The Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts at Sacred Heart University continues its Retro Series with Melissa Manchester, singer, songwriter, composer, recording artist and actor, who is best known for her songs “Don’t Cry Out Loud” and the theme song “Through the Eyes of Love” from the film “Ice Castles.” Melissa won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “You Should Hear How She Talks About You.”
Melissa Manchester In Concert is scheduled on Saturday, February 11 (2012) at 8pm on the stage of the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Sacred Heart University, located at 5151 Park Avenue in Fairfield, Connecticut.
After graduating from the High School of the Performing Arts (where she studied acting), Melissa entered New York University and enrolled in a songwriting class taught by Paul Simon. She landed a staff writing job at Chappell Music and performed as a solo singer/pianist in the clubs of Greenwich Village. While working in the New York jingle singing circuit, she met Bette Midler and Barry Manilow and became a back-up singer for Midler, while fulfilling a childhood fantasy of playing Carnegie Hall. Six months later, she had a recording contract, and went on to headline at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, and performed for sold-out audiences across the country.
Melissa's music has served to establish her as a compelling singer/songwriter. Her debut releases, Home To Myself and Bright Eyes, positioned her as a dynamic new talent, and Melissa launched the smash hit single "Midnight Blue".
Her songs have been recorded by Barbra Streisand, Dusty Springfield, Alison Krauss, Roberta Flack, Johnny Mathis, Kathy Mattea, Peabo Bryson, Cleo Laine, Barbara Cook and Mel Torme, among others. Her international hits "Through The Eyes Of Love" and "Don't Cry Out Loud" were written for her by her friends and frequent collaborators Carole Bayer Sager and the late Peter Allen.
In 1980 she became the first artist in the history of the Academy Awards to have two nominated movie themes in a given year -- "Through The Eyes Of Love" and "The Promise" -- and went on the make Oscar history by performing both songs during the worldwide telecast.
Melissa has combined her acting and singing talents in starring roles in Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Song And Dance and Music Of The Night. In addition, she co-starred with Kelsey (“Frasier”) Grammer in Stephen Sondheim’s musical masterpiece Sweeney Todd at The Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, and recently starred in the Chicago premiere of HATS!, a new musical that contains several songs she co-wrote with Sharon Vaughn.
She has composed for Disney's The Great Mouse Detective, co-wrote the score for Lady And The Tramp II, and she released her sixteenth CD, When I Look Down That Road, all the while celebrating four decades of performing with appearances throughout the United States.
In 2010, Melissa co-created and starred in the five-time Ovation Award nominated ballroom dance spectacular Fascinating Rhythms at the Rubicon Theatre, and her song “I Know Who I Am”, co-written with Joanna Cotton and Greg Barnhill, was recorded by Leona Lewis for the Tyler Perry feature film “For Colored Girls.” Nine of Melissa’s songs were highlighted in the feature film “Dirty Girl,” including the original theme song “Rainbird” which Melissa recorded and co-wrote with the movie’s star, Mary Steenburgen.
