Editing Barbara Cook (section)

===1970s to 2004===
As she began struggling with depression, obesity, and alcoholism in the Seventies (she would quit drinking in 1977), Cook had trouble getting stage work.<ref name="nymag"/> In the mid-1970s Cook's fortunes changed for the better when she met and befriended composer and pianist [[Wally Harper]]. Harper convinced her to put together a concert and on January 26, 1975, accompanied by Harper, she made her debut in a solo concert at [[Carnegie Hall]] that resulted in a legendary concert and live album.<ref name="sixty"/> Continuing a collaboration with Harper that lasted until his death in 2004,<ref>Jones, Kenneth.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/88913-Wally-Harper-Arranger-Musical-Director-and-Pianist-Who-Was-Barbara-Cooks-Longtime-Collaborator-Has-Died "Wally Harper, Arranger, Musical Director and Pianist Who Was Barbara Cook's Longtime Collaborator, Has Died"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022032145/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/88913-Wally-Harper-Arranger-Musical-Director-and-Pianist-Who-Was-Barbara-Cooks-Longtime-Collaborator-Has-Died |date=October 22, 2012 }} Playbill.com, October 8, 2004</ref> over the next three decades, Barbara Cook became a successful concert performer and Cook and Harper performed together at not only many of the best cabaret spots and music halls in New York City--like Michael's Pub and the [[St. Regis Hotel]]--but nationally and internationally. Cook and Harper returned to Carnegie Hall in September 1980, to perform a series of songs arranged by Harper. ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'}} reviewer, [[John S. Wilson (music critic)|John S. Wilson]], wrote: "Since her first Carnegie Hall appearance, she has grown from a delightful singer to become a delightful entertainer who also happens to be a remarkable singer."<ref>Wilson, John S. "Pop: Barbara Cook Sings", ''The New York Times'', September 16, 1980, p. C9</ref> The latter performance was captured on the CD ''It's Better With a Band''.<ref>Ruhlmann, William.[https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-better-with-a-band-bonus-tracks-r24190 "'It's Better With a Band' (Barbara Cook)"], AllMusic, accessed September 8, 2011</ref>

In 1986, Cook was nominated for an [[Olivier Award]] "The Observer Award for Outstanding Achievement" for her one-woman show, accompanied by Harper, at London's [[Donmar Warehouse]] and the [[Albery Theatre]].<ref>[http://www.olivierawards.com/about/previous-winners/view/item98521/Olivier-Winners-1986/ "Olivier Winners 1986"] OlivierAwards.com, accessed September 7, 2011</ref> She won the [[Drama Desk Award]] "Outstanding One Person Show" in 1987 for her Broadway show ''A Concert for the Theatre'', again with Harper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dramadesk.org/awards?field_nomination_year_value%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=1987&field_nominee_full_name_value=&field_show_value=&field_award_value=Outstanding+Solo+Performance|title=1987 Outstanding Solo Performance|publisher=The Drama Desk Organisation|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> In October 1991, they appeared as featured artists at the Carnegie Hall Gala ''Music and Remembrance: A Celebration of Great Musical Partnerships'' which raised money for the advancement of the performing arts and for AIDS research.<ref>Oestreich, James R.[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/12/arts/classical-music-in-review-935491.html Classical Music in Review. "Music and Remembrance Carnegie Hall"] ''The New York Times'' (registration required), October 12, 1991.</ref> In 1994, they performed a critically acclaimed concert series at the [[Sadler's Wells Theatre]] in London,<ref>Parker, Chris. "Cook's tour of joy", ''The Times'', July 25, 1994.</ref> which was recorded by DRG as ''Live From London''. "Cook still comes across with consummate taste and with a voice that shows little sign of wear after 40 years."<ref>"Pop:Album Reviews: 'Barbara Cook.Live From London.Producer: Hugh Fordin.DRG 91430'". ''Billboard'', October 8, 1994, p. 76</ref> [[Alastair Macaulay]] wrote in the ''[[Financial Times]]'' about the concert, "Barbara Cook is the greatest singer in the world ... Ms. Cook is the only popular singer active today who should be taken seriously by lovers of classical music. Has any singer since [[Callas]] matched Cook's sense of musical architecture? I doubt it." The performing duo traveled all over the world giving concerts together including a number of times at the [[White House]] – for Presidents [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]], [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]], [[George Bush, Sr.|Bush]], and [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]].<ref name="McFidden"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/wally-harper-arranger-musical-director-and-pianist-who-was-barbara-cooks-longtime-collaborator-has-died-com-122413|title=Wally Harper, Arranger, Musical Director and Pianist Who Was Barbara Cook's Longtime Collaborator, Has Died|last=Jones|first=Kenneth|date=October 8, 2004|work=[[Playbill]]|access-date=August 10, 2017}}</ref>

