Anywhere I Wander: Liz Callaway Sings Frank Loesser

Introductory notes on “Anywhere I Wander: Liz Callaway Sings Frank Loesser,” from Oscar Winner, David Shire: "1958. I’m sitting in the back of the balcony of New York’s Imperial Theatre. Jo Sullivan is singing “My Heart Is So Full of You” as Frank Loesser’s THE MOST HAPPY FELLA soars towards curtain. I’m crying. 1982. I’m sitting at a ringside table in the King Cole Room of the St. Regis Hotel listening to Liz Callaway sing “I Don’t Want to Walk Without You, Baby”, one of the songs in an all-Loesser revue she’s appearing in. Richard Maltby has brought me here because he feels that Liz is perfect for one of the leads in BABY, a new show we’re writing. I lean over and tell him he’s right. 1983. I’m in the back of another Broadway Theatre, the Barrymore. Liz Callaway is singing “The Story Goes On,” the finale of the first act of BABY. I’m crying again. 1993. I’m driving along a Connecticut highway listening to an advance cassette of Liz Callaway’s first solo album, “Anywhere I Wander” comprised of Frank Loesser songs. She’s making “My Heart Is So Full of You” come alive again, and I only wish Frank could hear it too. He spent a lot of time looking for the most exciting vocal instruments to sing his music, and nothing pleased him more than finding one. I think Liz Callaway would have blown him away as she blew away Richard and me and a lot of other people night after night during the run of BABY. This album is a feast for anyone who appreciates some of the greatest theatre (and pop) music ever written and one of the purest voices to sing it that God ever made. Rest in peace, Frank. A new generation is taking good care of your music. And if I’m not careful I’m going to be crying again." -- David Shire About Liz Callaway: The most fascinating performer to come down the pike since the infant Bernadette Peters,” is how critic Clive Barnes described Liz Callaway when she burst on the Broadway scene over 25 years ago. Since then the Tony nominated and Emmy Award winning actress has gone on to star in numerous Broadway shows including Baby, Miss Saigon and Cats. She has also established a critically acclaimed career as a singer and recording artist. From New York to Sydney, to Beijing to Paris, she has appeared in many of the world’s greatest concert halls with several of the most acclaimed symphony orchestras. She has also created a third career, as the singing voice in many acclaimed animated movies including Beauty and the Beast, Lion King II, and most especially as the title voice in the Oscar-nominated Anastasia. Finally, she can be seen in concert with her award-winning sister Ann Hampton Callaway in the acclaimed Sibling Revelry, and the recently recorded, and now touring show, Boom!