Maureen McGovern is celebrating her 30th Anniversary in show business this year with the Spring 2003 release of her CD, "Works of Heart" (songs of hope featuring a newly recorded version of "The Morning After.") Maureen founded The McGovern "Works of Heart" Project for Music and Healing to address emotional and inspirational needs of patients and care givers. This first-in-a-series CD is her gift of hope to those individuals who face insurmountable odds with grace and courage. She is also currently heard as the voice of 'Rachel' in the DreamWorks animated video/ DVD "Joseph: King of Dreams" with Ben Affleck.
A singer with a vocal range of unparalleled purity, McGovern gained rave reviews for her recording "The Music Never Ends: The Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman." The collection showcases the best of the Bergmans with music by contemporary composers including Marvin Hamlisch, Michel Legrand, John Williams, Dave Grusin, Johnny Mandel, Dori Caymmi and David Shire. Maureen's beloved Bergman CD was also re-released in Spring, 2003 on Fynsworth Alley with three new bonus cuts.
She recently performed as 'Countess Aurelia' in an historic revival of the 1969 Jerry Herman musical "Dear World" (an adaptation of "The Madwoman of Chaillot") at The Sundance Institute Theatre. Maureen originated the role of 'Eleanor Bridges' in the World Premiere of Paris Barclay's musical "Letters From 'Nam" at the North Shore Music Theatre in Boston. Other recent performances include her dramatic debut role as 'Eleanor of Acquitaine' in "The Lion in Winter" at the Carpenter Square Theater in Oklahoma, 'Madame Emery' in "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" at the Sundance Theatre, and as 'Mary Turner' in George Gershwin's, "Of Thee I Sing" in the prestigious 'Reprise' series at the Freud Playhouse in Los Angeles. Critics and audiences alike were delighted with her definitive portrayal of 'Anna' in the recent Broadway National Tour of "The King and I." Maureen was featured on Disney Records' Winnie the Pooh Celebration "Take My Hand: Songs from the 100 Acre Wood" which was Certified Gold in Spring, 1998. In 1999, she was Grammy nominated for "The Pleasure of His Company," a piano/voice CD with jazz pianist, Mike Renzi, on Sterling Records. "The Bengal Tiger's Ball," her children's musical (in which she wrote the music, co-created and also starred,) had its East Coast premiere in 1999.
Ms. McGovern's career spans recordings, concerts, the Broadway stage, films, television and radio, with a voice that defies categorization: from a jazzy, warm pop register, she glides easily into a crystalline coloratura. It is no wonder she has been called "The Stradivarius Voice." Her appearances with America's most prestigious symphony orchestras are highlighted by duets with orchestra members in which her voice matches the tonal quality and dexterity of various instruments. She has earned a reputation for being one of America's most popular artists. To quote Mel Tormè, "Maureen McGovern is, quite simply, the most glorious singer to come down the pike in several months of Sundays. Possessed of one of the finest vocal instruments in the world, with a range that hasn't been matched since Yma Sumac stunned us all decades ago, and the ability to softly breathe into a lyric or "read" the words in a clear, strong voice, perfectly in tune, she is positively daunting to the parade of soubrettes who wish they could sing like Maureen McGovern. Add the fact that she is a world-class performer."
Ms. McGovern made her Broadway debut as 'Mabel' in the Joseph Papp production of "The Pirates of Penzance" and was hailed by the New York Times critic, Frank Rich, as "...a winning comedian....a real find for the musical theatre." She then played Raul Julia's wife 'Luisa Contini' in the Tony Award winning production of "Nine" and starred as 'Polly Peachum' opposite Sting in the John Dexter Broadway production of "The 3 Penny Opera." Off-Broadway, she originated the role of 'Mary' in "Brownstone." She has also starred in productions of "South Pacific," "The Sound of Music," "Guys & Dolls" (playing both 'Sarah' and 'Adelaide') and "I Do, I Do." Her screen roles include "The Towering Inferno," "Airplane!" and "Airplane II: The Sequel" and most recently the independent film, "The Cure For Boredom."
Ms. McGovern's recording career began with the #1 chart-topping, Academy Award winning Gold Record, "The Morning After," from "The Poseidon Adventure," a Grammy nomination for "Best New Artist," followed by another Oscar winning Gold Record, "We May Never Love Like This Again" from "The Towering Inferno." Maureen made history in 1975 as the first singer to have recorded and introduced two Oscar nominated songs in the same year, "We May Never Love Like This Again" and "Wherever Love Takes Me" from "Gold." She has received International Gold Records from the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and the Philippines and has also won the Grand Prize award at the Tokyo Music Festival. She has personally received two Grammy nominations in addition to participating in four other recordings that received Grammy nominations. Other hit records include the John Williams and Leslie Bricusse love theme from the motion picture "Superman," "Can You Read My Mind?" and "Different Worlds," the theme from the ABC television series "Angie."
Ms. McGovern recorded four highly-acclaimed albums for CBS Records: "Another Woman in Love" (classic standards spanning seven decades accompanied solely by New York jazz pianist Mike Renzi,), "State of the Heart" (a fully orchestrated collection of contemporary love songs written mainly by composer/arranger Jeff Harris and lyricist Judy Barron,) "Naughty Baby" (a live, in-studio concert of Gershwin classics including some newly discovered gems) and "Christmas with Maureen McGovern" (a treasure of seasonal favorites from the 14th century to the present.)
