Barbara Cook
Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an acclaimed American singer and actress renowned for her luminous soprano voice and interpretations of the Great American Songbook, with a career spanning over six decades on Broadway, in cabaret, and in concert halls worldwide.[1][2] Born Barbara Nell Cook in Atlanta, Georgia, to a traveling salesman father and a Southern Bell telephone operator mother, she discovered her vocal talent early, winning a $10 prize in an amateur singing contest at Atlanta's Roxy Theatre at age 14 with the song "My Devotion."[1] After graduating high school, she moved to New York City in 1948 to pursue acting and singing, making her Broadway debut in 1951 as Sandy in the short-lived musical Flahooley.[1][2] Cook rose to prominence in the 1950s as a leading ingénue, originating iconic roles such as Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein's Candide (1956), for which the production won a Tony Award for Best Musical, and Marian Paroo, the librarian, in The Music Man (1957), earning her the 1958 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical along with a Theatre World Award earlier for Plain and Fancy (1955).[2][3] Her performance in She Loves Me (1963) as Amalia Balash further solidified her status, showcasing her crystalline tone and emotional depth in Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's score.[1][3] After a period of personal challenges including struggles with alcoholism and weight gain in the 1970s, which led to fewer Broadway opportunities, she reinvented herself in cabaret, partnering with pianist Wally Harper for intimate performances beginning with her legendary 1975 solo concert at Carnegie Hall, Barbara Cook at Carnegie Hall, which revitalized her career and highlighted her mastery of standards by composers like Rodgers and Hammerstein, George Gershwin, and Stephen Sondheim.[2][1] Throughout the latter part of her career, Cook became a cabaret icon, performing at venues like the Café Carlyle, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera (debuting there in 2006 with Barbara Cook at the Met), and internationally at the Sydney Opera House and London's West End, where she received Olivier Award nominations.[2][1] She returned to Broadway sporadically, including in Sondheim on Sondheim (2010), earning a Tony nomination, and released over 36 albums, including Grammy-nominated works like Count Your Blessings (2003) and original cast recordings.[3][4] Her honors included the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show (1987, A Concert for the Theatre), induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame (1994), and the Kennedy Center Honors (2011) for her contributions to American culture through the performing arts.[2][1] Cook died of respiratory failure at her home in Manhattan on August 8, 2017, at age 89, prompting Broadway theaters to dim their lights in tribute; she is survived by her son, Adam LeGrant.[5][3] Her legacy endures as one of the 20th century's greatest interpreters of musical theater and popular song, celebrated for her warmth, vulnerability, and unparalleled vocal purity that brought profound emotional resonance to every performance.[1][2]Early years
Family and childhood
Barbara Cook was born on October 25, 1927, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Nell Harwell, a telephone operator for Southern Bell, and Charles Bunyan Cook, a traveling hat salesman.[6][7] As the older of two daughters, she experienced profound family upheaval early on; her younger sister, Patricia, died at 18 months old from pneumonia and whooping cough when Cook was three, an event that contributed to her parents' divorce shortly thereafter.[7][6] Following the divorce, Cook was raised primarily by her mother in a modest apartment in Atlanta, where they shared a close bond, often sleeping in the same bed amid financial hardships.[8][6] Her mother provided unwavering support for her budding interest in performance, fostering an environment that encouraged her natural talents despite the challenges of a single-parent household. Cook later reflected on this period as formative, marked by a sense of responsibility and emotional closeness with her mother.[9] Music became a source of joy and escape during her childhood, with early exposure through church choirs and local radio broadcasts that captivated her imagination.[8] She began singing publicly at age three and performed in a school play by age nine, while also appearing on local radio programs. At age 15, she won a $10 prize in an amateur singing contest at Atlanta's Roxy Theatre with the song "My Devotion."[1] Among her hobbies, listening to records of Judy Garland stood out, inspiring dreams of a stage career on Broadway and igniting her lifelong passion for song.[8]Education and early influences
