An Evening with Bessie Wapp: Songs of Randy Newman

Tickets –
Adult $20
Student $17

***AS PER THE BC PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER, AT THE TIME OF THIS PERFORMANCE, TICKET HOLDERS MUST BE ABLE TO PRESENT PROOF OF BEING FULLY VACCINATED (7 DAYS AFTER 2ND DOSE) TO BE ADMITTED. ***
BC no longer requires masks in public indoor settings.

Why do we need to hear the songs of Randy Newman? Isn’t he an old white guy from the southern US?

He is. And…

As NPR said, Newman “remains first and foremost a craftsman of song, capable of telling ordinary stories in ways no one quite has before.”

The Chicago Tribune said, “Newman is one of the best songwriters of the last half-century … a master of orchestrating mood and playing a range of flawed characters, depicted in mini aural movies compressed into three verses and three minutes.”

In the case of the upcoming Capitol Theatre concert, it’s mostly because Wapp’s parents are big fans of Randy Newman. Running the gamut from heartbreaking to bitingly political to unforgettable film scores, his music has been part of the soundtrack of her life.

“I think I heard his songs before I heard his voice, actually. I vividly remember hearing “I Thing Its Going to Rain Today” as sung by Judy Collins. It paints such a rich melancholy mood. It was unlike anything I’d ever heard. Newman’s own version was released a couple years later on his debut solo album. His songs have been a constant in my life. And have been recorded by so many other great artists.”

Joining Wapp on the project are two legends in their own right: Juno award winner Mike Rudd will join on guitar, and David Restivo (currently in the running for a Juno himself!) will play Newman’s iconic piano parts.

A singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist, Randy Newman was born into a Jewish family that included many Hollywood film composers. He spent most of his childhood in New Orleans and began his songwriting career at the age of 17, penning hits for acts such as The Fleetwoods, Cilla Black, Gene Pitney, and the Alan Price Set.

His recordings of “Short People”, “I Love L.A.”, and “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” (Toy Story) became hits, and many of his other songs such as “Mama Told Me Not To Come”, “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today”, and “You Can Leave Your Hat On” have been recorded by other artists such as Joe Cocker, Three Dog Night, and Nina Simone.

In the 1980s Newman began a highly successful chapter composing and scoring for films. His work can be heard in Marriage Story, The Natural, Ragtime, all four Toy Story pictures, Monsters Inc., A Bug’s Life, and among others.

Randy Newman’s sophisticated composition skills, keen eye for human foibles, and especially his fearlessness in tackling complex subjects have resulted in musical masterpieces widely recognized by generations of audiences, four US top 40 albums, and numerous Academy, Emmy, BAFTA and other awards.

Bessie Wapp (she/her) is a theatre artist, musician, educator, Jessie Award nominee, and Nelson Cultural Ambassador (2015) of Lithuanian Jewish / Swiss-German ancestry residing on Sinixt territory in Nelson, BC.

Performance venue:

The Capitol Theatre

421 Victoria Street
Nelson, BC V1L 5R2
Phone: (250) 352-6363