9 minute read
on the ball
We sit down with Winnetka native Christine Ebersole, who just released a new album, “After The Ball.”
BY GREGG SHAPIRO
THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND
Christine Ebersole, two-time Tony Awardwinning actor, singer, and Winnetka native, has returned with a new album—the personal and moving “After The Ball” (Club 44). The basis of the 10-track album, featuring songs that span more than 80 years, is her acclaimed cabaret act of the same name.
A familiar face from theater, television, and movies, Ebersole is a true multi-hyphenate. She was gracious enough to make time to answer a few questions about the new album before the Thanksgiving holiday. Beginning with the 1891 Charles K. Harris song “After The Ball” and continuing through the early 1970s with Joni Mitchell’s “Little Green” (1971) and Lieber & Stoller’s “Ready to Begin Again” (1975), the songs on your new album cover a period of more than 80 years. Was that your intention as you were putting the music together or did it just happen organically?
I just picked the songs for the narrative, for the story I wanted to tell. “After The Ball” is about what happens the music stops and the lights go down. The confetti is on the floor and the champagne is empty. What happens next?
Four of the eight selections are medleys. As the performer, how do you know when two or even three songs belong together?
Again, it's kind of what tells the story. With (the medley of) “Little Green” and “Wait Till You See Her” and “Inchworm,” it all came out of the story I was telling (in my cabaret act) at The Carlisle (in New York) in 2016. It coincided with my being in Chicago during (the pre-Broadway run of) “War Paint.”
At The Goodman Theater.
Yes, with (music director) Larry Yurman (co-producer of the “After The Ball” album). It was a complete collaboration. What happened was, I wanted to tell the story because all my children are adopted, and Joni Mitchell’s story of “Little Green” is about her personal experience of giving up her child for adoption. Her only child, when she was quite young. Her daughter Kilauren.
Yes, her daughter who she actually reunited with 35 years later. “Wait Till You See Her” was what Larry brought to the table. It was a juxtaposition of the mother losing the child and then the adoptive mother getting the treasure. Within her loss was my treasure. Following her health scare from a few years ago, Joni Mitchell is experiencing a massive career resurgence and has begun performing again. Have you ever met Joni?
I did! I met her at a hair salon. It was such a thrill for me because she’s been such an idol of mine. She was getting a manicure or something, and I went over to her. I had recorded her (song) “The Circle Game” on my very first album. I told her. I said, “I’m such a big fan!” I was just gooping over her. She was great! For some reason, she thought that I was really young or something. Like, “What are you, in high school or something?” Maybe it was my enthusiasm. She was very welcoming. She wasn’t put out by me bothering her in a hair salon while she was getting a manicure. I love that you do a cover of the wonderful Lieber & Stoller tune “Ready to Begin Again,” which was first recorded by Peggy Lee.
Peggy Lee! Doesn’t it feel like a Kurt Weil/ Bertolt Brecht song? It does! Especially since Lieber & Stoller were known for writing ‘60s pop tunes.
Yes, rock and roll. And “Ready to Begin Again” is such a poignant and slyly humorous song. Why did you want to record it?
It was telling the story. The inspiration for the whole album and the evening at the Carlyle, which was the genesis of that, was “Who am I? Where am I? Where am I going?” It's the identity of being a mother with children
in the face of being in show business where I've missed out on a lot of the growing up, and now they're gone, I'm nearing my dotage. So, what do I do? What's my identity? That's why that song spoke to me. It's like, well, you just put your teeth in and you put your wig on and you keep going! The album artwork for “After The Ball” has the feel of a family photo album, which made me wonder if any of the songs were sung to you when you were a child and if you, in return, sang them to your children?
