Brandon Uranowitz, Nikki Renee Daniels, & More to Celebrate Lynn Ahrens at 92Y This May

92nd Street Y's 48th season of Lyrics & Lyricists continues with a close-up and personal look at Lynn Ahrens' extraordinary body of work. Ahrens, who will serve as host at each performance, earned the "triple crown" of Broadway awards - Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle, and she received two Grammy nominations for the score of Ragtime. For the animated film Anastasia, she was nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes. Ahrens is currently represented on Broadway by two hit shows - the revival of Once On This Island, for which she wrote both book and lyrics, and the stage adaptation of Anastasia - in a season which also marks the 35th anniversary of her collaboration with composer Stephen Flaherty. Other work on and off Broadway for which Ahrens is celebrated includes the musicals Seussical, My Favorite Year, Dessa Rose, The Glorious Ones, A Man of No Importance and more. And Lynn Ahrens' work is embedded in the national consciousness beyond the lights of Broadway from the writing for Schoolhouse Rock! that launched her career.

92Y'S LYRICS & LYRICISTS™ Presents LYNN AHRENS: A LYRIC LIFE

Saturday, May 5 / 8 pm

Sunday, May 6 / 2 pm & 7 pm

Monday, May 7 / 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Tickets from $70

Lynn Ahrens, Featured Lyricist and Host. Directed by Jason Danieley, with Mary-Mitchell Campbell as Music Director.

Vocalists: Nikki Renée Daniels, David Harris, Margo Seibert, Brandon Uranowitz, & Alton Fitzgerald White.

Under the direction of L&L favorite Jason Danieley, currently starring in Pretty Woman in Chicago, we'll celebrate Ahrens in song, and she'll share stories about her work, and about being a lyricist in a world where few women have thrived. Danieley has performed in two Lyrics & Lyricists shows, but this production marks his directorial debut. The show brings Lyrics & Lyricists back to its genesis, in presenting a living Broadway lyricist, sharing their work and the stories behind it (the first season in 1970/71 featured Stephen Sondheim and Betty Comden & Adolph Green, among others). Vocalists including Nikki Renée Daniels (The Book of Mormon), David Harris (Ragtime), Margo Seibert (In Transit, Rocky), Brandon Uranowitz (Falsettos, An American in Paris), and Alton Fitzgerald White ( The Lion King, The Color Purple) bring Ahrens' lyrics to life.

"Lynn's body of work reminds us what it means to be humane, loving and caring. These ideals are at the core of her writing. Whether she is making us laugh or cry, her work always celebrates our common humanity. I think this is the reason why her lyrics are so profound, and why they continue to stand the test of time. I'm thrilled to be directing this illuminating program of story and song, for and about someone who has taught me, entertained me, comforted me and inspired me for most of my lifetime - and someone who is my friend. It doesn't get any better than this - making theater out of shared experiences with people we love," said Danieley.

Audiences will hear songs including "Back to Before," "Waiting for Life," "Journey to the Past," and "Make Them Hear You." They'll also hear such indelible jingles as "What Would You Do for a Klondike Bar," as Ahrens talks about her first job, in advertising, and its role in shaping her as a lyricist.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride