Barbara Cook has Died

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

The book of showbusiness vitriol to end all tho is Arthur Laurents book. I have not met one person in the business who ever had a good thing to say about him and when you read his book you will see why-marvellously entertaining tho if you can stomach that much bile!!

 

AL's Original Story was a little rough around the edges, but his stories were wonderful. Same goes for Mainly On Directing.

 

While not a formal memoir, the bio on David Merrick, The Abominable Showman, is superb. It's one of those books I read once a year because the stories are just too good to forget.

[TruHart1]

At the stage door, after I saw her in "Sondheim on Sondheim" on Broadway, in which she was glorious, she must have been having a great day, she certainly deserved all the accolades we at the stage door were laying on her for that particular performance. In that instance, my only experience meeting her, I found her to be very gracious with all of us fans.

 

TruHart1

[+ WilliamM]

Exactly-why complain that a bio of someone's life is all about them? That's what most fans are interested in, and if you are not then why read the book?

 

Well, Mary Martin's career was as important as Cook's. But, Wally Harper is less well known. Barbara Cook writes too much about the details of Harper's illnesses and alcohol problems. She is just as hard on herself, but that was a personal choice.

 

@hornyrwells, Isn't it evident Cook's book is somewhat at odds with the way she presented herself in public, IMHO.

[foxy]

I used to go see Barbara Cook years ago when she performed at a club called Reno Sweeney on 13th Street just off 6th Avenue. I think for the price of a couple drinks you got to see her perform accompanied by Wally Harper. When her album It's Better With A Band came out in 1980 I read that she would be autographing copies of the album at the record department of Barnes & Noble. I went on my lunch hour and to my great surprise there was no one there except for the cashier. So I had her all to myself for several minutes while she signed the album. I'm looking at it now. She was very nice, almost shy. I asked about upcoming concerts and simply said how much I enjoyed her performances. Maybe the fact that there wasn't any commotion was the reason she seemed relaxed and not at all disturbed there was no one else there. Let's face it, she was a musical genius and I'm sure she was harder on herself than she was on other people.

[MrMiniver]

I'll have to get the book, which I haven't read. Out of context, though, this sounds very very very petty, and the kind of puerile gossip that I really care nothing about. (So maybe I shouldn't read the book?)

 

It's just like a bunch of queens to judge a person's life by a few anecdotes in a book that they didn't like. If that was the standard, there's hardly anyone who has written an honest book that one could like.

 

I knew her off and on for 40 years. She was always very friendly and nice to me from the first moment we met (when she didn't know me at all) until I last saw her about a year ago for dinner. She was real, down to earth, had been through hell and back several times, survived, perservered. She had a right to write frankly and honestly about her experiences. Period.

[MrMiniver]

Well, Mary Martin's career was as important as Cook's. But, Wally Harper is less well known. Barbara Cook writes too much about the details of Harper's illnesses and alcohol problems. She is just as hard on herself, but that was a personal choice.

 

@hornyrwells, Isn't it evident Cook's book is somewhat at odds with the way she presented herself in public, IMHO.

 

How did she present herself in public? As a performer. In the book, you got the warts and all. You can count on one hand the number of people who are the same in person as their public image suggest (Merman, James Stewart, Trump, a few others). Everyone else is often very different, to varying degrees.

 

Sounds like a few people just need to get over themselves.

[bostonman]

It's just like a bunch of queens to judge a person's life by a few anecdotes in a book that they didn't like. If that was the standard, there's hardly anyone who has written an honest book that one could like.

 

I knew her off and on for 40 years. She was always very friendly and nice to me from the first moment we met (when she didn't know me at all) until I last saw her about a year ago for dinner. She was real, down to earth, had been through hell and back several times, survived, perservered. She had a right to write frankly and honestly about her experiences. Period.

 

I tend to think you misunderstood my comment - which ultimately was more about the fact that that odd anecdote about forgetting the name "Richard" was being brought up out of context out here to begin with. (Because out of context, it makes no sense to me.) In other words, is that the best the book has to offer?? (And I assume not.)

[N13]

It's just like a bunch of queens........

