Sutton Foster Confirms 1/23 Call-In Press Conference, in Advance of 2/17 Solo Debut Wish
Barnes and Noble In-Store Performance Set for 2/27
Sold-Out Lincoln Center Songbook Concert Set for 2/19
Sutton Foster’s debut CD Wish will be released February 17th on Ghostlight Records. The album features 15 songs culled from the worlds of jazz, pop, Broadway and cabaret, and highlights Foster’s eclectic choices, ranging from Patty Griffin’s ‘Nobody’s Cryin’’ to Duke Ellington’s ‘I Like the Sunrise’…from Frank Loesser’s ‘Warm All Over’ to John Denver’s ‘Sunshine on My Shoulders’.
On January 23rd, Sutton Foster will participate in a 2:00pm phone-in Press Conference, organized by Audience Rewards Curtain Call, and moderated by Andy Propst of AmericanTheaterWeb. *** If you are interested in participating in the Sutton Foster ‘Wish’ Press Conference this Friday, please contact SethCohenPR asap for call in/access details.
Tony-winner Foster also looks forward to a sold-out, February 19th, NYC appearance, as part of the popular Lincoln Center Songbook Series.
On February 27th, Foster will perform and sign CDs at an In-Store appearance at Barnes and Noble Lincoln Center, at 5 pm.
Currently starring as Princess Fiona in Broadway’s ‘Shrek the Musical’, Sutton Foster was given high praise by Ben Brantley of The New York Times, who compared her to musical royalty: “She has emerged as an inspired, take-charge musical comedian in the tradition of Danny Kaye and Carol Burnett…”
Foster’s unique ability to be irreverent and respectful from moment-to-moment shines through on ‘Wish’, as her voice wallops through ‘Oklahoma’ (a bonus track,) only minutes after a delicate, warm delivery of Noel Coward’s ‘Come The Wild, Wild Weather.’ She is a musical chameleon with a voice as appealing as her down-to-earth personality.
Here’s an excerpt from Dick Scanlon’s song notes for ‘Wish’: If the song list is eclectic, so is the singer. You know that magical quality of morning light after a night of torrential downpour? Redemptive. Pure. Joyful, but a joy hard-won by having survived the rain. Listen to Sutton’s take on “Sunshine” (a bold choice, given the knee-jerk dismissal the song often elicits). This is an ode to the sun offered up by someone who has known the clouds—perhaps quite recently—and is that much more grateful for warmth, for energy, for all that is life affirming. Optimistic by choice, because she knows the alternative is the easier option, and nothing good ever comes easy…Wish is the culmination of a musical expedition that began during Millie, when Sutton first started to collaborate with music director Michael Rafter beyond the confines of that show. Together, they combed through countless songs (Michael was resistant when Sutton’s first suggestion was “Sunshine”) and developed a means of communicating that required few words. A smile here, a shake of the head there, and a song’s fate was decided. Along the way, they tried out material in sold-out gigs at Lincoln Center and Joe’s Pub, all of which I attended. It’s thrilling for me to hear the songs that made the cut—and to remember some of the loopier experiments that didn’t.
‘Wish’ was Produced by Joel Moss, and Co-Produced by Michael Rafter. Executive Producers are Kurt Deutsch and Sutton Foster. The CD package features original artwork by Sutton Foster (see below).
Track listing for Wish:
More about Sutton Foster:
Broadway: Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical. Inga in Young Frankenstein, Janet Van De Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, L.A. Ovation Award), Jo in Little Women (2005 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Awards), Eponine in Les Misrables, the 20th anniversary of Annie,The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grease. Other New York: performed concerts at Carnegie Hall (NY Pops), Lincoln Center (American Songbook series), Town Hall, Joe's Pub, Actors Fund benefit performances of Funny Girl and Chess. TV: Disney Channel's “Johnny and the Sprites," HBO's “The Flight of the Conchords." Proud Equity member.
