BWW INTERVIEWS: Ann Hampton Callaway Talks 100 Years of Johnny Mercer

Tonight, November 20, The New York Pops celebrates the centenary of the birth of lyricist and composer Johnny Mercer with a special concert at Carnegie Hall. Joining Music Director Steven Reineke and the orchestra are multi-platinum selling singer and songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway, star of the Broadway musical Swing!; Broadway performer James T. Lane; and actress and opera singer N'Kenge. Together with the Camp Broadway Kids, they will perform treasured compositions from the vast Johnny Mercer songbook; highlights include "Dream," "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "Moon River."

The evening will celebrate Mercer and his extensive American songbook, which include such classics as "Something's Gotta Give," "Dream," "Blues in the Night," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "One for My Baby," "Hooray for Hollywood," and "Moon River."

Best known as a lyricist, Mercer (1909-1976) is credited with writing 1,700 songs, including 90 for motion pictures, receiving four Academy Awards and 19 nominations. He is the author of six Broadway musicals, including "St. Louis Woman" (1946) and "Li'l Abner" (1956), in addition to being one of the founders and president of Capitol Records and one of the creators of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. More than 30 years after his death, his songs can still be heard on recordings, tapes, compact discs, on the radio or television, in movies, on stage or in cabarets around

BroadwayWorld.com had the opportunity to speak with cabaret legend Ann Hampton Callaway about her involvement in the concert, and her thoughts on the great composer.

How did you get involved with this project? 
I was honored to be invited to be one of the headliners of this historic centennial celebration of one of my favorite songwriters. The only possible answer was "Yes!"

What attracted you to it?
As a devout champion of The Great American Songbook, I feel grateful to do all I can to help keep this powerful American legacy of brilliant songwriting alive. Johnny Mercer was a master of creating poetry of the human experience in a language that everyone can connect with. Singing his songs is always a joy for me and for my audiences.

What will you be singing at the concert?
I'll be singing "That Old Black Magic," "Skylark" and "Blues in the Night" as my solos. We will be singing "Moon River" as a beautiful finale.

What's your favorite Johnny Mercer song?
I suppose the song that has meant the most to me is "Blues in the Night." After singing it eight times a week in the Broadway musical Swing!, I felt its primordial power sweep me away night after night. The passionate imagery of his lyric opened me up as a singer and ultimately changed the way I approach a song.

What is it about Mercer's music that has made it such a significant part of the American Songbook?
Mercer had the uncanny ability to articulate original and poetic ideas and emotions in a voIce That all of us can relate to. He was witty without being look-at-me-clever. His lyrics are singable, evocative, haunting, charming, moving, profound and humanizing. He has given us over 1,000 songs to help us know who we are. And that is a lasting contribution to the world.

How do you feel his songs influenced American music as a whole?
His down-to-earth language has woven brilliant threads into the tapestry of the American voice. He was able to mirror our country's identity in his words-optimistic, open, friendly and idealistic. And I believe that his connection to jazz culture helped bridge racial divides at a crucial time.

How do you take a classic Mercer song and make it fresh and new?
I look at the character, the story, the ideas, the emotional development within his songs and seek clues for my own emotional connection and how I can express it musically. An arrangement I do always needed to be connected with my own life experience as revealed by the truths in the song I am exploring. If I am true to the song and to my own associations with the song- originality always finds its way and surprises me. Johnny gives so many rich choices, the possibilities are endless.

Do you think Mercer will stand the test of time for another hundred years?
Without a doubt. As Verdi and Puccini have offered from Europe its timeless operas to the world, Johnny Mercer has offered from America timeless songs to the world. They are crafted to endure-always fresh and beautiful testaments to the joys and sorrows of being alive.

Tickets for the Carnegie Hall event range from $33-$104 and can be purchased by calling 212-247-7800 or via the Carnegie Hall website at www.carnegiehall.org. The concert begins at 8PM at the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall located at the corner of 57th Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan.