Photo Coverage: Michael Feinstein's Musical Soiree To Benefit The Great American Songbook Foundation

There are many organizations that have been established to preserve our musical heritage and at the forefront of those that specialize in The Great American Songbook, Michael Feinstein's foundation is one of the most important and influential. Last night at a private event Michael entertained for a Park Avenue apartment full of generous New Yorkers who had gathered to help support The Great American Songbook Foundation founded by Michael in 2007.

Christine Ebersole was Michael's special guest for the evening and the fortunate guests were also treated to performances by Ben Vereen, Laura Osnes and Marilyn Maye. It was quite a thrilling and special evening on Manhattan's East Side.

A brief conversation at a similar event a few years ago made me realize how important these organizations are. A young Doctor present at a party mentioned to me that he lived on the Upper West Side. Being that plenty of Gershwin tunes were being performed that evening I pointed out to him that George and Ira also lived on the UWS during much of their creative years. In fact I continued, every time they had another hit show and their fortunes rose, they moved to a "better" building. At this point the young Doctor (obviously not knowledgable of the Songbook) asked me...."do they still live here"?

Michael Feinstein performs The Great American Songbook and more importantly he also helps educate the next generation about our musical heritage.

In 2009, Michael Feinstein was appointed Artistic Director of The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, IN. At that time, the Foundation committed to permanently locating on the Center's campus. The Great American Songbook Foundation's administrative offices and archives are located on the Gallery level of The Palladium, a 1600-seat concert hall that opened in January 2011.

Note to that Doctor.....The Gershwin's music still lives on the Upper West Side and around the world.

Great American Songbook Ambassador Michael Feinstein, Christine Ebersole and friends gathered Monday, May 20, 2019, at the luxury Park Avenue residence of noted arts patron Vivian Serota for a musical soiree to benefit The Great American Songbook Foundation.

Guests of the intimate salon-style event were delighted as Feinstein and the Tony Award-winning Ebersole dazzled the audience with their rendition of "Two for The Road". Feinstein also performed the classic "For Once in My Life," with Ebersole singing "Right as Rain" and "Lullaby of Broadway." Feinstein and Ebersole weren't the only guests to share their talents as esteemed entertainers Tony Award winning Ben Vereen (singing "Mr. Bojangles," "Stand by Me," "Defying Gravity") Songbook Hall of Fame inductee Marilyn Maye ("Secret of Life," "Here's to Life"), Laura Osnes ("It's De-Lovely") and newcomer and graduate of the American Songbook Academy® Anais Reno ("Mood Indigo") also performed for the crowd of 80

Guests of the event included notables such as Terrence Flannery, Nicola Bulgari, Bonnie Bernstein, Robert Creighton, Bill Hutton, Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon, Riki Kane Larimer, Chef Alexander Smalls, Byron Janis, Gene Korf, Joseph Benincasa, Marc Rosen and Arlene Dahl, Michael Charles, Sunny Sessa, Ted Hartley, Stanley, Leah and Cole Rumbough, Eda and Stephen Sorokoff, Jeff and Leslie Leibowitz, Kate Edelman Johnson, Kelly Butler Smith and husband Charlie Morgan.

The evening raised awareness of and philanthropic support to benefit The Great American Songbook Foundation and their long-established programs to preserve the music that has shaped America.

The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy® Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook - the timeless standards of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood. The Foundation preserves and elevates this rich legacy by curating physical artifacts of its creators, performers and publishers; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars, historians and performers; providing educational opportunities and multidisciplinary curricula for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy® summer intensive; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; and operating a multimedia gallery for public exhibition of its collections. The Foundation is a Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum®. More information is available at www.TheSongbook.org

Article & Photos by: Stephen Sorokoff