The acclaimed singer, actress and author Melissa Errico discusses her new album Out of the Dark: The Film Noir Project (Ghostlight Records, 2022), movies, music and more, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Melissa Errico joins me now. The renowned singer, actress and author has just released a new album, Out of the Dark: The Film Noir Project. It’s a marvelous collection of songs, like “Laura,” and “The Bad and the Beautiful,” memorable songs from classic noir pictures. These are songs of love, of hope, despair, and hope renewed. The album also features classic French chansons from the 1950s and 1960s, as well as some modern noir takes like Cy Coleman and David Zippel’s “With Every Breath I Take,” from their musical City of Angels. Other classics include Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin’s “The Man That Got Away,” Lionel Newman’s “Again,” and Harry Warren and Leo Robin’s “Checkin’ My Heart.” There are four brand new songs on the album composed by Michel Legrand, David Shire, the late Peter Foley (to whom this album is dedicated), with lyrics by Melissa’s friend and frequent collaborator Adam Gopnik. The music on this album is arranged by musical director and pianist Tedd Firth. Melissa Errico is a graduate of Yale, and has appeared on Broadway in productions of My Fair Lady, High Society, Call Me Madam, and Amour, for which she received a 2003 Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. I’ll ask Melissa about the films and music she likes, as well as working with greats like Michel Legrand, and Stephen Sondheim. The late critic Terry Teachout said of her 2018 album, Sondheim Sublime, that it was “the best all-Sondheim album ever recorded.” The album is from Ghostlight Records and is available as a disc online and elsewhere, and through digital download by way of all the various platforms. Visit www.TheFilmNoirProject.com for more. She joined me from New York City one week ago. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Melissa Errico; Ms. Errico, good morning.

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