Helena native Luker displays her vocal virtuosity

Friday, September 09, 2005

ALEC HARVEY

News staff writer

It's a rare performer who can count among her greatest hits "All I Ask of You" from "Phantom of the Opera," "My White Knight" from "The Music Man" and "The Sound of Music."

Rebecca Luker can.

It's an even rarer performer who can sing virtually unknown songs and make you feel as if you should have heard them before.

Rebecca Luker can do that, too, and she did it Thursday night during a thrilling concert at the Virginia Samford Theatre.

Forget that Luker is homegrown talent. The Helena native and University of Montevallo graduate, a two-time Tony Award nominee, showed why she is one of the most sought-after sopranos in the business.

That she sailed through Act I - singing songs from her Broadway shows and some standards that Irving Berlin and Cole Porter might as well have written for her - is no surprise.

That the second act - comprising nine songs that most in the audience were hearing for the first time - was a testament to Luker's unparalleled voice, presence and canny song choices.

Consider "Time," a beautiful ballad written by Joseph Thalken (who accompanied Luker on the piano, along with cellist Patricia Pilon). Or "Alphabet of Alcohol," a clever and humorous ditty written by John Samorian. Or the soaring "Ohio, 1904," a stunning song by Paul Loesel and Scott Burkell about a girl witnessing the Wright Brothers' first flight. Or a fun duet (sung with Birmingham's Kristi Tingle Higginbotham), "Moving Right Along," by Jeff Blumenkrantz.

Remember those names. Some will be the Sondheims of tomorrow. Right now, they should just be thanking the theater gods that Luker has chosen to sing their songs.

Luker to bring some 'old-hat standards' back to Birmingham

Sunday, June 12, 2005

ALEC HARVEY

News staff writer

Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker, a Helena native who has starred in a number of Broadway shows, will return to Birmingham for three concerts in September.

"Rebecca Luker - Back Home Again" will feature songs from Luker's musicals, as well as material from her CDs and some songs from relatively unknown theater composers that she's recently sung in concert in New York.

"I wanted to do something that was special to me," Luker says. "I feel passionate about these new songs. I wanted to do something extra along with the old-hat standards."

The singer will have plenty of old-hat standards to choose from. She has starred on Broadway in "The Music Man" and "Show Boat," both of which earned her Tony nominations, as well as "Nine," "The Sound of Music" and "The Phantom of the Opera."

"I'll do a little bit from all of my Broadway shows," Luker says. During the first half of the concert, she'll also sing songs from her latest CD, "Leaving Home," which has more pop material than theater music.

The second act of the concert will be drawn from a concert she recently performed as part of the Lincoln Center American Songbook Festival.

"I was able to do anything I wanted at that concert, so I did all-new theater songs," she says. "It's exciting, wonderful music."

That set will include a duet with Kristi Tingle Higginbotham.

Luker, a University of Montevallo graduate, got her start in Birmingham, performing with Town and Gown Theatre and Summerfest.

At the time, Town and Gown was at the Clarke Memorial Theatre, which is now the Virginia Samford Theatre, where Luker will perform her concerts Sept. 8-10.

"I understand it's beautiful," she says of the renovated theater. "It's really like coming home."

Ticket prices have not yet been set, but details will be available at www.virginiasamfordtheatre.org and www.rebeccaluker.com.

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Helena native Luker displays her vocal virtuosity

Luker to bring some 'old-hat standards' back to Birmingham

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