Heather Headley returns to Fort Wayne in performance with Fort Wayne Philharmonic

FORT WAYNE—Tony award winner and multiple Grammy nominee Heather Headley is scheduled to return to Fort Wayne to perform in concert with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic on 8 p.m., March 12, 2010 at the Embassy Theatre. This will be Headley’s first performance in Fort Wayne in almost 10 years. She last appeared in concert in Fort Wayne in October 2000, where she performed at the Embassy Theatre as a fundraiser for the Northrop High School art, music and theater departments.

A Sweetwater Pops Special, Heather Headley: Home will feature an array of Headley’s astonishing vocal expertise, from pop and Broadway to gospel and standards, including songs such as “Your Song” of which see sang to Elton John at the 2004 Kennedy Center Honors.

After beginning her musical journey growing up in Trinidad, Headley’s family moved to Fort Wayne where she starred as the female lead in high school musicals. She majored in communications and musical theater at Northwestern University, and on the final day of her junior year, she left to understudy Audra McDonald on Broadway in Ragtime. One year later, in 1997, she won the role of Nala in the original premiere Broadway cast of the Elton John- Tim Rice musical The Lion King. Heather’s portrayal was so extraordinary that she was asked to audition for the title role of the next Elton John-Tim Rice Broadway musical, Aida, which opened in March 2000. She won the prestigious Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and the coveted Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. That year she was listed as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and Essence Magazine’s 30 Women To Watch.

Headley continued her Broadway success on the pop charts with her 2002 debut album on RCA entitled This Is Who I Am featuring production by several top flight producers including Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and Shep Crawford. Two songs, the single “He Is” and the album track “I Wish I Wasn’t,” both emerged as Top 5 Dance chart hits.

Headley earned numerous accolades for This Is Who I Am including Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (for “I Wish I Wasn’t”). At the Soul Train Lady of SoulAwards she won dual honors: R&B/Soul Album of the Year and Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist. She also received nominations at the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding New Artist and Outstanding Female Artist, Billboard Music Awards for R&B/Hip-Hop New Artist of the Year, and BET Awards in the “Cool Like That” category.

In 2004 Headley received rave reviews for her rendition of Elton John’s classic “Your Song” that she performed for him at his Kennedy Center Honors salute in Washington, D.C. She also made her film debut with a performance cameo in Havana Nights; her song (“Represent, Cuba”) was the centerpiece of the soundtrack album.

Headley returned in January 2006 with In My Mind, her longawaited second solo album, once again working with an A-list of producers, among them Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Shep Crawford, Warryn Campbell, and Lil’ Jon. The opening title tune single became Heather’s first #1 hit, topping the Dance charts. Later in the year, Headley honored playwright Neil Simon by singing the Hal David- Burt Bacharach song “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” from Simon’s Broadway show Promises, Promises on the PBS special The Kennedy Center Presents: The 2006 Mark Twain Prize.

In December 2007 she gave another memorable national television performance, delighting an audience including President Bush with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” at the annual “Christmas In Washington” concert TV special.

Over the past year, Headley has also displayed her versatility as one of classical star Andrea’s Bocelli’s favorite singing partners, being featured on his international tour, his “Live In Tuscany” PBS special, and his “Under The Desert Sky” live concert DVD. Earlier this year, Headley released her first gospel album AUDIENCE OF ONE, and performed on a tour of churches. She said she is humbled by the passionate support she’s received, beginning on Broadway, and continuing with CD sales and fans witnessing her magical performances live on tour. She enthusiastically gives back to society by participating in humanitarian causes including her March of Dimes educational campaign “I Want My 9 Months.”

Tickets are on sale at The Phil box office at (260) 481-0777 and online at www.fwphil.org. Tickets are $32, $48 and $70. A VIP ticket is available for $100, which includes a post-concert reception in the Indiana Hotel Lobby with Headley.

Now performing its 66th season, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic recently appointed Andrew Constantine as its Music Director Designate. The Fort Wayne Philharmonic is a member of the League of American Orchestras and a funded member of Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, the Indiana Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts. For additional information, log on to our website at www.fwphil.org.

This is part of the December 9, 2009 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

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