June 10, 1998
Harrison performs for local audience in OTP concert
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Singer/dancer Judy Harrison brought her energetic blend of country music and Las Vegas showmanship to the Old Town Playhouse Saturday. The local performer was promoting her new compact disc, "A Satisfied Me", which she released independently last October.
With two back-up singers and a five-piece band accompanying her, Harrison was in her element performing her blend of country, blues and rock for a live audience.
"I love being on stage," Harrison said. "There is so much hard work and a lot of things you feel like you are banging you head against the wall, but being on stage makes it all worth it."
A long-time professional choreographer, Harrison choreographed a piece for a group of dancers from the Dance Center to accompany one of her songs. Harrison, who also teaches jazz dancing at the Dance Center, works as much dancing as possible into her stage act.
"I grew up dancing, it was my major in college," said Harrison, who began taking ballet, tap and jazz dance lessons when she was three. "I used to sing to our player piano growing up but I never would sing in public."
Her mother kept encouraging her to pursue her singing and in college Harrison landed a part in a show as a dancer but then the director found out she could sing. The rest, as they say, was history as Harrison discovered that not only could she sing in front of people, she loved doing so.
"I pretty much never stopped singing, once I got the fever," Harrison said. "I love putting the song and dance together."
The Birmingham native moved to Traverse City with her family more than 5 years ago and immediately plugged into the local cultural scene. She and her husband had always wanted to live here and when he found a job at Tower Automotive, they pulled up stakes and came north. Within four days of hitting town, Harrison auditioned for a part in a play at the Old Town Playhouse. Getting the role was instrumental in helping her meet people around town involved in dance and music.
"It was a wonderful opportunity," said Harrison, who also performed two years with the Michigan Ensemble Theatre. "The Playhouse is a great theater."
She has been very active with the Old Town Playhouse over the years, choreographing "Godspell", "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Guys and Dolls". She is directing the Traverse City Children's/Teen Theater performance of "The Hobbit", which will debut at the Playhouse on June 27.
A mother of seven-year-old twin boys, Harrison is careful that her professional commitments do not take her too far away from her family for too long. She has a string of local summer gigs including the Cherry Festival, Friday Night Live and various county fairs around mid-Michigan. As she gains name recognition around Michigan, Harrison, her band and singers will be heading to Nashville in early September to showcase their act for booking agents. She and the band are not very interested in a recording contract and will continue to sell the compact disc independently.
"We want to book our show all over the country," said Harrison, who is never seen on stage without wearing one of her 20 hats. "I want to perform more than be in a recording studio."