Mezzo-soprano Joan Morris and U-M Professor Daniel Herwitz discuss Morris’ new book "Let Me Sing and I’m Happy: The Memoir and Handbook of a Singing Actress." Followed by Q & A.

About the book:
Let Me Sing and I’m Happy: The Memoir and Handbook of a Singing Actress by Joan Morris is the history of an actress who sings popular songs. It is also a handbook detailing an approach to bringing the song to life. Author Morris writes “For forty years I’ve been privileged to sing the greatest songs from our American musical theater history – Kern, Berlin, Gershwin, Porter, and Rodgers and Hart. I was fortunate to find a musical partner, William Bolcom, who felt the same way, who helped me illuminate and bring to life the history and drama in each song. Our approach gained us entry into the serious-music concert world. It helped us, in Schiller’s words, to ‘…unite that which fashion had sternly parted.’”