Someone left the cake out in the rain" I couldn't get it out of my head for the rest of the night.

For his encore, Webb was joined by McGovern, and the two did a beautiful version of "Galveston," which he analogized to today's soldiers going off to war. All in all, it was a spectacular evening of entertainment not soon forgotten.



Photos by Steve Sandick. Click to enlarge.


December 2010
 

October 2010
 

"Carry It On"

 

City Newspaper
By Michael Lasser
October 20, 2010

I resent the way younger generations than mine have reduced the standing ovation - the highest praise an audience can give - to an exercise in obligatory self-indulgence. But when Maureen McGovern finished her one-woman show, "Carry It On," at Geva Theatre Center last Saturday night, I was on my feet with everyone else. She is a singer and actor of persuasive directness and warmth, blessed with a supple, expressive voice. She seems to be incapable of singing without intelligence, passion (no matter how quiet), humor (where relevant), and conviction. Long known for her four-octave range, she deserves to be equally well known for her emotional range. She sang equally well a ballad in the face of heartbreak and a medley of songs of many styles linked humorously by their use of nonsense syllables. I can't think of a song I care about that I wouldn't trust her with.

"Carry It On" is a new show, McGovern explained in a recent interview, a third incarnation of what started as a typical promotional tour following the release of her 2008 CD, "A Long and Winding Road," devoted to such singer/songwriters as Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and James Taylor. In the course of an hour-and-40-minute performance, done without intermission, she emphasized mainly the folk-like ballads of the 1970's - the songs that she grew up on and that initially defined her musical life. She is now 61, but her voice possesses the fluidity and strength of someone 25 years younger.

"Carry It On" is far removed from all those autobiographical cabaret acts that clutter up so many small clubs in big cities. McGovern and co-author and director Philip Himberg have written what she calls a "theatrical musical memoir" that tells stories from her life and finds their emotional counterparts in the songs of her time. It sounds straightforward and familiar enough, but it is also compelling, even deeply moving, because McGovern tells it so well, and because the collaborators have been willing to break the narrative line to weave disparate events together and link them through music for greater emotional effect. It also helps that she receives such strong accompaniment from pianist Jeffrey Harris.

McGovern can belt and whisper in the same song, but her musical acrobatics are never for mere show. Because she knows how to "read" a melody and a lyric insightfully, she can lift an otherwise ordinary song to a level of rare artistry through the character of her singing. She rediscovers each song, no matter how familiar it is. The story of the death of a high school friend in the 1970 Kent State massacre led, for instance, to Paul McCartney's treacle-like "Let It Be," but McGovern's trenchant singing transformed it into an acceptance of heartbreak and an assertion of determination.

Because most of the songs from the 1970's lack any sense of jazz or theatricality, the narration creates a series of set pieces in which McGovern interweaves talk and song to create rhythm and movement. She stands stock still only when her voice alone carries a song's emotional burden. Otherwise, she walks, turns her back and talks over her shoulder, watches a film clip with us, or walks down a few steps to be closer to the audience. Together, these elements combine seamlessly to create a sense of drama, even of theater. Projection Designer Maya Ciarrocchi's nuanced linking of projections of photographs and film clips from the time helped to propel the narrative forward suggestively and satisfyingly.

I'm older than the Baby Boomers, a little too old to have The Beatles in my blood, but also too young to be part of the Greatest Generation, even though I remember World War II and its great songs of longing and hope. Perhaps that's why I found the set piece about McGovern's father the most moving of all as it culminated with the English wartime anthem, "(There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover," sung with sadness and hope, and then segued seamlessly to the Civil Rights movement and one of its great anthems, the spiritual-like "Carry It On." . . .

