Barbara Cook

Barbara Cook October 25 1927 August 08 2017 was an American singer and actress who first came to prominence in the 1950s after starring in the original Broadway musicals Candide 1956 and The Music Man 1957 among others winning a Tony Award for the latter She continued performing mostly in theatre until the mid 1970s when she began a second career as a cabaret and concert singer During her years as Broadways leading ingénue Cook was lauded for her excellent lyric soprano voice She was particularly admired for her vocal agility wide range warm sound and emotive interpretations As she aged her voice took on a darker quality even in her head voice that was less prominent in her youth Today Cook is widely recognized as having been one of the premier interpreters of musical theatre songs and standards in particular the songs of composer Stephen Sondheim Her subtle and sensitive interpretations of American popular song continued to earn high praise even into her eighties Description above from the Wikipedia article Barbara Cooklicensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia