Ann Hampton Callaway Returns to Seattle to salute Linda Ronstadt

June 7, 2023

Celebrated singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway takes you on a musical journey through Linda Ronstadt's iconic songbook, tracing the many aspects of love through songs like "Different Drum," "Desperado" and "You're No Good." Callaway brings a songwriter's sensibility to this crowd-pleasing program, having penned songs for the likes of Carole King and Barbra Streisand. Callaway brings a special songwriter's sensibility to this crowd-pleasing program, having penned songs for the likes of Carole King and Barbra Streisand. Callaway has also garnered acclaim for writing the delightfully hummable theme song to the beloved TV sitcom, The Nanny.

I chatted with Callaway by email, back in 2019:

MK Scott: What do you like most about Seattle?

Ann Hampton Callaway: I love the people there. Smart, warm, arts loving people who tend to live life thoughtfully. Great restaurants, theater, music, art- speaks to my senses. It's a gorgeous city, too. I love walking around and discovering new places. This time I will be spending a few days before on Bainbridge Island — such a tranquil lovely place. I think the Pacific Northwest is very inspiring. Plus great coffee at every turn!

MK: I have been a fan ever since the Broadway musical, Swing. I had the soundtrack and loved everything about the show. What was your experience like?

AHC: Thanks! It was a dream come true. The producers were looking for an 'Ann Hampton Callaway type' for 6 months and finally they thought, maybe we should actually approach Ann Hampton Callaway! I had wanted to be on Broadway since I was a child and saw Company and when I quit college and moved to NY, I had hoped to eventually land a Broadway role. I didn't realize it would take 21 years to become an overnight sensation! Not only did I get to star in the show with a superb cast, I got to choose my songs, co-arrange them, write specialty material for the show and create a role that would feature many of my gifts and particular passions for the music. It was a joy to see how audiences were swept away by the irresistible dancing and soaring songs of the swing era-they would often sing and dance out of the theater!

MK: You have even composed and worked with some of the greats like Barbra, Patti Lupone, Liza and my good pal, Michael Feinstein. What memory stands out for you working with those legends?

AHC: I love great talent and when I've gotten to hear these artists sing my songs or perform with them or for them, it's a high like nothing else. Every time I hear Barbra sing one of my songs that are featured on 7 of her CDs it's a pinch me moment. Patti was the first to sing 'At the Same Time' for an AIDS TV special and I was so moved by her passion for the song and the cause. Liza has been one of my most important friends and mentors in the business. We met in 1991 and her encouragement and example inspire me to this day. Michael and I have performed numerous times together and written together and I hope one day we record something together. He is such a great champion of the music I love and he astounds me with his energy for all the musical avenues he pursues — there's nothing he can't do!

MK: What makes 'Swing' music still so timeless?

AHC: There is, at the heart of the music, a sense of joy and freedom that to me is our essential nature. It puts a smile in people's hearts and is impossible not to move to. Like the human heartbeat, it creates a rhythm that is so compelling that you forget your troubles and get drawn into the playful world of sound and story. What's not to love?

Be sure to catch Seattle Symphony with Ann Hampton Calloway The Linda Ronstadt Songbook at Benaroya Hall (200 University Street, in downtown Seattle) from Fri, June 9th to Sunday, June 11th (8p, 2p). Go to seattlesymphony.org for more information.