Dan's Papers - November 16, 2007 - Melissa Manchester at WHBPAC

The smooth voice of Melissa Manchester conjures thoughts of late-night jazz clubs and sparkling dresses reflecting off baby grand pianos. The fact is, as a native New Yorker, that's the way she was raised. And in the past few years, she's prided herself on getting back to her roots. Manchester, most famous for major 80s hits like "Midnight Blue" and "Don't Cry Out Loud," was born in the Bronx and raised on Billie Holiday.

Her father, a bassoonist for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, introduced her to the classics at an early age. She attended the High School of Performing Arts and then headed to New York University, where she studied songwriting under none other than Paul Simon. During this time, Ms. Manchester lived the fantasy, singing in bluesy lounge clubs anywhere from Greenwich Village to the Upper West Side. In that time, she met Bette Midler, who was so taken by her voice that she hired her as a back-up singer. This may have thrust Manchester onto the biggest stages in the world, like Carnegie Hall, but she was yet to take center stage. That dream was for later.

Within a year of singing with Midler, Manchester landed her first record deal. Not long after, she was headlining Carnegie Hall in front of sold out audiences.

But while many performers in Manchester's field think of themselves as performers first, this leading lady has straddled the field. It's arguable what role actually defines her best - singer, songwriter or actress. She's been nominated for several Grammy awards, and she won in 1982 for Best Female Vocalist for the track "You Should Hear How She Talks About You." In 1980, she became the first person to have two songs nominated as best movie themes - "Through the Eyes of Love" from the motion picture soundtrack for Ice Castles and "I'll Never Say Goodbye" from the motion picture soundtrack for The Promise. She also made history that year by performing both in their entirety at the Academy Awards ceremony.

Manchester's sultry redheaded looks have never been second fiddle to her voice, and she has graced the television and film screen as well as the stage and the recording studio. She was popular as a recurring character in television's "Blossom" and co-starred with friend and colleague Bette Midler in the 1991 film For the Boys.

More recently, Manchester has combined her love of songwriting, acting and singing by composing scores and performing them. She wrote the music for "I Sent A Letter to My Love," based on acclaimed novel by the same name. She then performed the leading role in the show for an NPR broadcast and its staged premiere in Boston in 2002.

Manchester's career has spanned several decades and a variety of mediums, and she has always kept herself busy. She has recorded a whopping sixteen albums, and has performed on stages across the globe. She is particularly excited about this next phase in her career, however, when she feels free to get back to the essence of what she does, or the soul of the songs. Her most recent album was in 2004, titled When I Look Down That Road. Since then, she has been focusing on her theatre career as well as live concerts. She's been getting away from the pop scene and was quoted as saying, "because I could no longer make records that sounded less and less like me. I tried to please people instead of believing in my own strength, until the only thing I could do was walk away."

Manchester may see it as walking away, but her schedule hasn't slowed down any. She's just performing on her own terms. And that's always the best kind of show to see - one that comes from the heart. That's why it should be a worthwhile event when she makes her way to the East End next week. Ms. Manchester will be taking the stage at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on Saturday, November 24 at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $75, $60 and $45. Call the box office at (631) 288-1500 or stop by 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach, Wednesday to Sunday between 12 and 6 p.m., and later on show nights, or purchase tickets online at www.whbpac.org.