New School Presents One-On-One Interview with Charles Strouse Mar. 26

The New School presents the second installment of the new, ongoing series, the President's Forum, with a one-on-one conversation between New School president Bob Kerrey and Charles Strouse, acclaimed composer, lyricist, and arranger, on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in the John L. Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street, in New York City. The President's Forum engages leaders from academia, business, government, the arts, and other walks of life to provide an in-depth look into the careers and perspectives of today's most distinguished professionals while offering an opportunity to discuss the pressing issues of our time.

Charles Strouse will discuss his life in music, the state of the theatre in these challenging times, and his impressive body of work that has been an integral part of American culture for over 40 years. His new book, Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir, was released in June 2008.
Strouse's first Broadway musical, Bye Bye Birdie (written with longtime collaborator Lee Adams), won him a Tony Award for best score and paved the way for his next show, All American (book by Mel Brooks). In 1964, Golden Boy (starring Sammy Davis, Jr.) earned four Tony Award nominations, and in 1970, Applause (starring Lauren Bacall) won him his second Tony. Mr. Strouse's 1977 hit, Annie, became a worldwide phenomenon and garnered another Tony and two GRAMMY® Awards.

Other musicals include: It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman, Dance A Little Closer (lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner), Charlie and Algernon (Tony nomination), Rags (Tony nomination), and Nick & Nora (Tony nomination). Film scores include Bonnie & Clyde, There Was a Crooked Man, The Night They Raided Minsky's, and All Dogs Go to Heaven.

He also wrote the theme song "Those Were the Days" for the groundbreaking television show,
All in the Family.

Strouse has written orchestral works, chamber music, piano concertos, and opera. His Concerto America premiered at the Boston Pops in 2004, and his opera Nightingale (starring Sarah Brightman) had a long, successful run in London's West End. He is the recipient of both the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein awards and a member of the Theater Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The event will be held in the John L. Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street, 1st Floor in New York. Admission is free. RSVP at www.rsvpmenow.com/rsvpbeta/?id=19835. Space is limited, so please register by March 6.

For additional information, please see the event description on the New School web site at www.newschool.edu/eventDetail.aspx?id=27508 , or contact Stephen Kimmerling in the Office of the President at kimmerls@newschool.edu.

The first event of this series took place on March 4 and featured an evening with William D. Zabel, a New School trustee, chairman of Human Rights First and founding partner of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP. The series will continue with additional interviews during the Fall 2009 semester.

About The New School

Located in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village, The New School is a center of academic excellence where intellectual and artistic freedoms thrive. The nearly 9,400 matriculated students and 5,280 continuing education students who attend the university's eight schools enjoy a disciplined education supported by small class sizes, superior resources, and renowned working faculty members who practice what they teach. The eight schools of the university are: The New School for General Studies, The New School for Social Research, Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, Parsons The New School for Design, Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, Mannes College The New School for Music, The New School for Drama, and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. For more information, please visit www.newschool.edu.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.