Danny Gurwin and Sally Wilfert will be among the performers celebrating the songs of the musically versatile Arthur Schwartz in the New-York Historical Society's March 6th benefit concert.
The
concert will be one of four presented this year; funds will support
American Musicals Project, which drawing upon the resources of the
NYHS, will bring musical theatre history into schools by mixing it with
history and English lessons. On February 20th, a concert was held featuring the songs of Burton Lane.In addition to Gurwin (Little Women, Urinetown, The Full Monty) and Wilfert (Assassins, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), the concert will feature Allison Blackwell (Ragtime at Paper Mill Playhouse), Matthew Nall (A Christmas Carol at North Shore Music Theatre), and Rachel Ulanet (Beauty and the Beast, King David).
Musician Paul Schwartz, Arthur Schwartz' son, will host the show, which will also include musical direction by Grant Wenaus with music consultation by Ben Whiteley. Audiences will be treated to a mix of Schwartz standards and
lesser-known numbers.Schwartz' most famous collaboration with lyricist Howard Dietz was exercised in a number of revues renowned for their intimacy and wit--among them The Band Wagon, The Little Show, Three's A Crowd, and Inside USA. Switching to book musicals later in their careers, Schwartz and Dietz penned the scores of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, By the Beautiful Sea (both starring Shirley Booth), The Gay Life and Jennie. Schwartz, who wrote with lyricist Dorothy Fields as well as Dietz, wrote dozens of hits including "Dancing in the Dark," "You and the Night and the Music," "I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan," "By Myself," "I Love Louisa," "Magic Moment," "Haunted Heart," "Triplets," and "That's Entertainment," which was introduced in The Band Wagon--an MGM musical that featured many songs in the Schwartz-Dietz catalogue.
Future AMP concerts will include a tribute to Charles Strouse (March 27th) as well as The Future of Broadway: A Generation of Genius on March 20th. Scott Alan Evans is the program's artistic director.The
New-York Historical Society is located at 170 Central Park West.
Tickets are $35 (for priority seating) and $25 (for regular seating);
call (212) 873-3400 x 305. Visit www.americanmusicalsproject.org for more on AMP.