. . .Two related themes run through McGovern's story, just as they do in so many popular songs - a refusal to give up hope combined with a need to do things one's own way despite the restraints people always encounter. But the good Catholic girl from Youngstown, Ohio, is all grown up now. In fact, she has become one of the most authoritative singers of the last half-century. In this show, she is already wonderful and stands on the cusp of being wondrous. "Carry It On" Through November 14 Geva Theatre Center, 75 Woodbury Boulevard

Maureen McGovern carries it on
with grace


Democrat Chronicle.com
by Marcia Morphy
October 18, 2010
 
Maureen McGovern shows she hasn't lost her vocal range in "Carry It On." (Photo by Ken Huth)


Songstress Maureen McGovern sure looks hot for 61 -- Sexy red hair, lithe figure, skinny pants and heels.

But my first impression led to other thoughts while watching Carry It On at Geva Theatre Center:

1. McGovern can still belt out the songs with heart, soul and panache. All it takes is one listen to her sublime voice, and you're sold.

2. She didn't need to tell us her life story to validate her worth.

3. Her accompanist, piano man Jeffrey Harris, could easily do a one-man show of his own.

McGovern is a true boomer, and we believe her when she says she "will not go quietly" into the sunset. In fact, she's right where she belongs in the world premiere of her musical memoir at Geva.

Sometimes when you are as good as she is, people stop asking for better and you just glide. McGovern doesn't adhere to that. After jumping ship on The Poseidon Adventure and her Oscar-winning rendition of "The Morning After," she's enjoyed an enviable 40-year career in music -- from concerts and Grammy-nominated recordings to stints on Broadway (Pirates of Penzance) and film appearances in classic spoofs like Airplane!

Carry It On is a mixed bag of old and new numbersduring which McGovern exudes a sense of proprietorship over what she reveals about her life. Set against a simplistic set by Neil Patel, Harris plays piano stage left while McGovern occupies front and center. In the background is a rolling video feed of snapshots of her family, friends, recording artists and historical events that serve as a biographical timeline during McGovern's nearly two-hour performance.

We learn of the good, the bad, and perhaps even the ugly -- yet McGovern's retrospective is always laced with a sense of humor.

She talks about her Catholic upbringing and childhood in Youngstown, Ohio, and her devoted parents, James and Mary, who claimed their daughter started singing at age 3 by replicating what she heard on the radio. Married young and divorced -- "You Loved Me Too Late" -- she is still waiting for Mr. Right: "There's a sign-up sheet available in the Geva lobby."

Not surprisingly, Kent State, Vietnam and the American civil rights movement made an impact. So did fellow artists of the times: Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Joni Mitchell -- she says all of them helped shape her musical odyssey.

This show isn't a comeback for McGovern. It's a rebirth for a legend who is still at the top of her game. Her voice remains lyrically intact and she handles subtle tempo and key changes like a pro. Shining moments were during a West Side Story sequence, an upbeat 1960s tribute to doo-wop, a sensitive portrayal of "Music and the Mirror" from A Chorus Line, and during renditions of "Rocky Raccoon" "If I Had a Hammer" and "Let it Be."

Carry It On is exactly right and kudos to McGovern who hits all the right notes.

Marcia Morphy is a Rochester-area freelancer who writes about the arts


Carry it On

"Back then, my future was a wide open canvas and, by God, we were determined to change the world!"

From her early days as a folk singer in the late 60's, to her Oscar-winning gold records as the "Disaster Theme Queen," Broadway and recording star Maureen McGovern performs a moving musical memoir that chronicles a generation. Songs by the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and others are given a fresh rendition against the backdrop of her very personal story.

By Philip Himberg and Maureen McGovern
Directed by Philip Himberg
Musical Direction by Jeffrey Harris

October 12 - November 14, 2010
Geva Theatre Center, Rochester, NY

September 2010
 

Ace Young, Maureen McGovern, Casts of "Glee," Memphis, Rock, Quartet Set for Jerry Lewis Telethon

 

By Thomas Peter
Play Bill
30 Aug 2010

Jerry Lewis' annual Labor Day telethon on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Assocation (MDA) announced most of its performing and co-hosting line-up Aug. 25.

