Moonglow

I first worked with Julia Maish several years ago on an original musical in which I played Satan, slurping through Hollywood as an agent and Julia was a singing nun fighting on the side of goodness -- I think while trying to get her screenplay produced. All I really remember of the experience is that the music track died during the closing number of the first act, and that Julia had the eleven o'clock ballad entitled "Every Wall Has a Door." To this day, just mentioning that song gets an eye roll and the reflexive response, "No it doesn't!" from Julia.

Shortly after that experience Julia joined a girl group that was originally called 3 A.M., later renamed Moonglow. Originally formed as a tribute to the Boswell Sisters of the 1930's, Moonglow has expanded their repertoire to include standards from the 40's and 50's. While the Andrew Sisters eventually became the iconic girl group of the 1940's, institutionalizing their swinging three-part harmonies, the Boswell Sisters were the their forbears, with much more interesting arrangements and intricate harmonies. The Andrew Sisters had the glitter, but the Boswell Sisters had the sophistication.

Moonglow captures that musical intelligence and sophistication in their shows. And, they're just plain fun. Julia is joined by Diane Compton and Mary Launder and they frequently perform at Chicago-area parties, civic events, and cabaret shows. Even if you think you don't like that kind of music, you really owe it to yourself to check out the Moonglow website, sample their sounds, and see if you can find a performance near you.