Pico Playhouse Presents An Evening with Rod McKuen and Friends, 10/17

Rod McKuen fans are in for a rare treat on Monday, October 17, 2011, when Mr. McKuen will appear in An Evening with Rod McKuen and Friends at the Pico Playhouse, 10508 Pico Blvd, in West Los Angeles, for an evening of song and chat. Mr. McKuen will be joined by highly-acclaimed soprano Karen Benjamin, ASCAP Award Honoree Alan Chapman, and Tony Award Nominee Brian Lane Green. The show will be under the direction of well-known musical theatre director, David Galligan and produced by Lynn E. Miller.

The Master of Ceremonies will be KUSC-FM (91.5) radio commentator, composer and lecturer, Alan Chapman, who will engage McKuen in conversation about his long illustrious career.

Rod McKuen has been hailed by The Times of London as "Quite simply one of the most riveting performers of his generation", and Paris Match added, "This talented and electrifying chansonier has set a high standard for every international entertainer." The singer-songwriter's unique style and stage presence has filled concert halls, theatres and intimate nightclubs on nearly every continent.

Director David Galligan notes that "The statistics involving McKuen's career and work are staggering. He has recorded over two hundred albums and is the recipient of 63 gold and platinum records worldwide." His three-dozen books of poetry have been published in eleven languages, and have sold 65 million copies, making him the most widely read poet of his time. The songs he has written and composed have accounted for the sale of over 100 million records for such diverse artists as Madonna, Perry Como, Petula Clark, Waylon Jennings, The Boston Pops, Chet Baker, Pete Fountain, Andy Williams, The Kingston Trio, Percy Faith, The London Philharmonic, Dusty Springfield, Johnny Mathis, Al Hirt and Frank Sinatra.

"It is such a thrill for me to be working with Rod McKuen, an American icon," says Miller, "and particularly in such a warm, intimate 99-seat venue as the Pico Playhouse. I think his fans are going to love being so close to him."

The evening is a fundraiser for the Academy for New Musical Theatre (ANMT), a Los Angeles not-for-profit organization which creates and develops new musicals.

"I'm particularly looking forward to hearing Alan Chapman delve into the details of Mr. McKuen's career," says ANMT Artistic Director Elise Dewsberry. "Alan is well-known for his wealth of knowledge as a radio commentator on KUSC, but I also happen to know that he is an extremely witty master of ceremonies. I know he's going to add some extra depth to this tribute to Mr. McKuen and his wonderful music."

Alan Chapman will also be presenting some of his own music, along with his cabaret sparring partner, Karen Benjamin. This popular husband and wife team has appeared widely in cabaret evenings of Alan's original songs and in programs combining Alan's songs with the best of the classic song repertoire. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Town Hall, the Los Angeles Music Center, Dallas Museum of Art and many other venues nationwide. They are currently enjoying rave reviews for their perpetually sold-out series, Songwriters and Their Songs. Don Heckman of the LA Times writes, "Few performers understand the full extent of the Great American Songbook as well as the husband and wife team of singer Karen Benjamin and pianist Alan Chapman."

A third headliner, Brian Lane Green, will top the evening. Mr. Green is a versatile performer with a broad list of credits in theater, television and film. A Tony Award nominee for "Best Actor in a Musical" for his performance as Spacepunk in Starmites, Green made his Broadway debut as Huck Finn in Big River. He went on to star in the first national tour of that show and also in the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. On television, daytime audiences know him as Alan Brand on Days of Our Lives (1987-89), Sam Fowler on Another World (1991-93), and Brian Bodine on All My Children (1993-94).

Monday, October 17, 2011 - Curtain at 8:00 PM - The Pico Playhouse, 10508 Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90064 (between Motor Ave. and Overland Ave. on the south side of Pico).

Reserved tickets are $45 at anmt.org ($50 at the door).

Proceeds will benefit The Academy for New Musical Theatre

For additional information, and to reserve tickets, visit www.anmt.org or call (818) 506-8500.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.