Charles Strouse Celebrates 80th With A Year of Events

On June 7, 2008, Charles Strouse, the award winning composer of Annie, Bye Bye Birdie and some of the most popular music from the last 50 years of Broadway, film and television, turns 80.  To mark the occasion, a year-long celebration of events including concerts, international tributes, revivals of popular favorites and premieres of new works will take place across the United States and around the world.

The music of Charles Strouse has touched the life of almost every American in the last half century.  There may be no other living composer from America's popular songbook whose work is as integrated into the popular culture as that of Charles Strouse.

His music has attracted top recording artists from the last half-century with covers of his songs recorded by such diverse pop artists as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Harry Connick, Jr., Bobby Rydell, Jay Z, Vic Damone, Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Grace Jones and Duke Ellington and his Orchestra.

Strouse has written the score to over 30 stage musicals, 14 scores for Broadway, four Hollywood films, two orchestral works and an opera.  He has been inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Theatre Hall of Fame.  He is a three-time Tony Award winner, a two-time Emmy Award winner, and his cast recordings have earned him two Grammy Awards.  His song "Those Were The Days" launched over 200 episodes of the "All in the Family" and continues to reach new generations of television audiences in syndication.  With hundreds of productions licensed annually, his musicals Annie and Bye Bye Birdie are among the most popular musicals of all time produced by regional, amateur and school groups all over the world.

In celebration of Strouse's 80th birthday, the following upcoming or recent events take place throughout 2008 -2009:

 
January 2008

Launch of www.CharlesStrouse.com

In honor of Strouse's 80th year, a new official website is launched.  The most comprehensive site for all things Charles Strouse, CharlesStrouse.com features biographical, discography, theatre, film and television listings; a collection of rare video segments from Strouse's Broadway productions, film and television, audio clips, a photo library, and even interactive opportunities to share your connection with the music of Charles Strouse and offer birthday wishes.

 

Saturday, March 15th at 3:00PM

Screening: "The Colors of My Life - The Musical Theatre of Michael Stewart"

Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza

Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, New York

NYPL presents a screening of this special 2006 event honoring Charles Strouse's Bye Bye Birdie collaborator, Michael Stewart.  In addition to a musical performance by Strouse, there are tributes from Charles Busch, Melissa Errico, Jim Dale, James Naughton, Lee Roy Reams, Steve Ross and others.  For more information visit http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/prog/lpa/plistlpa2.cfm.

 

Thursday, March 20th at 5:30PM

Panel Discussion & DVD signing: "Life After Tomorrow"

Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Center, New York

In celebration of the DVD release of Julie Stevens and Gil Cates, Jr.'s documentary "Life After Tomorrow," Barnes & Noble hosts a special panel discussion with Strouse and several of Annie's alumni orphans featured in the film.  The evening will also a live performance and a DVD signing. For more information visit http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/prog/lpa/plistlpa2.cfm.
 

May 2008

Annie – The 30th Anniversary Cast Recording

The most musically complete recording of the Strouse/Charnin score to date, this double-disc collectable features an all-star cast including Carol Burnett, Gary Beach, Kathie Lee Gifford, Andrea McArdle, Harve Presnell, John Schuck and Sally Struthers.  In addition to the new overture that Strouse has created for this recording, bonus tracks include previously unrecorded material from Annie 2, the 20th Anniversary Broadway revival, the Australian production and the 1977 NBC Annie Christmas Special.  Released by Time Life and distributed by Warner Brothers, the album is produced by Grammy-nominated Robert Sher.  For more information visit www.TimeLife.com.

 

Saturday, May 10th at 3:00PM

An Afternoon with Charles Strouse

Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza

Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts, New York

In conjunction with NYPL's exhibition "Writing to Character: Songwriters & The Tony Awards" (February 26-June 14), Charles Strouse takes to the piano for an afternoon of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and live performances from some of his Tony winning and nominated scores including Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, Annie, Golden Boy, Rags and Nick and Nora. http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/prog/lpa/plistlpa2.cfm.

 

Thursday, March 20th at 5:30PM

Panel Discussion & DVD signing: "Life After Tomorrow"

Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Center, New York

In celebration of the DVD release of Julie Stevens and Gil Cates, Jr.'s documentary "Life After Tomorrow," Barnes & Noble hosts a special panel discussion with Strouse and several of Annie's alumni orphans featured in the film.  The evening will also feature a live performance of "Tomorrow" by Gypsy's Emma Rowley accompanied by Strouse and a DVD signing. For more information visit http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/prog/lpa/plistlpa2.cfm

 

May 13th, 2008

Library of Congress Honors Charles Strouse

Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Following acquisitions from great American composers including Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin and Aaron Copeland, the Music Division of The Library of Congress accepts the Charles Strouse collection of original theatre, film, television, opera and orchestral work manuscripts.  The presentation will be followed by a birthday luncheon in the library.  For more information visit www.loc.gov.

 

May 14th, 2008

Broadway Up-Close and Personal: Charles Strouse at The Kennedy Center

Terrace Theatre at Kennedy Center, Washington, DC

Join Strouse for an intimate interview with ASCAP's Michael Kerker and live music by special guests performing the best of Charles Strouse. The interview will be followed by a dinner reception with Strouse and members of the United States Congress. For tickets and more information visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/text/calendar/event_details.cfm?event=PIPTC

 

Thursday, June 26th at 4:00PM

"Composing Pop & Broadway" Seminar

The Julliard School, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York

Part of a three-day annual workshop led by the esteemed choral conductor Judith Clurman, Strouse and fellow composers David Shire and Georgia Stitt discuss their works and careers in a panel discussion for choral musicians and students. For more information visit http://www.juilliard.edu/summer/ccm.html.

 

June 2nd, 2008, 6:00 -7:30PM

Applause, Applause: A Salute to Charles Strouse

The Paley Center for Media, New York

The Paley Center presents rare television and film footage featuring Carol Burnett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Elliot Gould, Larry Hagman, Alan Jay Lerner, Dorothy Loudon, Caroll O'Connor, Chita Rivera, Jason Robards, Jr., Jean Stapleton, and even the Muppets performing Charles Strouse songs from his Broadway shows, film and television.  This public event, includes a panel discussion, a live performance by Strouse and a live appearance by Lauren Bacall, the Tony Award winning star of Strouse's Applause. After the tribute, there will be a by-invitation-only dinner reception for Strouse and the Paley Center's Producers Circle.

 

June 2008

Book release: "Put On a Happy Face," a Broadway memoir by Charles Strouse

Charles Strouse takes his readers behind the scenes.  Released by Sterling Publishing, Strouse's autobiography is about songwriting, star-making and the memories of one of America's greatest living composers.

 

July 22nd-24th, 2008

Hal Leonard Publishing: National Joy of Singing Convention

Country Springs Hotel & Conference Center, Waukesha, WI

The world's largest music print publisher brings together over 1,000 music educators from around the country to honor Charles Strouse in celebration of 80 years of great American music. At this event, three new choral works by Charles Strouse will premiere. For more information visit http://www.jwpepper.com/branch/events. 

For more events please visit www.CharlesStrouse.com