Broadway actress and singer Liz Callaway will join the Symphony Of The Americas in a concert of music titled “Stephen Sondheim A Tribute! To Steve With Love” featuring the music of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim on March 14 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale.
Callaway first appeared on the Broadway stage in 1981 at age 20 in “Merrily We Roll Along” beginning a close to 40 year professional relationship with Sondheim. Callaway performed in multiple Sondheim musicals, such as “Follies”, “Marry Me A Little” and “Sunday In The Park With George.”
“I fell in love with Sondheim music when I was ten years old, when my parents took me to see my first Broadway show ‘Company’ Little did I know then that his music would be part of my DNA,” said Callaway,.
Callaway will share many anecdotes on stage about working with Sondheim, such as her first meeting with Sondheim.
“I was in the chorus of ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ and understudied the female lead Annie Morrison. A strong memory from that time was the day Steve (Sondheim) came to a rehearsal and played the song ‘Our Time’. Right after the rehearsal, I went to the pay phone and called my sister Ann (jazz singer Ann Hampton Callaway). I told her that it was as if Steve had written the song about us. He had captured that wonderful feeling of anticipation and possibility that we had felt when we first moved to New York City.”
Callaway will be singing “Our Time” among other Sondheim songs to be performed in the March 14 concert.
Highlights of the concert will also include Callaway and the Symphony Of The Americas performing Sondheim classical songs, such as “Being Alive” from “Company“, “Broadway Baby” from “Follies”, “Comedy Tonight” from “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum”, “Our Time” from “Merrily We Roll Along” and “What More Do I Need” from “Saturday Night”, among other Sondheim songs.
Callaway has recorded Sondheim songs in her latest CD “To Steve With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim” which may be purchased at amazon.com and her website lizcallaway.com
Along with her performances in Sondheim musicals, Callaway has also starred in the musicals “Cats”, “Evita”, “Miss Saigon” and “Sunset Boulevard.”
Callaway has provided the singing voices for many animated characters, including Anya/Anastasia in “Anastasia”, Kiara in “The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride” and Princess Odette in “The Swan Princess”, among other singing voices.
“My first love of my work is the stage. But over the years many audiences have come to know my work in animated films which is wonderful. If I had to choose my favorite one of these movies it would have to be ‘Anastasia.’It was written by my friends Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. Discovering that so many generations of listeners love the music is icing on the stage,” said Callaway.
Together with her sister Ann Hampton Callaway, the siblings sang the theme song for the television series “The Nanny” and recorded two CDs “Boom” and “Sibling Rivalry.”
Callaway has been married to theatre director and producer Dan Foster since 1985 and has a son Nicolas.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Broadway actress and singer Liz Callaway stars with Symphony Orchestras of Americas in “Stephen Sondheim…A Tribute! To Steve With Love” featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim on Tuesday, March 14 at 7:45 P.M. at the Amaturo Theatre at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Ft. Lauderdale. Tickets are $35-75. For tickets and more information, call 954-462-0222 or go to browardcenter.org
