54 Below to Host THE NINTH ANNUAL HARVARD-YALE CANTATA Next Month

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will again present a cast of Harvard and Yale grads and current students in The Ninth Annual Harvard-Yale Cantata. Looking to avenge last year's defeat, Team Yale will summon some of its formidable musical theater resources to fight Team Harvard in the 9th Annual Harvard-Yale Cantata.

This show is a competition of Harvard alumni vs. Yale alumni, as performers and writers. Both schools have renowned songwriter alumni (Harvard: Leonard Bernstein & Alan Jay Lerner, Yale: Cole Porter & Bobby Lopez), although a lot of the appeal comes from younger alums and even current students. Yale leads this series 5-2-1. Last year Harvard scored their second win, in a 32-31 point nail biter. Derek Speedy returns as the Harvard team captain, and Josh Rosenblum is coming back as the Yale music director and team captain. Ian Chan will handle music direction for Harvard.

Join producer and host Tom Toce (MAC Award-winning songwriter and ten-time MAC nominee) for a cutthroat evening of terrific songs and wonderful performers. The critics have raved about past shows. As we always say, you don't have to have gone to West Point to enjoy the Army-Navy game, and you don't have to be affiliated with either school to love the Harvard-Yale Cantata.

The Yale songwriters will include Brittney Benton (current Yale student), Peter Foley (The Hidden Sky, The Names We Gave Him), Michael Gore (score to the movie Fame, Oscar winner), Robert Lopez (Book of Mormon, Frozen), Joshua Rosenblum (Fermat's Last Tango, Einstein's Dreams, Faculty at Yale, author of Closer Than Ever, a biography of the songwriting team of Richard Maltby and David Shire), and Maury Yeston (Nine, Titanic, Tony winner). The Yale performers will include Alaina Anderson, (national tour of Dear Evan Hansen), Sam Bolen (Midnight at the Never Get, Assassins at Classic Stage, several Encores! productions), Amy Justman (Titanic at Encores!, Company, Carousel, Phantom, In Transit, and A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder on Broadway), Joanne Lessner (Bway: Cyrano, Drama Desk nominated songwriter), and Lauren Marut (current Yale student).

The Harvard songwriters will include Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story, etc.), Ian Chan (rehearsal pianist for Bway's 1776 and The Heart of Rock and Roll, two-time semi-finalist as composer for the Eugene O'Neill National Theater Conference), and Sarah Rossman (Itchin' for an Itch at Williamstown and The Emperor's New Clothes at ART). Performers for Harvard will include Ashley LaLonde (national tour of Hamilton), Henry Lynch (Zoomers, a new play by Matthew Gasda, Dexter, and Netflix's The Society), Lindsay McAuliffe, and Derek Speedy (Lifespan of a Fact at Gloucester Stage Company and Asolo Rep).

Additional performers and songwriters will be announced as the date approaches.

“The Harvard-Yale Cantata” plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on Sunday, September 12, at 9:30. There is a $34.50 (includes $4.50 in fees)-$45.50 (includes $5.50 in fees) cover charge, with a $73 (includes $8 in fees) premium ticket charge and a $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.org. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00 are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Below, a recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve the music of Broadway and expand the art of the cabaret while growing opportunities for diverse communities of emerging and established artists and providing unparalleled audience experiences.

It was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. One of the most in demand venues in the city presenting over 700 shows per year, the club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists.  It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent. 

54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at  54below.org.

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