The 21 1/2 hour Labor Day weekend tradition will be hosted by veteran entertainer Lewis and co-hosts Allison Sweeney, Nancy O'Dell and Jann Carl. Guest co-hosts will include "American Idol" and Broadway vet Ace Young; actor, comedian and former Hairspraystar John Pinette; "American Idol" executive producer and "So You Think You Can Dance" co-creator Nigel Lythgoe; actor/comedian Richard Belzer; and actor Brandon Barash.

Tyce Diorio of "So You Think You Can Dance" will choreograph the opening number, and the telethon will also feature performances from the casts ofMemphis, Rock of Ages and Million Dollar Quartet, as well as numbers from the Las Vegas shows Elvis (Cirque du Soleil), Paris by Night and Vegas! The Show.

Broadway and cabaret star Maureen McGovern, Barry Manilow, David Archuleta, Enrique Iglesias, Charo, Jack Jones, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Taylor Dayne will also perform.
Cast members from "Glee" and "The Doctors" will also make appearances, as will Tony and Emmy winner Ken Howard, Ray Romano, Patrick Duffy, Carrot Top, Lou Ferrigno and Olympic Gold medalists Bart Conner and Nadia Comaneci.

The telethon will begin Sept. 5 at 9 PM ET and will be broadcast from the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas, ending Labor Day, Sept. 6 at 6:30 PM ET.
Check listings for local start and end times, or visit mda.org.

Maureen will perform on the Telethon Sunday, Sept. 5 between 6:55pm to 7:45pm PDT and Monday Sept. 6 between 10:10am to 11:00am. Check your local TV listing for channel.

 

July 2010
 
SINGER/ACTOR
MAUREEN MCGOVERN RECEIVES
TOP MDA HONOR

TUCSON, Ariz.,
July 29, 2010 -

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded its highest philanthropic achievement honor - the MDA Director's Award - to entertainer and Academy Award-winning singer Maureen McGovern.

MDA Chairman of the Board R. Rodney Howell, M.D., presented the star-shaped Stueben Glass Award to McGovern at a group dinner preceding the Association's annual meeting in Los Angeles. Upon receiving the news, the Ohio native and 30-year MDA volunteer delighted the audience with an a cappella song about gratitude, friendship and her MDA family.

The award, now in its fourth year, honors organizations and people who have made significant and outstanding contributions in supporting MDA's fight against neuromuscular diseases in areas of medical research, corporate and organizational sponsorship, media and entertainment industry support and personal fundraising.

"Ever since her first MDA Telethon performance in 1980, Maureen has been making an important difference for families affected by neuromuscular diseases," said Howell. "Maureen has done extraordinary work behind the microphone, in front of the camera, and as a volunteer leader serving with distinction on the MDA Board of Directors. The only thing bigger than her talent, is her heart."

McGovern, who was re-elected to serve another one-year term on the MDA Board during the July meeting, has a personal connection to MDA's lifesaving mission. Twenty-one years ago, after nine years of dedicated volunteer work for MDA, McGovern learned her then 3-year-old niece, Carolyn, had dermatomyositis, one of the neuromuscular diseases covered by the Association.

"MDA immediately referred my family to one of the nation's top neurologists, Dr. Jerry Mendell, an MDA Clinic Director in Columbus," said McGovern. "Thanks to his excellent medical attention and a myriad of services from MDA, my niece, a recent OSU graduate, is in remission and continues to thrive and lead a happy, healthy life."

McGovern, who has co-hosted both New York and Los Angeles broadcasts of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, is national chair for the Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis Division of MDA. She also chairs the annual "Shamrocks against Dystrophy" campaign that raised more than $20 million for MDA in 2010.

McGovern's professional career spans nearly four decades, beginning with her Academy-award-winning "The Morning After," the mega-hit from the original movie "The Poseidon Adventure." She followed it with "We May Never Love Like This Again" for the disaster movie "The Towering Inferno." McGovern has performed on television, in movies, on Broadway, and with every major symphony orchestra.

