Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire Will Receive Lifetime Achievement Awards From the American Popular Song Society

Monday, June 17, 2024 will be the American Popular Song Society 3rd Annual Gala Benefit. It will honor the award winning Richard Maltby, Jr.  and David Shire with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The Cutting Room, 44 East 32nd Street NYC.   The event begins at 5:30 pm with a festive Cocktail – Hors d’oeuvres Reception, then at 7:00 pm a Spectacular show. Michael Lavine is the  Director/Music Director/Host for this wonderful special event.

The All-Star Cast includes:  Loni Ackerman, Danny Bacher, Barbara Blieier, Margery Cohen, Gretchen Cryer, Ed Dixon, Sean Harkness,  Judy Kaye,  Sally Mayes,  Charlotte & Emily Maltby, Christiane Noll, Benjamin Pajak, Austin Pendleton, Steve Ross, Thom Sesma, Elena Shaddow, Jenny Lee Stern, Martin Vidnovic, Mark William, Walter Willison, Plus surprise guests. The Band: Michael Lavine on piano, Steve Doyle on Bass, Daniel Glass on Drums, and Sean Harness on Guitar.   Performers subject to availability

Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire both were sons of bandleaders; and attended Yale, where they first collaborated in 1958. Shire later  went to L.A., where he started scoring for television and movies. In 1977, Shire reteamed with Maltby for the Off-Broadway revue Starting Here, Starting Now. Maltby had a solo success writing the book and some lyrics for the Broadway musical Ain’t Misbehaving. That same year, Shire’s adapted score to Saturday Night Fever winning a Grammy Award (sharing with a cast of dozens) for Best Album. A year later, Shire competed against himself for the best song at the Oscars, winning for “It Goes Like It Goes” from Norma Rae. In 1983, their  first Broadway collaboration, was Baby. Maltby also directed and wrote lyrics for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance and adapted the libretto and lyrics for Miss Saigon into English. In 1989, Maltby and Shire collaborated another Off-Broadway revue, Closer Than Ever. Maltby was back on Broadway again as the lyricist for the musical Nick and Nora. In 1996, he and Shire wrote a musical version of the film Big, for which they were nominated for a best score Tony Award. In 1998, Shire was nominated for an Emmy for his score to the made-for-TV remake of Rear Window.

Linda Amiel Burns & Marilyn Lester are the Co-Producers;  with Andrew Poretz, Associate Producer; and Glen Charlow, Designer, Ticketing.

Established in 1980, as the New York Sheet Music Society, the American Popular Song Society (name changed in 2015) is a New York based, not-for-profit social organization, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the American Song Book, by providing a forum for discussion, education, performance, the encouragement of current songwriters to create new songs which extend the tradition, and the collection of classic sheet music and recordings.APSS is a 501C3, so all is tax deductible. The money raised will help keep presenting the fabulous monthly programs that have been done for the past four decades. 

Tickets are $150  includes the Pre Show Reception and the special performance.  Seats are General admission.

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