Critically acclaimed cabaret singer-songwriters Amanda McBroom and Lee Lessack will perform in “Chanson d’Amour,” a journey through the Great French Songbook with an American perspective at the Ford Amphitheatre, October 7 at 8:00 p.m.
McBroom and Lessack will explore some of the most beloved solos and duets of such French & Belgian composers as Jacques Brel, Michael Legrand, Charles Aznavour and Gilbert Becaud.
Singer -songwriter Amanda McBroom, most known for writing the hit song, “The Rose,” sung by Bette Midler, has also written songs for artists such as Leanne Rimes, Barry Manilow, Judy Collins, Barbara Cook, Anne Murray, Harry Belafonte, Betty Buckley, Stephanie Mills,The Manhattan Transfer and many others. She has performed in concert halls around the world and in 2010 released the album Chanson, an homage to Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, who was a music legend in the 1950s and 1960s and sold over 25 million copies worldwide of his own recordings. McBroom also starred in American and European productions of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.
Lee Lessack’s baritone voice has been described by Billboard magazine as “Cabaret romanticism of a high order.” He has toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe and has released seven albums. His most recent “Chanteur” highlights music of the fore-mentioned French cabaret legends. Chanteur also features influences from Sinatra to Leonard Cohen.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Jacques Brel and knew many of the lush movie themes written by
Michel Legrand,” said Lessack. “But this journey brought me the gifts of Charles Aznavour – widely considered to be the ‘Sinatra’ of France – and Gilbert Bécaud among others. Most French songwriters are poets and so I found that each song was literally a one act play.”
Lessack & McBroom will be joined on stage by Music Directors Michel Brourman on piano and vocals and John Boswell also on piano and esteemed musicians Stephan Oberhoff (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Larry Tuttle (bass), Debra Dobkin (percussion & vocals), and David Boswell (guitar).
Chanson d’amour takes place Friday, October 7, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway across from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios.
For more information visit www.fordtheatres.org.
Comments