Adam Kantor, Alysha Umphress & More to Celebrate Sheldon Harnick at Lyrics & Lyricists

Lyrics and Lyricists 2023/24 Will Close with Wonder of Wonders: Celebrating Sheldon Harnick, honoring the extraordinary legacy of a lyricist who was a beloved part of L&L from its inaugural season in 1971 and appeared in more than 20 92NY productions and events over 50-plus years. Tony Award-winning music director Ted Sperling leads a loving look at Harnick's remarkable body of work, with music from Fiddler on the Roof, his Pulitzer Prize-winning Fiorello!, She Loves Me, and more, with songs including  “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Miracle of Miracles,” “Tonight at Eight,” “When Did I Fall in Love” and others, coupled with reflections on his wondrous life in musical theater. Vocalists Sam Gravitte (Broadway - Wicked), Adam Heller (Broadway - Some Like it Hot), Adam Kantor (Broadway - Fiddler on the Roof), Alysha Umphress (Broadway - On the Town) and Anna Zavelson (off-Broadway – The Light in the Piazza) bring these songs and stories to life. Performances are on June 1, 2 and 3.

Ted Sperling comments, “we were planning this to be a celebration of Sheldon's 100th birthday while he was with us, but we're still celebrating, just a bit differently. There's so much to admire and enjoy about Sheldon… of course his beautiful, heartfelt and honest work, but also his generous collaborative spirit and encouragement. Sheldon loved hosting evenings of his work, and was a wonderful performer himself, so I think he'd feel right at home. Especially since so many of his performances were here at 92NY.

The main thing I love about his lyrics is that I feel like the characters are just talking to me. I'm not really aware of the author, even when the rhymes are wonderful and clever. They seem like the character would have made them up spontaneously. There's also a real warmth to how he treats even the villains. 

Sheldon wrote many more songs for each project than were heard on Broadway, so there are many treasures to choose from and I hope to throw in a surprise or two.

I hope this show will remind everyone of why they already love these songs, and at the same time, show new ways of hearing the familiar, with even more appreciation for Sheldon's subtle and marvelous artistry.”