Yes, I did. But to get to tuck them in bed
was a really rare thing. Because I was always on stage singing the 11:00 number wonderA FTE R TH ing if they E BA LL brushed their teeth. That was one of the basic
CHRISTINE EBERSOLE AFTER THE BALL
CL44-4129
Produced by CHRISTINE EBERSOLE and LAWRENCE YURMAN
Tracking and vocals recorded at Dubway Studios, New York City, New York by Al Houghton, Chris Montgomery and Charley Shealy
MUSICIANS: Lawrence Yurman (piano) Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf (cello) John Benthal (guitar & banjo) Larry Saltzman (guitar on “Autumn Leaves”)
All arrangements by Lawrence Yurman
Art Direction: Mark Shoolery & Mary Alice Lovelace Graphic design: Mark Shoolery
A&R Director: Joel Lindsey Licensing by Cindi Ballard Production assistant: Haley Schattschneider C HRISTIN E EB ER SOL E A FTE R TH E BA LL
1. After the Ball/The Way You Look Tonight 2. I’m Old Fashioned 3. Yesterdays/Lazy Afternoon 4. ‘S Wonderful 5. My Baby Just Cares for Me 6. Little Green/Wait Till You See Her/The Inch Worm 7. Autumn Leaves 8. (Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair/Ready To Begin Again 9. A Sleepin’ Bee 10. When I Grow Too Old to Dream
©2022 Club44 Records. Distributed in the USA by Provident Entertainment, 741 Cool Springs Blvd., Franklin, TN 37067 and by Sony Music Entertainment 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022. Manufactured by Tribute Media Source. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Thank you for purchasing this music and supporting the artists, songwriters, musicians and others who have created it. Federal copyright law protects this recording and artwork. Please do not use internet services to promote the illegal distribution of copyrighted music, give away copies of CDs, or lend CDs to others for copying. Federal laws provide severe criminal and civic penalties for unauthorized reproduction, distribution or digital transmission of copyrighted sound recordings.C HRISTIN E EB ER SOL E
CHRISTINE EBERSOLE
AFTER THE BALL
CL44-4129 A A FTE FTE R R TH TH E E BA BA LL LL
C C HRIS HRISTIN TIN E E EB EB ER ER SOL SOL E E
After the Ball/The Way You Look Tonight
After the Ball P.D. The Way You Look Tonight Words & Music by Dorothy Fields & Jerome Kern © Aldi Music Company (ASCAP)/Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc. (ASCAP)
I’m Old Fashioned
Words & Music by Jerome Kern & Johnny Mercer © WC Music Corp. (ASCAP)/Universal - Polygram International (ASCAP)
Yesterdays/Lazy Afternoon
Yesterdays Words & Music by Jerome Kern & Otto A. Harbach © Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc. (ASCAP) Lazy Afternoon Words & Music by John La Touche & Jerome Moross © Chappell & Co. (ASCAP)/Sony/ATV Tunes, LLC (ASCAP)
‘S Wonderful
Words & Music by George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin © WC Music Corp. (ASCAP)
My Baby Just Cares for Me
Words & Music by Walter Donaldson & Gus Kahn © Donaldson Publishing Co. (ASCAP)/Etienne Marrix Music (ASCAP)/Gilbert Keyes Music Co. (ASCAP)/One Less Car Music (ASCAP)/WC Music Corp. (ASCAP)/Larry Spier Music, LLC (ASCAP)/Tobago Music Co. (ASCAP)
Little Green/Wait Till You See Her/The Inch Worm
Little Green Words & Music by Joni Mitchell © Crazy Crow Music (ASCAP) Wait Till You See Her Words & Music by Lorenz Hart & Richard Rodgers © Chappell-Co, Inc. (ASCAP)/ Williamson Music Co. (ASCAP) The Inch Worm Words & Music by Frank Loesser © Frank Music Corp. (ASCAP)
Autumn Leaves
Words & Music by Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer & Jacques Prevert © Morley Music Co. (ASCAP)
(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair/Ready to Begin Again
(Have I Stayed) Too Long at the Fair Words & Music by Billy Barnes Tylerson Music Co. (ASCAP) Ready to Begin Again Words & Music by Jerry Leiber & Michael Stoller © Jerome Leiber Music (BMI)/Purple Starfish Music (BMI)
A Sleepin’ Bee
Words & Music by Harold Arlen & Truman Capote © Harwin Music Corporation (ASCAP)
When I Grow Too Old to Dream
Words & Music by Oscar Hammerstein II & Sigmund Romberg © EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc. (ASCAP)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. USED BY PERMISSION. tenets of motherhood I didn't get very often. In 2021, you were in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-nominated movie “Licorice Pizza,” playing L Doolittle, a character loosely based on Lucille Ball. When it comes to your work in comedy, how much influence did Lucy have on you?
She was an icon for me. Her timing was impeccable. Comedy, to me, is music and rhythm. It’s how you emphasize a word. It's like playing an instrument. It's fascinating how it's so connected to music.
Since 2019, you’ve been playing Dottie, the mother of Bob in the CBS sitcom “Bob Hearts Abishola.” What do you enjoy most about that series?
It’s family. The people that are on that show it’s really like a family. We genuinely enjoy one another and laugh all day. It’s an unbelievably blessed experience to have. That doesn't always happen. There’s not a bad apple in the bunch. It's a great, supportive, fun-loving, funny family. As a member of the class of 1971, 2021 was your 50th class reunion from New Trier High School. Were you able to attend the reunion?
No. The reunion was canceled in 2021, and rescheduled for 2022, but I couldn't go because I was performing in New Orleans. There was a conflict. I’m so sorry I missed it. Hopefully, maybe they'll have a 55th or 60 and I'll still be alive! That would be good. How often are you able to get back to your roots in Winnetka?
I went back there in July for my brother’s memorial (service). I hadn't been back there since “War Paint” in 2016.
THE
GENESEE
THE SPOTLIGHT IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK
GIVE THE GIFT OF ENTERTAINMENT!
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ALICE IN WONDERLAND
A Musical Cirque Adventure Daring Acrobats and High-Flying Aerialists Saturday, January 28 6:30 PM LOMBARDI
The Broadway Play Presented by Three Brothers Theatre Friday, February 3 7:30 PM Saturday, February 4 2:00 and 7:30 PM JOSH TURNER
A Fantastic Evening of Country Music "Your Man" and "Long Black Train" Friday, February 10 8:00 PM RICK SPRINGFIELD
Full Band Electric "Jessie's Girl" and "Don't Talk to Strangers" Friday, February 24 8:00 PM
