Download the ladies of lyric and song: female composers

THE LADIES OF LYRIC AND SONG: FEMALE COMPOSERS AND LYRICISTS OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATRE This unique theatrical program combines elements of lecture and recital into a fast-­‐
paced 75-­‐minute presentation that traces the history of musical theatre through the trailblazing women who have written music and lyrics. Looking through most musical theatre anthologies, one might assume that women have made few contributions to the canon of musical theatre repertoire. However, when more closely examined, there is a long legacy of women that have shaped this most American of art forms. This program highlights some of these contributions, brings awareness to musical theatre repertoire that might otherwise be forgotten and encourages the performance of these songs. Directed by and co-­‐written with Tony-­‐award nominee Patti Cohenour (Big River, Mystery of Edwin Drood, Phantom of the Opera), soprano Erin Guinup takes a musical journey through 100 years of musical theatre history and performs 26 songs while sharing fascinating stories that illuminate some of the challenges these female composers and lyricists faced. These songs reflect the styles of their time and include operetta, jazz, golden era, folk rock, and contemporary cabaret. Beginning with the Tin Pan Alley years, a number of women tried to break in as composers but some ultimately found less resistance to their work as lyricists. This includes Anne Caldwell, Dorothy Donnelly and Rida Johnson-­‐Young, lyricist of over 500 songs. Dorothy Fields and Betty Comden both had 50-­‐year plus careers that earned them Tony awards and helped pave the way for other women in this overwhelmingly male field. The composing “Gershwin Girls” include Kay Swift who was the first woman to score a complete Broadway musical, Ann Ronnell and Dana Suesse. Other trailblazers include Mary Rodgers (Once Upon a Mattress), Gretchen Cryer & Nancy Ford (I’m Getting My Act Together…), Lucy Simon (The Secret Garden) and Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie), as well as a small army of up-­‐and-­‐
coming female composers. While some of their songs are familiar (“Shy”, “How Could I Ever Know”, “Gimme, Gimme”), there is a significant catalog of excellent musical theatre songs that are seldom performed and deserve to be heard. The presentation is staged with a modest set and is performed without intermission. An accompanying slide show illustrating the women discussed and offering occasional comic relief enhances the presentation. Audiences have called the program “fascinating and enlightening,” “so fun I didn’t want it to end” and “a program that every musical theatre lover must see.” For more information about booking this program, please contact Erin Guinup at 253-­‐777-­‐8478 or [email protected]. Soprano Erin Guinup performs regularly in the Northwest with groups such as Northwest
Repertory Singers, Northwest Sinfonietta, Tacoma Opera, Rainier Family Opera, Capital
Playhouse, Seattle Ensign Symphony & Chorus, Tacoma Concert Band, Tacoma
Symphony Orchestra, and the Mormon Festival of the Arts. Stage roles include Gretel in
Hansel and Gretel, Musetta in La Boheme, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Mrs.
Nordstrom in Sondheim's A Little Night Music and both Mary and Mary Magdalene in
productions of Savior of the World, as well as concert works such as Handel's Messiah,
Vivaldi's Gloria, and the Mozart Requiem. Ms. Guinup has received grants from the
Tacoma Arts Commission and Sigma Alpha Iota for her one-woman show "The Ladies of
Lyric and Song," which premiered this fall and will be touring next year. She serves on
the faculty of Pierce College and her voice students have appeared on European opera
stages, national musical tours and NBC’s The Voice.