Carol Hall

Carol Hall
Born 1936 (age 79–80)
Abilene, Texas, United States
Genres Musical theatre
Occupation(s) Composer, lyricist, singer

Carol Hall (born 1936 in Abilene, Texas) is an American composer and lyricist.[1][2]

Hall is best known for composing the music and lyrics for the Broadway stage musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1978, adapted as a film in 1982). Her other works include the Broadway sequel The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public (1994), as well as the Off-Broadway musical To Whom It May Concern (c. 1986). Recently, Hall has written eight non-musical one-act plays. Collectively under the title "The Days Are As Grass", the work has been acquired by Samuel French for publication and theatrical licensing. In 2012 a production was mounted at Theater of the Spirit, Newcastle, Maine.[3]

Hall's career also includes singing in clubs and similar venues. In 1970, she signed to Elektra Records as a singer-sngwriter and had two albums released on the label in 1971 and 1972, If I Be Your Lady and Beads and Feathers.[4] Hall's most recent CD is "Hallways: The Songs of Carol Hall" released in 2009 on the LML Music label.[5]

In 1972, Hall was invited by Marlo Thomas to create three songs for the LP Free to Be… You and Me (1972) and the 1974 television special based on the album — "Parents Are People," "It's All Right to Cry," and "Glad to Have a Friend Like You." In 2012 Free to Be celebrated its 40th Anniversary with numerous panel discussions and radio talk discussions re its impact on child-raising and parenting.

For the 1977 duet album of Tony Bennett and Bill Evans titled Together Again, Hall wrote lyrics to Evans' classic number "The Two Lonely People." The song has also been recorded by Roberta Gambarelli, Jane Monheit, Mark Murphy, Donna Byrne, Laurel Massé and other jazz singers. She also penned lyrics to Evans' jazz classic "Very Early," subsequently recorded by Mark Murphy and others.

Hall has been a major contributor to Sesame Street for many years. Along with Sam Pottle she co-wrote the song "A Very Simple Dance" (1974). Other compositions include the feminist-themed "Women Can Be," "The Plant in the Window." "Big Bird's Beautiful Birthday Bash," "Ichi Ni San" (from Big Bird Goes to Japan), and the Grammy-winning "True Blue Miracle" from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, among others.

For a national tour of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" starring the entertainment icon Ann-Margret, Hall recorded a final (extra) track on the 2001 cast album—the song "A Friend to Me," written expressly for Ann-Margret and that production. Hall also composed the music and lyrics for Theatreworks/USA's production of Max & Ruby, which had a libretto by Glen Berger, who wrote the book to the musical "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark."

Her most recent project has been contributing lyrics for a musical based on Truman Capote’s classic story "A Christmas Memory" (book: Duane Poole, music: Larry Grossman), which premiered (2010) at Theatreworks in Palo Alto, California.[6]

Hall is a Lifetime Member of the Dramatists Guild Council and Vice-President of the Dramatists Guild Fund.

Discography

If I be Your Lady (1970) (Elektra EKS 74078)

1. If I be Your Lady
2. Why be Lonely
3. Baby, If We Had Time
4. Who Will Dance with the Blind Dancing Bear?
5. It's Been a Long Time Comin'
6. Miss McKinley
7. Let Me Be Lucky This Time
8. The Crooked Clock
9. Goodbye, Jasper
10. The Ceiling Song
11. Crazy Mirinda
12. Jenny Rebecca
13. Ain't Love Easy

Beads & Feathers (1972) (Elektra EKS 75018)

1. Carnival Man
2. Hello, My Old Friend
3. I Never Thought Anything this Good Could Happen to Me
4. Nana
5. Uncle Malcolm
6. Sunday Lady
7. Sandy
8. Hard Times Lovin'
9. My House
10. Charlie's Waiting for the Snow
11. Thank You, Babe

Hallways: The Songs of Carol Hall (2009) (LML Music)

1. Hard Candy Christmas (performed by Carol Hall & Susannah Blinkoff)
2. It’s Only a Broken Heart (performed by Sally Mayes)
3. Dublin in the Rain (performed by Farah Alvin, music by Hubert Tex Arnold)
4. Change in Me (performed by Johnny Rodgers)
5. This is My Birthday (performed by Carol Hall & Rick Jensen)
6. Tattooed Boy in Memphis (performed by Amanda McBroom)
7. Hungry for You (performed by Lesley Gore, music by Lesley Gore)
8. Do You Know What I Mean (performed by Carol Woods and the Broadway Inspirational Voices)
9. Jenny Rebecca (performed by Bobby Gosh)
10. Nana (performed by Carol Hall)
11. The Two Lonely People (performed by Laurel Massé, music by Bill Evans)
12. War on Christmas Day (performed by Scott Coulter, Tim Di Pasqua & Tom Andersen)
13. I’ll Imagine You a Song (performed by Steven Lutvak, music by Steven Lutvak)
14. My Circle of Friends (performed by Carol Hall)

References

  1. ↑ Gerard, Jeremy (May 16, 1994). "Review: ‘The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public’". Variety.
  2. ↑ King, Larry L. The Whorehouse Papers. New York: Viking Press, 1982. ISBN 0-670-15919-0
  3. ↑ Samuelfrench.com
  4. ↑ Elektra
  5. ↑ Lmlmusic.com
  6. ↑ Achristmasmemorymusical.com

External links

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