Other noted recordings include "Baby, I'm Yours" on RCA Victor (a collection of 'baby boomer' favorites from 1955 to 1970,) "Out of This World: McGovern Sings Arlen" on Sterling Records, the Grammy nominated TELARC album "Amen! A Gospel Celebration" with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops" and "With a Song in My Heart: The Great Songs of Richard Rodgers" with Skitch Henderson and The New York Pops celebrating the Richard Rodgers Centennial.
Maureen has been a guest on other numerous prestigious recordings including a duet with Placido Domingo, "A Love Until the End of Time," and the CBS recording of Bernstein's "Glitter and be Gay" and Faure's "Pavane" with the Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York.
Ms. McGovern's love affair with Gershwin's music has received countless accolades. She performed Gershwin on the PBS/BBC Emmy award-winning special, "Celebrating Gershwin," marking the 50th Anniversary of the composer's death. She also starred with Larry Kert and Jack Gilford in the historic concertized revival of "Of Thee I Sing/Let 'Em Eat Cake" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Kennedy Center. The concert was also a Grammy nominated recording by CBS Masterworks. Her performance in the "George Gershwin Centennial Celebration" at the London Palladium in England received enormous critical acclaim. Regarding her Gershwin interpretations, Clive Barnes of the New York Post wrote, "...the stylish Maureen McGovern can sing Gershwin like Joan Sutherland can sing Donizetti."
Her Carnegie Hall performances are highlighted by her solo debut in 1989 which launched "Naughty Baby" and by appearances as Mel Tormè's special guest for the legendary Kool Jazz Festival. She has also performed in the Centennial Celebrations of Irving Berlin and Oscar Hammerstein as well as the Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin Centennial Celebrations in the United States and England. Ms. McGovern has performed in extensive cross-country tours with jazz great Mel Tormè, Mercer Ellington and the Duke Ellington Orchestra and, most recently, a 36 city tour with John Pizzarelli.
Ms. McGovern is a much sought after guest for symphony concerts. She has appeared with every major symphony including the Boston Pops, New York Pops, the Cincinnati Pops, the Baltimore Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony and the National Symphony to name a few. Maureen has starred in her own PBS special, "Maureen McGovern: Live at Wolftrap," and guest starred with Buddy Rich in his last public performance on "Sentimental Swing: A Tribute to the Music of Tommy Dorsey" hosted by Mel Tormè. Her many symphonic television guest appearances include the Boston Pops "Pops Goes the Fourth" for A&E and the PBS telecast of John Williams' 10th Boston Pops Anniversary Concert. Other television highlights include many appearances with the National Symphony including two "A Capitol 4th" Specials with Erich Kunzel and Henry Mancini and the PBS D-Day 50th Commemorative Concert with Erich Kunzel and the National Symphony on The Mall in Washington, D.C. She also starred in the PBS Special "Happy Birthday George Gershwin" with the Dallas Symphony, conducted by Andrew Litton (now available on video and CD) and the George & Ira Gershwin Centennial specials at The Palladium and Royal Albert Hall in London for the BBC. In addition, Ms. McGovern spent three seasons as a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor's live radio show, "The American Radio Company" on American Public Radio.
Ms. McGovern was a guest host of Lifetime's popular TV comedy series, "Girl's Night Out," played the roles of 'Dr. Berg' on "Pacific Blue" for the USA Network, 'Mrs. Hatchigan' on "Beyond Belief" and the mother in a mother/daughter singing duo with Tracey Ullman on the "Tracey Ullman Show" for the Fox Network.
She received rave reviews for her performances at The Hollywood Bowl's Jazz Tribute to Mel Tormè. Don Heckman of the LA Times wrote: "...McGovern was up to the task singing with astonishing musical facility. Her scatting on "I'm Late" and "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead" was astounding. And her a cappella rendering of "Skylark" (a tune some singers have difficulty delivering in tune even with accompaniment) was both a musical and a storytelling tour de force. Tormè would have loved every minute of her presentation." Her performances at The Algonquin Hotel's famed "Oak Room" in New York City garnered raves from Stephen Holden of The NY Times. He wrote: "...Ms. McGovern's gorgeous voice and the melodies of Richard Rodgers were meant for each othe . . . Not only is the singer the closest American equivalent to Julie Andrews in her vocal prime, but she also adds a jazzy, coloratura panache."
Maureen has also displayed her talent for composing children's music with "I Want to Learn to Fly," a song that accompanies an illustrated children's book by the same title. The book/cassette, with lyrics by Judy Barron, is currently in the Scholastic Books catalogue.
Maureen devotes her energies to a number of charitable organizations. She is a National Board member of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and serves as the National Chairperson for the Polymyositis/Dermatomyositis Division of MDA and the National Chairperson of the "Shamrocks Against Dystrophy" yearly campaign. For the last twenty four years Maureen has performed on the "Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon," acting as co-host for six years. Ms. McGovern is the founder of The McGovern "Works of Heart" Project for Music and Healing and an Artist Spokesperson for The American Music Therapy Association.
