Barbara Cook's Memoir

[Miranda3]

Isn't her book, co-authored with Isherwood, supposed to come out this fall? Can't wait to read it.

[Jordan Catalano]

There should be some good recipes in there.

[Miranda3]

Right. Barbara Cook Cooks, Volume I: Appetizers.

[CurtainPullDowner]

I thought it was called SHE CAN COOK TOO.

[Theatrical Landladies]

Jordan - I think BC would know some outstanding recipes!

Seriously though a wonderful lady!

[PB ENT.]

Ms. Cook is one of my all time favorite female performers. Her voice melts and her stage presence fills any room.

I understand she had some challanges in her personal life during her singing career for a long period of time, as was mentioned in the recent Kennedy honors of which she was one of the honorees.

So glad she bounced back and hope she mentions her trials as well as her triumps to encourage people to be strong in any walk of life.

I also came to appreciate another amazing singing dancer Donna McKechnie, who overcame a severe physical problem to go on to dance again. She also wrote a wonderful autobiography. Amazingly strong women of the Arts.

[jv92]

Donna's memoir was wonderful. But more on topic, looking forward to the Barbara Cook memoir should it come out soon.

[GavestonPS]

I'll buy it in a New York minute!

[fredric47]

I also thought that Miss Cook's memoir, which I think should be ironically titled, "Fat Woman Can Sing," was due to be released this Fall. However, there is no mention of it on its publisher, Harper Collins' website. I have also tried contacting Miss Cook and her co-author Charles Isherwood of "The New York Times" to offer my services as a factchecker; but neither of them have responded to my e-mails, which is why I am proposing the less than flattering title. Barbara Cook admitted in an interview from 2003 that writing her life story will take a lot of time. I am guessing that there are just behind schedule.

[Plum]

Wow. If I got snarky about every potential employer who never replied to my emails I wouldn't have time to do anything else.

[GavestonPS]

To my great sorrow, I have never met Miss Cook. But we do have a couple of friends in common and they give me the impression she is nothing like Marian the Librarian.

I'm not suggesting she has great scandals in her past, but if her autobiography is at all candid, it should be well worth reading.

[jv92]

I've met Ms. Cook once. She was lovely.

[GavestonPS]

Sorry, jv, I certainly didn't mean to suggest Miss Cook would be anything but gracious. I've never heard anyone say that.

Those who know her merely say she at least used to be a hell of a good time. (No, I don't mean she was sexually promiscuous, just fun at a party and funny as hell!)

[jv92]

Oh no, I was just expressing my opinion of how kind I thought Ms. Cook was to me several years ago. If it seemed aimed at you in a negative way, my apologies.

[PalJoey]

neither of them have responded to my e-mails, which is why I am proposing the less than flattering title.

I wouldn't presume to speak on Ms. Cook's behalf, so on my own, allow me to off this response:

[GavestonPS]

No problem, jv92. I just realized my own phrase "nothing like Marian the Librarian" could mean a lot of things, some of them very negative.

Nobody I know has had a bad word to say about the lady. As for me, she is my favorite legit Broadway soprano of all time.

[Miranda3]

I noticed that she had a lot of tour dates, many in the West, this spring and summer. Some of those dates got postponed when she had a problem with a new medication she was taking and were then rescheduled for later in the summer. Maybe all of this has set her back with the writing. It's hard enough to face the blank page even without setbacks!!