Barbara Cook attended Girls High School in Atlanta, Georgia, where she graduated in 1945.[10] Rather than pursuing college, she worked for three years as a typist to support herself while taking singing lessons with local teachers in Atlanta.[9][11] These early voice training sessions helped develop her lyric soprano technique, though she later recalled disliking formal vocal exercises.[12] In 1948, at the age of 20, Cook moved to New York City with limited funds and a strong determination to pursue a career in acting and singing.[6] She initially supported herself with a clerical job at Asiatic Petroleum while facing numerous rejections from auditions, which tested her resilience but fueled her persistence in the competitive theater scene.[13] During this period, she also studied acting with David LeGrant, whom she later married.[13] Cook's early artistic influences included Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts and Hollywood stars such as Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Laurence Olivier, and Vivien Leigh, which sparked her passion for performance.[13] She drew particular inspiration from Broadway luminaries like Ethel Merman and Gertrude Lawrence, whose commanding stage presence and vocal power shaped her aspirations.[13] To immerse herself further, Cook attended early off-Broadway productions and sought opportunities in summer theaters; her first paid singing engagement came in 1950 at the Tamiment resort in the Poconos, a venue known for launching talents like Danny Kaye, where she performed in shows with other performers.[1][13] This brief work in stock companies provided her initial professional experience in ensemble roles before her Broadway breakthrough.[1]Career
Broadway debut and 1950s stardom
Barbara Cook made her Broadway debut in 1951, portraying the ingenue role of Sandy in the short-lived musical Flahooley at the Broadhurst Theatre, which ran for just 40 performances from May 14 to June 16.[14] The production, featuring puppets and satirical commentary on corporate exploitation and McCarthy-era witch hunts, drew mixed reviews, but critic Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times singled out Cook, describing her as "especially winning" for her fresh presence and vocal charm.[7] Despite the show's quick closure amid the politically charged climate of the early 1950s, which limited opportunities for works with controversial themes, Cook's performance marked her arrival as a promising young soprano in New York theater.[15] Building on her debut, Cook took on supporting roles that showcased her versatility, including Hilda Miller, an Amish girl, in the original production of Plain and Fancy (1955–1956), a hit that ran for over a year at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. She also appeared as Ado Annie Carnes in the 1953 City Center revival of Oklahoma!, bringing comic energy to the flirtatious character during its limited engagement. Her breakthrough came in 1956 with the role of Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein's Candide at the Martin Beck Theatre, where she originated the demanding coloratura aria "Glitter and Be Gay," earning praise for her technical precision and sparkling delivery in a show that, though it closed after 73 performances, highlighted her operatic capabilities.[16] Critics noted her clear diction and ability to convey emotional depth, qualities that distinguished her amid the era's competitive soprano landscape.[17] Cook's stardom solidified with her star turn as Marian Paroo, the prim librarian, in The Music Man (1957–1961), which opened at the Majestic Theatre on December 19, 1957, and became a landmark success with 1,375 performances.[18] Opposite Robert Preston's con-man Harold Hill, she delivered iconic songs like "Goodnight, My Someone" and "Till There Was You" with a radiant soprano that blended innocence and warmth, contributing to the musical's Tony Award for Best Musical.[19] For her performance, Cook received the 1958 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, cementing her reputation as a leading Broadway ingénue.[18] That same year, she starred as Julie Jordan in the New York City Center revival of Carousel (September 11–29, 1957), portraying the tragic millworker opposite Howard Keel with poignant emotional resonance.[20] Throughout the decade, amid the McCarthy-era scrutiny that stifled bolder theatrical voices and opportunities, Cook's reliable talent and lyrical clarity made her a sought-after performer in an industry navigating political and artistic challenges.[7]Transition to cabaret and 1960s-1970s revival