The Association, which annually invests more than $40 million in research worldwide, is the first nonprofit to earn a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Medical Association ("for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity").

More than one million people in America are affected by neuromuscular diseases. Residents of greater Columbus affected by any of the 43 diseases covered by MDA's program can receive excellent medical care at the MDA Clinics at Ohio State University Hospital (614-292-1156), and Children's Hospital Outpatient Care Center (614-722-2203). Individuals affected by ALS are encouraged to contact the MDA/ALS Center at Ohio State University (614-293-7715).

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.

The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon will be broadcast Sept. 5-6, originating from the South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. The 45th Telethon broadcast, featuring more than 65 top acts, plus special concept hours dedicated to country music; comedy; rock-and-roll; Broadway shows; soap opera stars; and four new artists selected from the national "Get Discovered!" competition being promoted nationwide by 845 Clear Channel radio stations, can be seen on WSYX-TV, Channel 6, in the Columbus area.

-MDA-

May 2010
 

Maureen McGovern Joins Boston Pops; Listen Online Saturday, May 29th

Click here to listen at 7 pm EDT

The show begins at 7pm with an hour of interviews and features, and the concert begins at 8pm. Produced in Boston, shared with the world. An evening with Maureen McGovern!!!

Vocalist Maureen McGovern joins the Boston Pops, led by conductor Keith Lockhart, in a concert performance that features songs from McGovern's newest album, "A Long and Winding Road."

April 2010
 

Local troupes dominate the IRNEs

Renowned singer/actress Maureen McGovern won an IRNE for best solo for her work in her autobiographical odyssey with song "A Long and Winding Road" at the Calderwood Pavilion. (Source:Huntington Theatre Company)

By: by Jules Becker -- Wednesday Apr 28, 2010

Savvy Hub theatergoers know that their best options often lie right in the South End.

In fact, they had only to look at the top 2008 and 2009 IRNE Awards - annually handed out at the Boston Center for the Arts's Cyclorama -- to have a good sense of the area's best offerings. Last year, the Independent Reviewers of New England gave their best play production-small stage and best musical production-small stage prizes to BCA productions. The respective winners, "The History Boys" and "The Light in the Piazza," were both mounted by SpeakEasy Stage Company at the Calderwood Pavilion. Recently, the IRNE critics gave top prizes to more local efforts: best production of a small stage play to "Spring Awakening: The Play," produced by Zeitgeist Stage Company at the BCA, and best musical-small stage to "Grey Gardens," premiered by the Lyric Stage Company of Boston.

Both best production winners also earned best director prizes -- David Miller for "Spring Awakening: The Play" and multi-IRNE-winner Spiro Veloudos for "Grey Gardens" and Lyric Stage's "Kiss Me Kate." Also cited for both Lyric Stage efforts was best music director Jonathan Goldberg. Resident Calderwood troupe SpeakEasy Stage shared two honors as busy Marianna Bassham won the best actress prize for roles in its "Blackbird" and "Reckless" as well as one in Boston Playwright Theatre's "Little Black Dress" and Timothy John Smith was picked for parts in S peakEasy's "Jerry Springer -- The Opera" and Lyric Stage's "Kiss Me Kate."

For complete article, click here.

Kenny Leon, Maureen McGovern, Diane Paulus, Rachel York et al. Receive IRNE Awards

By: Dan Bacalzo -- Apr 23, 2010

Winners have been announced for The Independent Reviewers of New England Awards, which were held on Monday, April 19.

Diane Paulus won for Best Director of a Musical for A.R.T.'s Best of Both Worlds, while Kenny Leon won Best Director of a Play for Huntington's production of Fences. Israel Horovitz's Sins of the Mother and David Grimm's The Miracle at Naples received awards for Best New Play. The Color Purple received an award for Best Visiting Production.

