WHEATON, IL—Chicagoland musical theatre artist Cory Goodrich is looking for a little help from her friends, old and new.
This week she launched a month-long campaign on crowd funding site indiegogo.com to support production of a new CD to include Broadway, cover and original songs written by Goodrich and respected Chicago-area musician/musical director Malcolm Ruhl. What’s more, the CD is the launching pad for a new effort Goodrich is undertaking to spread messages of self-esteem and positive body image to women and girls.
“W.O.M.A.N., an original recording by Cory Goodrich and Malcolm Ruhl,” will include songs like “I’ve Been Everywhere” (Ring of Fire); “No One is Alone” (Into the Woods); “W.O.M.A.N.;” “It Ain’t the Meat, It’s the Motion;” and eight originals by Ruhl and Goodrich. One of those originals Goodrich wrote for her friend, Chicago actor Bernie Yvon, who died in an automobile accident last September while the two were in rehearsals for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at Munster’s Theatre at the Center.
“This is a collection of songs about surviving, about the many aspects of being a woman—from motherhood, to love and lost love,” Goodrich said. “And beyond the CD, women of all ages need to know they are beautiful and beloved. That’s why I am using this effort to launch a new initiative, GoBeautiful.net, a website devoted to helping boost self-esteem and positive body image for women and girls.”
To facilitate recording of the CD, Goodrich began a fundraising campaign on indiegogo.com with the hope and confidence in ability to raise approximately $10,000 in a month’s time. “If I can get 400 people interested in the music and/or the cause to simply ‘pre-order’ this CD for $25, the cost would be met,” Goodrich said. “Of course, there are some added perks for larger contributions and social media shout-outs for smaller donations. Any amount of help is truly appreciated.”
The link for more information about the project and to donate or pre-order the CD is https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/w-o-m-a-n-an-album-by-cory-goodrich.
Both Goodrich and Ruhl have extensive experience in Chicago area musical theater. Goodrich is a Jeff Award winning actress (and four-time nominee) for her role as Mother in Drury Lane Oakbrook’s acclaimed production of Ragtime. In the past year she’s performed in Mary Poppins at Paramount Theatre, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at Theatre at the Center; Seussical the Musical at Chicago Shakespeare; Ring of Fire at Theatre at the Center; and The Sound of Music at Lyric Opera, Chicago. She currently is appearing in Mercury Theater’s Addams Family and will reprise June Carter Cash in Ring of Fire at the Mercury this spring. Goodrich is also a singer/songwriter, producer, writer and mother of two. Recent projects have included the “Season of Carols” holiday CDs that raised money for the Season of Concern charity.
Jeff Award winner Ruhl is an accomplished musician and musical director. At the Goodman Theatre, he has been a regular for the annual production of A Christmas Carol as well as the theatre’s productions of Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky. Other Chicago area music direction credits include Hank Williams: Lost Highway at American Blues Theater; Hairspray, Pump Boys and Dinettes (Jeff nomination) and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Drury Lane Theatre; Eastland at Lookingglass Theatre Company; Ring of Fire and Grease at Theatre at the Center; Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Oklahoma! at American Theater Company; Woody Guthrie’s American Song (Jeff Award), Blues in the Night and Smoke on the Mountain at Northlight Theatre; Pump Boys and Dinettes at the Apollo and Forum theaters; and Million Dollar Quartet at the Apollo Theatre. Orchestration credits include A Little Night Music at Writers Theatre; The Original Grease and Oklahoma! at American Theater Company and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Drury Lane Theatre.
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