WISH COME TRUE – Album Notes by Dick Scanlon: The first time Sutton Foster ever laid eyes on a Broadway stage was not from the rear mezzanine, or even eighth row, center: it was from the wings of the Palace Theatre—which in the annals of show business is synonymous with reaching the top. Barely 17 years old, she’d auditioned for a chorus part in the national tour of The Will Rogers Follies in Detroit, the northern city to which her oh-so-southern family had moved. Such auditions for local talent are often just a ploy to sell some tickets via the 11 o’clock news, but, when they saw Sutton, the Follies folk wanted a second look. A month later, she was on stage at the Palace. Tommy Tune had one listen, and the high school junior became a showgirl. That was the last time Sutton played the Palace, but there is no arguing that she has since reached the top. With Wish, her debut CD, she is aiming even higher, and bringing us all that much closer to musical heaven. If the song list is eclectic, so is the singer. You know that magical quality of morning light after a night of torrential downpour? Redemptive. Pure. Joyful, but a joy hard-won by having survived the rain. Listen to Sutton’s take on “Sunshine” (a bold choice, given the knee-jerk dismissal the song often elicits). This is an ode to the sun offered up by someone who has known the clouds—perhaps quite recently—and is that much more grateful for warmth, for energy, for all that is life affirming. Optimistic by choice, because she knows the alternative is the easier option, and nothing good ever comes easy. Sutton’s first success is the stuff of legend. The show was Thoroughly Modern Millie (for which I wrote the book and lyrics) but the back-story was pure 42nd Street: cast in the chorus, promoted to the lead, and a Tony Award-winning star was born. Since that time, she’s created lead roles in Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein and Shrek, The Musical. Five new musicals in six years—a record unmatched since Merman burst on the scene nearly eight decades ago. Wish is the culmination of a musical expedition that began during Millie, when Sutton first started to collaborate with music director Michael Rafter beyond the confines of that show. Together, they combed through countless songs (Michael was resistant when Sutton’s first suggestion was “Sunshine”) and developed a means of communicating that required few words. A smile here, a shake of the head there, and a song’s fate was decided. Along the way, they tried out material in sold-out gigs at Lincoln Center and Joe’s Pub, all of which I attended. It’s thrilling for me to hear the songs that made the cut—and to remember some of the loopier experiments that didn’t. (If you like loopy, check out the bonus track.)
Sutton and I met in 1998, when she auditioned for an early Millie reading, singing “A Cockeyed Optimist.” (See “Optimistic by choice, “ above.) I had the feeling I was watching a filly still finding her legs. As our working relationship deepened, I was struck by her impeccable manners (it’s that Georgia upbringing), not to mention her keen, quiet intelligence: whenever I handed Sutton a freshly rewritten scene, she would not only memorize it in seconds flat, she’d (100% correctly) deduce the dramaturgical reasons behind the changes.
Throughout rehearsals for Millie, I only ever saw Sutton in sweatpants or jeans. Not until she stepped on stage in a flapper dress did I realize that this filly had indeed found her legs. And they’re pretty fabulous: at once gawky and gazelle-like. Yet another one of the contradictions that made Sutton an overnight success—if the ten years and four Broadway shows between that audition at the Palace and Thoroughly Modern Millie can be called “overnight.” I remember Tommy Tune coming twice during previews to celebrate the star Sutton was becoming, along with so many former cast mates, curious to see if success had changed her. It hasn’t. As her artistry deepens, so does her capacity to step out of the spotlight and beam her attention on those she holds dear. Even this writer, who barraged her with notes for the better part of two years.
Now we’re neighbors. We pass each other walking our dogs at the pre-coffee hour of 10 am, and we nod. During our dogs’ afternoon stroll, we stop for a quick catch-up. And when one of us of needs bucking up or cheering on, we meet for dinner. To quote Noel Coward’s little-known gem “Come the Wild, Wild Weather” (a Rafter contribution to Wish), “We will still be together when our life story ends, for wherever we chance to go, we will always be friends.”
Lucky me. And if you’re about to experience Sutton and her Wish, for the first time or the hundredth, lucky you. Dick Scanlan December, 2008
GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS: Ghostlight has emerged as the standard bearer on the Broadway music scene. Their team is relentless in their efforts to promote the music of the most innovative new voices on Broadway, and to preserve the music of past productions. Ghostlight's recent releases of the OCRs for Tony winners In The Heights and Passing Strange, as well as their single release featuring the winner of MTV's Legally Blonde The Musical competition, have brought the label acclaim for their innovative marketing techniques and their efforts to reach the next generation of Broadway music fans via iTunes, music videos and more. Coverage has ranged from Rolling Stone to USA TODAY to The New York Times, from Blender Magazine to Playbill to Billboard, from AP Radio to NY-1 TV, and much more. Other current releases include the OCR for '13 – The New Broadway Musical,' and a double CD collector's edition of 'Reefer Madness.'
