Last Saturday was a particular challenge and triumph. We performed at a huge gala for a local Chicago hospital. There were upwards of a thousand guests at the party, all seated in the cavernous great hall of Union Station. The big donors and VIP’s to the hospital carry a lot of weight (as they should) and this year they requested no vocals and just a small ensemble during the dinner potion of the evening. There was a huge concern about the volume of the band during that part of the evening and so the party organizers requested a quartet to play soft background music. That is fine, except that a lone quartet playing jazz instrumentals for one thousand people is b-o-r-i-n-g especially if the program and the dinner runs behind (which it did) but those were my instructions. I had offerred to sing my cabaret thing just to give the early part of the evening a bit of a kick and some entertainment, but they were adamant – no vocals.
Okay…
Then I found out that my hero Roger Ebert was being honored at the event because he had been treated at the hospital during his health crisis a few years back. Long ago, I emailed Roger and asked him to give me a song request. He told me that “As Time Goes By” was a favorite and so I was determined to perform it for him. The “powers that be” were nervous, they kept insisting “No vocals!” but I knew in my gut that if I got up there and did my thing with gentle, strong and beautiful singing that the grand poombahs would love it, and the performance would add some color to the long stretch of time during dinner. And so I insisted on singing. I ended up performing from the speech podium and man, did my voice sound good booming through that great hall! Roger loved it and so did the VIP’s. I know what I’m doing. And I took photos with Roger and his wife Chaz. Bonus!
Roger is a great man indeed! Your voice and the acoustics of Union Station would certainly add to any dinner! Wish I had bee there! You know your shit Lynne!
It was a great night. and the acoustics in Union Station were awesome for the sole voice.
I love stories like this one because it bespeaks the confidence that comes with your maturity as a performer. Of course, you should have sang that song for Roger and I’m glad you did it then & there! Bravo!
Thank you so much. Sometimes I worry that these posts border on boasting but those who know me know that overconfidence has never been my failing…