Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter is a one-woman, tour de force musical and theatrical journey, starring acclaimed jazz vocalist Stevie Holland. Love, Linda explores the life of Linda Lee Thomas, the Southern beauty who, at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties, married and was a driving force behind legendary songwriter Cole Porter. Though Porter was gay, their companionship and love lasted through 35 years of marriage and together they lived a spectacular, glamour-filled life.
Stevie Holland (Linda Porter/Book) is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, songwriter and recording artist. Her CD Before Love Has Gone was chosen by USA TODAY as a Top CD of the year. Since its release, the recording has continued to chart among iTunes’ top 100 Jazz CDs of all time. Her previous CDs More Than Words Can Say and Restless Willow, also charted with jazz, smooth jazz and traditional pop radio stations across the country.
Ms. Holland has headlined nationally and at New York City concert halls and venues, including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola/Jazz at Lincoln Center and Iridium Jazz Club. Her dynamic performances have led to invitations to perform for the King and Queen of Norway, and have crossed over to the cabaret world, earning her the BACK STAGE Bistro Award for "Outstanding Vocalist of the Year." Ms. Holland was heard for several years singing the theme song she wrote with Gary William Friedman for Joey Reynolds, the popular Rock n' Roll Hall-of-Famer/ Radio talk show host, on his national WOR Radio program. As a book writer, Ms. Holland’s current projects include Dream Mountain, a musical about Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, with lyrics by Will Holt, and music by Gary William Friedman.
Gary William Friedman (Book/Arrangements/Additional Music) is the composer of the Tony® Award nominated, OBIE Award winning musical The Me Nobody Knows. Other musical theater credits include the Outer Critic’s Circle Award winning Taking My Turn (presented on PBS Television's Great Performance Series) and Platinum, which starred Alexis Smith on Broadway, and was most recently presented at the 2010 NYC Fringe Festival, and Treasure Island, which received BroadwayWorld.com’s Award for "Best Musical" for its world premiere at Theatre Three in October 2012.
His orchestral, operatic and dance works have been commissioned and performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Lancaster Music Festival, the Columbus Symphony, and Encompass New Opera Theatre. His symphonic works have been recently recorded and released on the CD Colloquy. Mr. Friedman’s music also spans the genres of film, for which he has scored several features, and television, where he served as Music Director for T.V.'s "The Electric Company", for which he wrote many songs including the popular "Spider Man Theme Song". He and Holland are songwriting collaborators, and Friedman has been the arranger and orchestrator for her recordings.
With swinging, jazz-inflected arrangements by award-winning composer Gary William Friedman, Cole Porter’s timeless music and lyrics weave through the compelling narrative written by Holland and Friedman, celebrating the deep love that Linda and Cole shared, while examining the darker sides of their life. The score for Love, Linda includes such beloved Porter songs as "Night and Day", "I Love Paris," "In the Still of the Night" and "Love for Sale."
Music direction will be by Christopher McGovern, and the onstage band will feature Danny Weller on bass and Alex Wyatt on drums.
The York Theatre Company is the only theater in New York City—and one of very few in the world—dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals and preserving neglected, notable shows from the past. For over four decades, York’s intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and neglected classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike. Under the guidance of Producing Artistic Director James Morgan since 1997, the York has focused exclusively on new musicals in its Mainstage Series—most of them world, American, or New York premieres—by some of the field’s most esteemed creators, and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. Over 35 cast recordings from The York Theatre Company productions are now available on CD, and commercial transfers of such York premieres as The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), Souvenir, Jolson & Company, and its acclaimed revivals of Closer Than Ever (2013 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival), Sweeney Todd and Pacific Overtures have all showcased the importance of the York and its programs.
Tickets for Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter, now on sale, are priced at $67.50 and may be purchased by calling (212) 935-5820, or in person at the box office at the York Theatre at Saint Peter’s (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue), Monday through Friday (12:00 -6:00 p.m.).
For additional information, please visit the website at www.yorktheatre.org and www.lovelindathemusical.com
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