Ghostlight Records capped a dominant year with recent news of a Grammy nomination for their double-CD release of 'In The Heights' (already a Tony Award Winner for Best Musical and Best Score).
The label has seen its release of 'Patti LuPone at Les Mouches' garner significant coverage in recent weeks. USA TODAY ran a 'Listen Up – Playlist Music Pick'; Entertainment Weekly ran a review in their recent double-issue; New York Magazine included the CD in their 'Approval Matrix'; The NY Times conducted a TIMESTALKS Event; The NY Post ran a 'My New York' feature; Tina Brown's The Daily Beast ran a 'Buzz Board' Pick of the Day; Time Out NY's Adam Feldman weighed in, and the magazine included the CD in their Holiday Gift Guide; Newsday ran a review…and there's much more, ranging from The Advocate to Paper Mag, from Playbill to Associated Press, from NY Blade to Gay City News, from NY-1 TV to TheaterMania, and so on. The CD reached #25 on the BILLBOARD HEATSEEKERS CHART, marking the first time in Ms. LuPone's storied career that she's charted on Billboard under her own name, and it making it Ghostlight's highest Heatseeker chart debut-to-date.
Barnes and Noble In-Store Performance Set for 2/27
Sold-Out Lincoln Center Songbook Concert Set for 2/19
Sutton Foster’s debut CD Wish will be released February 17th on Ghostlight Records. The album features 15 songs culled from the worlds of jazz, pop, Broadway and cabaret, and highlights Foster’s eclectic choices, ranging from Patty Griffin’s ‘Nobody’s Cryin’’ to Duke Ellington’s ‘I Like the Sunrise’…from Frank Loesser’s ‘Warm All Over’ to John Denver’s ‘Sunshine on My Shoulders’.
On January 23rd, Sutton Foster will participate in a 2:00pm phone-in Press Conference, organized by Audience Rewards Curtain Call, and moderated by Andy Propst of AmericanTheaterWeb. *** If you are interested in participating in the Sutton Foster ‘Wish’ Press Conference this Friday, please contact SethCohenPR asap for call in/access details.
Tony-winner Foster also looks forward to a sold-out, February 19th, NYC appearance, as part of the popular Lincoln Center Songbook Series.
On February 27th, Foster will perform and sign CDs at an In-Store appearance at Barnes and Noble Lincoln Center, at 5 pm.
Currently starring as Princess Fiona in Broadway’s ‘Shrek the Musical’, Sutton Foster was given high praise by Ben Brantley of The New York Times, who compared her to musical royalty: “She has emerged as an inspired, take-charge musical comedian in the tradition of Danny Kaye and Carol Burnett…”
Foster’s unique ability to be irreverent and respectful from moment-to-moment shines through on ‘Wish’, as her voice wallops through ‘Oklahoma’ (a bonus track,) only minutes after a delicate, warm delivery of Noel Coward’s ‘Come The Wild, Wild Weather.’ She is a musical chameleon with a voice as appealing as her down-to-earth personality.
Here’s an excerpt from Dick Scanlon’s song notes for ‘Wish’: If the song list is eclectic, so is the singer. You know that magical quality of morning light after a night of torrential downpour? Redemptive. Pure. Joyful, but a joy hard-won by having survived the rain. Listen to Sutton’s take on “Sunshine” (a bold choice, given the knee-jerk dismissal the song often elicits). This is an ode to the sun offered up by someone who has known the clouds—perhaps quite recently—and is that much more grateful for warmth, for energy, for all that is life affirming. Optimistic by choice, because she knows the alternative is the easier option, and nothing good ever comes easy…Wish is the culmination of a musical expedition that began during Millie, when Sutton first started to collaborate with music director Michael Rafter beyond the confines of that show. Together, they combed through countless songs (Michael was resistant when Sutton’s first suggestion was “Sunshine”) and developed a means of communicating that required few words. A smile here, a shake of the head there, and a song’s fate was decided. Along the way, they tried out material in sold-out gigs at Lincoln Center and Joe’s Pub, all of which I attended. It’s thrilling for me to hear the songs that made the cut—and to remember some of the loopier experiments that didn’t.