Individual acting awards went to Marianna Bassham (Reckless/Blackbird), John Beasley (Fences), Shana Dirik (Sweeney Todd), Ben DiScipio (Sweeney Todd), Kate Donnelly (Bash), David Engel (La Cage Aux Folles), James Fitzpatrick (The Producers), Gabriel Kuttner (Speed-the-Plow), Will Lebow (Romance), Crystal Fox (Fences), Jennifer Beth Glick (Seussical), R.Glen Michell (Mame/La Cage Aux Folles), Jacqui Parker (A Civil War Christmas), Robert Pemberton (Speed-the-Plow), Angela Robinson (The Color Purple), Timothy John Smith (Jerry Springer the Opera/Kiss Me, Kate), and Rachel York (Hello Dolly!).

Solo performance awards were given to Maureen McGovern for A Long and Winding Road and Tim Ruddy in Swan Song. Ensemble awards were given to Hartford Stage's Dividing the Estate and Apollinaire Theatre's Dark Play, Or Stories for Boys.

For more information, including a full list of nominees and winners, visit www.stagesource.org.

Maureen McGovern Guests on "Getting To Know You" Tuesday, April 6th on KSAV.org

April 03, 2010

"Maureen McGovern guests on the next "Getting To Know You" hosted by Susan McCray, Tuesday, April 6 on KSAV.org at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT. Ms. McGovern's nearly 40 year career includes CD's, concerts, Theater, Film, television and much more."

During the interview, selections from Ms. McGovern's new CD - "A Long and Winding Road" which has been praised by he New York Times as "...a captivating musical scrapbook from the 1960's to the early 70's.

Maureen McGovern's nearly 40 year career includes recordings, concerts, theater, film, television, radio and songwriting, all with a voice that defies categorization. Her recording career began with the Oscar winning "The Morning After" and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from the classic disaster films, "The Poseidon Adventure" and "The Towering Inferno."

Ms. McGovern's vocal technique is second to none" and was voted by Playbill.com and TalkinBroadway.com among the "Best of 2008 Performances" and "Top 10 Vocal Recordings of 2008." She has also received the "AFTRA AMEE Lifetime Sound Recording Award," the "Nightlife Legend Award" (NYC), the "MAC Lifetime Achievement Award," and "The Imagination Award" from Imagination Stage for her work with children, the arts and philanthropy.

Get to know the lady and her music .... Maureen McGovern known as "The Stradivarius Voice" on "Getting To Know You" hosted by Susan McCray on Tuesday, April 6th at 6:30 p.m. PT/ET on KSAV.org.

Ms. McCray looks forward to reading your comments about the show and requests for future shows. You can send them by clicking on Comments and Requests located at the top of the KSAV.org site.

All shows are archived on Susan McCray's website: www.susanmccray.com. "Getting To Know You" is Podcast via iTunes.


March 2010
 


Maureen McGovern, Syracuse Symphony entertain in a night of nostalgia

By The Post-Standard
March 27, 2010, 8:51AM

By James O. Welsch and
Linda Loomis / Contributing writers

Maureen McGovern's vibrant voice and stunning song styling proved a hit with the audience Friday as she sang many of her signature songs with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.

The eclectic nature of the program -- ranging from Broadway to the movie screen and from folk to popular music -- earned this American musical icon adoration along with hearty applause.

For the mostly baby boomer crowd, the years seemed to fall away to tunes like "The Circle Game," and "Let it Be." McGovern not only showed them "The Long and Winding Road," she linked arms with them and they skipped along together, evoking memories of classic performers like the Beatles ("got me through high school") and Joni Mitchell ("got me through my divorce").

Michael Butterman conducted the SSO in the first half of the program, opening with a selection of retrospective Broadway and movie music from the past century. He wisely avoided the trap of sentimentality by setting brisk tempi on Leonard Bernstein's "Candide" overture and medleys from "South Pacific" and "Guys and Dolls," closing the first part of the program with a powerful arrangement of John Williams' theme from "Superman."

