Brooklyn Center Kicks Off 55th Season With Irving Berlin's I LOVE A PIANO 9/13

Brooklyn Center launches its 55th anniversary season with Irving Berlin's I LOVE A PIANO on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 3pm at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College opens its 2009-2010 Season on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 3pm with Irving Berlin's I Love A Piano. This enchanting new musical revue spans over seven decades of American history as seen through the insightful and earnest eyes of Irving Berlin, a man whom Jerome Kern described by saying "Irving Berlin has no place in American music...He IS American music!"

Using 64 of Berlin's enduring and popular favorites, I Love A Piano captures the spirit of America from the ragtime era of the early 20th century through the swinging elegance of the 1920's and 30's. From the songs that inspired a nation through the Great Depression to the innocent optimism of the 1950's, I Love A Piano embarks on an enduring journey through musical heaven. Timeless classics, such as "Puttin' On The Ritz," "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Change Partners," "How Deep Is The Ocean," "God Bless America," and "White Christmas," do more than identify the music of a generation, they define the music of our country. The tour will be presented by Eva Price of Maximum Entertainment, Off-Broadway Booking, and Lawrence Toppall.

This fall marks the start of the show's third touring season. Under the direction and choreography of Ray Roderick (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang National Tour), who co-created the show with Michael Berkely, the magic of each song brings new life to the material for a contemporary audience. This revitalized production brings today's audiences into the lavish musical world of Irving Berlin while holding true to its nostalgic nature. After opening at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, the tour will hit dozens more stops across the United States including Wichita, Kansas; Durham, North Carolina; Clearwater, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Cupertino, California.

The talented cast of eight triple-threat singer/dancer/actors includes Jackey Good, Crystal Kellogg, Ryan Lammer, George Papas, Haley Swindal, Ashley Wallace, Jason Weitkamp, and Joshua Woodie.

For more information, visit www.iloveapianothemusical.com.

I Love A Piano is part of Brooklyn Center's 2009-2010 Theater Subscription Series, which also includes Barter Theatre's production of Of Mice and Men and the Tony® Award-winning musical Hairspray. Theater Series subscriptions are priced at $75. Multibuy packages (any three or more performances from Brooklyn Center's 2009-2010 season) save up to 15% off individual ticket prices. Discounts are available for seniors, students, Brooklyn College faculty/staff/alumni, and groups of 15 or more.

Founded in 1954, the mission of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts is to present outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn's diverse communities, at affordable prices. Brooklyn Center's presentations explore both the classical traditions and the boldest contemporary performances, embracing the world culture that defines Brooklyn. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts welcomes over 70,000 people to the 2,400 seat Walt Whitman Theatre each season, and boasts one of the largest arts education programs in the borough, serving schoolchildren from over 225 schools annually with its SchoolTime series.

I Love A Piano at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts is at the Walt Whitman Theatre on the campus of Brooklyn College (one block from the junction of Flatbush & Nostrand Avenues) on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at 3pm; Tickets: $25.

Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org. Box Office: (718) 951-4500, Tuesday - Saturday, 1PM - 6PM. Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 22.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' programs are made possible in part with public funding from the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' 2009-2010 season is provided by: Target; JP Morgan Chase; Independence Community Foundation; Con Edison; National Grid; TD Bank; Macy's; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; Air Jamaica; the Carnegie Corporation of New York; and the Lila Acheson Wallace Theater Fund, established in the New York Community Trust by founders of The Reader's Digest Association. Additional support provided by Courier-Life Publications, The Brooklyn Eagle, The Brooklyn Paper, and WBGO.

Marriott New York LaGuardia Airport is the official hotel of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts 2009-2010 season. Backstage catering graciously provided by Bettina Harris of The Corn Bread Diner and by Applebee's.

Brooklyn Center gratefully acknowledges generous support from the Members of the Brooklyn Delegation to the New York State Assembly and Speaker Sheldon Silver; Members of the Brooklyn Delegation to the New York State Senate and Majority Leader Malcolm Smith; Members of the Brooklyn Delegation to the New York City Council and Speaker Christine C. Quinn; Cultural Affairs Committee Chairman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. and Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Kate Levin.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.