Following the success of The Music Man in 1957, Barbara Cook faced increasing challenges on Broadway, largely due to typecasting as the quintessential "girl-next-door" ingénue, which limited her opportunities for more diverse roles.[21] Her clear, lyrical soprano and wholesome persona, while assets in earlier hits, pigeonholed her into similar characters, making it difficult to secure leading parts that showcased broader emotional range.[22] Cook's next major role came in 1963 as Amalia Balash in She Loves Me, a romantic musical comedy by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, where she delivered a nuanced performance opposite Daniel Massey, earning widespread acclaim for her interpretation of the title character's wit and vulnerability.[23] The song "Vanilla Ice Cream" from the show became one of her enduring signatures, highlighting her ability to blend humor with heartfelt lyricism, though the production did not yield her a Tony Award nomination amid stiff competition that year.[23] However, her 1964 turn in Something More!, a musical by Sammy Fain and Larry Holofcener, marked a setback; the show closed after just 15 performances, criticized for its uneven book and failure to capitalize on Cook's strengths, further underscoring the narrowing scope of Broadway offers.[2] By the late 1960s, Cook's career reached a low point, exacerbated by personal struggles with alcoholism and significant weight gain, which contributed to depression and a sharp decline in professional invitations as producers hesitated to cast her in traditional leading lady roles.[24] These issues led to a period of relative obscurity, with sporadic theater work, including her starring role as Dolly Talbo in the 1971 musical adaptation of The Grass Harp by Claibe Richardson and Kenward Elmslie, which ran for only seven performances despite her poignant portrayal of the eccentric character.[25] Seeking reinvention, Cook pivoted to cabaret in 1974, partnering with pianist, arranger, and conductor Wally Harper, whose supportive collaboration helped her develop a more intimate, narrative-driven style that emphasized emotional authenticity over youthful innocence.[2] This transition culminated in a triumphant solo concert at Carnegie Hall on January 26, 1975, which sold out and was hailed as a major comeback, reintroducing Cook to audiences as a mature interpreter of the Great American Songbook with newfound vulnerability and depth.[26] The live recording, Barbara Cook at Carnegie Hall, captured her performances of standards like "Sing a Song with Me" and early forays into Stephen Sondheim's repertoire, such as "Losing My Mind" from Follies, prioritizing subtle phrasing and storytelling over vocal acrobatics.[27] Throughout the 1970s, Cook's cabaret work increasingly featured Sondheim's complex songs, allowing her to explore themes of longing and regret through a lens of interpretive sophistication, solidifying her evolution from Broadway starlet to cabaret icon.[28]Concert tours and late-career acclaim (1980s-2010s)
In the 1980s, Cook expanded her cabaret career internationally with a debut engagement at London's Talk of the Town in 1980, where her warm, intimate interpretations of Broadway standards drew acclaim for their emotional depth.[7] This period marked a shift toward global touring, including performances in Europe, as she adapted her soprano to a richer, more mature tone suited to smaller venues and minimal piano-vocal arrangements that emphasized lyrical storytelling over orchestral flourish.[7] Her collaboration with musical director Wally Harper, ongoing since the 1970s, influenced this style, prioritizing subtle phrasing to convey vulnerability and joy in songs by composers like Jerry Herman, whose works such as "Time Heals Everything" she often featured in sets.[29] Cook returned to Broadway in 1987 with A Concert for the Theatre, a solo revue at the Ambassador Theatre that celebrated musical theater through medleys and anecdotes, earning her a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.[30] The show, directed by Harper, ran for 13 previews and 13 performances but solidified her late-career reputation as a interpretive powerhouse.[31] Throughout the decade, she toured extensively, including a notable 1985 concert version of Stephen Sondheim's Follies with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center, where her rendition of "Losing My Mind" showcased her evolved vocal warmth and dramatic nuance.[7] The 1990s and 2000s brought peak acclaim, with annual appearances at Lincoln Center, such as her 2007 sold-out concerts with the New York Philharmonic, blending standards with contemporary material.[7] International tours extended to Australia, highlighted by a 2000 performance at the Sydney Opera House during the Olympic Arts Festival, and Europe, including a 1997 70th-birthday concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.[2] In February 2001, she returned to Carnegie Hall for Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim, which was recorded live and released on CD.[7] Cook's final Broadway outing came in 2010 with Sondheim on Sondheim, a revue at Studio 54 where she performed alongside emerging stars, earning a Tony nomination and celebrating her six-decade bond with the composer.[32] Her late recordings captured this intimate aesthetic through the Close Up series, beginning with Vol. 1: Broadway (2007), followed by volumes dedicated to Kurt Weill (2008), George Gershwin (2010), and Stephen Sondheim (2011), each featuring pared-down arrangements to spotlight her interpretive clarity. Over her career spanning more than 60 years, Cook released over 36 albums, from cast recordings to solo efforts that influenced cabaret's emphasis on personal narrative. In 2011, she received the Kennedy Center Honors, with tributes from peers underscoring her transformative impact on American song interpretation.[1] Cook announced her retirement in 2017 at age 89, citing health limitations, though she had continued select engagements until then.[33] Her final performance occurred in summer 2016 at age 88 during a three-night run at Feinstein's/54 Below, where she performed seated, delivering classics with undiminished poise before an intimate audience.[33]Personal life
Marriage and family
Barbara Cook married actor and acting teacher David LeGrant on March 9, 1952, shortly after meeting him at the Tamiment resort in the Catskills following her Broadway debut in Flahooley.[34] The couple, who had performed together in a national tour of Oklahoma!, shared a union marked by professional collaboration but increasingly strained by LeGrant's controlling nature and the demands of Cook's rising stardom, leading to an amicable divorce in 1965.[35][23] Their son, Adam LeGrant, was born in late 1959, prompting Cook to leave her role as Marian Paroo in The Music Man after 19 months to give birth.[35] Following the divorce, Cook raised Adam as a single mother in New York City, navigating the challenges of parenthood amid her own struggles with depression and alcohol dependency.[34] Adam, who earned a degree in music from the University of Southern California, pursued a career in the entertainment industry as an actor, director, and music supervisor for television productions, occasionally collaborating with his mother on her projects. Adam LeGrant died on July 27, 2021, from complications related to chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma.[36][37][38] Cook maintained a private personal life after her divorce, with no further marriages or public romantic relationships documented, emphasizing her focus on family and career revival in cabaret.[24] Adam remained a close confidant, providing emotional support and announcing her retirement in 2017, as well as her death later that year.[39]Health challenges and death
In her later years, Barbara Cook faced significant mobility challenges that impacted her ability to perform. By 2015, she had suffered a fall that resulted in a fractured back, requiring her to use a wheelchair temporarily during public appearances, such as her concert at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.[40] These issues persisted into 2016, when she became largely confined to a wheelchair and experienced memory difficulties during rehearsals for her planned one-woman show, Barbara Cook: Then and Now, leading to its indefinite postponement after just a few sessions.[41] Ill health also forced the cancellation of a scheduled tour that year, though she managed a stage performance from her wheelchair.[42] Cook reflected on the physical and emotional toll of her career in her 2016 memoir, Then and Now, where she detailed how earlier struggles with alcoholism and depression had nearly derailed her performing life, though she noted ongoing health concerns in her late 80s that limited her mobility and unassisted walking.[43] Her son, Adam LeGrant, provided support during this period of decline.[44] Cook died on August 8, 2017, at the age of 89 from respiratory failure in her Manhattan apartment, surrounded by family and friends; no prolonged illness had been publicly disclosed prior to her passing.[7] [5] A private funeral service was held for Cook, with burial arrangements kept private.[45] That evening, the Broadway community honored her with a traditional tribute, dimming the marquee lights of all 41 theaters for one minute at 7:45 p.m. on August 9.[3]Artistic output
Stage roles