But the night belonged to McGovern, whose indomitable spirit was appreciated almost as much as was her performing prowess. Several times she belted out a cappella songs as if she were standing at home in her pajamas or washing dishes in the kitchen sink rather than singing in front of a nearly full house.

She shared a noteworthy dialogue with a bass player on "Feeling Groovy," and she and Jeffrey Harris, conductor/pianist, had several terrific interactions throughout the evening. Their comfortable collaborative relationship was especially evident on "Fire and Rain," as his amazing keyboards supported McGovern's plaintive vocal lament.

A comfortable rapport developed between McGovern and the audience -- so much so, that people began to hum on several of her songs. She turned even that into a joke, remarking, "If you feel like singing along, please ... don't!"

This concert was booked late to accommodate some scheduling issues, but judging by the reaction of the Friday night crowd, it was one of the most highly appreciated Pops of the season.



Singer Maureen McGovern joins Syracuse Symphony Orchestra for Pops Series concerts

Melinda Johnson,arts editor at the Post-Standard
March 24, 2010
Syracuse, NY

Syracuse, NY -- Everyone should have the pleasure of speaking to Maureen McGovern when harried. The songstress's honeyed voice lowers the stress level during a phone interview on St. Patrick's Day.
Central New Yorkers can hear that voice when McGovern performs Friday and Saturday in the M&T Bank Pops Series of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.

The concert will include the songs that led up to her recording of "The Morning After" from the movie "The Poseidon Adventure," and her nomination for a 1973 Grammy Award. In her early days, first as a folk singer, McGovern sang the lyrics of Carole King, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Jimmy Webb, among others. Selections from these songwriters are featured on her recent CD, "A Long and Winding Road."

McGovern has performed their songs ("The Times They Are a-Changin'," "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" "By the Time I Get to Phoenix") in intimate theaters in a one-woman show. Now, her longtime collaborator Jeff Harris has arranged them for orchestra concerts.

"In rehearsing these (songs) and finding our new arrangements, our new takes on these songs, I would often break down in tears," she says from her home. "I mean because the writing is so rich with these particular singers, songwriters."

With an orchestra, the show is transformed. "It just about blows the roof off the whole building," she says. "It's thrilling."

As someone who is "proud to be 60" and singing, McGovern didn't want to stage a boomer or party show. "I was looking for a more introspective point of view."

The singer's ambition has been to give the songwriters of the '60s the same loving respect as for those of the Great American Songbook -- Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers, Arlen.

"I think there's just a greater appreciation of looking back at the '60s and these particular writers, who have an entire canon of music that they've left behind and continue to write."

McGovern's concert also will cover more of her musical bases, including some Broadway tunes. McGovern appeared on Broadway in "Little Women" as Marmee and in "The Pirates of Penzance," replacing Linda Ronstadt. She was the singing nun, singing "Respect," in the "Airplane!" movies.

In passing, McGovern refers to herself as the "disaster-theme queen."

Huh?

She ticks off the string of songs she sang that were attached to disaster films: " The Morning After"; "We May Never Love Like This Again" ("The Towering Inferno"); and "Wherever Loves Takes Me" ("Gold").

That was one part of her past. McGovern is focused another place in time, the songs of the 1960s and '70s. She will take SSO concertgoers along for the ride.

27th Annual Shamrocks Against Dystrophy Sets
$20 Million Fundraising Record


Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:27 GMT
Muscular Dystrophy Association

TUCSON, Ariz., March 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The spirit of St. Patrick's Day is alive and well.  The Muscular Dystrophy Association today announced that, with 92 percent of some 10,000 retail locations reporting, its 2010 Shamrocks Against Dystrophy fundraiser is the most successful in the event's 27 year history.  As of today, the grass-roots initiative with a St. Patrick's Day theme, has raised more than $20 million to advance MDA's lifesaving mission.  More Shamrocks contributions are expected by the end of the month.

