Jazz Singer Marcus Goldhaber Stars in Off-Broadway Musical Salute to Harold Arlen, Beginning Tonight
By: BWW News Desk Dec. 17, 2012
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Goldhaber, the "wonderfully imaginative" (JazzTimes) and youthfully carefree sweet tenor who People Magazine says "will have you giddy one moment, melancholy the next and loving every note!" begins previews tonight, Monday, Dec. 17, in THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF SONG: The Music of Harold Arlen, a musical revue featuring classics like "Stormy Weather," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Lets Fall in Love," and all the much-loved tunes from The Wizard Of Oz, at the St. Luke's Theatre, 308 West 46th Street, NYC. The show officially opens Monday, January 10, 2013.
In between, Goldhaber will be hosting his sixth annual New Year's Eve concert at Fabio's ,230 E. 44th St., in New York City. Tickets and reservations at212.922.0581 or www.fabiopiccolofiore.com
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF SONG moves from The Cotton Club through Arlen's Hollywood years to Broadway, sharing inside stories of how some of the world's most beloved songs were created with rare behind-the-scenes footage from The Wizard of Oz taken by Harold Arlen himself.
Goldhaber is featured as one of The Three Crooners as the Arlen revue makes its New York debut after a national tour to 18 cities and a month-long run at the Debbie Reynolds Theatre in Las Vegas. Produced by Yellow Brick Productions in association with Shea Arender, Steven Colucci and Jerry Rosenberg, THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF SONG has direction & musical staging by Broadway veteran Gene Castle. The original concept is by Nigel Wright, Sam Arlen and George Bugatti with special thanks to Harold Arlen's son Sam Arlen for all archival and historical content. Goldhaber has appeared in NYC at Birdland, The Kitano, The Metropolitan Room, Iridium, The Laurie Beechman, The Cutting Room, The Makor/Steinhardt Center, The Carnegie Club and The Lenox Lounge as well as in Boston, Chicago, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. His theatrical credits include: The Pajama Game, Kiss Me Kate, Singing In The Rain, My Way (Sinatra tribute) and I Left My Heart (Tony Bennett tribute).
"It's a real thrill to be a part of this special tribute to Harold Arlen's incredible songs," says Goldhaber. "The cast and band are phenomenal and I'm really excited to be singing these songs just steps away from where many of them were first introduced in the 1930s."
Growing up Jewish in Buffalo, like Arlen, while also sharing the same draw toward to the blues holds special meaning to Goldhaber.
"I've always felt a small connection to him and an added sense of inspiration as a songwriter," he says. "Though he was at his prime in the Tin Pan Alley days, when the majority of hit songs followed a 32 bar form, his style was completely unique and often unexpected. When I'm writing, I always try and let the song do as much of the writing as possible. If the result is an untraditional form, so be it, as long as it's justifiEd Strongly by melody or lyric. After all, if Harold could do it, 'Why oh why can't I?'"
Goldhaber is gaining a fast reputation among critics and radio programmers for his accessible songwriting and intimate approach to straight-ahead jazz with Chet Baker's cool sensibility, Harry Connick Jr.'s confidence, Art Garfunkel's gentleness, and John Pizzarelli's genial hipness with ALMOST LOVE, his first album of original compositions.
ALMOST LOVE, a recent CD Pick Of The Week on New York's WBAI, is getting wonderful radio support across the nation, recently debuting in the Jazz Top 50 of The Roots Music Report. Jazz Weekly, All About Jazz, the JNS News Service, O's Place Jazz and Sirius XM Host Brett Winterble are among the growing list of media giving the album accolades. Click here to read Goldhaber's recent Q&A in The Advocate.
In soundtrack news, "As Long As I Am Falling in Love," from ALMOST LOVE, and "A Walk," from Goldhaber's acclaimed 2009 album, Take Me Anywhere,were recently featured in the award-winning full-length feature film Going Down in La La Land (Embrem) by Casper Andreas. And "I Fall Apart," also from Take Me Anywhere," will be featured next year in Jon Lindstrom's full length motion picture, How We Got Away With It (La Vie Productions).
And a new Goldhaber original, "Come Home America," which thanks our nation's troops and was inspired by George McGovern's 1972 presidential nomination acceptance speech, was recently commissioned for PROJECT ELEVEN in remembrance of those we lost at 911. All proceeds from downloads of "Come Home America," also featured on The David Webb Show on Sirius XM, benefit Work Vessels for Veterans (www.wvfv.net).
SEE Marcus Goldhaber LIVE:
Marcus Goldhaber in "The Wonderful Wizard of Song"
Previews begin Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012
Opens Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013
St. Lukes Theatre
308 West 46th St.
New York City
Performances: Mondays, 7 p.m.; Wednesdays, 2 p.m.; Thursdays, 8 p.m. (except Dec. 20 @ 7 p.m.).
Tickets $69.50 & $39.50 are available via www.telecharge.com or 212.239.6200.
www.thewonderfulwizardofsong.com.
Marcus Goldhaber's 6th Annual New Year's Eve Celebration
Monday, Dec. 31, 2012
Fabio Piccolo Fiore
230 E. 4th St. (betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.)
New York City
Showtime: 9:30 p.m.
Reservations: 212.922.0581
www.facebook.com/marcusgoldhaber
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www.youtube.com/marcusgoldhaber
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