Southeastern Louisiana University

Legendary Maureen McGovern to grace Columbia Theatre stage Jan. 26

Contact: Christina Chapple

1/12/07

     HAMMOND – Beloved vocalist and pop icon Maureen McGovern will bring her “Stradivarius voice” and seemingly limitless range, melody, grace and warmth to the stage of Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts on Jan. 26 in the theater’s first concert of 2007.

     Fresh off of her star turn in the musical “Little Women,” McGovern, whose career spans nearly 35 years and includes recordings, concerts, Broadway, films, television, radio and composing, will appear at the historic downtown Hammond theatre at 7:30 p.m. for one show only.

     “We have been attempting to book Maureen McGovern for three years now, but have never been able to make the schedules work. We are excited to finally bring her to the Columbia,” said Columbia Director Donna Gay Anderson.

     Tickets are $38, Orchestra 1 and Loge; $32, Orchestra 2 and Balcony 1; and $25, Orchestra 3. They are available online at columbiatheatre.org or at the Columbia box office, 220 E. Thomas St., 985-543-4371. Box office hours are noon-5 p.m., weekdays, and one hour before performance times.

     Blessed with perfect pitch, intuitive phrasing, an eclectic taste for everything from jazz to classics, and a range that has run out of octaves, Maureen McGovern has been a singer’s singer since she burst on the scene in 1973 with her hit record "The Morning After."

     She has earned a reputation for being one of America's most popular artists. She earned rave reviews for her performance on Broadway and in the national tour of the musical version of “Little Women” and for recent current recordings such as  "The Music Never Ends: The Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman" and "Out of This World: McGovern Sings Arlen.” McGovern also founded the "Works of Heart" Foundation for Music and Healing to address emotional and inspirational needs of patients and caregivers.

     Her numerous and varied performing credits also include Broadway appearances in “The Pirates of Penzance” and “The Threepenny Opera,” and her many recordings include the Grammy nominated "The Pleasure of His Company" and the Academy Award-winning song "The Morning After." She was also seen in the films "The Towering Inferno," "Airplane!" and "The Cure for Boredom," and she appeared at the Sundance Theatre in “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” and Jerry Herman's “Dear World.”

     For information about upcoming events in the Columbia Theatre’s 2006-07 season, visit columbiatheatre.org or call (985) 543-4366 for a season brochure.