The BARBARA COOK Discussion, News, and Love Thread!!! "THE COOKIES"

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 9:25pm

I thought it would be fun to start a thread for the living legend herself. Here we can discuss Ms. Cook's work, spread general love, concert reviews,and news. Let's keep this thread healthy and alive!

So here are a few getting to know you threads.

1. Favorite Cook Studio Album
2. Faborite Cook Live Album
3. Favorite Song
4. What Should We Call Ourselves (re: rentheads, wickheads, etc)

My Answers:

1. The Disney Album (rare, but well worth the price)
2. Mostly Sondheim
3. Glitter and Be Gay
4. I can't think of anything off the top of my head.


Updated On: 7/9/07 at 09:25 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 9:33pm

La Cook certainly deserves her own thread. I truly admire this woman, what talent, what voice, what presence, what charisma!
Here are my answers to the warm-up questions:

1.Solo studio recording: Oscar Winners, from a show: Tie between CANDIDE and THE KING AND I.
2.Live solo recording: Mostly Sondheim, from a show: FOLLIES of course.
3.Favorite song: I have to agree, I don't think anyone can sing "Glitter and Be Gay" like Barbara Cook. Perfection.
4.Mmmm, Cookheads could be misread as something else so I guess that's a no-go

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 10:53pm

1) I would go with her "Songs from the Heart" album of Rodgers and Hart songs as my favorite studio album

2) Though I do love "Mostly Sondheim", I usually just put on the DVD and listen to that instead of the CD, because I find Malcolm Gets a bit too much on it. So, my favorite live album of hers would be "Live in London".

3) And though no one sang "Glitter and Be Gay" as well, I pick "Chain of Love" from "The Grass Harp" is quite possibly my favorite song of hers.

4) The group that follows such a classy performer as Barbara Cook should have an equally classy name.

I think that it is a shame that the Ben Bagley recordings are currently out of print as Barbara gave many a terrific performance on them. One of the Jerome Kern albums has her singing "In the Heart of the Dark" from "Very Warm for May" that is as good as "Dear Friend" from "She Loves Me".

[NCGuy]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 11:20pm

1. Studio Album – I’m with sondheimboy2 on Songs From the Heart. I think this might just have my favorite version of “My Funny Valentine” (it’s certainly my favorite non-jazz recording of the song).

2. Live Album – the first Carnegie Hall concert

3. Song – “Will He Like Me”

Bobby, The Disney Album is absolutely wonderful (I especially like Ms. Cook’s “Lavender Blue”).

[jewishboy]

Posted: 7/7/07 at 11:41pm

In my mind Barbara Cook is possibly the greatest artist of interpereting show tunes today. I think she is the most diserving actress/singer to be awarded with a Kennedy Center Honor.

1. Favorite Cook Studio Album: From a show, I love her performance as Magnolia on the studio recording of Show Boat with John Rait. I also love her on the Candide OBC recording.

2. Faborite Cook Live Album: Its Better With a Band- this album was out of print (or very rare) untill a couple of years ago, but if you haven't listened to this concert it is truly amazing. I usualy like Ms. Cook when she was younger, but on this album her voice is perfect; espicialy during the renditions of "I Love Piano," "Its Better With a Band," and "The Bernstein Mellody: Simple Song, I Can Cook, and Some Other Time."

3. Favorite Song: "Glitter and Be Gay" and "Anyone Can Whistle"

4. I have no clue...

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 12:28pm

Bump

There have to be more Cook fans out there. We still need a clever, classy name!

I just got Songs from the Heart, and I agree, it is top notch.

"You Have Cast Your Shadow on the Sea" is my favorite.

I'm also a fan of the first concert album. You can feel the thrill coming out of the cd player, as a crowd watches a musical theatre star transform into one of the greatest concert performers of all time.

COME ON PEOPLE! SHOW YOU LOVE!

Does anyone know if her Dorothy Parker album will ever come to cd?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 12:31pm

I also want to agree with sondheimboy2 on "Chain of Love". I adore her soprano on this song.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 12:52pm

And why doesn't she sing it more often? I had a friend who lived in Scotland in the '80s and attended every concert that Barbara sang in London and would sneak in a tape recorded. I must have about four different concerts from that period and Barbara only sang "Chain of Love" once. Surely she could still handle it?

[boatsintheghetto]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 2:10pm

I actually met her at the 2000 Millenium concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra.However, at the time, I didnt know who she was and could have cared less. I wanted to see the fireworks and I was stuck inside. I was like 12

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 2:13pm

I think it might be a tad too high for her. Same with "Glitter and Be Gsy".

