Oscar winner performs in New Bremen

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NEW BREMEN – Hollywood, Broadway and the music world all arrived in the same package Monday when Maureen McGovern performed at the Elmwood Assisted Living Center.

The renowned singer and actress had performed Sunday as part of the Lock One Community Arts concert series, accompanied by the Michael Shirtz Quartet from Columbus. On Monday, Shirtz accompanied McGovern solo on piano and joined in a few vocals. Their free concert for Elmwood residents and guests was for music therapy. She’s been an artist spokesperson for the American Music Therapy Association since 2001.

To set the mood for the concert, McGovern led with “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” woven with “How Can I Keep From Singing?” in her voice that ranged from low alto to high soprano. She joked about her age, “I’m 68 and three-twelfths (born July 27, 1949 in Youngstown), and it’s good to still be doing what I love.”

The senior citizen audience could identify with McGovern’s rise to fame 45 years ago when she sang “The Morning After,” the theme song from “The Poseidon Adventure” that won an Academy Award for best original song, rose to No. 1 on the pop music charts and earned a gold record (million copies sold) and Grammy Award to McGovern for best new artist.

That movie adaptation of a novel about the fictitious Poseidon luxury ocean liner sinking when it was struck by tsunami-powered rogue wave was followed in 1974 by McGovern recording songs for two other disaster films. “The Towering Inferno” theme was “We May Never Love Like This Again,” which also won and Oscar, and the British disaster film “Gold” spawned another Academy Award nomination for “Wherever Love Takes Me.”

McGovern prompted a few laughs with her self-deprecating humor: “I was known as the disaster scene queen” for singing these songs and appearing on-screen as a singing nun, Sister Angelina, in the comedy-disaster movie “Airplane.” More laughs came as she broke into a high-pitched version of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” which she sang in “Airplane.”

The program took a serious turn when McGovern dedicated “You Raise Me Up” as “a song of comfort” for shooting victims in Las Vegas and those in the paths of natural disasters. The serious tone continued as she teamed with Shirtz singing “Amazing Grace” in several arrangements, including gospel, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll.

McGovern returned to humor as she related her start in music. “My parents said I was always singing from the time I was 2 years old” she said. “I’d follow songs on the radio or my dad’s barbershop quartet. And when I was a teenager, I’d sing ‘Where the boys are …’ (impersonating Connie Francis) and all those funny lyrics of doo-wop songs.”

Again she impersonated as she recalled “doo-lang doo-lang He’s So Fine …, hey-lie hey-lie My Boyfriend’s Back …, Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop …, comma comma down dooby do down down Breakin’ Up Is Hard to Do …” and others.

As the laughs and applause calmed down, McGovern moved toward the end of her concert, saying, “Here’s a prayer song to show what’s in our hearts.” She read excerpts from A Franciscan Blessing, including, “May God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference,” to introduce “Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace.”

Two closing numbers also were from familiar movies, “Ordinary Miracles” from “Charlotte’s Web” and “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.” During a question-and-answer period, McGovern was asked what song was most recognized in music therapy sessions. She cited “Over the Rainbow.”

“In any concert or therapy session,” she said, “’Over the Rainbow’ is a song that has passed through all our lives – even children’s.” McGovern explained that during the production of “Wizard of Oz,” the song was “dropped from the movie five times because they didn’t think it was a song for a little girl.” The voice of 17-year-old Judy Garland, however, carried the tune into history.

While Shirtz returned to Columbus “to do some studio work” after the New Bremen visit, McGovern was on the road to Florida and California before coming to Cincinnati on Oct. 19 to a benefit for the Ohio Cancer Research Foundation.

“We meet up again in December,” Shirtz said, then McGovern is booked for Sidney High School on Feb. 11, 2018.

Details are online at maureenmcgovern.com/tour.

Maureen McGovern performs for the residents at Elmwood Assisted Living Center Monday. She is accompanied by Michael Shirtz of Columbus.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/10/web1_McGovern-wMichael-Shirtz.jpgMaureen McGovern performs for the residents at Elmwood Assisted Living Center Monday. She is accompanied by Michael Shirtz of Columbus. Art Barnes | Sidney Daily News

Maureen McGovern shares some of her most popular songs with the residents of Elmwood Assisted Living Center Monday.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/10/web1_McGovern-wOld-Folks.jpgMaureen McGovern shares some of her most popular songs with the residents of Elmwood Assisted Living Center Monday. Art Barnes | Sidney Daily News

Maureen McGovern shares some of her most popular songs with the residents of Elmwood Assisted Living Center Monday.
http://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2017/10/web1_MaureenMcGoverncopy.jpgMaureen McGovern shares some of her most popular songs with the residents of Elmwood Assisted Living Center Monday. Art Barnes | Sidney Daily News
McGovern shares love of music with Elmwood residents

By Art Barnes

For the Sidney Daily News

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