Broadway stars Jason Graae (Falsettos), Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens, Tony Award-winner for 42nd Street)
and Lewis Cleale (Amour, Once Upon a Mattress), as well as filmmaker, broadcaster and singer Amber Edwards, will headline the
92nd Street Y's "Lyrics and Lyricists" salute "Johnny Mercer at the
Movies" from May 6th through May 8th. Cabaret star Margart Whiting will
appear as a special guest, as well.
Two-time Grammy Award-winner Sylvia McNair, who was previously announced, has withdrawn from the concert due to illness.Hosted by Emmy Award-winning
CBS newsman Charles Osgood, the evening will pay tribute to Mercer
(1909-1976), who wrote lyrics to more than 1,200 songs, including
Academy Award winners "On the Atcheson, Topeka and the Santa Fe" with
composer Harry Warren, "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" with
Hoagy Carmichael, and "Moon River" and "Days of Wine and Roses" with
Henry Mancini. Mercer's other collaborators included Harold Arlen,
Jerome Kern, Richard Whiting and Victor Schertzinger. This program,
directed by musical theater historian Robert Kimball, celebrates Johnny
Mercer's contributions to the movie musical.An historian of the
American musical theater, Robert Kimball is artistic advisor to the Ira
and Leonore Gershwin Trusts and the Cole Porter Musical and Literary
Property Trusts. He is a consultant and adviser on musical theater to
the Library of Congress and the Chicago Humanities Festival, among
other national organizations. He has edited editions of the complete
lyrics of Cole Porter, Lorenz Hart, Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin and
Frank Loesser. Kimball directed the L&L tribute to Mack Gordon last
season.
The complete performance schedule is Saturday at 8 pm,
Sunday at 3 and 8 pm, and Monday at 2 and 8 pm. Tickets are $55 and
$45. For tickets and information, visit www.92Y.org/Lyrics or call 212-415-5500.
