Kate Michaels

Kate Michaels

Kate Michaels (* 2. June 1969 in Butte County , California as Kathleen Rebecca Hall ) is an American singer and actress , specialized for performances in Big Band / Swing and musical theater.

biography

Kate Michaels is from Yuba City, one of the northernmost cities in the central valley of California. Her mother, Janet Davis Mahan, was a high school teacher from the Sutter Buttes area. She was a member of the Davis family, who were granted a piece of land by John Sutter that was part of the original incorporation of California into the United States. Her father, Edward Proper Hall, was a dentist. He died of cancer at the age of 30. Edward was the great-grandson of Edward Proper, who was known for developing a variety of wheat that now bears his name, Proper Wheat.

Michaels grew up in a musical family. Edward Hall was a classical piano player and the entire family, including Michaels, sang and played a variety of instruments. Her great uncle, Hedley Hall, was a variety artist and local radio personality. Michael's main musical influences were folk , musical , swing and jazz . Michaels, who grew up in California, has lived in Singapore , Austria and Germany . Today she lives in Basel , Switzerland .

Professional background

Early in her career, Michaels appeared in both leading and supporting roles for many stage, musical, and concert productions in the San Francisco , Sacramento , Napa Valley, and Los Angeles area . After receiving the Irma Cooper Scholarship from the American Institute for Musical Studies in Graz , Austria , she moved to Bremen , Germany for a role in the world premiere of the German operetta , Himmelrand , with the Piccola Opera . Shortly thereafter, Michaels joined the original Swiss cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera with the English production company Really Useful Group in Basel , Switzerland .

Michaels then took part in the English tour of the poetic Australian-American play, Walking the Dog , produced by the Walking the Dog Theater Company, New York . After that, their first album, Just Marilyn , was produced. She recorded her second album, The Best Things in Life , together with the German jazz trio 'The Read Thread'.

As a teacher and consultant, Michaels gives workshops and seminars and teaches at the following institutes:

• University of Berkeley (SF Extension Program),
• St. Mary's College of California,
• The American Conservatory Theater,
• The New Conservatory Theater,
• Basel Jazz School and Bern Jazz School,
• Zurich theater and dance school.

In addition, several of her articles have been published in Classical Singer Magazine and various newsletters.

Musical style and projects

Michaels is described as 'adorable, charming and lovely' (JJ Murry-Leach, Decca Records) and is widely praised for her vocal talent and soulful and witty interpretations. Just Marilyn focuses on big band songs from the Great American Songbook , reaches back into the big band era and is based on the glamor of Marilyn Monroe . All of Just Marilyn 's songs recorded by Michaels were sung by film icon and legend Marilyn Monroe herself. When asked in an interview, 'Why Marilyn?', Michaels replied that Marilyn is more than just ' Happy Birthday , Mister President', light comedies or the white dress. 'She was one of the first women to take control of her career and beat the studio bosses with her own resources. Marilyn wasn't one-dimensional, but I think unfortunately she was often seen that way. '

The idea for the concept of her second album, The Best Things in Life , came about after hearing a recording of Jo Stafford's 'The Best Things in Life are Free'. Because she was interested in the work of Jamie Cullum and Stacey Kent , she collected newer jazz versions of standard songs from the Great American Songbook , also with the German jazz trio 'The Red Thread'.

Current

Michaels appears both as a soloist and as a member of the following shows: Swinging the Marilyn Monroe Songbook , Big Band Sizzle , Gossip, Glitter & Glam , as well as musicals and concerts with 'The Red Thread' and various big bands. She gives concerts in France , Germany , Australia , Spain , Norway , England , New Zealand and Switzerland . Michaels appears as an announced artist at festivals, charity events and performances that have already hosted such well-known singers and artists as the German pop singer Roberto Blanco .

Discography

• Just Marilyn (2003)
• The Best Things in Life (2007)

Web links

• Kate Michaels at Discogs (English)
• http://www.myspace.com/katemichaels

Individual evidence

1. ^ Edward Proper - Sutter County History . www.rootsweb.com . Retrieved January 7, 2011.