On July 10th, Barnes & Noble Lincoln Center hosted Legendary Broadway/film/TV composer Charles Strouse (Bye Bye Birdie, Applause, Annie, "All in the Family," Bonnie & Clyde) at the piano in conversation with columnist and author Steven Suskin (Playbill, Variety, Second Act Trouble). Two-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole (Applause, Grey Gardens, 42nd Street) was the special musical guest for the event performing Strouse's "Welcome to the Theatre" from Applause and "Those Were the Days", the theme from "All in the Family." Following the conversation and performances, Strouse signed copies of his new book, Put On a Happy Face – A Broadway Memoir, and his cast recordings.
About Put On a Happy Face – A Broadway Memoir… Get a front-row seat for the creation of some of America's best-loved musicals. Award-winning composer
Charles Strouse, who celebrated his 80th birthday on June 7th, doesn't just make music―he makes memories, and millions of people worldwide have lived their lives to a Strouse soundtrack. From a hopeful red-haired orphan belting out "Tomorrow" to Jeanne Stapleton screeching "Those Were the Days" during the opening credits of the hit television show All in the Family to the now-standard "Once Upon a Time" crooned by
Tony Bennett, melodies by Strouse have become classics of pop culture. In Put on a Happy Face, the man behind the hit shows Annie and Bye Bye Birdie pulls back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes tour of his remarkable life and achievements. Step inside the steam room of the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas with a towel-clad Charles as he meets with Sammy Davis Jr.,
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Cahn to audition material for Golden Boy. Pull a chair up to the lunch counter as Charles and
Lauren Bacall discuss their new venture, Applause, over tuna salad sandwiches. Join Charles in the recording studio as he and
Warren Beatty almost come to blows over the music elements for the Beatty-produced film Bonnie and Clyde. Charles grants readers a backstage pass as he tells stories about the extraordinary range of boldface names in his life, including Ann-Margret, Butterfly McQueen,
Carol Burnett,
Dick Van Dyke,
Edward Albee, Gower Champion,
Hal Prince, Janet Leigh,
Jason Alexander,
John C. Reilly, Marilyn Monroe,
Mel Brooks,
Mike Nichols, and
Sarah Jessica Parker. With a sparkling wit, Charles offers an insider's glimpse of Broadway, Hollywood, and beyond. He also invites readers into his personal life from growing up on the post-Depression Manhattan's Upper West Side; to his forays into classical music, first at the Eastman School of Music, and later at the prestigious Tanglewood Music Festival under the tutelage of
Aaron Copland; to his adventures as a young man abroad in Paris; to his life-long battle with an artist's insecurity. With prose tuned to capture both soaring highs and operatic lows (and more than a few playful interludes in between), the composer whose music has delighted audiences for decades now adds words to his repertoire.
Charles Strouse is the Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning composer of, among other works, Bye Bye Birdie (1960, with long-time collaborator Lee Adams), All-American (1962, with
Mel Brooks), Applause (1970, starring
Lauren Bacall) and Annie (1977). He's a three-time Tony Winner, and a seven-time nominee for, among others, Golden Boy (1962, starring Sammy Davis Jr.); Rags (1986, with Theresa Stratas), and Nick and Nora (1993). He is a two-time Grammy winner, and a three-time Drama Desk nominee; and recipient of the "Richard Rodgers" and the "Oscar Hammerstein" Awards. He has also been elected to both the Theater Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Christine Ebersole and Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse at the piano, author Steven Suskin and Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole
Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse signs his new book for fans
Christine Ebersole & Charles Strouse sign books and cds and greet fans
Charles Strouse & wife BARBARA SIMAN STROUSE sign books and greet fans
Photos by H.E. Yhoman