"Record numbers of people are sharing the luck of the Irish by purchasing and signing Shamrocks at their favorite restaurants, grocery and convenience stores," said Maureen McGovern, National Chairperson for the Shamrocks Against Dystrophy campaign.  "Despite the difficult economy, millions of Americans are helping families affected by muscle diseases by celebrating St. Patrick's Day in a most meaningful way."

Since mid-February, thousands of retail locations -- including Lowe's, Valero, Safeway, Applebee's, Walgreen's and Albertson's ? have been making their walls and windows green and gold with festive paper Shamrock mobiles bearing the names of generous customers having contributed $1 or $5 to help MDA speed research seeking treatments and cures for neuromuscular diseases affecting more than 1 million Americans.  The mobiles have literally transformed the shopping experience at many retail locations (see extraordinary venues in your area), as employees and customers have been energized by seeing so much goodwill being prominently displayed in stores and restaurants.

The nation's first and most popular mobile giving program, Shamrocks Against Dystrophy owes its success to tens of thousands of cashiers, store associates, waiters and waitresses, who daily ask hundreds of thousands of customers if they'd like to buy a Shamrock to help "Jerry's kids."

"It's absolutely amazing to see how the gentle ask to buy a Shamrock helps nurture an even closer bond between the employee and customers," explains Gerald C. Weinberg, MDA President and CEO.  "Shamrocks are about having fun while helping families in need.  And, the amazing in-store Shamrocks displays, with the names of so many caring people present, quietly challenge every customer to make a difference.  Shamrocks are infectious."

The 2010 national Shamrocks campaign, which concludes at the end of March, is the nation's first fundraising effort to recognize donors texting contributions by cell phone with an electronic badge of honor. 

"There are more than 250 million cell phone subscribers in the United States," adds Weinberg.  "So it's really great that people can make a difference by simply texting 'Irish' to 20222.  Wherever you are, whenever it's convenient, you can text 'IRISH' to 20222 to make a $5 contribution to MDA.  It's an easy way to show your Irish spirit.  Plus, you'll immediately receive a link to special Shamrocks wallpaper to dress up your cell phone."   

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related diseases by funding worldwide research.  The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education.  MDA was the first nonprofit organization to be recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Medical Association "for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity." SOURCE Muscular Dystrophy Association

Read More

Photo Flash: The Actors Fund's 3/15 Installment Of Musical Mondays
by Broadway World.com News Desk
March 17, 2010

On Monday, March 15th, The Actors Fund presented the next in their series of Musical Mondays in the lobby of the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. This time offering audiences a chance to get Up Close and Personal with Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The evenings special guests included the incomparable talents of Maureen McGovern and Lari White with the evenings moderation by Michael A. Kerker, ASCAP. Dancing with the Stars, Michael Orland, was the Musical Director for Maureen McGovern, while Bill Cantos, served as Musical Director for Alan Bergman and Lari White. The truly enchanting evening was produced by John Bowab and Martin Wiviott. The, oh so very important, Sponsors included Continental Airlines, Sunset Marquis and the Nederlander Organization. ...

... The only complaint for the audience members was that there
wasn't enough time to hear more from Maureen McGovern and Lari White.
Two brilliant performers who captivated the audience.

Read the complete article and see photos by clicking here.

 


February 2010

 
Nominations for the 13th annual Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards have been announced. The awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama on Monday, April 19 at 8pm.

Large Theater
BEST SOLO

Maureen McGovern for A LONG AND WINDING ROAD (Huntington)

Chazz Palminteri for A BRONX TALE (Broadway Across America)

Elizabeth Aspenlieder for BAD DATES (Merrimack Repertory Theatre)


AN EVENING WITH Maureen McGovern MAY 25, 26, AND 27, Keith Lockhart CONDUCTING


Maureen McGovern, one of America's most popular vocalists, performs a concert that features songs from her newest album, A Long and Winding Road, celebrating the music that inspired her beginnings as a singer in the late '60s. The album features an eclectic mix of songs from such groundbreaking singer-songwriters as Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Carole King, and Paul McCartney, including "The Times They Are a-Changin'," "The 59th Street Bridge Song," "Fire and Rain," and "Let It Be." The May 27 performance is SOLD OUT. The May 26 concert will feature on-stage performances by the winners of the Fidelity FutureStage Music Competition.