 

Generalize much? Derogatory, judgmental, mean and unnecessary.

[+ WilliamM]

It's just like a bunch of queens to judge a person's life by a few anecdotes in a book that they didn't like. If that was the standard, there's hardly anyone who has written an honest book that one could like.

 

@MrMiniver, Perhaps you do not realize all of your prior posts are currently available to everyone on this site. You have strong opinions about everything, often negative strong opinions.

 

Note: This is not a warning because, unlike you, I am not going to discuss any of your negative strong opinions that I found here, or in private message to other members of this site. As for "a bunch of queens," I remember your sarcastic comments about Ron Reagan when his mother died. There was no need to look at your previous comments to remind me how cruel you were to Reagan's younger son, a liberal.

[Good Grief]

@MrMiniver, ..., often negative strong opinions.

 

More often than not.

 

"Glitter and Be Gay" (why not?)

 

[hornytwells]

Well, Mary Martin's career was as important as Cook's. But, Wally Harper is less well known. Barbara Cook writes too much about the details of Harper's illnesses and alcohol problems. She is just as hard on herself, but that was a personal choice.

 

@hornyrwells, Isn't it evident Cook's book is somewhat at odds with the way she presented herself in public, IMHO.

Am not sure what your point is? Also, why shouldn't she have written about Harper's problems? Aren't these things interesting or relevant to those who want to know about her life and career influences? Julie Andrews autobiography is also interesting for the reasons that she was often identified with the roles she played rather than as herself. I would have thought that's what the fans want to read about, since it is mainly them who are buying the book in the first place?

[+ WilliamM]

Am not sure what your point is? Also, why shouldn't she have written about Harper's problems? Aren't these things interesting or relevant to those who want to know about her life and career influences?

 

I read the Wally Harper part of the book again just now. Yes, I was too harsh. Barbara Cook needed someone who was dependable; she tried very hard to get through to Mr. Harper about his excessive drinking. I would not have written so honestly about his health problems. But, Barbara Cook had a right to provide her views.

 

Despite lavish praise from everyone as a singer (me included). I would not want someone with Barbara Cook's personality within 100 miles of my family.

[MrMiniver]

@MrMiniver, Perhaps you do not realize all of your prior posts are currently available to everyone on this site. You have strong opinions about everything, often negative strong opinions.

 

Note: This is not a warning because, unlike you, I am not going to discuss any of your negative strong opinions that I found here, or in private message to other members of this site. As for "a bunch of queens," I remember your sarcastic comments about Ron Reagan when his mother died. There was no need to look at your previous comments to remind me how cruel you were to Reagan's younger son, a liberal.

 

You always come across like one of those ACT-UP idiots. Cruel to Ron Reagan? That's not possible. He's an ASSHOLE and everyone knows it. And it has nothing to do with his being a liberal.

 

Sounds like you just described yourself re: strong opinions.

[MrMiniver]

I read the Wally Harper part of the book again just now. Yes, I was too harsh. Barbara Cook needed someone who was dependable; she tried very hard to get through to Mr. Harper about his excessive drinking. I would not have written so honestly about his health problems. But, Barbara Cook had a right to provide her views.

 

Despite lavish praise from everyone as a singer (me included). I would not want someone with Barbara Cook's personality within 100 miles of my family.

 

Wally Harper was a drunk, a mean nasty, unreliable drunk. She had every right to discuss that in her book as it affected her. She was also frank about her alcoholism.

[bostonman]

[bostonman]

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

 

I see your Sondheim and raise you a Lillias...

 

[+ WilliamM]

I see your Sondheim and raise you a Lillias...

 

Benjamin, I saw that benefit concert on Sept. 24, 2001. Good memory, thanks for the reminder -- sadly, it was very close to 9/11.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Benjamin, I saw that benefit concert on Sept. 24, 2001. Good memory, thanks for the reminder -- sadly, it was very close to 9/11.

 

I did as well! Perhaps we were sitting close to one another

 

My takeaway from that BC/EFA benefit was how wrongly cast Audra McDonald was. Headley killed it in a throwaway role, however.