Election season is in full swing, which means people are lining up to be seen at political fundraisers. This is where Thomas Lauderdale began Pink Martini. From entertaining politicos in a cocktail dress, to gearing up for a performance this Thursday with the Toledo Symphony, Lauderdale’s Pink Martini has become a global sensation.
Pink Martini’s creator, Thomas Lauderdale, began working in politics in high school. After graduating from Harvard, he ran for mayor of Portland, Oregon. In 1994, Lauderdale was scouting musicians to perform at political events when he came across the Del Rubio Triplets.
He booked a few shows for the Triplets in Portland, and their week-long visit was to end with a big, public performance.
Unfortunately, Lauderdale couldn’t find the Triplets an opener for their biggest show, so he improvised. “I threw on a cocktail dress and started Pink Martini,” Lauderdale explained. Starting off “campy”, as Lauderdale put it, Pink Martini became a popular entertainment choice for politically progressive fundraisers. Now, the band has played multiple sold-out concerts in Carnegie Hall. They are worldwide— and have worldwide influences.
“[Our sound is a] cross between Breakfast at Tiffany’s with the United Nations from 1962,” explained Lauderdale. The orchestra has multi-lingual and multi-national members who perform songs in Spanish and French. Unsurprisingly, Pink Martini’s single “Sympathique” quickly became popular in France upon its 1997 release and was awarded “Song of the Year” at France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards.
Kelly Broadway, a Toledo native who has early ties with Lauderdale, will join Pink Martini for their upcoming TSO performance.
Kelly Broadway will be performing alongside old friends Pink Martini and the Toledo Symphony.
“In 1993, while living in Portland, I met Thomas and we performed as a weekly duo for some time. He was [in the process of] creating Pink Martini and I sang at many of their first gigs,” said Broadway. She then spent time in Portland and New York before coming back to Toledo to study with the legendary jazz performer Jon Hendricks, and is excited to perform with Pink Martini again, saying “l'm so happy to hang with Thomas again. I'm looking forward to the concert because Thomas loves divas. I felt he taught me Diva 101!”
Kelly Broadway and Thomas Lauderdale hanging out in Pink Martini's early days in 1995.
Pink Martini perform at the Peristyle in the Toledo Museum of Art on Thursday, March 24. Prior to the show, the TMA Glass Studio will host a martini inspired lecture. Curator of Glass and Decorative Arts, Dr. Jutta-Annette Page, will discuss the various glass instruments involved in cocktail creation. Additionally, TMA artist Alan Iwamura will blow special glass, pink martini goblets to be sold at the Museum Store, in person and online.
Bottoms up.