It's Not WhereYou Start
The Barbara Cook Songbook
Bernstein, Hammerstein, Sondheim & More
Program at a Glance
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70-minute theatrical concert
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Voice and piano
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Performed by Shana Farr
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Music Direction by Jon Weber
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Directed by Duncan Knowles
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Available for performing arts centers, concert series, orchestras, supper clubs, and special engagements
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Previously presented in New York and London
“Farr performs a mesmerizing five-song Sondheim segment, and if there’s a more moving version of ‘Send in the Clowns,’ I have not heard it.”
— Musical Theatre Review, London ★★★★★
The Show
More than a tribute concert, It’s Not Where You Start: The Songbook of Barbara Cook is a theatrical portrait of Barbara Cook’s extraordinary artistic journey—from Broadway ingénue to one of America’s most revered interpreters of song.
Featuring Cook’s signature repertoire, including “’Til There Was You,” “Ice Cream,” “This Is All Very New to Me,” “Glitter and Be Gay,” and songs from Follies, Merrily We Roll Along, and Anyone Can Whistle, the program celebrates the music of Bernstein, Hammerstein, Sondheim, and more.
With warmth, elegance, and dazzling vocal versatility, Shana Farr leads audiences on an uplifting journey through resilience, reinvention, and the discovery of one’s authentic voice.
An engaging evening of virtuosic performance, resonating with optimism, sophisticated silliness, and worldly wisdom.
The program has been presented at The York Theatre Company, The Players, and 54 Below in New York City, and at The Pheasantry in London.
Photo: Stephanie Farr
Shana Farr
Shana Farr is an award-winning singer, actress, and concert artist known for bringing theatrical depth and elegant interpretation to the Great American Songbook. She has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 54 Below, Birdland, and London’s Crazy Coqs and The Pheasantry. Her honors include a Bistro Award, the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Julie Wilson Award, and the Donald F. Smith Award. READ SHANA’S FULL BIO →
Creative Team
Music Director Jon Weber has collaborated with Shana on several projects, including her album Out of the Shadows, praised by The Wall Street Journal, and her award-winning Noël Coward and Cole Porter show, In the Still of the Night. An internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, Weber has performed and recorded with celebrated artists across the worlds of jazz, cabaret, and concert.
Director Duncan Knowles is a producer and director of drama and musical theatre. His work with legendary cabaret performer Steve Ross includes the award-winning Sondheim show Good Thing Going and I Remember Him Well: The Songs of Alan Jay Lerner, both of which he subsequently produced as albums. He is also an actor, coach, and teacher of the F. M. Alexander Technique.
“A glorious evening...An astonishing accomplishment.” - Theater Pizzazz
Song List
Barbara Cook Medley
“This Is All Very New To Me” (Plain and Fancy)
“Goodnight, My Someone” (The Music Man)
“Will He Like Me?” (She Loves Me)
“I Cain’t Say No” (Oklahoma!)
“I Wouldn’t Marry You” (The Gay Life)
“My White Knight” (The Music Man)
“’Til There Was You” (The Music Man)
“You’re a Queer One, Julie Jordan” (Carousel) / “If I Loved You” (Carousel)
“Make Believe” (Show Boat)
“A Wonderful Guy” (South Pacific) / “Hello, Young Lovers” (The King and I)
“Ice Cream” (She Loves Me)
“Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man Of Mine" (Show Boat)
“Anyone Can Whistle” (Anyone Can Whistle)
“Send In The Clowns” (A Little Night Music)
“Everybody Says Don’t” (Anyone Can Whistle)
“Not A Day Goes By” (Merrily We Roll Along) / “Losing My Mind” (Follies)
“Glitter and Be Gay” (Candide)
“It’s Not Where You Start” (Barnum)
“A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” (Walt Disney’s Cinderella)
“What was it that lit up the sky and held a hurricane at bay Tuesday evening? The bravura performance by Shana Farr singing songs from the repertoire of Barbara Cook.”
- Theater Pizzazz
Selections from
"It's Not Where You Start:
The Songbook of Barbara Cook"
Recorded Live at 54 Below, NYC
Performed in NYC and London
"Ice Cream"
From She Loves Me
By Bock & Harnick
Recorded Live at 54 Below, NYC
Performed in NYC and London
"Losing My Mind"
From Follies
By Stephen Sondheim
Recorded Live at 54 Below, NYC
Performed in NYC and London
Bring It’s Not Where You Start to Your Audience
Available for performing arts centers, orchestras, concert series, supper clubs, and special engagements.
Booking inquiries: booking@shanafarr.com