Rachel York Sings 'For The Love Of It'
By: BWW May. 02, 2008
Broadway, film, television and recording star Rachel York will perform her acclaimed cabaret For the Love of It at the Metropolitan Room at Gotham on Sunday, May 4, at 9:30 p.m. York brings the show Variety calls "wonderfully entertaining and extremely funny" back to New York for a one-night-only special engagement.
Rachel York has been a beloved star of the Broadway stage from the first moment she made her debut as Mallory in the smash hit musical, City of
The multi-talented York is also well known for her inspired Broadway performances in Les Misérables, Victor/Victoria (Drama Desk Award) with Dame Julie Andrews, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sly Fox with Richard Dreyfuss, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels co-starring Jonathan Pryce. Additionally, York has starred in the national tour of Camelot (Carbonelle Award) opposite Michael York; Putting It Together (Drama Desk Nomination) also with Julie Andrews; the national and London tours of the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate (Helen Hayes Nomination); Dessa Rose at the Lincoln Center Theater (Drama Desk Nomination); Anything Goes (Ovation Nomination), My One and Only, and The Odd Couple with Jason Alexander and Martin Short at Los Angeles Reprise!
Rachel graciously took a few moments away from packing before she had to head to the airport to New York City to speak with BroadwayWorld.com about her musically emotional journey of bringing "For the Love of It" to the Metropolitan Room stage.
BW: Thanks for chatting with us, what a wonderful title, why did you pick it?
Rachel York: Thank you, it's nice to talk to you too, For the Love of It is the name of the show because that's why I'm doing it, it's why I got in to the business, a reminder why I keep doing it, for the love of it, I started singing at a very young age, acting and singing was my passion and my healing. So this evening is an opportunity to share with the audience some of my favorite songs growing up and for all of them to have a good time and just enjoy it, "for the love of it" as well.BW: There is a very exciting variety of songs that you'll be sharing with the audience, it's very much related to the vast number of different roles you've played so far.
RY: Yeah! I'm mixing it up in my cabaret, much like my career, it's one of the reasons I became an actress in the first place, I always considered myself to be a chameleon, it was always my intention walk in different peoples shoes, as an actor and a singer. So I'm singing a variety of songs jazz, pop, musical theater songs, comedy and ballads. It's about me, the show, it's definitely about me, but no sob stories (Laughs) I don't go into life's hardships, or things that I went through in my career. It just touches on different parts of my career and experiences, I tell different stories, some of them are funny, some romantic.
BW: Many of the roles you've brought to life on stage and screen have had very romantic, powerful and finally very humorous personalities, your celebrated portrayal of Lucille Ball is just one to mention.
RY: In a way, for so many years my career was my life. Although I'm trying to separate that a little better now (Laughs), and I think that's pretty much true of most people in this business, as it requires a lot of your attention, your life, one has to sacrifice their entire life, as a dancer, a singer, you are giving everything you have to it. You know, you are taught your entire life to give everything to your career, you have to really want it.
BW: Who did you collaborate with in bringing the show to life?
RY: You know, I have to say I have to give most of the credit to my manager/lover (her fiance') Ayal Miodovnike (Laughter) and my publicist/lover (Much Laughter) Jan Nargi, I'm very close with the people that I work with!
BW: Well you have to be in this business (Laughter)!
RY: We all worked together on the show, it started being stories and ad-libbed as we shaped it…some of it worked and some of it didn't, so we all talked about it and picked the songs and they helped me make the right choices, I gave them my favorites and then they narrowed it down, I don't know if I would of done it on my own.
BW: It sounds like all the songs were picked for a reason…
RY: All of the songs are really special, I hand selected these, they all mean a lot to me, Ella Fitzgerald scat songs, the song that I sang in my Broadway debut (City of Angels) Lost and Found, then I go into I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miz, that's an incredible emotional journey for me and the audience, that song is just incredible, you so feel it, that sound just gets deeper and more emotional as you hear it, it gets better and better. There is let's see, a Christina Aguilera song, it's very bluesy and ballsy, and a little tribute to Liza Minnelli, I sing for the hell of it (Laughs)!
BW: Such varied inspirations, and again, it reflects the chameleon in you!
RY: You know each of these songs does truly represent a side of me. And always the many amazing influences too. I talk a lot about the influences.The people I've been so lucky to work with and help influence my life, my voice, Julie Andrews and Barbra Streisand. Then, you know, Ella Fitzgerald and you can see and hear as you watch the show how they influenced my singing and my vocal performance.
BW: "For the Love of It" has so much musical inspiration to share, what a journey to take with the audience.
RY: Yes! A very cathartic journey and a fun time too! I think people will have a fun time. And that's what it's all about.
In concert,
Reservations to For the Love of It may be made by calling the Metropolitan Room at 212-206-0440 or online at www.metropolitanroom.com. Tickets are $25. There is also a $15 minimum. The Metropolitan Room at
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