Block, Broderick, and More Sing for Greenwich House 6/9

On Monday, June 9, 2008 at 7.30 PM an all-star cast will take to the stage for a one-night-only benefit gala performance of COMDEN & GREEN'S NEW YORK- FROM GREENWICH VILLAGE TO THE GREAT WHITE WAY. All proceeds from the event will benefit GREENWICH HOUSE MUSIC SCHOOL and will be matched thanks to a challenge grant from the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust.  The income earned from the endowment will go toward scholarships for deserving students and the school's music education outreach programs in NYC public schools.

 
Amanda Green, daughter of Adolph Green and an award-winning lyricist, will write and direct this one-night-only event. An exciting roster of theater stars will present many of Betty Comden & Adolph Green's hits- from the hilarious materials the duo wrote and performed as "The Revuers" at The Village Vanguard in the 1940's to their huge hits on Broadway and in classic films like "Singin' in the Rain."

 
Betty Comden and Adolph Green, the quintessential New Yorkers, never stopped chronicling, skewering and celebrating the city they loved. Comden & Green enjoyed six-decades of collaboration, from writing, performing as "The Revuers" with Judy Holliday in the 1940's to their greatest successes on Broadway and in Hollywood over the next fifty years. As playwrights, performers and lyricists, they co-authored such Broadway hits as "On the Town," "Wonderful Town," and "On the 20th Century," as well as the screenplays for "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Band Wagon". Comden & Green's masterful lyrics include "Just In Time," "The Party's Over," "Make Someone Happy," "Some Other Time," and "New York, New York (A Helluva Town)." The benefit evening will be homage to their revues and will include hilarious songs from the early shows, as well as many classic Comden & Green hits.

 

CAST: Michael Arnold (42nd Street), Kate Baldwin (White Christmas), Stephanie J. Block (Wicked), Walter Bobbie (Tony for Direction/Chicago), Tony Award winner, Matthew Broderick (The Producers & How To Succeed In Business), Jonathan Dokuchitz (Hairspray), Jonathan Freeman (Little Mermaid), Ann Harada (Avenue Q), Sean Martin Hingston (Contact), Norm Lewis (Little Mermaid), Jessica Molaskey (Sunday in the Park With George), John Pizzarelli (Jazz Guitarist & Recording Artist), Mary Testa (Xanadu & 2-time Tony Nominee) and Max von Essen (Les Miserables).

 

Support for Greenwich House Music School can also be given by purchasing raffle tickets. Tickets are available by calling 212-991-0003 ext 401. Donation: $20 – three tickets for $50. First Prize: Six house seats – 2 tickets each for Hairspray, Young Frankenstein and Cry-Baby. Second Prize: Two tickets to a Tony Bennett concert plus a signed CD. Third Prize: Dinner for two at Gotham Bar and Grill. Fourth Prize: A private visit for up to four people to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on a Monday of your choosing. Please visit www.gharts.org for additional information and entry guidelines.

Support for Greenwich House Music School can also be given in way of sponsorship. Sponsorship opportunities are available for individual, corporate or anonymous sponsors and can be pledged online at www.gharts.org.

Greenwich House Music School has been providing high quality, affordable music education to the people of New York City since 1905. The School has occupied its current location at 44 - 46 Barrow Street in historic Greenwich Village since 1914 and has played an important part in the careers and lives of tens of thousands of students including John Cage, Harry Chapin, Henry Cowell, Edgar Varese and former New York City mayor Ed Koch.

Today, the school continues to serve the musical needs of students from 2 to 82 with private lessons, group classes, ensembles and regular student and faculty recitals. In addition to educating its students, GHMS serves the community with a wide spectrum of concerts and readings in its RENEE WEILER CONCERT HALL, hosts education workshops and meetings for local civic and cultural organizations and provides affordable rehearsal and performance space for musicians. The school's Arts-In-Education program, now in its 14th year, expands its reach even further by providing music instruction in several New York City public schools. Greenwich House Music School is a proud member of the Coalition of New York City Community Schools of the Arts. For more information, please visit www.greenwichhouse.org.