I'm watching her teach a masterclass on her concert DVD, and she is soe wise, informed, and honest. I just adore her.

[AC126748]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 3:35pm

I love Barbara Cook. "Chain of Love" is definitely my favorite tune from the Cook canon.

[TommyTunesSon]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 3:44pm

My favorite Barbara Cook CD is "Close As Pages In A Book", the Dorothy Fields collection. She does amazing renditions of "Exactly Like You", the title song, "I'm In The Mood For Love", "April Snow", "It's Not Where You Start", "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "On The Sunnyside Of The Street", "Bojangles Of Harlem", "The Way You Look Tonight" (a duet with my dad, Tommy Tune), "Make The Man Love Me", "I Must Have That Man" - it's priceless!!! (I also love Oscar Winners, her Oscar Hammerstein II collection). The Sondheim live CD is really good, but I could have lived without Malcolm Gets guest role on it....

I love her singing on The King And I album. "The Cold and Brutal Facts, Dear, You and I have never met...". I love her solos on The Gay Life album, too. And Plain and Fancy, and Flahooley, and The Music Man... o.k., I just love her!!!! (:

It's Better with the Band is great, but I prefer her Carnegie Hall concert (the first one, back in the 1970's)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 4:42pm

I've been looking for a live version of "Glitter and Be Gay" for a couple of years now

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/8/07 at 5:01pm

I don't think it exists. Did she ever perform it outside from the show? It's such a tricky song. Chenoweth is probably th e only Her short essay on her feelings about the show is in the liner notes for the remaster of Candide.

[JJC]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 3:55pm

Barbara sang "Glitter and be Gay" at a tribute concert for Leonard Bernstein in 1963(Carnegie Hall?) with the New York Philharmonic. It wasn't commercially recorded.

My answers:
1. No One is Alone, Songs from the Heart
2. Carnegie (1975)
3. Chain of Love
4. Cookies (I'm not 'clever Dan'!)
Barbara Cook: vocalist of the year

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 4:00pm

Cookies, I like it!

Thoughts?

We need more on this thread! We can't be the only Cookies out there!

[JJC]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:20pm

Candide 1956 (Photo)

I highly recommend the DVD:
"Barbara Cook - Bell Telephone Hour Appearances 1960-1965"
VAI DVD 4347

" This collection gives us, for the first time, an equally valuable glimpse of the Barbara Cook of Broadway’s golden age, at the exact time she was making theatrical history."
George Dansker
September, 2005


SHE'S GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING Updated On: 7/9/07 at 05:20 PM

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:25pm

I have the DVD, but only watched it once. I'll revisit it tonight.

I am adoring "It's Better With a Band". The orchestrations are quite amazing.

[Piercemn]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:39pm

When I went to see Trittico at the Met in May, she was standing at the entrance with Harvey Evans. I had the pleasure of speaking to her for about 10 minutes. I'd met her at the Guthrie in the 70s, and have seen her in concert 3 times. She's amazing. I can't wait for her autobiography.

1.My Favorite Studio Albums are Oscar Winners and Close as Pages in a Book
2. My Favorite Live Album is Live from the Met
3. My Favorite Songs are Glitter and Be Gay, but I don't think anyone can sing In Buddy's Eyes or The Gentleman is a Dope better than she can.
4. What Should We Call Ourselves? How about the Cook Club?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:42pm

Does she have a book deal?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:46pm

And speaking of Cookie's, she would have made a great Fay Apple in Anyone Can Whistle!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:53pm

I was just gonna say, we can't refer to ourselves as Cookies without mentioning her great rendition of the title song from ANYONE CAN WHISTLE. She would have made a great Nurse Apple indeed.
Her Sally is so underrated, I thoroughly enjoy her performance in the FOLLIES Concert cast recording.
I can't believe she has never sung "Glitter and Be Gay" in her commercially released concert albums. I mostly want to hear the audience reaction after she sings it! No one can perform that song like she can.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:00pm

Glitter and Be Gay is probably on the top 10 hardest musical theatre songs out there. I couldn't even fathom doing that 8 times a week.

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:47pm

I've been hunting for her her Songs of Perfect Propriety for years! I think it is Dorothy Parker poems set to music. Anyone ever heard it?

[JJC]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 7:15pm

Here is a link to some online Music files from "Songs of Perfect Propriety ".



Comment (863 KB) and Bric-a-Brac (1097 KB) from SONGS OF PERFECT PROPRIETY Boosey and Hawkes Updated On: 7/9/07 at 07:15 PM