Close Encounters of the Celebrity Kind...
Sultry, Sensational Ann Hampton Callaway on Her New TV Pilot, "Singer's Spotlight" and So Much More
Expanded Edition of 7-18-07 WCT Interview
by Richard Knight, Jr.
Chicago native Ann Hampton Callaway sets the mood for her new forthcoming TV program and posing with her first guest, the
legendary Liza Minnelli
Singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway, daughter of legendary Chicago television journalist John Callaway, returned to her
hometown recently to fulfill a six year dream.  Hampton Callaway filmed the pilot for “Singer’s Spotlight,” a proposed series in which
the talented Broadway and cabaret performer will host a singing variation on “Inside the Actor’s Studio.”  In each program the multi-
talented Hampton Callaway (seen on Broadway recently in “Swing” and in her film debut in
The Good Shepherd) will converse with her
musical guests about their background and then join them in song.  A noted songwriter (“The Nanny” theme and songs for Barbra
Streisand and many others), Hampton Callaway, also a gifted jazz pianist, will spontaneously compose a song about each guest
based on audience suggestions.  Taped at WTTW, the same studio where her father presided for years over “Chicago Tonight,”
Hampton Callaway was thrilled to talk about the pilot show (which aired in Chicago on Thursday, July 26), her fabulous first guest:
Liza Minnelli, her long association with Barbra Streisand, her recent CD "Blues in the Night," and much more.

WINDY CITY TIMES (WCT):  It must be so wonderful to have shot the pilot for your new program at WTTW.

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY (AHC):  It’s incredible.  I’ve been dreaming of this for over six years.  Sometimes you start to lose faith
that’s its going to happen though something in me always said, ‘This needs to happen.’  WTTW is a very dear place to me and my
family and I’m so honored that they were excited about the concept.

WCT:  What took so long for the show to happen?

AHC:  Well I’ve been trying to pitch a talk-variety show about singers and singer/songwriters for about six years and I had a lot of
interest from people but I think that it’s a challenging thing for regular networks because it’s very expensive to produce anything with
music because of the licensing problem.

WCT:  Oh right.

AHC:  It costs so much money to get permission to even do one song but what’s great about public television is they have a blanket
license so shows can use many songs.  It gives you the freedom to do a great show of music and the sensibility of public television
is so much more sophisticated – there’s no sense of dumbing down to America.  There’s a sense that quality music and quality
conversation about great artists and what makes art great is possible.  I was sitting in Melissa Manchester’s home and we were
writing a song and she tells me about this new incredible CD she has out which I fell in love with and she said she can’t get on
television to save her life.  I said, “This is absurd, this is why I want to do this show.”  

Also, when I was in “Swing” on Broadway kids would come up to me after the show and say how much they loved this music – they
didn’t know it.  They don’t get exposed to it.  So I feel a sense of a passionate mission to bring great music to America and this is a
perfect time to do this show because America is obsessed with “American Idol.”  I’m glad that people are so interested in singers but
if they think what goes on in “American Idol” is real singing they’re in for a surprise when they tune into “Singer’s Spotlight.”  Not
only are they going to hear truly remarkable artists, they’re also going to find out what’s behind all this art.  What are the stories?  
What is the craft?  The technique?  I think they’re going to be seduced into loving a lot of great singers and a lot of great songs that
they’ve never even heard before.

WCT:  So the official title is “Singer’s Spotlight?”

AHC:  It’s called “Singer’s Spotlight with Ann Hampton Callaway.”  Once we get the funding for the series based on the pilot from
corporations, foundations and private donors who are passionate about great music we’re going to shoot for doing a series of eight
half hour episodes in front of a live audience.  We’re calling the space the Callaway Hideaway so it has a sense of fun and mischief
and we’re hoping if all goes well that we’ll start in the spring of 2008 which is a little bit of a push but I think is doable.

WCT:  The format of the show is very much like “Inside the Actor’s Studio” where you sit in the James Lipton spot and go through
the guest’s career, correct?

AHC:  It’s a combination of “Inside the Actor’s Studio” and Marian McPartland’s show “Piano Jazz.”  It’s more like that in away
because there’s performance and it’s more like conversation than interview.  I’m not going to be sitting with my serious goatee and
stack of blue note cards.  It’s going to be a little more fun and spontaneous.  I’m going to be doing improvisational portraits of each
artist on the program.

WCT:  Wonderful – that’s always a highlight of your concerts.

AHC:  Right.  I’m going to have the audience tell me favorite memories of the artist and I’m going to create a song about them and
then I’ll welcome the artist on the show.

WCT:  Terrific.  Let’s talk about your first guest – Liza Minnelli – wow – talk about a coup right out of the gate.

AHC:  I know!  I met Liza on March 15, 1991.  I went to a show that she had attended of my friend Billy Stritch’s and after the show
there was a wonderful musical party and that’s when I met Liza.  We started singing together around the piano and at that point in
her life she was inviting people over for wonderful nights of music and I really spent a lot of time with Liza.  I also got to do “The
Day After That,” that wonderful AIDS video she did.  I went to Toronto to do that with her and we performed a song of mine at the
same time at the Hudson Theatre one night as a duet.  So over the years we’ve had a wonderful friendship – she’s been very
inspirational to me.  I couldn’t ask for a more wonderful, brilliant, gracious, and generous guest than Liza Minnelli.  She’s done it all;
she’s truly an American icon and a real survivor in an age when this kind of music is fragile.  She proves time and time again how
universal it is and how powerful it is and unmistakably exciting it is.

WCT:  I’m hoping you and Liza are going to duet on something.

AHC:  We are – probably more than one song – but we’re definitely going to be doing “Stormy Weather” together.  I asked Liza what
she wanted to do together and she said, “Well let’s do something where we belt our asses off!” (laughs) and I said, “Right on sister!”

