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Amanda McBroom
 American singer/songwriter Amanda McBroom is undoubtedly best known for writing the movie theme/ pop hit The Rose for the Divine Miss M herself and her songs have been recorded by a wide range of artists - from Manhattan Transfer, Judy Collins and Barry Manilow to Barbara Cook and David Campbell.
It would appear that McBroom is no slouch either as a cabaret performer whether she's performing her own material or that by Jacques Brel, or Hoagy Carmichael. In fact the 'New York Times' have described her show 'Crimes Of The Heart' as being "at once intimate and emotionally expansive the show is a model of what cabaret ought to be" - a neat and appropriate quote which just as succinctly describes the gal herself.
Who else would open a trans-continental chat with, "Well I'm on my first glass of wine, so I guess you must be on your fourth cup of coffee." Well almost... and then it's straight into the business at hand.
McBroom immediately explains that for her, music is religion. "Music for me is church. It brings joy to my life so I'm more than happy to talk it. I'm delighted to be able to do a master class too, which I started doing a couple of years ago. I've been to SA before and Kangaroo Island but never as a performer so I'm really looking forward to it."
Her approach to interview is so warm and inviting that you feel somehow that this is someone you know. She explains that she didn't choose music; it chose her.
"When I was young, I thought I was Judy Collins singing folksongs with a guitar on my back and yet I was also drawn to Liza Minelli. I was drawn towards Broadway and did do some work there [including Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields' 'Seesaw'] and I was in the national tour of 'Jacques Brel Is Alive & Well & Living In Paris' -and that's where I met my husband. I didn't write songs til I was thirty. I had no idea how to do it, you know. I always sang but mostly musical theatre. So the whole cabaret and songwriting thing came late in life."
Here McBroom decides to turn the tables and ask for my favourite songwriters: Cohen, Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, and Joni Mitchell spring to mind. She states that she is "delighted with Leonard Cohen's renaissance. Of course his work isn't always easy but hey, you've got to listen". She then adds Tom Waits, Warren Zevon and Randy Newman to the mix. Hey she sure knows her stuff!
"I love Hoagy Carmichael [The Nearness Of You, Stardust] and sing a lot of his stuff. In fact in 'Crimes Of The Heart' I do a lot of my own (personal favourites), some Hoagy, Brel, maybe some Dorothy Fields." And it's after this that I confess of my love for 'le grand Jacques' which immediately launches us into another high powered chat. For McBroom's currently recording a Brel CD, was in the stage show, discusses the difference between Mort Shuman's true love for the Belgian master and fellow collaborator Eric Blau's wish to write star turns for his wife and star of the show, Elly Stone. We both agreed that this was something to continue over a glass of South Australian wine in a fortnight or so's time.
Brett Allen-Bayes
Amanda McBroom performs at the Cabaret Festival from Fri 6 June
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