Singer Tennie Leonard returns to Don’t Tell Mama with her new show, I Love Being Here With You, for three dates, Tuesday, April 9th and Wednesday, April 17th, both at 7 pm; and Sunday, May 5th at 4 pm. The show, with long-time collaborators, director Scott Barnes and musical director Ian Herman, is a celebration of survival, life choices and how music makes it all possible.
Growing up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Leonard sang before she talked. As a child, she appeared on “Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour,” as well as numerous children’s television shows. In high school, she studied opera, but quickly turned to her true loves, Broadway musicals and pop standards. At 17, she co-wrote and recorded her first single, “Sincerely Yours,” for RCA/Decca records. “Look at Me,” “Poor Girl” and “Last Year’s Bikini” also brought success in the 1960’s. Leonard’s singing career then turned to cabaret and the nightclub circuit, with nightly appearances at The Living Room, Rita Dimitri’s La Chansonette, The Bon Soir, The Blue Angel and other cabaret boites in the NY tri-state area. She also appeared on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” “The Merv Griffin Show” and others. In the 1990’s she released her CD, From My Heart.
Leonard faced several major hardships throughout her life, including the tragic loss of her husband at an early age, leaving her a single parent to her daughter Lauren. She is a survivor who has always made music a part of her master plan. She brings life lessons and wisdom to her performances, which are also filled with great stories about her many years in the business.
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