Paul Anka is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor. He became famous with hit songs including "Diana", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". He wrote the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; one of Tom Jones' biggest hits, "She's a Lady"; and the English lyrics to Claude François and Jacques Revaux's music for Frank Sinatra's signature song "My Way", which has been recorded by many, including Elvis Presley. Three songs he co-wrote with Michael Jackson, "This Is It" (originally titled "I Never Heard") "Love Never Felt So Good", and "Don't Matter ... read more
At the age of 93, the award-winning lyricist and seventeen-time Oscar nominee died of non-Covid related respiratory problems. Some of the revered lyricists most notable awards include three Academy Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and one Cable Ace Award.
Some of her and husband Alan's Oscar-winning works include "The Windmills of Your Mind," "The Way We Were," and the score for Barbara Streisand's film, Yentl. Some of their Oscar-nominated songs are "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" from Best Friends, "Papa Can You Hear Me?" and "The Way He Makes Me Feel" from Yentl, ... read more
Irving Berlin's incredible songbook remains deeply engrained in the current musical landscape of the US, UK and beyond. Contemporary pop artists who have given their own stamp to his work include Lady Gaga, Bob Dylan, Gregory Porter, Rufus Wainwright, Billie Martin, Herb Alpert, Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Michael Buble, Lily Frost, Sarah McLachlan and most recently Gwen Stefani on her 2017 Christmas album. His music continues to be widely featured in films, commercials and television shows. Lady Gaga sang "God Bless America" at 2017's Super Bowl Halftime Show, whilst Seth MacFarlane covered "Let's Face the Music and Dance" for animated ... read more
Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premiered by recording companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area. He and his collaborators had a series of hit recordings with Frank Sinatra during the singer's tenure at Capitol Records, but also enjoyed hits with Dean Martin, Doris Day and many others. He played the piano and violin, and won an Oscar four times for his songs, including the popular hit ... read more
Cy Coleman was a prolific composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist who made a significant impact on American music and Broadway. Born Seymour Kaufman in 1929 in New York City, Coleman began playing piano at an early age and was soon performing in clubs and bars around the city. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, but his true education came from playing with jazz greats like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.
Coleman's first foray into Broadway was with the musical "Wildcat" in 1960, which starred Lucille Ball. The show was not a critical success, ... read more
As a writer, lyricist, composer and director, Fred Ebb made incalculable contributions to the New York theatrical community. Mr. Ebb is a Tony, Grammy, Emmy, Olivier and Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement Award winning recipient. Fred Ebb's first professional songwriting assignment came in 1953 when he and Phil Springer were hired by Columbia Records to write a song for Judy Garland called "Heartbroken." Mr. Ebb was introduced to composer John Kander in 1964 by music publisher Tommy Valando and became one of the most legendary songwriting teams in American history. The first successful collaboration was on the song "My Coloring ... read more
George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn on September 26, 1898, and began his musical training when he was 13. At 16 he quit high school to work as a "song plugger" for a music publisher, and soon he was writing songs himself. "Swanee," as introduced by Al Jolson, brought George his first real fame and led to his writing a succession of 22 musical comedies, most with his older brother, Ira. The Gershwins' shows include Lady Be Good, Oh, Kay!, Strike Up the Band, Girl Crazy, and the Pulitzer Prize winning Of Thee I Sing. From his early career George ... read more
Ira Gershwin, the first songwriter to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize, was born in New York City on December 6, 1896. In 1917 The Evening Sun published his first song ("You May Throw All The Rice You Desire But Please Friends, Throw No Shoes"). Four years later Ira enjoyed his first major stage success, Two Little Girls in Blue, written with another Broadway newcomer, Vincent Youmans. In 1924 Ira and his brother, George, created the smash hit Lady Be Good and went on to continue their remarkable collaboration through a dozen major stage scores, producing such standards as "Fascinating Rhythm," ... read more
John Green is the #1 international bestselling author of "Turtles All the Way Down" and "The Fault in Our Stars." With millions of copies sold, the novel is a New York Times Bestseller, a USA Today Bestseller, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist and TIME Magazine's 100 Best Young Adult Novels of All Time. Green was awarded the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award for "Looking for Alaska," which PBS recently included in its Greatest American Read - 100 Most Beloved Books. ... read more
