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Wicked's Block and All Shook Up's Jackson Among Stars to Pay Tribute to Cassidy in Song Bird
By Andrew Gans
04 Jan 2005
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Stephanie J. Block and Cheyenne Jackson
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Several stars of the musical theatre will pay tribute to the late Eva Cassidy in an evening that will benefit the Johns Hopkins Melanoma Cancer Research Center.
Presented by Sabrina Gordin and Scott Alan, the Jan. 31 evening at Prohibition is entitled Song Bird and will feature performances by All Shook Up's Cheyenne Jackson; Aida's Lori Ann Strunk, Schele Williams and Lisa Brescia; Wicked's Stephanie J. Block; Bare's Natalie Joy Johnson and Jenna Leigh Green; Rent's Ryan Link; Beauty and the Beast's Kirsten Rossi; Altar Boyz' Andy Karl; Saturday Night Fever's Orfeh; Good Vibrations' Brandon Wardell; Hair's Julie Garnye; Dance of the Vampires' Erin Leigh Peck; and Flower Drum Song's Jose Llana. Show time is 8 PM.
The late Eva Cassidy, according to production notes, was a native of Washington, D.C., who earned a "local reputation as a masterful interpreter of standards from virtually any genre, blessed with technical agility and a searching passion that cut straight to the emotional core of her material. Despite the evocative instrument that was Cassidy's voice, record companies shied away from her, unsure of how to market her eclectic repertoire; for her part, Cassidy adamantly refused to allow herself to be pigeonholed, prizing the music above any potential fame. In 1996, just when she had begun to record more frequently on a small, local basis, Cassidy was diagnosed with cancer, which had already spread throughout her body and rapidly claimed her life. But her story didn't end there — her music was posthumously championed by a BBC disc jockey, and amazingly, the anthology 'Songbird' became a number one million-selling smash in England. Cassidy's singing voice was a crystalline soprano, ideal for the ballads and folk songs she performed. However, she also had tremendous power and when she turned to soul, blues and gospel-flavored material her voice resounded with emotional sincerity. Her repertoire drew from all these areas and from the more melodic aspects of contemporary pop."
Prohibition is located in Manhattan at 503 Columbus Avenue. Tickets, priced at $20, will be available at the door on the day of the show. For more information e-mail gordinproductions@yahoo.com.
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