WHO'S LERNER & LOEWE Holds Performances 3/5-3/22
By: Gabrielle Sierra Mar. 02, 2009
Of the few songwriting teams known as one word we have Rodgers & Hart, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Kander & Ebb and...Lerner & Loewe.
These two men created many of America's most well-known musical theater scores. They weren't nearly as prolific as those others mentioned, but in listing their works together, there's not one clinker among them. Their first hit was Brigadoon in 1947, then came Paint Your Wagon in 1951, My Fair Lady in 1956, the film Gigi for MGM in 1958 and finally Camelot in 1960.
They were the first songwriting team that did not come up through the Tin Pan Alley traditions (the commercial song publishing industry located in New York). Rather, Alan J. Lerner was a Harvard trained dramatist, with no aspirations to write song lyrics. Frederick "Fritz" Loewe was born in Vienna, was a piano soloist around Europe at the age of 13 and brought to Broadway the ancient sound of the operetta. Sure, Jerome Kern and Victor Herbert did it, too; but not in the time of top 40 radio, Ed Sullivan and the 33 1/3 long-playing album.
Alan J. Lerner collaborated with several other composers throughout his Broadway years including Andre' Previn, Burton Lane, (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, 1965) Charles Strouse and Leonard Bernstein. But, none of these partnerships produced the magic of Lerner with Fritz Loewe in such songs as: Heather on the Hill, They Call The Wind Maria, Wouldn't It Be Loverly, The Night They Invented Champaign or If Ever I Would Leave You.
WHO'S LERNER & LOEWE features American Tenor and Sony recording artist, Nathan Granner, Teri Wilder, Brandon Sollenberger and Lindsey McKee.
Cary Mock (Spectacular Christmas) will be at the piano. George Harter will act as narrator; Emily Harris and Kevin Bogan provide the chorus.
Performances are Thursdays thru Sundays, MARCH 5 - 22.
Performances are at 8 PM, 2 PM & 8PM on Saturdays, at the Off Center Theatre on the third floor of the Crown Center Shops.
Tickets are $25, $12 for Students (sides only). For tickets call the AHT / Off Center Theatre Box Office at (816) 842-9999 or visit Musical Theater Heritage online at www.mthkc.com.
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