Ziegfeld Society to Present Walter Willison in JOLSON, MY DAD & ME, 9/27

The Ziegfeld Society will present Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner Walter Willison in JOLSON, MY DAD & ME on Saturday, September 27th. The multi-media musical weaves together the songs of Al Jolson to tell the story of his father as a young man, growing up in the early part of the 20th Century, through Prohibition, The Great Depression, WWII, and into the present day, and of his own personal encounters with such iconic Jolson associates as Ruby Keeler, Patsy Kelly, Judy Garland, Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin and others. Featuring such all-time American Songbook classics as "Rockabye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody", "Swanee", "You Made Ne Love You" and many more.

Walter Willison starred on Broadway in TWO BY TWO, GRAND HOTEL, PIPPIN, NORMAN, IS THAT YOU?; A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Madison Square Garden), and Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Schwartz's MASS (The Kennedy Center). His films include: Ziegfeld: The Man and His Women, Harry and Walter Go To New York, Fantasies. On television he has starred in NBC's McDuff, The Talking Dog, Days Of Our Lives, and Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy on PBS' The Great Novelists. He has written and directed plays and musicals produced across the country, from San Diego's Old Globe to Off-Broadway, and in 2013 he co-produced, wrote and directed (with Steve Ross and Laura Kenyon) and appeared with original cast alumni from GREASE, NINE and GRAND HOTEL in KATHI MOSS' RAMA-LAMA-DING DONG REUNION! for The Actors Fund. Mr. Willison costarred in the Workshop of Martin Charnin, Thomas Meehan & Peter Sipos' ROBIN HOOD: The Final Adventure, John O'Boyle's EASTER MYSTERIES (Off-Broadway, 2013 & 2014), and he can be seen with a cast of Broadway Legends in Rick McKay's new film Broadway: Beyond The Golden Age which will be released in December, 2014. Most recently he directed Steve Ross and Karen Oberlin in CHEEK TO CHEEK: The Music of Astaire & Rogers at 54 Below.

Guest starring with Mr. Willison is Joanna Rush, who has appeared on Broadway in POUSSE CAFÉ, DAUGHTERS, INSIDE OUT, A CHORUS LINE in New York and LA, Off-Broadway in GRANDMA SYLVIA'S FUNERAL, BROADWAY SCANDALS OF 1928, and OPTIONS. Her Films include Sunburn, On the Cliffs (Best Short Comedy winner at the Ohio Independent Film Festival), Saying Goodbye, and she wrote the screenplay for Irish Whiskey (Best Screenplay winner at the Temecula Valley Film Festival). Her television appearances include costarring roles in A Killing Affaire, Shannon, Archie Bunker's Place, Cagney & Lacey, and the pilot Straight no Chaser as the inappropriate mother of Bronson Pinchot. Ms. Rush continues to tour the US in her solo play ASKING FOR IT, in an ongoing effort to help victims of rape.

Musical Direction for JOLSON, MY DAD & ME is by Mark York, seen this past summer, as pianist and co-arranger, with Jim Dale in The Roundabout's acclaimed production of JUST JIM DALE.

Sound Designer Stuart J. Allyn is the recipient of 2 Grammys, 3 Emmys, an Obie, several CLIOs, a Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award.

The Ziegfeld Society is a non-profit organization founded by Mark York and Lucy Kerman in 2009 and named for legendary Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld, best known for his annual ZIEGFELD FOLLIES and the original production of SHOW BOAT. The Society aspires to enlighten, entertain and educate current as well as future generations of theatergoers and young artists about the legendary performers, songwriters and creators of our musical theater heritage from the early decades of the 20th century, through Broadway's Golden Age and beyond. The Ziegfeld Society presents intimate monthly performances featuring award winning Broadway performers performing alongside young up and coming artists, presentations by authors, and screenings of lost film and television musicals at The Paley Center followed by seminars with the stars, most recently THE HELEN MORGAN STORY starring Polly Bergen, moderated by Rex Reed. Past productions have featured performers including Tony nominees Penny Fuller, Anita Gillette, Carol Lawrence, Jane Summerhays, Klea Blackhurst, Tony Award winning conductor Donald Pippin and others. The Society also provides outreach programs for both students and senior citizens.

WALTER WILLISON in JOLSON, MY DAD & ME will be presented at 3:30pm on September 27th, 2014 at Lang Hall at Hunter College (69th Street between Lex and Park). Tickets are $16.00 for the general public, $8.00 for Ziegfeld Society members, $7.00 for students and can be purchased on line at www.theziegfeldsociety.com or by mailing a check to: The Ziegfeld Society, 400 East 58th Street, Suite 16-C, New York, New York 10022.