From the mid-1970s on, Cook returned only sporadically to acting, mostly in occasional studio cast and live concert versions of stage musicals. In September 1985 she appeared with the [[New York Philharmonic]] as Sally in the renowned concert version of [[Stephen Sondheim]]'s ''[[Follies]]''.<ref>Rich, Frank.[http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9506EED8123BF93AA3575AC0A963948260 "Theater Review:Stage: Concert Version Of 'Follies' Is A Reunion"] ''The New York Times'', September 9, 1985.</ref> In 1986, she recorded the role of Martha in the Sharon Burgett musical version of ''[[The Secret Garden]]'' along with [[John Cullum]], [[Judy Kaye]], and [[George Rose (actor)|George Rose]].<ref>Ruhlmann, William.[https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-secret-garden-r254724 "'The Secret Garden'"] allmusic.com, accessed September 8, 2011.</ref> In 1987 she performed the role of Julie Jordan in a concert version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''Carousel'' with [[Samuel Ramey]] as Billy, [[Sarah Brightman]] as Carrie, and the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]],<ref>[http://www.gramophone.net/Issue/Page/March%201988/75/743466/STAGE+8(+SCREEN+CAROUSEL+(RodgersHammerstein+II).+Cast+in+eludes+Sarah+Brightman,+Barbara+Cook,+Maureen+Forrester,+Samuel+Ramey,+David+Bendel!,+John+Parry+Ambrosian+Singers+Royal+Philharmonic+Orchestra++Paul+Gemignani.+MCA+digital+C)+MCG6028+a ]{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and she won the [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show]] for ''A Concert for the Theatre''. In 1988, she originated the role of Margaret White in the ill-fated [[Carrie (musical)|musical version]] of [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[Carrie (novel)|Carrie]]'', which premiered in England and was presented by the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]].<ref>Skal, David J. [https://books.google.com/books?id=xwlNnOxMt1gC&q=%22Barbara+Cook%22&pg=PA367 "Carrie"] ''The monster show: a cultural history of horror'' (2001), Macmillan, {{ISBN|0-571-19996-8}}, pp. 366–67.</ref> In May of 1990, she was the featured soloist in a program of theatre music given by the [[Oratorio Society of New York]]. In 1994, she provided both her acting and singing skills to the animated film version of ''[[Thumbelina (1994 film)|Thumbelina]]'', as Thumbelina's mother which featured music by [[Barry Manilow]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B0DE2DE143FF933A05750C0A962958260|title=Review/Film; The Great, Big Worries of Such a Tiny Girl|last=Holden|first=Stephen|date=March 30, 1994|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> That same year she was inducted into the [[American Theatre Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/335094/ACTRESS-ENJOYS-HELPING-9-INTO-THEATER-HALL-OF-FAME.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809041421/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/335094/ACTRESS-ENJOYS-HELPING-9-INTO-THEATER-HALL-OF-FAME.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 9, 2017|title=Actress enjoys helping 9 into theater Hall of Fame|date=February 6, 1994|newspaper=[[Deseret News]]|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref>

In November 1997, Cook celebrated her 70th birthday by giving a concert at [[Albert Hall]] in London with the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]], joined by performers including [[Elaine Stritch]] and [[Maria Friedman]]. ''The Times'' reviewer noted: "The world is usually divided into actresses who try to sing and singers who try to act. Cook is one of the few performers who manage to combine the best of both traditions, as she reminded us in 'It Might as Well be Spring' – and, at the close, in her encore of [[Jerry Bock|Bock]] and [[Sheldon Harnick|Harnick]]'s 'Ice Cream'."<ref>Davis, Clive. "Star turn of her own party", ''The Times'', November 25, 1997</ref>

