The New School For Drama Presents Charles Strouse 10/28

The New School presents the acclaimed composer, lyricist, and arranger Charles Strouse in conversation with New School President Bob Kerrey and Robert LuPone, director of The New School for Drama, on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. Strouse's first Broadway musical, Bye Bye Birdie (written with longtime collaborator Lee Adams), has returned to Broadway this fall and is currently in previews.

The event is part of The New School's President's Forum series, which 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. The previous forum took place on September 16 and featured an evening with Senator Tom Daschle, former U.S. senator and congressman, leading health-care reform advocate, and public policy expert.

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 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.

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 on October 28 in the John L. Tishman Auditorium at The New School, 66 West 12th Street, New York. Admission is free, but registration is required. To register, log onto: http://charlesstrouse.eventbrite.com/. Space is limited, so please register early. 

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.