THE SONGS THAT GOT AWAY: THE MUSIC OF HAROLD ARLEN

Johanna Allen Pays Deserved Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

Music history is full of famous songwriters but there was something about Harold Arlen’s work, together with the legendary artists who sang them, that drove vocal powerhouse and Adelaide Cabaret Festival regular, Johanna Allen, to create The Songs That Got Away: The Music of Harold Arlen, a show she proudly brings to Adelaide for this year’s festival.

When I asked Johanna why she chose Harold Arlen’s work she said, ‘A little while back I was getting songs together for another gig and I was sitting in my lounge room with piles of music strewn across the floor. I started to pick up pieces of music - Stormy Weather, Blues in the Night, One for My Baby, That Ol' Black Magic and the iconic Somewhere Over the Rainbow. These songs all shared a “strength” about them. There was a sassiness in them, a feistiness, a sense of hope, countered with an inherent melancholy. They were not your average “pretty jazz standards”; I could hear suffering and survival in every one of them and I realised for the first time Harold Arlen had composed all of them.’ 

Allen told me she then began to think about the people who sang Arlen’s songs. ‘Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett - to name a few,’ she said. ‘Famous Singers. Famous Songs. Not so famous composer. People seem to know the names Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin. When I asked around and mentioned Harold Arlen the common response was “who?”. Arlen had a fascinating life. It wasn't easy - he seemed to be on the cusp of huge limelight the whole time, and somehow it was always the music that ended up in the spotlight while he remained in the shadows.’

At a time when black women were also in the shadows, Allen said Harold Arlen gave them a voice, literally and metaphorically. These were women such as Pearl Bailey and Lena Horne. ‘He wrote songs for women that despite their own personal difficulties, always gave everything on stage,’ she said. ‘He didn't write music for one dimensional ingenues. He wrote music that defied race and questioned identity. It was sung by women who made interesting choices in life and didn't fit conventional boxes. I loved that.’ 

Johanna Allen’s own choices have given her a remarkably broad performance history. Her professional credits include musical theatre, opera, cabaret, film, television and stage. She holds a Bachelor of Music Performance (Hons Voice, Elder Conservatorium), a B.A (Drama) with further study at the Actors Studio, New York and with Daniel Ferro (Voice) at the Juilliard School, New York.

Allen’s performance credits are too many to cover in detail, but include work for the Sydney Theatre Company and Opera Australia, understudying in the original Australian Wicked cast and in Dr Zhivago, working/ collaborating with performers such as Anthony Warlow, David Helfgott, Susan Vega and David Hobson and performing overseas, including New York. Recently, Allen took part in the workshop development of the opera Cloudstreet, directed by Gale Edwards. She has appeared as a soloist on a range of television programs, including Carols by Candlelight, is a co-founder of the trio, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and has performed in sold-out seasons at His Majesty’s Theatre Perth, The International Speigeltent and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Allen has had a long association with the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, in which she has performed solo and with artists such as Phillip Quast, Andrew Lippa and Nigel Ubrihien.

Professional opera, cabaret and concert might be enough to satisfy most performers, but Johanna Allen is successful in her theatre, film and television work, too. She is passionate about Australian writing and most recently played Gussie Bethell in the Australian premiere of Ode to Nonsense. Film and television credits include McLeod’s Daughters, Travelling Light and El Morado (IF Short Film Festival).

The Wizard of Oz and the words of the book and film feature heavily in Johanna Allen’s 2014 Adelaide Cabaret Festival show, The Songs that Got Away: The Music of Harold Arlen. ‘He wrote the music for the film, but there were so many similarities between his life and the words of the story,’ explained Allen. ‘The Wizard says “Pay no attention to the man behind the Curtain”. I've written a play entwined with his music that demands we pay attention. Despite Arlen's enigma as a person the songs have “got away” and the stories behind them are incredible.’

Adelaide audiences are sure not to let this show get away and will surely flock to experience Johanna Allen’s interpretation of the many classics amongst the five hundred contributions Harold Arlen made to popular music, film soundtracks and theatre during forty years from 1930-1970.

Lesley Reed

Johanna Allen has released her first CD Calling Card in collaboration with jazz pianist Mark Ferguson and available now on iTunes.

WHEN: June 19, 7 pm; June 20, 7.30 pm.

VENUE: Banquet Room, Adelaide Festival Centre.

TICKETS: Adults $39.90, Concession $34.90.

BOOKINGS: BASS 131 246 or online at www.bass.net.au

For further information visit http://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au