In 2000, she was one of the only American performers chosen to perform at the [[2000 Olympics|Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival]] in the [[Sydney Opera House]].<ref>"Among the international guest stars are the phenomenal tenor Andrea Bocelli, the ballet superstar Sylvia Guillem, the Tanztheatre Wuppertal Pina Brausch, legendary cabaret star Barbara Cook, the great conductor Riccardo Muti with the Orchestra Filarmonica Della Scala, jazz artists the George Shearing Trio and the great German singer Ute Lemper.""Grand arts events strike Games gold", ''The Sunday Telegraph'' (Sydney, Australia), August 20, 2000, p. 122</ref> Also in 2000, she was joined by [[Lillias White]], [[Malcolm Gets]], and [[Debbie Gravitte]] on the studio cast recording of [[Jimmy McHugh]]'s ''[[Lucky in the Rain]]''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120907131119/http://songwritershalloffame.org/materials/recordings/C51 "'Lucky In The Rain': The Jimmy McHugh Musical"] songwritershalloffame.org, accessed September 7, 2011.</ref>

In February 2001, Cook returned to [[Carnegie Hall]] to perform ''Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim'' which was recorded live and released on CD.<ref>Ruhlmann, William.[https://www.allmusic.com/album/barbara-cook-sings-mostly-sondheim-live-at-carnegie-hall-w89109/review Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim: Live at Carnegie Hall"] allmusic.com, accessed September 7, 2011.</ref> Critically acclaimed from the start, Cook then took the concert to the [[West End theatre|West End]] [[Lyric Theatre, London|Lyric Theatre]] in 2001.<ref name=mostly>[http://www.sondheimguide.com/concerts2.html#Cook "Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim"] sondheimguide.com, accessed September 7, 2001.</ref> She garnered two [[Olivier Award]] nominations for Best Entertainment and Best Actress in a Musical for the concert. She went on to perform ''Sings Mostly Sondheim'' at [[Lincoln Center]] for a sold-out fourteen-week run from December 2001 to January 2002, and again in June 2002 to August 2002.<ref name=mostly/> She was nominated for a [[Tony Award]] for Best Theatrical Event. She took the show on a National tour throughout major cities in the United States.<ref name=mostly/> DRG filmed the stage production during a performance at the Pepsico Theatre, SUNY [[Purchase, New York]], on October 11, 2002<ref name=mostly/> and it was released on DVD on the DRG/Koch Entertainment label. In June and August 2002 Cook performed ''Sings Mostly Sondheim'' at the Terrace Theater, [[Kennedy Center]] as part of the Sondheim Celebration.<ref name=mostly/>

In 2004 she performed two limited engagement concert series at the [[Vivian Beaumont Theater|Vivian Beaumont and Mitzi Newhouse theaters at Lincoln Center]], "Barbara Cook's Broadway!", with Harper as her musical director/arranger.<ref>[http://ads.playbill.com/news/article/84138-Cook-Offers-New-Solo-Show-Barbara-Cooks-Broadway-at-Lincoln-Center]{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>Isherwood, Charles.[https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117923476?refCatId=33 "Legit Reviews: 'Barbara Cook's Broadway!'"] ''Variety'', March 29, 2004</ref> She received the New York Drama Critics Circle Award ("for her contribution to the musical theater")<ref>[http://www.dramacritics.org/dc_pastawards.html#2005 "Past Awards, 2003–2004"]. New York Drama Critics Circle, accessed September 8, 2011.</ref> and a nomination for the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Solo Performance.<ref>[http://www.dramadesk.com/2003_2004dd.html "Drama Desk, 2003–2004"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20080704130033/http://www.dramadesk.com/2003_2004dd.html |date=July 4, 2008 }}. Dramadesk.com, accessed September 8, 2011.</ref> A recording of the concert was made.<ref>Ruhlmann, William. [https://www.allmusic.com/album/barbara-cooks-broadway-r694966/review "Barbara Cook's Broadway!"] allmusic.com, accessed September 8, 2011</ref>