Page 49 - Meredith Willson News Today

She starred in classic Broadway musicals and received three Tony nominations.

Rebecca Luker, Tony-nominated Broadway singer and actress, dies at 59 Matt Schudel Rebecca Luker, a Broadway actress and singer who was nominated for three Tony Awards and starred in several classic musicals, including “Show Boat,” “The Sound of Music” and “The Music Man,” died Dec. 23 at a Manhattan hospital. She was 59. Her death was announced in a statement by her husband, actor Danny Burstein. The cause was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative...

From ‘White Christmas’ to ‘Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag’ By Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune Published: December 24, 2020, 6:02am Share: Why do we love Christmas music? We know all the obvious reasons: It conjures treasured memories of holidays past; it allows us to revel in the season’s spirit simply by listening; it gives us a sense of peace through familiarity — we’ve heard these songs a thousand times before. But there’s another reason we cling to songs such as...

The Phantom of the Opera and was most recently seen on Broadway in Fun Home. Rebecca Luker, the three-time Tony-nominated actor who possessed a remarkably rich soprano, passed away December 23 following complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Her death was confirmed to The New York Times by her agent. She was 59. Born April 17, 1961, in Birmingham, Alabama, Ms. Luker made her Broadway debut in 1988 in the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber...

Why do we love Christmas music? We know all the obvious reasons: It conjures treasured memories of holidays past; it allows us to revel in the season’s spirit simply by listening; it gives us a sense of peace through familiarity – we’ve heard these songs a thousand times before. But there’s another reason we cling to songs such as “White Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: The...

Why do we love Christmas music? We know all the obvious reasons: It conjures treasured memories of holidays past; it allows us to revel in the season’s spirit simply by listening; it gives us a sense of peace through familiarity — we’ve heard these songs a thousand times before. But there’s another reason we cling to songs such as “White Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”: The character of the music itself co...

Courtesy Photo Kelly Clarkson performs a jolly cover of "Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas," on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Haul out the holly because its beginning to look a lot like Christmas on The Kelly Clarkson Show! On Friday (Dec. 18), Kelly Clarkson kicked off her eponymous talk show with a swinging take on the holiday classic. Forgoing the festive outfits shes donned for much of the week, the pop singer wore a simple black ensemble as she belted out the 1951 single, which was pe...

Sugar. Styne and Cahn wrote “Let It Snow!” as a standalone song in 1945, and it was premiered later that year by Vaughn Monroe. It doesn’t mention any holiday, but its winter setting has made it a frequent favorite for holiday albums. It’s been covered by a host of artists, including Dean Martin, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, and Carly Simon. 3. “White Christmas” Irving Berlin’s Broadway scores include classics like Call Me Madam, but he’s also responsible for...

Mariah Careys All I want for Christmas tops charts Time to get in a holiday mood, despite COVID. Mariah Careys Xmas superhit is once again number 1. But which other songs are at the top of German charts? All I Want For Christmas Is You Already a critically acclaimed hit upon its release in 1994, Mariah Careys iconic Christmas song has climbed to number 1 on the US Billboard charts for the second year running, and is now at the top of charts in Germany as well. The enduring appeal of the song pa...