Maureen McGovern burst onto the music scene in the early 1970s and quickly became known for her hit theme songs to The Poseidon Adventure,The Towering Inferno, and Gold, and later for her appearance as Sister Angelina, the singing nun, in the 1980 disaster movie spoof Airplane. Ms. McGovern has also been acclaimed for her success on the Broadway stage, with roles in The Pirates of Penzance, Nine, Three Penny Opera, and most recently as Marmee in Little Women. Her CD, "A Long and Winding Road," was released in 2009 and is a tribute to the music of her baby boomer childhood.

See: Boston Pops

MUSICAL MONDAYS Series Presents 'Up Close and Personal' With Alan & Marilyn Bergman

Friday, February 5, 2010 - by BWW News Desk

Join theatre patrons as they come "Up Close and Personal" with Alan & Marilyn Bergman as well as special guests Maureen McGovern and Lari White at the Actors Fund concert series entitled MUSICAL MONDAYS, a series of Cabaret events in the lobby of the historic Pantages Theatre, Moderated by Michael A. Kerker (ASCAP) and produced by John Bowab, Michael A. Kerker and Martin Wiviott.

WHEN: Monday, March 15th - 7:30pm Cocktail Reception and 8:30pm curtain
Program to be followed by dessert and coffee reception with the performers

WHERE: The Pantages Theater Lobby, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

TICKETS: $125 by calling 323.933.9266 ext. 59

EDITORS/PRODUCERS: The Actors Fund is proud to continue their "Musical Monday" benefits - a special series of intimate concerts with some of theatre's finest performers including Brian Stokes Mitchell, Melissa Manchester, Peter Gallagher, Valarie Pettiford, Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, Sam Harris and Stephen Schwartz. Proceeds from this evenings benefit will go towards the Actors Fund's comprehensive programs and services. The Actors Fund provides healthcare and clinics, living expenses, housing facilities, social services, career counseling and youth services to all professionals in entertainment - not just actors but professionals in the guilds, unions, box offices and behind the scenes in film, television, theatre, radio, opera, music and dance.

The songs of Alan & Marilyn Bergman have been enriching the great American songbook for over five decades. As lyricists for film, stage and television, they have created unforgettable images with their lyrical mastery. Don't miss this very special evening celebrating two of music's most celebrated lyricists, whose collaborations have earned them 16 Academy Award nominations, multiple Emmys, GRAMMYs and 3 OSCARS for "The Windmills of Your Mind", "The Way We Were" and the score for "Yentl." Maureen McGovern is an award-winning performer whose nearly forty year career includes recordings, concerts, Broadway, film and television beginning with the Oscar-winning song "The Morning After" through to her latest CD "A Long And Winding Road". Lari White is a three-time GRAMMY Award-winning pop and country music singer, actress and songwriter who starred in Broadway's "Ring of Fire".

THE ACTORS FUND is a national human services organization that helps all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund - which provides programs and services for those on stage and on screen and everyone behind the scenes in theatre, film, TV, music, dance, radio and opera - is a safety net, providing social services and emergency assistance, health services and health insurance information, employment and training programs and housing support for those who are in need, crisis or transition.
Learn more about what The Actors Fund does in helping over 10,000 people every year at www.actorsfund.org.

 



Thanks to everyone who has written and left guestbook entries!

Always for Da Diva,

Brian (Buddy) Daher

For previous news about Maureen, please click on Previous Latest News

Updated 6/2010


Back to Home Page Check out Maureen's Itinerary CD Order Info