Noël Coward performing for sailors aboard the HMS Victorious, 1944
“I'm an enormously talented man, and there's no use pretending that I'm not.” — Noël Coward
Enigmatic, supremely sophisticated, and dazzlingly funny, few bestrode the hazardous canyon between patriotism and satire with more brilliance than Sir Noël Peirce Coward, better known to the world as Noël Coward. Hailed as "The Master" by adoring friends, colleagues, and disciples alike, Coward achieved wild success in every creative area he touched: composing, writing, directing, acting, cabaret performance, and even painting.
At one point, Coward was the highest-paid writer in the world. He was both flamboyant and deeply private, forthright and ingeniously witty. Throughout his six-decade career he cultivated an international image of himself as the embodiment of English manners and refinement, and he had a profound effect on how the British saw themselves as a nation. Pianist and popular speaker Rachel Franklin leads a joyful excursion through some fabulous Cowardly classics including his play Blithe Spirit, songs such as “Mad Dogs and Englishmen,” and movies that include In Which We Serve and The Italian Job.
British-born Franklin has been a featured speaker for organizations including the Library of Congress and NPR, exploring intersections among classical and jazz music, film scores, and the fine arts.
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