‘Wish’ was Produced by Joel Moss, and Co-Produced by Michael Rafter. Executive Producers are Kurt Deutsch and Sutton Foster. The CD package features original artwork by Sutton Foster (see below).
Track listing for Wish:
- I'm Beginning to See The Light - (Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, Harry James)
- Warm All Over (Frank Loesser)
- The Late, Late Show (Murray Berlin, Roy Alfred)
- Up on the Roof (Carole King, Gerald Goffin) * this song is dedicated to Christine Zic
- My Romance/Danglin' - (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers/Maury Yeston)
- I Like The Sunrise (Duke Ellington)
- Air Conditioner (Christine Lavin)
- Sunshine on My Shoulders - (John Denver, Richard Kniss, Michael Taylor)
- My Heart Was Set on You - (Jeff Blumenkrantz)
- Flight (Craig Carnelia) - Duet with Megan McGinnis
- Once Upon A Time - (Charles Strouse, Lee Adams)
- Nobody's Cryin' (Patty Griffin)
- Come the Wild, Wild Weather - (Noel Coward)
- On My Way (Music by Jeanine Tesori, Lyrics by Brian Crawley)
- Oklahoma (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) - Bonus Track
More about Sutton Foster:
Broadway: Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical. Inga in Young Frankenstein, Janet Van De Graaf in The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, L.A. Ovation Award), Jo in Little Women (2005 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Awards), Eponine in Les Misrables, the 20th anniversary of Annie,The Scarlet Pimpernel, Grease. Other New York: performed concerts at Carnegie Hall (NY Pops), Lincoln Center (American Songbook series), Town Hall, Joe's Pub, Actors Fund benefit performances of Funny Girl and Chess. TV: Disney Channel's “Johnny and the Sprites," HBO's “The Flight of the Conchords." Proud Equity member.
WISH COME TRUE – Album Notes by Dick Scanlon: The first time Sutton Foster ever laid eyes on a Broadway stage was not from the rear mezzanine, or even eighth row, center: it was from the wings of the Palace Theatre—which in the annals of show business is synonymous with reaching the top. Barely 17 years old, she’d auditioned for a chorus part in the national tour of The Will Rogers Follies in Detroit, the northern city to which her oh-so-southern family had moved. Such auditions for local talent are often just a ploy to sell some tickets via the 11 o’clock news, but, when they saw Sutton, the Follies folk wanted a second look. A month later, she was on stage at the Palace. Tommy Tune had one listen, and the high school junior became a showgirl. That was the last time Sutton played the Palace, but there is no arguing that she has since reached the top. With Wish, her debut CD, she is aiming even higher, and bringing us all that much closer to musical heaven. If the song list is eclectic, so is the singer. You know that magical quality of morning light after a night of torrential downpour? Redemptive. Pure. Joyful, but a joy hard-won by having survived the rain. Listen to Sutton’s take on “Sunshine” (a bold choice, given the knee-jerk dismissal the song often elicits). This is an ode to the sun offered up by someone who has known the clouds—perhaps quite recently—and is that much more grateful for warmth, for energy, for all that is life affirming. Optimistic by choice, because she knows the alternative is the easier option, and nothing good ever comes easy. Sutton’s first success is the stuff of legend. The show was Thoroughly Modern Millie (for which I wrote the book and lyrics) but the back-story was pure 42nd Street: cast in the chorus, promoted to the lead, and a Tony Award-winning star was born. Since that time, she’s created lead roles in Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein and Shrek, The Musical. Five new musicals in six years—a record unmatched since Merman burst on the scene nearly eight decades ago. Wish is the culmination of a musical expedition that began during Millie, when Sutton first started to collaborate with music director Michael Rafter beyond the confines of that show. Together, they combed through countless songs (Michael was resistant when Sutton’s first suggestion was “Sunshine”) and developed a means of communicating that required few words. A smile here, a shake of the head there, and a song’s fate was decided. Along the way, they tried out material in sold-out gigs at Lincoln Center and Joe’s Pub, all of which I attended. It’s thrilling for me to hear the songs that made the cut—and to remember some of the loopier experiments that didn’t. (If you like loopy, check out the bonus track.)
