Back Home With A Song

Back home with a song

By Rich Quackenbush

ARTS EDITOR

The Broadway producer is back home in Ann Arbor with a new name and a song to sing.

Judith Down, at 42 a self-described "grandmother and student," is the Ann Arbor-born and raised entertainer who hit the Broadway jackpot as associate producer of the Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical, "Sweeny Todd."

But that's yesterday's news.  Today's is that Ms. Dow - formerly known as Judy Manos - has decided she won't be involved in the production aspects of another Broadway show for "at least 15 years.

"I used to say I'd only wait 10 years to produce again," Ms. Down said. "But I've decided that now's the time to pursue my singing career seriously.  It's sort of a now-or-never proposition.  My kids are grown, I'm a grandmother and I've reached that point where I've got to fulfill what I'm all about."

AND MS. DOW insists that singing and continuing her vocal training is what she's all about.  That's why she's back home in Ann Arbor.

Monday evening, she and the Northwood Symphonette will take over the stage of the University of Michigan Power Center for the Performing Arts as the final offering of the University Musical Society's Summer Fare Series.

Ms. Dow has performed in Ann Arbor before.  She has appeared in Ann Arbor Civic Theatre productions, at a couple of area clubs and as the featured act or part of numerous benefits.

And her New York credentials also are impressive.  She has performed frequently at such posh Big Apple supper clubs as Reno Sweeny, The Grand Finale, The Ballroom, the Hippopotamus and Barbarann's, where Variety found her performance one which "gives the term 'song stylist' its proper meaning."

But she says she's especially thrilled about her Musical Society debut.

"IT'S ALWAYS important to be accepted at home," Ms. Dow says.  "I view the Musical Society's invitation to perform as recognition that I am a professional."

And Ann Arbor, Ms. Dow says, "will always be considered home," even though she spends a good deal of time in New York.

"New York is energy," she explains.  "Ann Arbor is peace and trees."

Ms. Dow's first Michigan performance as Judith Dow, which she calls "a new professional name that's been in the works for a couple of years," was at the Republican National Convention in Detroit.

In case you missed her, the Republicans billed her as "Judith Down of Detroit" when she sang the National Anthem that opened the second night of the convention.

HER GOP APPEARANCE was a result of her work with the Northwood Symphonette, a 36-member chamber orchestra based on the Northwood Institute's Midland Campus and conducted by Don Th. Jaeger.

With this ensemble, she performed at a dinner dedicating the Margaret Chase Smith library in Skowhegan, Me. and last year recorded and album of American music which included the arrangement of "The Star Spangled Banner" which she sang for the GOP.

"We had concocted what we felt was a rather unique orchestral arrangement that for once concentrated on the lyrics of the song," Ms. Down recalls. "When we heard the results, we sent it off to the GOP convention planning committees.

"I didn't hear from them for months and, finally, two weeks before the convention, I was invited to sing.  The problem was, they assured me they had hired and orchestra, but their orchestra was really a band, so at the last minute we had to rescore all the string parts for saxophones.  On top of that, the conductor insisted on working without a score and the placement at the Joe Louis Arena had me separated form the band by at least a football field's length.  It was an interesting experience."

FOR HER PART of Monday's 8:30 p.m. Power Center performance, Ms. Dow will sing a wide variety of American popular songs in medley formats.  One medley called "Relationships" features songs like "Look for the Silver Lining" and "My Funny Valentine."  Another is a series of George Gershwin songs.  The third, called "Great Ladies of Broadway," will have Ms. Dow singing such greats as "Give My Regards to Broadway," "If He Walked Into My Life" and "Send in the Clowns."

She's also hoping to insert a couple of patriotic songs on the program as something of an introduction to her next project as Judith Dow.

In November, she's planning to join forces with conductor Paul Geminganni, conductor of all of Sondheim's shows, to produce an independent album of patriotic works.

"I'M VERY COMMITTED to American music," Ms. Dow explains. "As I see it, the United States doesn't have a very good public relations image, and music can be an incredible public relations tool."

That belief also is part of the force pushing her to the founding of a new orchestra to be called the Broadway Philharmonic.

"I want this to be the absolute chief competition to the Boston Pops," she says.  "The only difference is that we will concentrate on theater music."

Working closely with Geminganni in planning the orchestra, Ms. Dow admits this is quite a lofty goal and the orchestra probably won't be performing for two years.

That would put it into performance at about the same time Ms. Down expects to realize her potential as an entertainer.

"I'D SAY I'M about two years away from where I want to be," she says. "But I have a great team behind me - coaches, managers and accompanists - all urging me and encouraging me to continue my training and make it.  That's why I call myself a grandmother and student.

"That, I think, is one of the most important things I've learned in the past two years; it's something I tell all young, would-be entertainers who approach me.  In today's world, you need a good team behind you.  It's very hard to make it alone without someone pushing you and pushing for you."

The Musical Society reports that tickets for Monday's performance are available in all price categories, and are expected to be available at the door.  For details, call 665-3717.