Harvey Granat and Will Friedwald to Showcase the Great American Songbook at 92Y This Fall

Harvey Granat is a cabaret performer, Broadway producer and historian of the American popular song. Will Friedwald is a critic, music historian and author of eight books, including the upcoming The Great Jazz and Pop Vocal Albums (Pantheon Books, October 24).

Between them they're an endless fount of information, personal anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories about the composers, lyricists, singers and musicians whose indelible artistry comprises the Great American Songbook.

Their noontime programs - Songs and Stories with Harvey Granat and Will Friedwald's Clip Joint - give audiences a different spin on this unique art form, with special guests, live music and rare video clips. Plus, this season they come together for a special event with entertainer Marilyn Maye and pianist Billy Stritch.

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Special Event
Marilyn Maye with Will Friedwald and Harvey Granat
Billy Stritch, piano
Mon, Oct 23, 12 pm, tickets from $25

The great singer and entertainer, Marilyn Maye, joins up with daytime raconteurs Will Friedwald and Harvey Granat, for a special event. Will Friedwald shares rare vintage footage from the legendary variety and talk shows of the 1960s and 1970s, and Harvey Granat joins to speak with Marilyn about her rise to fame and her experiences in the clubs and on television. Marilyn sings a few songs accompanied by the award-winning composer, arranger, vocalist and jazz pianist Billy Stritch.

SONGS AND STORIES WITH Harvey Granat

Harvey Granat's series focuses on a composer or lyricist, combining his singing of their songs with stories from their lives, with insights from special guests and accompanist David Lahm.

Will Friedwald'S CLIP JOINT: SCENES FROM THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK

Will Friedwald presents curated video clips from his extensive vintage collection to illustrate the great artistry of the performers and composers of the American Songbook.

See below for details on their individual events:

Will Friedwald's Clip Joint | Fred Astaire SINGS AND DANCES Irving Berlin

Wed, Sep 27, 12 pm, tickets from $25

Fred Astaire and Irving Berlin enjoyed one of the great collaborations in the history of popular culture; Berlin not only wrote the scores for no less than six of Astaire's classic movie musicals, but he provided the great song-and-dance man with more of his all-time signature songs (such as "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails," "Cheek to Cheek," "Puttin' on the Ritz"). We'll look at the confluence of these two great showbiz icons, including rare footage of Astaire performing Berlin's classic songs on vintage television.

Songs and Stories with Harvey Granat | THE MUSIC OF Charles Strouse

Thu, Sep 28, 12 pm, Tickets from $29

The great Broadway and film composer Charles Strouse joins Granat to share stories on the creative process in a program that includes many of his songs from Bye Bye Birdie, Annie, and Applause like "Tomorrow," "Put on a Happy Face" and "This is the Life," among others.

Will Friedwald's Clip Joint | Ella Fitzgerald: DUETS

Tue, Oct 24, 12 pm, tickets from $25

In honor of her Centennial year, here is the first lady of song in a retrospective of her amazing television career in the 1950s and '60s, collaborating and crossing cadenzas with such peers as Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bing Crosby, Jimmy Durante, Dean Martin and Dinah Shore, as well as such jazz luminaries as Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. The legendary Ella was never greater than when she shared the spotlight with her contemporaries.

Songs and Stories with Harvey Granat | THE MUSIC OF Richard Whiting

Thu, Oct 26, 12 pm, tickets from $25

Debbi Whiting, Richard Whitings's granddaughter, talks about her grandfather and her iconic mother, Margaret Whiting in a program that includes Whiting's songs including "On the Good Ship Lollipop," "Hooray for Hollywood," "Sleepy Time Gal," "Too Marvelous for Words" and "Ain't We Got Fun," among others.

Songs and Stories with Harvey Granat | THE MUSIC AND LYRICS OF Cole Porter

Thu, Nov 16, 12 pm, tickets from $25

Porter biographer and respected historian Robert Kimball discusses Porter's life and distinctive creative style through some of his greatest songs from Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate, High Society and a number of other shows.

Will Friedwald's Clip Joint | Johnny Mercer SINGS Johnny Mercer

Wed, Nov 29, 12 pm, tickets from $25

Everyone knows Johnny Mercer's songs: "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Skylark" and "Moon River," but how many people know that he was also a great singer, especially of his own lyrics. In the 1950s and '60s, Mercer was a frequent presence on live television, and for this retrospective, we're culling his appearances from a wide range of vintage variety shows, featuring duets with such worthy constituents as Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Margaret Whiting and Nat King Cole.

Will Friedwald's Clip Joint | Frank Sinatra SINGS Richard Rodgers

Tue, Dec 12, 12 pm, tickets from $25

In honor of the 102nd birthday of the Chairman of the Board, we focus on Sinatra's 50-year-relationship with Richard Rodgers who, in both of his key collaborations wrote many of Sinatra's most familiar classic songs. From the wit and warmth of Rodgers & Hart classics, like "My Funny Valentine" and "The Lady is a Tramp," to the deep universal truths of Rodgers and Hammerstein, like "Soliloquy" (from Carousel) and "I Have Dreamed." We leave no doubt that Sinatra was the number one interpreter of Rodgers.

Songs and Stories with Harvey Granat | THE LYRICS OF Yip Harburg

Thu, Dec 14, 12 pm, Tickets from $25

Can You Spare a Dime" and "It's Only a Paper Moon." Join us for an afternoon of these hits and more as we explore how Harburg addressed such issues as racial and gender equality and union politics in his work. Special guests include Ernie Harburg, Yip Harburg's son, and Deena Rosenberg, cultural and music historian and author of Fascinating Rhythm: The Collaboration of George and Ira Gershwin and founding Chair of Musical Theater Program, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU.

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92nd Street Y is a world-class, nonprofit cultural and community center that fosters the mental, physical and spiritual health of people throughout their lives, offering: wide-ranging conversations with the world's best minds; an outstanding range of programming in the performing, visual and literary arts; fitness and sports programs; and activities for children and families. 92Y is reimagining what it means to be a community center in the digital age with initiatives like the award-winning #GivingTuesday, launched by 92Y in 2012 and now recognized across the US and in a growing number of regions worldwide as a day to celebrate and promote giving. These kinds of initiatives are transforming the way people share ideas and translate them into action both locally and around the world. More than 300,000 people visit 92Y annually; millions more participate in 92Y's digital and online initiatives. A proudly Jewish organization since its founding in 1874, 92Y embraces its heritage and welcomes people of all backgrounds and perspectives. For more information, visit www.92Y.org.

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