Rosemary Clooney Tribute at Lees-McRae August 11

Story by Anna Oakes

Wendy Hayes will perform a cabaret show dedicated to the career of Rosemary Clooney on Tuesday, August 11, at Lees-McRae College Hayes Auditorium.

For the third summer, artist Wendy Hayes will perform a one-woman cabaret show at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk on Tuesday, August 11, at 7:30 p.m. at Hayes Auditorium. This year, Hayes presents “Everything Is Rosie,” a tribute to the life and musical career of Rosemary Clooney.

“I am so thrilled that these cabaret shows have gone over so well year after year,” Hayes said in a press release. “I love performing this type of show, and the mountain audiences are my favorite.” Hayes returns to Lees-McRae with the same production staff and band as in previous years.

Clooney’s career began in the 1940s at the age of 16, when she and her sister Betty won a spot singing on a Cincinnati radio station in 1945. In the 1950s, Clooney embarked on a solo career. She launched to stardom with such pop hits as “Come On-a My House,” “Mambo Italiano,” “Mangos” and “Half As Much.”

After marrying José Ferrer in 1953, Clooney had five children in a little more than five years and continued to record music and star in television and in film, often alongside Bing Crosby. Clooney played the role of Betty in the movie White Christmas.

After recovering from a mental breakdown that almost ended her career, Clooney began recording jazz albums with Concord Records, releasing 21 albums in 24 years. She received numerous Grammy nominations and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her work.

“Everything Is Rosie” will celebrate Clooney through stories and songs. Hayes, backed by Charlie Goodwin on piano, Fred Goodwin on bass and Rick Dilling on drums, will perform the music that made the star famous as well as a few gems that audience members may not remember.

“It is important to me to share, not only the songs that made her famous, but also the songs she enjoyed singing in the latter part of her career,” Hayes said. Hayes will also perform songs by composers such as George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen and Irving Berlin.

“It is going to be a wonderful evening and we have a few surprises up our sleeves—as usual,” Hayes said.

Hayes is a graduate and former faculty member of ASU’s School of Music and has appeared in many productions with the Lees-McRae Summer Theatre and Blowing Rock Stage Company. Last year, she joined the adjunct faculty at Lees-McRae as a voice instructor in the Division of Performing Arts. She has performed professionally at theatres throughout the U.S. both as an actor and singer and on cruise ships as a cabaret artist.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at the Lees-McRae box office or at the door on the evening of the show. For more information, call 828-898-8709.

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