American composer John Kander (b. Kansas City, MO, March 18, 1927) is the musical partner of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb, who together created at least sixteen Broadway shows, Flora the Red Menace (1965), Cabaret (1966), Chicago (1975), and Curtains (2007) among them. They also contributed material to fourteen films and television specials over their forty-year association. Independently John Kander supplied the scores to many films, including Something For Everyone (1970), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Places in the Heart (1984), and Billy Bathgate (1991). ... read more
Cole Porter composer and lyricist, created a sophisticated and rich body of work that appeared on both Broadway and the Big Screen. Charming melodies and clever lyrics set Porter aside from other composers. Notable songs include, “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love)” for Paris, “Night and Day” for Gay Divorce, “Wunderbar” for Kiss Me, Kate, “All Through the Night,” “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” “Blow Gabriel Blow,” and the title song for Anything Goes. Porter won his first Tony for his Kiss Me, Kate score. He also wrote many famous songs that appeared in films including, “I’ve ... read more
Richard Rodgers was an American composer of 43 Broadway musicals, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant composers of 20th century American music. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II. His compositions have had a significant impact on popular music.
Rodgers was the first person to win an EGOT. In addition, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize, making him one of only two people to receive all five awards ... read more
With the scores of such Broadway classics as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Peter Pan, Bells Are Ringing, Gypsy, and Funny Girl to his credit, composer Jule Styne ranks as one of the undisputed architects of the American musical theater.
Born in London's East End on December 31, 1905, Styne's family moved to the United States in 1912. Young Julius showed such a talent for the piano that he had performed with the Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit Symphonies by age 10.
He developed his feel for popular music working with the jazz bands of 1920s Chicago, and as vocal coach to such ... read more
Rob Cookman has been touring the United States for the last 6 years as a musical director and keyboardist. He just finished Come Fly Away�s 1st National Tour where he lead a 13 piece big band that accompanied original Frank Sinatra recordings.
Rob is a member of the pop group, Knee Deep Shag. With Knee Deep Shag Rob has written, recorded, and made national TV appearances. Knee Deep Shag has won three Detroit Music Awards and one Chicago�s Independent Music Award.
Rob has been a soloist with the Dearborn Symphony (with grammy award winner Rhonda Larson), Mt Lebanon Percussion (Rhapsody in Blue), ... read more
Donald Holder has worked extensively in Theatre, Opera, Dance, Architectural and Television lighting in the US and abroad for over 30 years. He has designed 58 Broadway productions and has been nominated for 13 Tony Awards, winning the Tony for Best Lighting Design for The Lion King in 1998, and for the 2008 revival of South Pacific. Recent Broadway productions include: Tootsie, Kiss Me Kate, Anastasia, Oslo, Straight White Men, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, On the Twentieth Century, The Bridges of Madison County, Bullets Over Broadway and many others. Projects at the NY ... read more
The Nederlander Organization is a company prominent for three generations in the ownership of theatres and the production of distinguished theatrical and concert presentations. Founded in 1912 by David T. Nederlander in Detroit, Michigan, the company is one of the largest and most experienced managers of legitimate venues and entertainment properties in America today. ... read more
Peter was one of Canada's most in-demand theatre sound designers specializing in musical theatre and themed entertainment. From 2000 to 2013 he was the Resident Sound Designer for the Stratford Festival where he has designed over 60 productions.
He designed and consulted in most of the major venues in Canada including Mirvish Productions, The Shaw Festival, The National Arts Centre, The Citadel Theatre, Canadian Stage, Theatre Calgary, The Grand Theatre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Charlottetown Festival.
In the US his work has been heard on Broadway (Come Fly Away, Barrymore), Las Vegas (Sinatra Dance With Me), Atlanta (Come Fly With ... read more
Dave PierceOrchestrator (Additional Orchestrations)
Throughout his seven-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum, and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today’s music superstars. The Oscar® winner also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.
Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as ... read more
