SONGS OF OUR LIVES to Feature Charles Strouse, Alan Menken and David Zippel, 12/8

Songwriters Charles Strouse, Alan Menken and David Zippe will be among those featured in the December 8th benefit concert, SONGS OF OUR LIVES: PERFORMED BY THE SONGWRITERS WHO WROTE THEM. The concert will take place at The Little Flower Theater at LaGuardia H.S. on December 8th at 7:00pm.

The event will include the following songwriters:

Charles Fox ("Killing Me Softly," "I Got a Name," "Ready to Take A Chance Again")
Hal David ("What The World Needs Now", "Alfie")
Alan Bergman ("The Way We Were," "The Windmills of My Mind")
Charles Strouse ("Bye Bye Birdie", "Annie")
Paul Williams ("Evergreen," "We've Only Just Begun")
Alan Menken ("Little Shop of Horrors," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin")
David Zippel ("City of Angels," "Disney's Tarzan")

SONGS OF OUR LIVES: PERFORMED BY THE SONGWRITERS WHO WROTE THEM, is an event to raise money for LaGuardia's studio programs on December 8, 2009 in The Little Flower Theater.

Charles Strouse's impressive body of work has been an integral part of American culture for over 40 years. His autobiography, Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir, was released in June 2008. The original Bye Bye Birdie 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. His 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.

Alan Menken is an eight-time Oscar winner and composer of many of the world famous songs from Disney's movies, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin and Enchanted, with lyrics from his long- time collaborator Glenn Slater.

David Zippel's credits include City of Angels (Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, Best Actor), The Goodbye Girl, Princesses, and The Woman in White. Zippel wrote the lyrics for the Disney films Hercules, with music by Alan Menken (the song "Go the Distance" received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song) and Mulan, with music by Matthew Wilder). The music and lyrics received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Musical Score. A year later, Zippel collaborated with Phil Collins for Tarzan. He was in his agent Richard Kraft's film Finding Kraftland.

Tickets are $300 (which includes an exclusive post-show reception with the artists at O'Neal's Restaurant across from Lincoln Center) with a limited amount of tickets at $150. A portion of the tickets are tax-deductible. Showtime is 7:00pm. Tickets will be available for pickup beginning at 4:30pm on the evening of the show.

For more information, visit the SONGS OF OUR LIVES website.