WCT:  You said you’re hoping to have funding in place to start taping shows in earnest next spring.  Any other guests lined up?

AHC:  Well we’ve gotten definite “yeses” from Tony Bennett, Barbara Cook, Audra McDonald, Dianne Reeves and of course we want
to have some pop singers.  I really love Bonnie Raitt and Sting.  I had the pleasure of working with Carole King and I’m certainly
going to try to induce her.

WCT:  Great list!

AHC:  What I’m going to try to do in the show, Richard, is also try to introduce America’s newer songwriters and singers who aren’t as
known.  So I’m going to ask Carole King if she comes on the show, ‘Who’s your favorite new singer/songwriter?’ and let’s fall in love
with them through your eyes.  It will be a great chance for people to discover emerging talent that will otherwise have no chance of
really getting out there.

WCT:  Somebody like Madeline Peyroux perhaps?

AHC:  The next Billie Holliday – absolutely.

WCT:  Now what about Barbra?  I would be remiss if I didn’t at least ask that (laughs).

AHC:  I wouldn’t dare ask Barbra Streisand to come on my show until it was a bona fide hit and we could spoil her and do all the
things she needs to be comfortable.  I know Barbra’s needs and I certainly know that she has been very, very gracious to me over
the years.  So when the time is right I would love to do a whole two-hour special with Barbra.  Who knows what would be possible.  I
know how hard it is for her to get out and do these kinds of programs but it’s interesting: now that she’s been enjoying doing the
live performances, this is more feasible.  In fact, my sister Liz just called me yesterday singing my song “I’ve Dreamed Of You”
because she’s Barbra Streisand’s stand-in in the European rehearsals for her tour.

WCT:  How interesting; how ironic.

AHC:  Yes – isn’t that funny?  All the Callaway’s seem to be involved with Barbra Streisand.  So, yes, I would love to invite Barbra but
I’m going to wait for the perfect time to ask her so that the likelihood would be that she would say, ‘Yes!’ (laughs)

WCT:  Fingers crossed on that!  Can we talk a moment about your CD “Blues in the Night?”  It’s a very interesting, eclectic collection.

AHC:  Originally it was going to be an album of all blues songs and I suddenly realized that I’m much too optimistic and positive of
a person to want to put out a lot of sad songs.   I wanted the CD to be an exploration of happiness – how do we find it, how do we
lose it, how do we get it back; I wanted the CD to reflect that whole emotional adventure.  It was born from the incredible liberating
experience I had from singing “Blues in the Night” in the show “Swing” which opened up a whole part of my musical heritage that I
felt I was too white to sing in public.  Even though it was such a part of my upbringing and a part of who I was secretly.  

After that I started singing this material and other songs with much more of a blues style.  It was so exciting and cathartic and
uplifting and audiences have been so powerfully responsive to this part of my music that it was exciting to finally put together a CD
that not only has the big blockbusters like “Blues in the Night” and “Blue Moon” but also has some beautiful, sort of contemplative
songs and then songs about happiness – like “Swinging Away the Blues.”  That’s a song that I wrote to talk about the power of music
to bring you happiness.  “Hip to Be Happy” is sort of my Lambert, Hendricks & Ross song that I call my campaign song.  I tell my
audiences in my shows that I’m running for Diva of America – new leadership for our country.  A vote for Callaway is a vote for
happiness!  We’re going to start printing up “Hip to Be Happy” t-shirts and hats and try to get the message across (laughs).

WCT:  That’s wonderful.  Is it true that your dad used to scat sing around the house?  John Callaway!?!  This serious investigative
journalist.

AHC:  I know – you’ve met him so you can’t imagine that.  But he loves to sing.  In fact at the gala dinner after the show he’s going
to sing a song with me and I think that’s the highlight of his life – is to sing in front of an audience.

WCT:  I always used to say to a friend of mine who’s a cabaret singer, “Can you imagine the holidays at the Callaway household with
you and your sister Liz and your mother all singing?”

AHC:  (laughs)  It is pretty incredible.  Every year we sing “The Hallelujah Chorus” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and
every year I sing “Rejoice Greatly” and show that my coloratura voice is getting worse and worse but we do have a sort of Judy
Garland around the piano celebration every year and it’s quite an extravaganza.

WCT:  I love so much “Sibling Revelry” your CD with your sister – especially your version of Sondheim’s “Our Time.”

AHC:  Thank you so much for that.

WCT:  You’re welcome.  Now, you were here to help open the Center on Halsted – a historic first for the gay community in this
country.  Can you talk for a moment about the importance of gay audiences for you and this music?

AHC:  They’ve been incredibly important.  It’s hard to understand exactly why but I think gay audiences are frequently the heart and
soul of many of my audiences – whether I’m on Broadway, at a symphony concert, in a jazz club, in a cabaret – there’s a culture of
real listening and real arts participation and fun and nightlife in the gay community that has always been the lifesaver of singers and
actors.  I think there’s a very high cultural I.Q. in the gay community and frankly, if there isn’t a certain amount of gay people in the
audience it’s not going to be as fun of a show.  There’s a higher sense of humor – almost a language of humor I would say – that I
have certainly loved participating in over the years.

WCT:  It’s so true – we have such good taste and we love “The Nanny” (laughs).

AHC:  (also laughing)  Thank you, thank you – one of the gayest things I’ve ever done in my life.  Speaking of Fran Drescher – I
was just at her fundraiser in New York.  She’s doing this wonderful thing called “Cancer Schmancer” – she’s raising a lot of money for
women’s health issues and she’s an amazing woman and I’m going to be writing a song for her website.  “The Nanny” keeps on
giving back – no matter where I travel around the world people still sing “The Nanny” theme.