Barbara Cook's stage career on Broadway and in revivals spanned over five decades, during which she originated several iconic roles in musical theater, often portraying intelligent yet vulnerable women navigating romance, societal expectations, and personal growth. Her lyric soprano voice, noted for its clarity, warmth, and emotional depth, brought nuance to these characters, earning her acclaim as one of Broadway's premier ingénues in the 1950s and 1960s. Critics praised her ability to convey innocence and resilience, as seen in her breakthrough performances, while her later roles explored more mature vulnerabilities. With more than ten major credits across Broadway, off-Broadway revivals, and national tours, Cook's theatrical work established her as a versatile performer who blended vocal prowess with subtle dramatic insight.[7][46][1] Cook made her Broadway debut in 1951 as Sandy in the short-lived musical Flahooley, a whimsical fantasy about a leprechaun and a doll factory, where her fresh soprano voice highlighted the show's lighter moments amid its satirical edge. Four years later, she garnered attention in Plain and Fancy (1955) as Hilda Miller, a spunky Amish girl in a story of cultural clash between city slickers and Pennsylvania Dutch farmers; her performance earned a Theatre World Award for her vibrant portrayal of youthful determination and community spirit. Her role as Cunegonde in Leonard Bernstein's Candide (1956) marked a vocal tour de force, with the character—an optimistic princess enduring absurd misfortunes—requiring Cook to navigate coloratura demands in "Glitter and Be Gay," where she hit 21 high Cs, showcasing her technical agility and wide range while infusing the role with wide-eyed vulnerability. Critics lauded her as the ideal leading lady, radiant and expressive, solidifying her status as a Broadway star.[46][47][7] Cook's portrayal of Marian Paroo, the prim yet passionate librarian in The Music Man (1957), became her signature achievement, embodying an intelligent woman who thaws under the charm of a con man; her renditions of "Goodnight, My Someone" and "Till There Was You" highlighted a soaring, emotive voice that blended restraint with longing, earning her the 1958 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In revivals, she took on contrasting roles in Carousel, first as the bubbly Carrie Pipperidge in 1954 at New York City Center (an off-Broadway venue) and then as the more introspective Julie Jordan in 1957, portraying a woman grappling with an abusive relationship and themes of redemption; these performances were credited with launching her to steady leading roles through their emotional authenticity. The 1960s saw her as Liesl Brandel, a Viennese widow seeking love in The Gay Life (1961), where her warm timbre conveyed quiet strength amid farce, and as Amalia Balash in She Loves Me (1963), a sharp-witted shop clerk in a mistaken-identity romance; in the latter, her vulnerable delivery in "Vanilla Ice Cream" captured the character's hidden tenderness, drawing praise for her schoolgirl charm and dramatic subtlety despite the show's modest run.[46][7][48][47] Later in her career, Cook ventured into less conventional territory, replacing in the non-musical comedy Any Wednesday (1965) as Ellen Gordon, a sophisticated playwright's wife, demonstrating her range beyond song while maintaining poised vulnerability. She originated Dolly Talbo in the folk musical The Grass Harp (1971), a quirky Southern spinster in a tale of family rebellion, where her voice added ethereal warmth to the character's eccentric wisdom. Although she appeared in fewer new productions after the 1960s, her influence extended off-stage through vocal coaching sessions and master classes, where she mentored emerging singers on emotional honesty and self-presentation, drawing from her own experiences in roles that demanded authentic vulnerability. These efforts, often conducted in New York settings, helped peers refine their interpretive skills without focusing solely on technique.[46][47][49][50]Discography and recordings
Barbara Cook's discography encompasses more than 30 albums across her seven-decade career, including seminal Broadway cast recordings and solo projects that evolved from vibrant interpretations of pop standards and show tunes to intimate cabaret-style explorations of the Great American Songbook and Broadway medleys. Her recordings often featured lush orchestral arrangements, emphasizing her lyric soprano's clarity and emotional depth, and reflected a stylistic progression from the optimistic, character-driven songs of her 1950s Broadway roles to more reflective, jazz-inflected performances in later decades. Commercial success varied, with several releases achieving notable placements on Billboard's jazz charts, underscoring her enduring appeal in vocal and cabaret categories.