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Sally
Stark last appeared at Danny's Skylight Room in New York
City performing her nightclub act MY TAKE ON IT with Tex
Arnold on piano, Sean Smith on bass, and Dave Radajczak
on drums.
Other clubs in which she has performed are Jan Wallman's,
Don't Tell Mama, The Players' Club, On Stage, Soerbaja,
Ye Little Club, Playboy Club, and the Warren Hotel on
the Jersey shore.
The musical theatre world, however, was the first to notice
Sally's singing. She played Bunny Byron in the Equity
Theatre production of BABES IN ARMS by Rodgers and Hart.
This led to YOUR YOUR OWN THING at the Orpheum Theatre,
a musical version of Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT playing
the role of Olivia with Sandy Duncan as Viola.
Shortly thereafter she was offered the role of Joan, the
chorus girl with a heart of gold, in the Off Broadway
musical DAMES AT SEA, a spoof on the Busby Berkeley musicals
of the 30's with Bernadette Peters as Ruby.
Her career in television began with commercials. Her face
sold Gain Detergent, Hallmark, Excedrin, Alpo, Downey,
Folgers, Sara Lee, etc.
It was in the soap opera world, however, where she found
her audience. She was cast as Kate Swanson, a nightclub
singer, in the soap opera LOVE OF LIFE. The story line
revolved around Kate's singing career, giving her the
opportunity to sing as well as hone her acting skills.
Surviving a rape by the club owner, the murder of her
first husband and suicide of the second, the birth of
a blind child and a bout with throat cancer, took some
serious acting. Her singing was accompanied by her favorite
jazz musicians: Mike Abene on piano, and Mike Moore on
bass. She later appeared as Sharon Duvall on DAYS OF OUR
LIVES and in the recurring role of Carly in ALL MY CHILDREN.
Broadway soon beckoned. The director, Martin Charnin,
requested her for the role of Nadine in the comedy A LITTLE
FAMILY BUSINESS starring Angela Lansbury and John McMartin.
Although the preview audiences loved it, the New York
Times critic didn't and it closed in a few weeks.
Back to musical theatre , but this time on the high seas,
playing Dorothy Brock in 42ND STREET aboard the SSNorway
as well as performing in a Broadway revue.
Land soon called and after three months, Sally returned
to New York. After her extended run at Danny's, she decided
to produce her own CD, singing the music she enjoyed most,
jazz . Her search for songs resulted in her rediscovering
Maxine Sullivan, a singer in the 30's and 40's, who came
to fame by swinging the Scottish ballad "Loch Lomand."
Sally loved her effortless singing as well as the collaborative
spirit of the musicians. She wanted to create that same
spirit and chose ten songs that Maxine had sung throughout
her career. She hired Mike Abene as producer and arranger
and musicians that understood the swinging style of the
songs: Warren Vache on trumpet (who had played for Maxine),
Chip Jackson on bass, Dennis Mackrel on drums, James Chirillo
on guitar, Michael Hashim on saxophone and Mike Abene
on piano. |
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