A new live show spotlights Jack Lawrence to remind music lovers of his many gifts as a lyricist and composer. Created by Burt Peachy, with consultation by Richard Lawrence, “They All Sang My Songs” will be staged Friday and Saturday, April 14 and 15, at the Pearl McManus Theatre in downtown Palm Springs.
Coachella Valley entertainers Darci Daniels, Keisha D., Charles Herrera, Phillip Moore and Bill Lohnes will perform Lawrence’s songs. Between numbers, they’ll depict Lawrence and the famous singers who sang his songs with scenes and bits of dialogue written by Burt Peachy. The script is based on Lawrence’s autobiography, also called “They All Sang My Songs.” The show will close with his little-known song, “In Praise of Older Women.”
Lawrence’s memorable songs are now considered standards: “Tenderly,” “Yes, My Darling Daughter,” “If I Didn’t Care” and Frank Sinatra’s first hit, “All or Nothing at All,” among them. The artists who recorded them are bona fide legends. Lawrence, however, is hardly remembered at all, despite his many contributions to the Great American Songbook.
Peachy was inspired to create the stage production after reading the autobiography and its second volume, “Between the Sheets.” He had met Richard Lawrence in 2010, shortly after Richard moved to the desert following Jack’s death at age 97 in 2009.
Though Jack was closeted during his lifetime, the show will include his experiences as a gay man.
PHILLIP MOORE 