Sutton and I met in 1998, when she auditioned for an early Millie reading, singing “A Cockeyed Optimist.” (See “Optimistic by choice, “ above.) I had the feeling I was watching a filly still finding her legs. As our working relationship deepened, I was struck by her impeccable manners (it’s that Georgia upbringing), not to mention her keen, quiet intelligence: whenever I handed Sutton a freshly rewritten scene, she would not only memorize it in seconds flat, she’d (100% correctly) deduce the dramaturgical reasons behind the changes.
Throughout rehearsals for Millie, I only ever saw Sutton in sweatpants or jeans. Not until she stepped on stage in a flapper dress did I realize that this filly had indeed found her legs. And they’re pretty fabulous: at once gawky and gazelle-like. Yet another one of the contradictions that made Sutton an overnight success—if the ten years and four Broadway shows between that audition at the Palace and Thoroughly Modern Millie can be called “overnight.” I remember Tommy Tune coming twice during previews to celebrate the star Sutton was becoming, along with so many former cast mates, curious to see if success had changed her. It hasn’t. As her artistry deepens, so does her capacity to step out of the spotlight and beam her attention on those she holds dear. Even this writer, who barraged her with notes for the better part of two years.
Now we’re neighbors. We pass each other walking our dogs at the pre-coffee hour of 10 am, and we nod. During our dogs’ afternoon stroll, we stop for a quick catch-up. And when one of us of needs bucking up or cheering on, we meet for dinner. To quote Noel Coward’s little-known gem “Come the Wild, Wild Weather” (a Rafter contribution to Wish), “We will still be together when our life story ends, for wherever we chance to go, we will always be friends.”
Lucky me. And if you’re about to experience Sutton and her Wish, for the first time or the hundredth, lucky you. Dick Scanlan December, 2008
GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS: Ghostlight has emerged as the standard bearer on the Broadway music scene. Their team is relentless in their efforts to promote the music of the most innovative new voices on Broadway, and to preserve the music of past productions. Ghostlight's recent releases of the OCRs for Tony winners In The Heights and Passing Strange, as well as their single release featuring the winner of MTV's Legally Blonde The Musical competition, have brought the label acclaim for their innovative marketing techniques and their efforts to reach the next generation of Broadway music fans via iTunes, music videos and more. Coverage has ranged from Rolling Stone to USA TODAY to The New York Times, from Blender Magazine to Playbill to Billboard, from AP Radio to NY-1 TV, and much more. Other current releases include the OCR for '13 – The New Broadway Musical,' and a double CD collector's edition of 'Reefer Madness.'
Ghostlight Records capped a dominant year with recent news of a Grammy nomination for their double-CD release of 'In The Heights' (already a Tony Award Winner for Best Musical and Best Score).
The label has seen its release of 'Patti LuPone at Les Mouches' garner significant coverage in recent weeks. USA TODAY ran a 'Listen Up – Playlist Music Pick'; Entertainment Weekly ran a review in their recent double-issue; New York Magazine included the CD in their 'Approval Matrix'; The NY Times conducted a TIMESTALKS Event; The NY Post ran a 'My New York' feature; Tina Brown's The Daily Beast ran a 'Buzz Board' Pick of the Day; Time Out NY's Adam Feldman weighed in, and the magazine included the CD in their Holiday Gift Guide; Newsday ran a review…and there's much more, ranging from The Advocate to Paper Mag, from Playbill to Associated Press, from NY Blade to Gay City News, from NY-1 TV to TheaterMania, and so on. The CD reached #25 on the BILLBOARD HEATSEEKERS CHART, marking the first time in Ms. LuPone's storied career that she's charted on Billboard under her own name, and it making it Ghostlight's highest Heatseeker chart debut-to-date.
For more information contact Seth Cohen PR.
