Peters, Gordon, White Featured in Lincoln Center's American Songbook Season
By: BWW News Desk Sep. 20, 2005
Orpheus and Euridice will have its world premiere as the opening of the American Songbook series on October 5th, 7th and 8th at the Rose Theater (Frederick P. Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th St.). The work, which blends classical music, opera and pop, will feature music and lyrics by Ricky Ian Gordon (My Life with Albertine, Dream True). Soprano Elizabeth Futral will play Euridice in the song cycle adaptation of the classic myth, while clarinetist Todd Palmer will play Orpheus. The piece will be directed and choreographed by Doug Varone.
Brian Stokes Mitchell (Ragtime, Tony Award-winner for Kiss Me, Kate, Man of La Mancha) will perform a collection of new songs as well as some from his acclaimed cabaret Love/Life at the Allen Room (Frederick P. Rose Hall, Time Warner Center, Broadway at 60th St.) on January 12th, 2006. On February 10th, Tony Award-winner Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza) will make her solo concert debut at The Allen Room. She will sing works by some of her favorite composers.
On February 23rd, The Allen Room will host a Broadway family affair with James, Greg and Keira: The Naughton Family. James is a Tony Award-winner for Chicago and City of Angels, while son Greg is the lead singer of the band Stark Naked Sole and daughter Keira made her Lincoln Center debut in 2004's The Rivals and also performs with the comic-rock outfit The Petersons. The evening will feature a number of musical genres.
Some of Broadway's best will be featured in Great American Songwriter Tributes (all at The Allen Room). On January 27th, Daisy Prince (The Last Five Years) will direct It's Only Life: The Songs of John Bucchino. "The popular songwriter is a favorite among artists in New York's top roooms. Jessica Molaskey (Parade, Songs for a New World) and Billy Porter (Miss Saigon, Grease) will join a cast of talented vocalists in bringing favorites like 'Sweet Dreams' and 'Grateful' to life."
On February 8th, Eric Comstock will celebrate the legendary composer of Gypsy and Funny Girl with The Music That Makes Me Dance: A Jule Styne Songbook. Broadway's Michael Cerveris (Assassins, Sweeney Todd) will also appear with rockers such as Deborah Harry and Nick Danger in Loser's Lounge Tribute to Burt Bacharach. Bacharach had a 1968 Broadway hit with Promises, Promises in addition to his many classic pop songs.
On February 24th, Barbara Cook (The Music Man, Candide), Brent Barrett (Grand Hotel, Chicago), brian d'Arcy James (Lippa's The Wild Party, Sweet Smell of Success) and others will sing the songs of the prolific lyricist in Go the Distance: The Lyrics of David Zippel. Zippel penned the lyrics for City of Angels, The Woman in White, the upcoming Princesses and Disney films such as Hercules.
The late, great composer will be celebrated by Lillias White (Tony Award-winner for Coleman's The Life, Once On This Island) on February 25th in My Guy Cy: Lill' Celebrates Cy Coleman. Coleman wrote the music for such classic Broadway scores as Sweet Charity, Barnum, On the Twentieth Century and City of Angels.
On May 1st, two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Bernadette Peters (Sunday in the Park with George, Song and Dance, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy) will be backed by a 28-piece orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall (Columbus Ave. at 64th St.) as part of Lincoln Center's annual Spring Gala.
For more information on Spring Gala tickets, call the Lincoln Center Special Events Office at 212-875-5460.
Tickets for American Songbook, at $20 to $100, go on sale Wed., September 21st, via Center Charge (212-721-6500) and on Lincoln Center's website--www.lincolncenter.org. Tickets can also be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall and Alice Tully box offices (65th St. and Broadway) and starting on December 29th, at the Frederick P. Rose Hall Box Office (Broadway and 60th St.).
For more information and to learn more about other non-Broadway artists featured in the series, visit www.lincolncenter.org.
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