[51][52] Key cast recordings captured Cook's early stardom on Broadway, drawing directly from her stage roles to preserve the theatrical energy of those productions. The original Broadway cast album for Candide (1956), with music by Leonard Bernstein, featured Cook as Cunegonde in songs like "Glitter and Be Gay," highlighting her agile coloratura and comedic timing amid the operetta's satirical score.[53][54] Similarly, The Music Man (1958 original Broadway cast), where she starred as Marian Paroo, won the Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album (presented in 1959) and showcased her warm, persuasive delivery in numbers such as "Till There Was You," contributing to the show's cultural impact. She Loves Me (1963 original Broadway cast), in which Cook played Amalia Balash, also secured a Grammy for Best Original Cast Album (at the 6th Annual Grammy Awards in 1964), with her heartfelt rendition of "Ice Cream" exemplifying the score's romantic whimsy by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.[55][56] These albums not only documented her breakthrough performances but also established benchmarks for Broadway soundtracks, blending narrative songs with orchestral sweep to appeal beyond theater audiences. Cook's solo releases marked her transition to concert and cabaret artistry, often prioritizing emotional intimacy over theatrical bombast. Her debut solo effort, Barbara Cook Sings From the Heart: The Best of Rodgers & Hart (1959), collected 12 standards like "My Funny Valentine," revealing her affinity for sophisticated lyricism and subtle phrasing in a style that bridged Broadway and pop.[57] The live recording At Carnegie Hall (1975), captured during her acclaimed comeback concert arranged by Wally Harper, revived her career with medleys of show tunes and standards, demonstrating a matured vocal palette that blended nostalgia with vulnerability; it peaked on jazz charts and remains a cornerstone of vocal repertoire.[26][58] In the 1980s, Cook's intimate solo albums, including It's Better With a Band (1981) and The Disney Album (1988), shifted toward jazz-tinged arrangements of eclectic material, from Disney classics to vintage pop, emphasizing piano-vocal synergy and her interpretive finesse in smaller ensemble settings.[59][60] Later solo works further diversified her output, incorporating tributes to specific composers and Broadway influences. Sings Mostly Sondheim (2001 live at Carnegie Hall), a two-disc set with guest Malcolm Gets, focused on Stephen Sondheim's oeuvre alongside songs he admired, such as "Everyone Says Don't," blending dramatic storytelling with jazz improvisation to critical acclaim and strong jazz chart performance.[61][62] Her final studio album, Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder (2008), returned to upbeat standards like the title track and "Where or When," arranged by Harper, encapsulating her lifelong affinity for optimistic, melody-driven material while achieving modest commercial success in vocal jazz rankings.[63][64] Collaborations enriched Cook's discography, particularly with longtime musical director Wally Harper, who co-arranged over a dozen albums from At Carnegie Hall onward, infusing her work with sophisticated big-band and jazz elements that enhanced her phrasing and emotional range.[51] She also partnered with pianist Michael Feinstein on Cheek to Cheek (2010), a Cole Porter tribute that reached No. 1 on Billboard's Jazz Albums chart, highlighting their complementary styles in duets like "I Concentrate on You" and underscoring her influence in contemporary vocal jazz. These partnerships, along with Grammy-nominated efforts like Count Your Blessings (2003) in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category, affirmed her commercial viability and artistic evolution into the 21st century.[65]| Album | Type | Year | Label | Notable Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candide | Cast | 1956 | Columbia | Featured Cook's coloratura showcase; preserved Bernstein score |
| The Music Man | Cast | 1958 | Capitol | Grammy winner, Best Original Cast Album (1959) |
| She Loves Me | Cast | 1963 | MGM | Grammy winner, Best Original Cast Album (1964) |
| Barbara Cook Sings From the Heart | Solo | 1959 | Urania | Rodgers & Hart standards collection |
| At Carnegie Hall | Solo (Live) | 1975 | Columbia | Comeback recording; jazz chart success |
| Sings Mostly Sondheim | Solo (Live) | 2001 | DRG | Sondheim tribute; strong critical reception |
| Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder | Solo | 2008 | DRG | Final studio album; vocal jazz focus |
| Cheek to Cheek (with Feinstein) | Collaboration | 2010 | Concord | No. 1 Billboard Jazz Albums |